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I must fall asleep because the next thing I know, the room is quiet, the lights are dim, and Ryan is slumped over my bed, holding my hand. His steady breathing tells me he's asleep. I sigh contentedly, close my eyes, and drift back off, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.
24?
Beaching
Avery
Two Months Later
Ilove the beach.
I love everything about it. I love the sunshine. I love the sand—well, sometimes I love the sand, unless it's stuck everywhere from my eyes to my asscrack—I love the water and the waves. I just flat-out love the beach.
In Canada, beaches are only enjoyed in the summer. We have great freshwater beaches and lakes, but when it comes to truly soaking up the sun on a beach, you need to find an ocean and white sand; not the grainy, rough crap we have.
After the year we had, we all deserve a holiday full of white sand, crystal clear, turquoise water, lounger chairs, fruity drinks with umbrella straws, and lots of tanned skin. Between taking over JP Lighthouse and transforming it into Sparks and Avery Sports Specialists, assuming the massive project that was revamping the Toronto Northmen's image, Holly getting blackmailed by our former boss, me getting shot by an insane Hollywood agent, and the Northmen making it all the way to game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals, we were all way past due for some R and R.
Game seven was a heartbreaker—an utterly devastating, soul-crushing heartbreaker.
We were so close to winning it all that we could taste it, and a bouncing puck in overtime snatched it all away. The St. Louis Slammers were crowned Stanley Cup Champions, and we left with our hearts broken. I'd never heard silence quite so loud the night of the loss. No one spoke a word. Then we all woke up the following day, got over it and started planning for next season.
Next year, Ryan and the boys are going to bring it home. I know it. There will be some tinkering done to the team this summer, but we have two months to prepare for training camp and two weeks before the boys need to start their summer training regimes. We're going to use these two weeks to live it up on a beach in Turks and Caicos with all our friends and family.
Holly and Luke are taking a pre-wedding honeymoon before getting married this September. Ollie and Ozzy have tagged along on this trip to start bonding with some of their new teammates and new captain. They signed with Toronto during Free Agency, at a hometown discount, for the next five years. During their press conference, my brothers told the media they signed with the Northmen to play for the team they grew up idolizing as kids and to keep me out of trouble.
Jerks.
They weren't the only ones to crash our vacation either. Mom, Dad, and Ryan's mom, Martha, decided to pack up and get some sun. Although they are at the other end of the resort and promise not to "cramp the young people's style."
The Valentine brood is here, staying next to the Deckers. Luke's parents and Holly's mother, who is engaged to Luke's uncle, are enjoying these tropical climes with us.
Lily joined the party too, but rather than fly solo, she brought Riley. They're on a mission to flirt and dance with as many locals as possible. Personally, I think Lily's doing some seriously hard reverse psychology flirting. The more she flirts with bronzed, muscled servers and guests at the resort, the more Chase struggles to keep the vein in his head from bursting. I swear to god, that guy will either have an aneurysm or throw Luke's sister over his shoulder and steal her away to have his wicked way with her.
I know which one Lily is betting on and hoping for.
Chase came as a single, saying he needed a room to himself to accommodate all the vacation sex he'll be engaging in on this trip. I have yet to see him look at any woman other than the sly firecracker that is Luke's sister.
Lily has a rocking body, and it's near impossible for men to keep their eyes in their heads when she's in a bikini. It reminds me of those old cartoons where the wolf looks at a gorgeous woman and his eyes and tongue go boinging and lulling out of his head.
So yeah, barely anyone stayed at home. The only couple that didn't show up is Tyra and Taylor because Tyra is shooting a TV show in the UK, and Taylor took two weeks off to visit her and go do touristy things in Europe.
"Have I mentioned what a brilliant idea this was?" I smile, turning to Holly while sipping some of my strawberry daiquiri. It's my third or fourth drink this afternoon, and I have a fantastic buzz.
"You might have ten or twelve times," Holly giggles, equally buzzed.
"This is the perfect way to celebrate the end of my internship," Lily chimes in. "It's the calm before the storm. When we get back, I'm moving to Toronto, and then I will dazzle the city with my cooking skills until I land my dream job."
"And what's the dream?" I ask nonchalantly. Holly and I still haven't told Lily about our idea yet. We got the green light from management just before we left. The position is all but hers if she can cook her way in, and then she'll be the Toronto Northmen's personal chef.
"Well, I'd love to have my own restaurant one day, but I know I have to pay my dues and build a reputation," Lily muses. "The opportunities are endless in the city. I just need to get my foot in the right door."
"Would you consider being a personal chef?" Holly asks.
"Of course! There's no shortage of rich people in Toronto who need fancy meals prepared for them. But, the likelihood of me landing a position like that are slim to none. The upper class doesn't hire nobodies fresh out of culinary school."
"I guess," Holly says innocently. "But hockey teams do."
A look of confusion passes over Lily's face as she turns to me. I just smile, adjusting my sunglasses.
