Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
She grabs my hand and squeals. “Tell me everything!”
I do. I tell her about seeing each other for the first time and how it felt like time was slowing down around us. About approaching him and the silent auction and dancing and our first kiss.
“There were fireworks in the sky!” I say as I squeeze her hand. “Fireworks, can you believe it?”
We’re like two teenage girls. It’s so fun.
She wants to know everything. What he was wearing, what he said, what he smelled like. I dish it all until my dad comes in, unraveling his tie.
“I sense tension,” Mom says as Dad walks over to the chair and pulls off his jacket. “What happened?”
“Dad doesn’t think I can make my own decisions even though I’m twenty-two,” I say in a pointed tone.
Dad huffs out a breath. “Your daughter refuses to acknowledge that I may know something about men that she doesn’t.”
“Oh please, Finn,” Mom says with a shake of her head. “Nolan seems like a perfectly nice guy and your daughter had a wonderful time.”
“A wonderful time kissing a man at a work function,” he says in a gruff tone. “Yeah, I saw you. What kind of man kisses a girl in public like that?”
“You,” Mom says. “Or, did you forget our first date?”
“Oh, really?” I say, grinning as I lean back on the pillow.
“Oh yeah, and we did a lot more than kiss that night, let me tell you.”
“Lynn!” Dad snaps as Mom giggles. “Will you please? I was a perfect gentleman.”
She snorts out a laugh and even though I don’t want to hear any more details, I laugh too.
Dad gets all flustered and grabs his bathrobe. “I’m taking a shower,” he grumbles and we laugh even harder as he flees into the bathroom.
I sigh as I cuddle my mom.
“When are you going to see him again?”
“I don’t know,” I say, feeling sick about it. “He’s going to be busy with the playoffs. He’s leaving for New York tomorrow to get ready for the game.”
“Go meet him.”
“And look like a psycho stalker? No, thank you.”
“If he’s as crazy about you as you described, then he’ll be thrilled to see you.”
I think about it for a while. It would be pretty amazing to see Nolan in New York. I know this amazing French restaurant I’d love to take him to.
“You can have my ticket,” Mom says. “It’s a front-row seat.”
“You’d miss the game?”
“For you? Absolutely.” I smile and sink against her as she kisses my forehead. She’s the best mom in the world. “And it’s not like I can see anything anyway. With my luck lately, I’d probably get a puck in the forehead.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I say as I hug her arm.
“No problem, sweetie. And you leave your dad to me. I’ll soften him up to the idea.”
“That’s going to take a lot of work,” I say with a sad laugh.
She grins. “Don’t you ever underestimate my ability to nag. I’m world-class at it.”
I shake my head and smile, hoping she’s right.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Nolan
I’m crouched down in front of the net and stopping puck after puck after puck. They’re coming from everywhere. About two dozen of my teammates are launching pucks at me in the pre-game warmup.
I skate over to the boards and do the splits, stretching my inner thighs as the boys shoot on the open net.
We’re in Madison Square Garden tonight for the first playoff game against the New York Ogres. I’m trying to dial in, but I have Grace on my mind. It’s been three days since I’ve seen her and it’s making me mad. I’ve barely slept. My appetite is gone. All I can think about are those soft lips and that beautiful smile. I can’t believe I forgot to get her damn phone number, what was I thinking?
I wasn’t thinking anything. I was living in the moment, completely transfixed by that beautiful girl.
Yesterday, I was in it so bad, I almost stole the coach’s phone out of his office to look up her number. I talked some sense into myself after the assistant coach caught me with a paperclip in the lock.
Sebastian skates over and starts stretching out his triceps. “You ready for Nikolai?”
Nikolai Kuznetsov. After our own Sebastian Kemp, he’s the league’s top scorer. And he’s currently warming up on the other side of the ice.
“I’m ready,” I say, feeling anything but. This girl has got me thrown off my game. Right now, it feels like Nikolai is going to pick me apart.
“He’s been on fire lately,” Sebastian says as we watch him bounce a puck on his stick like a hacky sack. “He likes the top shelf. Especially on the power play.”
I remember. Last time I played against him, he scored a hat trick on me. That was in my rookie season though. I’ve learned some things since then.