AllFreeNovel
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“I like it. So what are the other three teams? If, uh, you don’t mind sharing.”
“It’s fine.” It really was, which was still mind-blowing. I hadn’t realized how much I’d been craving this kind of connection and openness with someone. “Phoenix and Vegas, just because I can’t deal with the heat. I would die in the desert. No doubt about it.”
“Ugh, you and me both. I need somegreen.”
“Right?” The end of the tunnel came up fast, and I pulled on a pair of sunglasses, because holy shit, it was suddenly bright as hell. Also, traffic was moving at full speed now. Because of course it was. Pittsburgh drivers and tunnels. What can you do? “I’ve golfed with my teammates a couple of times when we’re in those cities, and I almost died. I’d literally give up hockey before I moved to someplace that hot and dry.”
“Good call. And the last team?”
“Buffalo.”
“Buffalo? Really? Why’s that?”
I glanced at him. “You’re familiar with the lake effect, right?”
Isaiah barked a laugh. “That’s why? Seriously?”
“Yes. Because I was there for an away game when I played for Seattle, and we got hit with this freak snowstorm that actually stranded us for two days. Completely fucked up our schedule, too, and it was just…” I whistled, shaking my head. “I’m from Colorado, for God’s sake, and I’d never seen that much snow come down all at once in my life. It was insane! And when I said something about it, someone at the hotel just like shrugged and said, ‘Yeah, it’s the lake effect. That happens.’”
“And you swore you’d never live in Buffalo?”
“Never in a million years.”
Isaiah chuckled. “I mean, that’s just as valid as avoiding the desert, I think. Because yeah, the snow there is just obscene.”
“It is! That was anoffensiveamount of snow.”
His laughter made my body warm all over. “An offensive amount, huh? So what constitutes an appropriate and inoffensive amount?”
“If there’s so much that I can’t leave my hotel, never mind the city?” I shook my head emphatically. “Nope. Not acceptable. Get me a manager at once.”
He snorted. “I would pay actual money to watch you demand to speak to a manager over snow levels.”
“You clearly haven’t seen me offended by snow. My mom’s cat’s attitude toward the stuff has nothing on mine.”
Okay, I wasn’t that bad about snow in general, but the self-deprecating remarks were well worth it to make Isaiah laugh like that. I almost wanted there to be a freak snowstorm in Pittsburgh this winter just so I could protest theatrically about it and watch him laugh over it.
Maybe we should go up to Niagara Falls this winter and hope for snow.
That thought almost made me laugh just because it was so absurd.
On the other hand, it kind of wasn’t absurd. Snowed into my hotel in Buffalo when I was supposed to be playing on Long Island was frustrating and even infuriating.
Snowed into a hotel suite in Niagara Falls with Isaiah?
That sounded romantic and perfect.
I glanced at him before fixing my attention on the road again. Was I being an idiot, thinking that was something we might be able to do down the line? That vacations and romantic getaways were in our future? Because just thinking about it made hope swell behind my ribs in a way I hadn’t felt since the day I’d been waiting to hear my name called in the draft.
After all, we were on our way to his hometown so I could meet his parents.
Next week, we’d be on our way to Hawaii for a teammate’s wedding. After that, Colorado so he could meetmyfamily.
Maybe those fantasy getaways weren’t just fantasies after all.
It wasa little after noon when we arrived in King of Prussia, about twenty miles out of Philly. Not long after that, I pulled down a tree-shaded driveway to park in front of the two-car garage attached to a brick-and-white ranch-style home.
We took our things out of the car, and I followed Isaiah up the walk, pretending I wasn’t the least bit nervous about meeting his family. What was I supposed to say? How did people do this?
