The conversation evened out again with Will and Lexi talking about what they did for work, bits of how they’d gotten together. Nick loved hearing Maisie laugh and enjoyed watching the easy banter she had with her friends.
The women wove in and out of topics so quickly, it reminded Nick of warm-ups on the ice. In, out, back, forth. There was a captivating art to watching them talk.
“How often do you visit Seattle, Nick?”
Wiping his hands on a napkin, he tossed it on the plate. “Until recently, not at all unless I was here for work. But my sister bought a tree farm at the start of the year. I’ll be here a lot more now.”
“Maisie said it was amazing and so well-run,” Lexi said, leaning into Will.
Nick felt his chest swell with pride. “It’s run well because she wouldn’t accept less. She’s got a bit of an independent streak and doesn’t mind shooting down my offers of help.”
Will nodded, a hint of a smile on his face that Nick didn’t understand. “Sisters can be annoyingly stubborn.”
“He has two,” Lexi said. “They’re delightful. As is his sister-in-law who is married to his older sister.”
“How’s she feeling?” Maisie asked. Glancing at Nick, she added, “Rachel, his sister-in-law, is pregnant.”
“She’s great,” Will said. His chest seemed to puff out a little. “I can’t wait to be an uncle.”
“No cooler feeling,” Nick said, thinking back to when Asher wasborn. His gaze caught on Maisie’s smile and he wondered if she wanted children. They still had a lot to learn about each other but she was the first woman he could see himself having those conversations with.
The couples said goodnight, said they’d see each other at the game, then he and Maisie walked to his truck. She reached for the passenger door but he put a hand on it, stopping it from opening. She turned to look up at him.
“What are you doing?” The glow of the streetlamps cast a haze around her like a full-body halo. His heart leapt in his chest, stealing his breath.
“Reminding you that I might not know how to do all this relationship stuff but I’m trying, Maisie.”
She stared at his chest so he tipped her chin up with his index finger. She swallowed, licked her lips. “I know. I’m sorry. I just want to soak up as much time with you as I can and I thought we had longer.”
Nick inhaled deeply. “You know that’s not it though, right? I have some things I need to decide about my career. I need to get myself back on the ice before I can truly figure things out. But you’re part of whatever comes next for me. You get that, right?”
Maisie leaned into him. “I do. I know you’ve got a lot on your mind. You can talk to me, you know.”
He pressed his forehead to hers, happy to have any physical connection with her. “I do know that. And it means more to me than I can tell you. I feel like, when I get back on the ice, I’ll know what I’m meant to do.”
“That sounds sort of ominous.” She tucked her hands between them, resting on his chest.
“I don’t mean for it to, but I’m not young, babe. I’m coming back from an injury that took longer to heal than it should have, not to mention the anxiety. I get offers all the time to do sports casting and analysis shows.”
Maisie pulled back, her eyes wide. “Are you considering leaving hockey?”
She made it easy to share the truth. “I really don’t know. Is it okay if I can’t answer that yet?”
Reaching up, she curled her hand around his neck. “Of course it is.”
Other than his sister and Colt, he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt so at ease, so himself, with anyone. She accepted him exactly as he was, which just made him want her more. Even though the decision was weighing on him, Maisie was the light at the other end of a long tunnel, reminding him there was more to wake up for in the morning than hockey.
Chapter Twenty-Five
NICK LEANED AGAINST THEdoorframe, staring at Maisie lying in her bed. The blanket and sheets were around her waist and the little tank top she slept in was slipping off one sexy shoulder. He’d never looked at a person and felt so much. It was terrifying and yet, he wanted more. More her. More them. More laughter, closeness, sex, kisses, moments. With Maisie. All of it was better with Maisie. Was this what people meant when they said when you know, you know?
She shifted, stretching her arms over her head, a sleepy smile tilting her lips up even before she blinked herself awake. Her gaze landed on his and that smile grew, making his heart feel too big for his chest.
“How long have you been awake?” Her voice was just a little rough and a whole lot sexy.
“A couple hours. Worked out, showered, ran an errand, called my publicist to square up the details for today.”
She reached out her arms and it was so fucking sweet his head swirled to the point of almost making him dizzy. This woman had him wrapped around every piece of her and he didn’t even know how to tell her. Ellie told him actions spoke louder than words. So, he needed to figure out how to show Maisie what she meant to him.
