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“Yes,” he admitted.
“Then show me where to find a blanket, and I’ll use that instead of making you roast.”
She waited for him to realize there was no point in arguing.
“The closet in the study,” he said finally.
When Hayley returned with a navy-blue fleece blanket in tow, Nick had turned on the TV and loaded the movie.
“Lots of pictures in there,” she said.
“Yep.”
“You were a cute kid.”
He smiled. “Yeah, I don’t know what happened.”
“Did I see Gavin in a few shots?”
“Yep, you did.”
“He was a cuter kid.”
He laughed. “Hey now.”
She settled in on the couch and watched him walk toward the recliner. “What are you doing?” she asked.
He stopped. “Um … sitting down?”
Hayley patted the empty space next to her, praying she wouldn’t have to ask. After a moment, Nick crossed to the front door, turned off the lights, and joined Hayley on the couch.
“All good?” he asked.
“Ready to rock.”
He hit “Play” and tossed the remote to the side. She kept her eyes on the TV, tried to busy her hands by popping M&Ms in her mouth, but she didn’t last more than ten seconds before her hand reached out to grasp his. He gave her hand a quick squeeze, and she squeezed back.
Two hours later,Rocky IIwas over, and Nick was looking for the remote control. Neither of them had moved except to deplete the bag of M&Ms. He pressed “Pause,” and Hayley kept staring at the screen.
“He won!” she said.
Nick laughed. “You bet he did.”
“I was hoping he’d win. If this was just a series about how he keeps getting beat up …”
“Yeah, I don’t think I’d be into that.”
She squeezed his hand. “Can I get a glass of water?”
“Of course.”
She hopped up from the couch and headed for the kitchen. “Is it possible those guys were just a little too into boxing?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean their wives were pleading with both of them to stay out of that ring, and it’s like they couldn’t be happy unless they were beating the shit out of each other.”
“That’s what they do,” he said. “It’s who they are. Like if somebody told you not to dance.”
