Page 80 of Body Check

Grumbling under his breath, he tightens his arm around me and kisses the top of my head. A grown man pouting shouldn’t be this cute.

Then again, there isn’t much he could do that I wouldn’t find adorable.

I only want him to feel better. It might take a while before he finds himself again, but I’ll be by his side the entire time—whether he likes it or not.

Three days later, and he doesn’t like it. Not one bit.

“I’m going stir crazy here,” he snaps. “I need to get out. I need to move.”

“We can walk down the hallway again,” I suggest.

Jason makes a face.

“Look, it’s twelve degrees outside, and icy as fuck. The last thing you need is to slip and injure yourself worse,” I point out. “I can drive you to the practice facility if you want to hang out with the guys.”

He scowls. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

I blow out a breath. “I know you don’t. I’m offering. I have to run some errands, anyway, so I don’t mind driving you over.”

He’s off the pain meds, and his right leg is fine, so in theory he can drive, but his mobility is still impaired. Getting in and out of the car with crutches is difficult.

“Fine,” he grumbles. Heaving himself off the couch, he crutches his way into the bedroom. From my spot on the sofa, I watch as he drops his athletic shorts, his soft cock hanging between his legs as he struggles into a pair of boxer briefs and then a pair of joggers.

We haven’t had sex yet. For all his eagerness on the plane, I gave him a hand job yesterday that turned into him pushing my hand away, not able to cross the finish line. I’m struggling not to take it personally.

He’s in pain, especially now that he’s off the meds, but I can’t help feeling rejected. The rational part of my brain knows he has a lot going on right now, but it doesn’t stop those negative, self-conscious thoughts from creeping in.

Once he’s changed into a team long-sleeved shirt and a zip-up hoodie, he slips his right foot into his shoe, looking at me expectantly.

Grabbing my coat and purse, I follow him out the door, the electronic lock securing automatically. We take the elevator down to the lobby, and I leave him there as I hurry to my building’s parking garage, pulling the car around the front for him.

Morning skate is over, and the guys are settling in for tape review right about now. It’s my day off, so even if I wanted to hang out with the team, I have some things to take care of. Things I’ve been avoiding.

I drop Jason off at the entrance to the facility and wait until he’s safely inside before pulling out, driving across town to the bookstore Vanessa recommended.

It’s a small brick building in an old neighborhood, cutesy and cozy. There’s a coffee cart in front of the shop, manned by a woman with a teal streak in her hair. I order a latte and browse through the store, taking it all in.

“Can I help you?” A curvy woman wearing a purple smock approaches, her dark eyes friendly. She wears her chocolate brown hair in a wavy style, and has a gold hoop through her nose. My eyes flick down to her name tag. SADIE. Just the person I was looking for.

“Vanessa and Jared said I should come introduce myself,” I say. “I’m Amelia, a physical therapist with⁠—”

“Oh, you work for the Grizzlies!” Sadie says. “Van told me all about you.”

I gulp. “Good things?”

“Based on your TBR, yeah, you’ll fit right in here,” she says, a bright smile on her face.

She’s dating the team’s sports analyst, Jared Aviyente. When he saw me with my Kindle for the third time in three days, he suggested I reach out to Sadie about her book club. Vanessa overheard and agreed. She’s been a member for years, and even Robby has come to a few meetings.

“I’m not good at… this.” I wave my hand in the air. “Making friends.” I pause. “Making friends with women.”

To my surprise, Sadie grins. “That makes sense, especially given the hyper-masculine work environment. And Van said you have two brothers?”

“Well, one and his husband. But when I say I have two brothers who are married to each other, people get weirded out,” I grin.

“Oh, we’re going to get along so well,” she says. “Come on to the back of the shop, and I’ll show you where we set up for book club.”

She launches into a spiel about the group of people who get together twice monthly for book club. Most of them are neurodivergent, but everyone is included regardless of disability. Rachel and Audrey, married to the two goaltenders, are both part of the book club, as is Hailey, MacGregor’s sister. Gonzo’s sister-in-law, Viv, is a member, too.