Melting Hearts (Loving the Soun - Kat Obie Page 0,14

place. Knowing how caring Petey truly was, she always wondered what it would be like to date him. He was sweet and would pay attention. She was jealous of Aubrey when they started dating, especially since Petey was damn caring and let Aubrey do her own thing, while Jared only tried to control her.

"I know. It's why it's so easy to say yes." She pulled out her laptop and her schedule book. "So, what’s the plan?"

"Well, we have to hang out at the Vancouver game. Most likely, we'll do a meal with the family in addition to you rooting me on as your boyfriend. Since I'm so tied to Cleveland, I can't visit you nearly enough. Would it be okay if I fly you out for a weekend here and there? Then for your spring break, you can spend the week with me?"

"That should be doable. Are you sure this will work and your roommates won't mind?"

"I think it will work. Neither of us have tried something like this, and we already have a great bond. People will just see it as a natural progression. As for the Lagers, I know they would love for you to visit. Are you ready for them, though?"

She knew that Lager and his son could be a handful but in a good way. They would keep them laughing, and she would have to stay alert. However, when she met them for Petey's Stanley Cup party, they were both harmless. "Of course. They were fun when I met them."

"I know. But I have a feeling they would want to prank you. I never quite know what to expect with those two. But other than one or two public dates, I promise the trips to Cleveland will be such that we can just hang out and be us. Well, that's after we work around my hockey schedule."

"Petey. Relax. It'll be nice to hang out together. I'm going to be bringing some books, and I might have to raid your library."

"You might have to settle for raiding my Kindle or the five textbooks that I couldn't get a digital copy of." He snickered. "But if you give me a book list, I'll get them for you."

She smiled to herself. She should have known he didn't have a big library at Lager's place. She knew all too well that Petey never traveled with his books. He might do things on his laptop or Kindle, but that was about it when he was on the road. She wasn't going to give him that book list, though. She could buy her own books for the trip. "Alright."

Petey muffled a yawn. It was super late for him, so she wasn't too surprised when he said, "Okay. My body needs sleep, but if you don't tell me at least three weekends that you can come and visit, I'll be pissed."

She giggled. He’d obviously realized he wasn't going to get a book wish list from her. If she could afford the flights, she might try to book one or two herself. But alas, she probably couldn't quite swing the fare on her own. She would have to rely on him for the flights, and she would give him the weekend dates as he asked. "Will do. Don't want you to be pissed at me. But get some rest."

"You too, Maddy. Don't stay up too late studying. You already worked a banquet tonight. So go to bed."

"You do the same."

"Dude, I'm in bed. So all I have to do is close my eyes. But don't forget to text me those weekends and the dates for your spring break. Thanks again, Maddy. You're amazing for doing this with me."

7

Petey

As he came downstairs, he heard Lager's laughter fill the house. That wasn't too unusual. Well, it was less common than it had been when he first moved in with the Lagers.

It didn't take a genius to know that Dr. Leah had spent the night after their date and she was the source of his happiness.

In the kitchen, Petey got himself a meal going with almond butter and bananas on toast. He looked in the living room and saw Lager and his son eating breakfast. While Lager himself was on the oversized couch, his son was standing beside him. They were in sync, even down to turning the spoon upside down when the yogurt hit their mouth.

"He's really your mini-me. It's scary how much you two are alike."

Lager beamed with pride when he looked down at his