Page 110 of Slap Shot
Friends, I remind myself when I climb back on my mattress and wonder if she’s going to go for round two.
If she wants to be friends, I’m going to be the best damn friend she’s ever had.
THIRTY-TWO
HUDSON
I can still hearthe sounds Madeline makes when she comes two weeks later.
I can hear her moans and how she sighs when she finishes, like she’s proud of herself.
I’ve done everything in my power to forget the noises, but I can’t.
So I throw myself into staying busy.
I add three extra weight training sessions to my schedule. I spend time with our assistant coaches doing extensive film review. I visit Lexi at her Pilates class and I join Liam at ballet. I go to team dinner, getting there early to help set up and staying late to clean up. I buy five new romance books when we’re in Detroit and tear through them all, not giving my brain a second of space to think abouther.
After kissing her on New Year’s and listening to her get off, the last thing I want to do is say something stupid that will scare her away. I appreciate her—and not just her cooking—so much, and pretending like none of it happened is the only way forward.
There’s one thing on my mind besides the buzz of her toy. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for weeks now, and the only way to accomplish it is to follow Liam home one night after agrueling workout that had half the team puking once we got off the ice.
“Is there a reason why you’re acting like a lost dog?” Liam asks, unlocking the door to his place. “You’re never this clingy. It’s usually reserved for Miller.”
“I want to talk to Piper about something,” I say.
His mouth curls into a grin. “I’m going to propose to her at the end of the season.”
“You’re already married, dude. Drunk weddings in Vegas still count as legally binding commitments.”
Their original nuptials might have been fueled by an excessive amount of tequila, but those two love each other. Liam doesn’t look at anyone the way he looks at Piper, and I’m glad they figured their shit out. I’m glad they realized their feelings, because they belong together.
“I know they do, but I’m going to propose for real. With a real ring, down on one knee. I’ve been sure about her from the moment I met her, and I want to make it official.”
“You’ve been sure about her even when she was married to someone else?” I ask, and he nods.
“Yeah. I’ve never been patient about anything in my life, but with her? I’d wait a thousand years if I had to.”
I’m not sure when all my friends went from being single to happily settled down with people they want to spend the rest of their lives with.
I can’t help but feel behind sometimes. Like I’m doing something wrong or I’m not someone a woman sees a future with.
“Shit, man.” I clasp his shoulder and grin. “That’s awesome. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks, Hayes. And thanks for setting my ass right back in Vegas.” Liam rubs the back of his neck. He tosses me a rare,sheepish smile, and I might need to go play the lottery. “Pretty sure I owe my relationship to you.”
“No way. It’s definitely because of your charming personality,” I tease.
“Fuck off,” he says, and I follow him to the kitchen. “I’m home, Sunshine. And I brought a stray.”
“Hudson?” Piper waves from the table, where a half-dozen notebooks are open in front of her, and she closes her laptop. She must be getting ready for our game the day after tomorrow. “This is a nice surprise.”
“Hey, Little P.” I slide into the chair across from her and wring my hands together. I’m nervous all of a sudden. “I came to ask you for a favor. It’s something I’ve been considering doing for a while, and I thought you’d be the perfect person to help me.”
“Is it about piercing a certain body part of yours?” she asks. “I don’t have any personal experience, but other women love it, apparently.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I heard a rumor that one of the guys on the team has a piercing somewhere… private. Is it true?” she presses, like the media guru she is.
