Tally groaned. “You are not helping, man.”
Sin shrugged. “We’re always an incentive.”
They continued to go back and forth, but I kept my attention on Gabe as he leaned closer.
“Sorry. I should’ve brought it up when we were doing our parameters, but it slipped my mind. It’s for a good cause.”
“Of course. I should be able to make it. What’s the charity?” I asked. I wasn’t a huge fan of schmoozy events, having been to a handful over the years, but as long as it was something I could get behind, I was willing to attend. Plus, I didn’t mind the idea of staring at Gabe in a suit. Or maybe a tux.
Geez, how shallow did that sound?
TUCKS
Shit.
I definitely should’ve told her about the charity event already, along with figuring out what our PDA rules for different situations were, but I was still trying to navigate what we were doing. Obviously, we’d missed a few things when we’d set it all up.
I knew tonight had been overwhelming with everyone bombarding her and wanting to meet her. And fucking Sin being his usual over-the-top self. It shouldn’t have surprised me that I’d completely forgotten about Cora’s event. It was our first one for the Denver children’s hospital.
“I know it’s super last minute.” Cora quirked her brow at me even as she spoke to Dani.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, but Cora kept going.
“It’s through our Stampede Foundation. We’re trying to do more and more for the community, and this event is to support the local children’s hospital. I do a lot of work with them personally, so the event is very close to my heart,” Cora said.
“That’s awesome. I’d love to attend,” Dani said, a genuine smile in place.
Damn. That smile could light up a room, and I much preferred it over the tighter one she usually had. To be fair, I knew she was on edge with our ruse, so the tension-laced one made sense.
“Dani works with kids. She’s a child and family therapist and volunteers with at-risk teens. She’s amazing.” I had obviously never seen her in action, but I couldn’t imagine her being any less than fantastic at her job.
I caught her staring at me, her lips slightly parted, as I talked about her. Would she pull back if I leaned in for a kiss? I was dying to taste her again.
Focus.
“Wow, that’s amazing. I bet it’s stressful and rewarding all at the same time,” Cora said.
Dani nodded. “Very much so, but I like helping kids and their families.”
“Where do you volunteer? Maybe we could do something to help. Or at least send a bunch of the guys over to hang out with the kids,” Cora said.
“I was already planning to talk to Meredith,” I replied.
“What? Who’s Meredith?” Dani asked.
“Head of PR. She’s great to work with,” Cora explained. “Yes, let’s do that. Whatever you need, Dani, let us know.”
“Totally great,” a voice that sounded distinctly like Sin muttered sarcastically, but I ignored him.
“She’s fantastic at setting up events and coordinating with community outreach programs. And I know you’ll have an entire team of hockey players at your disposal,” I said.
“Absolutely. I’ll get you Meredith’s info. Ooh, maybe we could do something for Halloween. I know the guys love wearing costumes,” Cora said.
“We will for a good cause. We just need to figure out a theme,” I said. And I wasn’t just going to automatically suggest unicorns or rainbows.
“Whoa, whoa,” Dani started.
“Sorry. We came on strong,” Cora said with a laugh.
