Page 78 of One Night with Number Nineteen

Well, it’s certainly not all innocent dinners and friendly conversations, that’s for damn sure.

The man’s mouth and fingers⁠—

“Moooom!”

I shake myself, pressing my thighs together to alleviate the ever-present ache that’s been there since Sawyer and I had our first night together.

No, from before that.

From the first time I noticed how sweet and strong and amazing he was.

“Mom—”

I ruffle Ollie’s hair. “I’m working on it, kiddo.”

“No,” he grumbles. “You’re just sitting there staring at nothing.”

“I’m trying to figure out what to type.”

“It’s easy, Mom. Just tell him he did good.”

I smile at him. “You’re right, peanut. It is easy.”

I tap at the screen, hit the little blue button to send the text.

Whoosh!

LAINEY: Ollie says good goal.

“Good job,” he says, patting the top of my head. Then he goes back to dancing around and watching the Grizzlies take on the Cougars.

It’s a back-and-forth battle, mostly because Ace’s brother, Beck, is a force on the ice.

He’s not as showy as Ace, doesn’t have that million-dollar smile and all those sponsorship deals. But he’s fast and he’s strong and he’s freaking tenacious as all get out.

The man does not give up.

Maybe it’s an Ambrose thing.

Maybe it’s just a hockey player thing.

Either way, it makes for an exciting game.

Ollie and I watch and chat (and I do a bit of editing while he does more than a bit of dancing) as the second period winds down.

Intermission means bath time, and then I let Ollie hang out through most of the third period.

He drops off just before the Cougars tie it up and sleeps through my tense observation of regulation time turning into overtime turning into a shootout.

Gray goes first for the Grizzlies, lining up at center ice, waiting for the ref to give him the signal.

Then he shoots forward, scooping up the puck, skating with it in a wide arc before cutting in and⁠—

“Damn,” I whisper when the goalie from the Cougars makes the save.

Then I watch as the Grizzlies goalie prevents a goal.

Rip takes his turn, making an approach much like Gray had…