“Oh, right. Yeah, I didn’t have enough to make any bracelets. And you’re correct. It’s a stupid idea anyway.”
She sat next to me. “Who were you going to make a bracelet for?”
“Uh, you.” I was proud of my perfect answer.
She cupped my cheeks with her hand. “My little Boo. So sweet.”
“Hey, are you free Thursday night?”
She kissed my cheek. “Puoi scommetterci! For you, anything.”
“Well, Gabe has this charity he started, and they’re having an event at the Cottage Grove ice arena for the kids him and some of his teammates mentor. Would you want to go with me?”
“I’d love to! I think Dave will be there too.” Her eyes were searching me for answers. “Yes, because you and your mother attending an event together would be, um, normal, right?”
Avoidance slithered in. “Cool, it’s a date for you and me. Nothing like supporting a good cause. Right?”
“A great cause.” She wore a thoughtful look. “So you texted that you and Gabriel went to a movie, huh?”
“Yes, it was a good flick.”
“And? He must’ve done something to make you take time to decide if you’d see him earlier.”
Oh shit. “And nothing. We hung out at his cabin for the wedding party weekend, and he remembered I was just sitting around until after the wedding.” I was nodding liked a bobble head. “I guess he was in the neighborhood today.”
Crap, was her motherly intuition kicking in? My mom fooled most of the world by appearing fairly reserved, but if anyone messes with her kids, she could break out a level of crazy that would make your nightmares seem like a happy place. Had a witch girl in high school who spread a horrible rumor about me and some guy on the football field found somebody had stuck a knife in her tire, filled her backseat with dead fish, and note that read shut it? Yes. My mother and her sister Ellen swore they had nothing to do with it, but the glimmer in Mom’s eyes told otherwise. That Italian blood runs through and through, and I didn’t need any of that shit now.
“Of course, anyone in the neighborhood should feel free to swing by.” She stood up and shuffled toward my door. “Good night, Fern.” She looked over her shoulder. “Gabriel, be sure to lock the door when you leave.”
Heat swirled through me as she winked at the same time a muffled, “Yes, Mrs. Novotny,” came from the closet.
The door clicked shut as Gabe emerged from the closet with oh fuck on his face. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
He walked over and gave me a hug. “I think it’s time for me to fly. I don’t want to piss off any Novotny today.”
I walked him out onto the front porch. He opened his jacket, and I slid my arms around his waist while he closed the coat around me. We exchanged five minutes of kisses that I swore would melt every speck of snow in the front yard before I watched the finest backside in the great state of Minnesota walk to his truck.
I floated upstairs and to my desk. I pulled open my top drawer to see the weekend pass promise ring twinkling back at me. Right, wrong, or otherwise, I slid it on my right hand ring finger before plopping onto my bed. I didn’t know if sleep would happen, but if it did, I was certain Gabe would visit me in my dreams.
The next day, two dozen pink and yellow roses were delivered to my door with a card that fanned the flames in my heart.
Fern,
I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.
Yours,
Gabe
Chapter 11
Day by Day
I scanned the arena and felt warmth flow through me as over two hundred teens, foster children and their families were buzzing around. Ed, Andrew, Dan, Novots, and I were on the ice, helping the little tikes skate around.
These events invigorated me and made me know I was more than hockey. I had a purpose. I had a job to do, and it was a pretty amazing one.
