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He snorted. "I might not be as tough as John Cohan, but I have zero problems throwing down, and I rarely lose."
"I know. I'm just teasing. You're a damned good brawler. I've never seen you back down. You're a pretty good instigator, too."
"What can I say? I like getting under people's skin. And I'm fucking awesome at chirping."
"So humble."
He smiled. "Yeah, well. Holly, how did you manage to get through lunch with Hunter? I knew something was off when you pulled up at the practice facility, but I didn't know it wasthislevel of intense."
"Honestly, it was exactly what I needed to get my mind off of things. Hunter was so happy, Eli. It made me happy." She hesitated. "What happened to me sucked, and it was scary. I'm not trying to minimize it. But I'm grateful it wasn't worse."
"Yeah. I'm really glad you're okay."
"Thanks. You know, I might go take a little nap before dinner. I'm exhausted."
"Good idea." He leaned forward and clasped his hands in front of him. "Holly, even though I'm doing my best over here to keep things professional, it doesn't mean I'm not here for you, okay? I've got you, Wilkes. I want you to know that. You need to understand that. I've fucking got you."
The words spilled out of his mouth before he even realized what he was saying, but he meant every word.
Holly stared at him for a few moments, then gave a slight nod. "I know. And thank you."
She leaned over and brushed her lips against his cheek before standing and hurrying from the room.
Eli ran a hand down over his beard. Maybe he'd overwhelmed her, but after last night, something between them had changed. He'd seen the vulnerable parts she didn't want anyone else to see, just like she'd seen things he'd rather keep hidden.
Secrets bonded people, but he wanted her to trust him enough to be the person she went to when she was hurt or needed help.
He hadn't gotten far enough to earn that trust, yet.
Still, this was a start, and he'd willingly take what he could get.
8
"This was a great idea, wasn't it?" Penn asked, carrying a huge box into her dining room as a few of the player's wives and girlfriends gathered around to watch.
Number and letter patches, as well as other crafting materials, tumbled from the box and onto the dining room table.
"Jeez it's like a crafting avalanche," Holly said, taking a seat at the end of the table.
"Some of the other wives and girlfriends from around the league have been making their own jackets for the past few years when their guys get to the playoffs, and they've turned out amazing. Ours will kick ass, too."
Holly took a sip of wine as the women picked through all the goodies, and she couldn't help but smile. Ever since they were little kids, Penn had always enjoyed making her own jewelry, crafting, and scrapbooking. This was totally her thing.
She took a deep breath and glanced around at her friends as they laughed and talked about the jacket project. It was nice to just hang out and enjoy their company. She didn't want to think about the fire or what had happened with those guys at the mall, her weird stress reactions, or what was going on between her and Eli.
A girls' night was exactly what she needed.
"You look like a kid on Christmas day," Holly told Penn. "Did you max out your credit card buying all of this stuff?"
"Maybe I went a bit overboard," Penn admitted, gesturing toward the table. "You should have seen West's face when the boxes came to the front door. I had to assure him they weren't all mine. The other wives and girlfriends paid me back for the materials, so it didn't burn a hole in my pocket."
"I'm a little surprised you waited until the day before the Western Conference finals started to do all of this," Holly told Penn. "It's not like you to be running behind schedule. Especially when it comes to crafting."
"True, but this was the only night our group could get together. The other ladies picked up their stuff when the playoffs started. Better late than never, right?"
"Good point," Holly said, nodding.
Nic Falanov, winger Roman Falanov's wife, held up one of the black satin jackets and gave Penn a dubious look. "I'm not sure about this. There's no way we can wear these outside. We'll roast in the heat."
