Page 94 of Here We Go Again

My eyes snap to Becca’s face. She’s on her side now, propped up on her elbow.

My neck heats like I’ve been caught, like she somehow knows I’m standing here thinking about the rest of forever.

I smile and close the distance between us, laying out a towel before dropping onto the sand beside her.

“Hi,” she says, lifting her sunglasses. She has more freckles today than she did yesterday. She always did get more freckly in the summertime.

“Hey.” I lean over and press a kiss to her lips all chill and easy, like it isn’t a monumental thing to greet her like this.

She fights a smile as I lean back, a slight blush climbing her cheeks. “Sleep well?” she asks.

“Best I’ve slept in years,” I say.

“It was the squeaky mattress, wasn’t it?”

“Definitely not the mattress,” I say with a grin. “How was your swim?”

“I saw more dolphins,” she says, stifling a yawn. “Now I think I need a nap.”

“Take one,” I say. “It’s not really a vacation if you don’t nap on the beach.”

She pulls her sunglasses back down to cover her eyes and stretches out on her back. “So true. I don’t want to go back on Sunday.”

“Don’t think about it yet,” I say. “You can’t start dreading real life until at least Friday afternoon.”

She chuckles. “Deal.”

Silence stretches for a long moment, and I’d put money on Becca thinking about the same thing that I am.

What will happen when we go back?

She’s in Atlanta for another month or so, but what happens after that? She has a lot more flexibility with her job than I do with mine, so a part of me wants to ask her to stay. She could even move in with me if she’s worried about the cost of housing. But I don’t want to put this all on her. She has a plan, and I know her well enough to trust she won’t want to abandon it, not unless she can find a different route to accomplish the same goal.

Still, I’ve seen how hard the guys on my team have to work to keep their relationships healthy during the season. All the traveling we do doesn’t make it easy. I can’t imagine trying to do the same thing with Becca living in a different city.

Becca reaches over and picks up my hand, pulling it to her lips. She kisses the side of my thumb. “We’ll figure something out,” she says, her voice soft.

I give her a questioning look. “You over there reading my thoughts?”

Her lips lift. “Your thinking is very loud.”

I sigh and lean onto my side, my elbow propped under me. “I just can’t stand the thought of not seeing you every day.”

She chuckles. “You gonna quit your job, then?”

I purse my lips like I’m really considering. “What if I just hide you in my suitcase? Take you on the road with me?”

“Those hockey bags are really big. But I don’t think I could stomach riding in the cargo hold, even on a fancy chartered flight.”

I like that we’re joking about this—that we’re willing to admit we’d rather be together than apart. But joking won’t solve the problem. I just have to hope Becca decides to stay.

Beside me, she lifts an arm, draping it over her eyes like she’s shielding them from the sun. I let my eyes travel down the length of her, taking in her soft skin, her subtle curves, her polished toenails painted a soft pink. She’s perfect. Every inch of her is perfect.

She picks up her foot and uses it to kick a little sand in my direction. “Are you checking me out?”

I grin as I shift my gaze back to her face. “Unapologetically,” I say, then I lean over and kiss her. “But now I’ll let you nap. I’m going to swim for a bit.”

She nods. “Okay.” I stand and brush the sand off my hands, then tug my t-shirt over my head and toss it onto my towel. I’m only a few steps away when Becca calls me back.