It doesn’t take long to corral the pucks and push the nets toward the Zamboni door. Then we’re grabbing the rest of our shit and walking down the hall.
“Here.” Gray tosses me a foil-wrapped package and before I even bring it up to my nose, I know it’s banana bread.
My stomach rumbles happily. “Faye’s baking again?”
He shrugs, his mouth curved into a smile. “Anything to procrastinate on her deadline.”
I sink onto the bench and open the packaging, biting off a huge chunk of the loaf. “I’ll enjoy the spoils of her procrastination,” I say through the mouthful.
“Exactly,” Sawyer says, cradling his own loaf like a baby before peeling back the foil and going to town.
Ryan nods in agreement, though he sets his loaf on the bench next to him and starts pulling off his equipment.
Meanwhile, I’m going back for another bite.
The man has seriously impressive self-control…especially when it comes to a certain woman he wants.
Grinning, I turn to Gray. “Beer tonight?”
He nods. “Smitty?”
“Nah, need to get home to my little bird.”
Kailey, his wife, is pregnant, and it was a long road for them to get to that point. So, it’s not a surprise he wants to spend every moment he can with her before the season starts.
It’s also not a surprise when Aiden promises to catch us next time too. His wife, Luna, is pregnant too, and further along. Hell, I think it’s probably almost time for her to pop that kid out.
“Ry?” Gray asks.
“Nah.” He tosses his skates in his bag. “I’m taking Alex to a birthday party so Veronica can have a Girls’ Night.”
Veronica.
His friend.
And the woman with whom he’s constantly demonstrating his impressive self-control.
Her kid—Alex—is great, and he and Ryan are close. Not that his bio dad is a deadbeat or anything. Alex just has an awesome group of people around him, and one of those happens to be Ryan.
“Sawyer?” Gray asks.
He grins. “You know I’m always down for beer.”
“Likely because it will give him an opportunity to pick up another woman,” I joke.
“You know you’re the same way,” he counters.
I was.
Then—
I can’t wait to see you again.
“Don’t you know he has a girlfriend?” Smitty says, extending the girl portion to approximately ten syllables.
“She’s not—” I begin.
“Yeah, yeah,” Aiden says. “It’s not serious. You’re just seeing each other all the time.”
