hard to come by, a person could work up some serious enthusiasm for a sport or an activity that wasn’t their usual cup of tea.
And my kid definitely wouldn’t need her arm twisted to go to a hockey event that was carefully set up to keep from causing her pain. Especially if that event featured the Snow Bears. Especially if it involved Jase Kelly. The hockey player she adored and had no idea I’d been FaceTiming with just a few minutes ago. That would be an interesting conversation to have with my kid.
But that could wait, and I could keep this card close to my vest while we enjoyed a hockey game tonight. Once I’d finished cleaning the kitchen, I headed back into the living room, and I sent Dallas a text: puck drop in 5.
In under a minute, her bedroom door opened, then closed, and she came into the living room in an oversized Kuznetsov jersey. Tony trotted beside her, and as soon as took her usual spot on the armchair, he jumped into her lap.
As we all settled in to watch the game, I didn’t dare say anything about what Jase was planning. Just like when he and I had been planning for that first night, I wasn’t about to give her a chance to be disappointed. If this never came to fruition, she’d never know, and therefore she wouldn’t be disappointed.
But Jase had already made it happen once. He could do it again, right?
Please make it happen. You will make my kid so happy if you do.
On TV, the game started. My heart went wild as I watched Jase darting across the screen between a couple of opposing players. He skidded to a halt, doubled back, got in between another player and the puck, and then sprinted toward the opposite goal.
And sitting here pretending I wasn’t watching the man I’d been FaceTiming with earlier? And would be hooking up with again before too long?
That was mind-blowing.
I just felt guilty hiding it from Dallas. I had my reasons for not introducing her to anyone I was dating for at least a little while, and I was being especially cautious this time, but that didn’t stop me from feeling guilty. I was pretty sure that was most of what parenting was—feeling guilty for something I did, didn’t do, said, didn’t say…
Just see how it goes, I reminded myself. Give it time.
Except what if someone else found out first? What if I told her too soon? What if I waited too long? Damn it, when was the right time?
Well, the right time wasn’t right now, that much I was sure about. Pretty sure about. I’d see how things went, and if it looked like Jase and I might keep seeing each other, then I’d have a talk with my daughter.
And as much as the thought of that conversation made me nervous, I hoped it became necessary.
Because I really, really wanted to keep seeing Jase.
Chapter 19
Jase
By the time I stepped off plane two days later, I felt like myself again. The other day’s locker room freak-out felt like it had happened months ago, and I was much closer to an even keel than I’d been. My head was still full of eleventy billion things to worry about—tomorrow night’s game, if I’d actually hit Send on the electric bill payment last night, if either car needed to make a visit to its respective dealership for maintenance and if something was about ready to fall off or break because I hadn’t taken it in. Had I missed any recall notices? Was I driving a death trap without even realizing it?
That was normal, though. There was always a steady hum of worry in the back of my mind. Sometimes—like today—I could mostly ignore it, which left me in a pretty damn good mood.
In the garage below the condos, I parked my Prius beside the Aston Martin, plugged it in, and started pulling my luggage out of the trunk.
A few spaces over, another car door shut, and I grinned to myself as footsteps started coming toward me. Sometimes that made me irrationally paranoid—realizing someone was walking my way—but tonight, I knew exactly who it was before I even looked.
And when I did look, just as I was slinging my backpack onto my shoulders, Devin’s smile made my knees go weak.
“Hey you.” He gestured at my luggage. “You want me to carry something?”