Page 13 of The Flight Risk

Brooke purses her lips mischievously, and the next thing I know, she has her phone in her hands and is furiously typing.

“Brooke Beckett soon-to-be-Lawson. Who are you texting? Stop!” But then I hear the swoosh of the text message going through. My eyes widen in horror. “Who did you text, Brooke?”

She turns her phone face-down on the counter. “You need this push, Tess. You pushed me to take risks, and it led me to Tristan. So, it’s time for me to push you to do the same.”

“B, what did you do?”

Her phone dings. A satisfied smile spreads across her face as she turns her phone around to read what I am assuming is the response.

“Brooke.” My tone is clipped as I stare down my former best friend.

“Oakley’s in.”

Fuck me sideways.

9

Ithought my heart was going to leap out of my chest when I got the text from Brooke.

Hey Oakley. My friend Tess and her 14-year-old niece need a place to crash for a little while. Would you mind letting them stay with you for a little bit? I know it’s a big ask, but she is insistent that she won’t stay with me and Tristan and I don’t know who else I trust to take care of my girl. Well girls. What do you say?

It’s like the universe knew I needed an in with Tess. I royally fucked up in Telluride and I’ve wanted to make it up to her ever since we got back to Dallas. But she’s been keeping her distance which, now that Tristan told me she dates around, makes sense. I’ve been trying to keep everything friendly between us because being friends was better than not having her in my life at all.

The image of Tess and her niece living out of a hotel didn’t sit well with me. Of course my answer was yes, they can stay with me.

I have been cleaning like a madman since last night. Not that my house needed a lot of cleaning. I generally keep the house in order. I may have undiagnosed OCD to pair with a touch of social anxiety. I asked Brooke what kind of food Tess likes and she gave me some ideas. I grabbed some groceries to stock up the pantry and fridge. I washed my sheets in both my room and the guest room and cleaned the bathrooms. I have a cleaning lady come a couple times a month, but I didn’t have the turnaround for extra help.

I’m disinfecting the counter for the tenth time when the doorbell rings. My heart is pounding against my chest like a drum. I haven’t felt this nervous since my first game in the NHL. This moment seems big and I’m not going to mess it up this time.

I take a deep breath and open the door. There she is, looking more beautiful than I can remember. And I’ve seen her in a hot pink dress and half-naked on two separate occasions. Her dark hair is slightly wavy and she’s wearing matching grey sweatpants and a tank top. A small dog tucked under her arm is panting happily, tongue out and all. Tess’ emerald eyes meet mine and the drum beating inside my chest is out of control. She leaves me fucking breathless. I can’t believe she is standing at my door.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” She flutters her eyelashes and looks back at her niece. “Um, you remember Lottie, right?”

“Yeah, it’s nice to see you again.” Lottie gives a small smile. That’s something. At least it’s not a look of complete annoyance. I turn my attention back to her aunt. “Come in. I’ll show you around.”

They slowly step in and Tess lets her dog down. “I don’t know if Brooke told you about Pippa. I hope it’s okay that a dog is also crashing at your place. You aren’t allergic, are you? I’m sure Pippa can go and stay with Tristan and Brooke.”

Brooke didn’t tell me about also taking in a dog, but honestly, Tess could have arrived at my doorstep with pretty much anything and I wouldn’t complain. She can do whatever she wants because I don’t think I have any power over this woman. She holds all the power over me. “She didn’t, but it’s totally fine.” I squat down and let Pippa familiarize herself with me. Her tail wags wildly as I pet behind her ears.

“She likes you. And Pippa doesn’t like anyone new.”

“Yeah, what the heck, Pippa? She literally growled at me for three days when I first moved in with you, Aunt Tess,” Lottie interjects, arms crossed, ready to go twelve rounds with Pippa.

Hearing Lottie call Tess “Aunt Tess” unlocks a whole new level of my attraction. The idea of her taking in a kid who isn’t hers. It’s goddamn admirable. I clear my throat to keep my feelings at bay. You are just friends. And you need to keep it that way, especially now that she is your temporary roommate. “I love dogs. I grew up having multiple dogs at once.”

“So, why don’t you have any?” Lottie asks.

“After my last dog died, I needed time to grieve and I figured that I would know when the right time would be. I like to take things slow.” I look at Tess again. She shifts her weight from one foot to another almost like she is…nervous? Uncomfortable? Scared?

Same.

“So, how about a tour?” I try to release whatever obscure tension is growing between me and Tess. I grab Lottie’s bag and notice a black instrument case. “Is that your clarinet?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s cool. I didn’t get a chance to tell you this the other night after the game. I love music, but I was so busy with hockey growing up that I didn’t have the time for basically anything else. Do you know who John Williams is?” I am expecting Lottie to have no idea who I’m talking about, but then her eyes widen.