"I should take this," I say, already standing.
"Of course you should. And Mia?" Emma grins. "Try to sound like you're not completely miserable without him. At least play a little hard to get… men like him embrace the challenge."
I hurry toward the door, already answering the call as I push outside into the crisp afternoon air.
"Hey," I say, and I can hear the smile in my own voice.
"Hey yourself. Miss me yet?"
"Desperately," I admit, giving up all pretense of playing it cool. "How's Detroit treating you?"
I settle onto the bench outside the shelter, pulling his hoodie tighter around me.
"Like a city that peaked in the 1970s and hasn't gotten the memo that times have changed." He laughs and I can picture his smile. Cute, adorable and still devastatingly sexy. "But the ice is good, and Connor only fell on his ass twice during practice, so we're optimistic for the game tonight."
I laugh, and some of the tightness in my chest eases.
This is what I've been missing. Not just hearing his voice, but this easy banter, the way we can make each other laugh even when we're hundreds of miles apart.
"How much longer until you're home?" I ask, and immediately regret the needy note in my voice.
"Three more games. Three more cities. Three more beige hotel rooms." His voice softens. "But who's counting, right?"
I am. I'm definitely counting.
"I should probably head inside. Emma brought coffee, and if I leave her alone with the contractors too long, she'll probably start planning their weddings."
"Emma's there?"
"Yeah, dropped by with coffee. Probably just making sure I don't go completely feral without you around to civilize me."
"Tell her I said thank you. And Mia?"
"Yeah?"
"Video call me tonight. I want to see your face, not just hear your voice."
The warmth that spreads through my chest at those words is almost embarrassing. "I'd like that."
"Good. I'll be in my beige room around nine your time. Try not to let Bear flex his muscles too much while I'm gone."
"I make no promises."
His laugh follows me as I hang up and head back inside, where Emma is deep in conversation with Marcus. Because apparently, everyone in this town is an expert on everything.
But as I settle back into my routine, checking on animals and supervising renovations, I find myself storing up little moments to share with Ryder later.
Maybe Emma's right. Maybe this isn't about whether my life is big enough for him. Maybe it's about the fact that he's choosing to be part of it, hotel rooms and all.
The day seems to fly past, but nine o'clock still can't come fast enough.
I race out of the shelter, and the drive home feels endless, but finally I'm pushing through my apartment door, laptop already in hand.
I settle onto my bed, adjusting the angle of my laptop screen and smoothing down my hair. It's ridiculous how nervous I am for a video call with my own boyfriend, but three days apart has made me feel like a teenager again.
Right on cue, my laptop chimes with an incoming call.
My heart jumps as Ryder's face fills the screen. Even through the slightly wobbly hotel internet connection, he looks gorgeous. His hair is scruffy, and he's wearing a white t-shirt that clings to his shoulders in all the right ways.
