I’d reacted with another sharp smack on his ass, this one more for me than him, because damned if I didn’t smile.
Damned if I didn’t like hearing that he only wanted me.
Now, it was Valentine’s Day — my least favorite holiday in the fucking world. And since my best friend had a husband now,our tradition of ordering takeout and binge-watching Bravo shows had taken a backseat to her getting some real romantic action.
I wasn’t mad at her for it, though. In fact, it’d been me who’d had to help her get her head out of her ass and move past her trauma to let Vince in. And I’d been happy to do it.
But it didn’t change the fact that Valentine’s Day sucked.
Which was why I’d entertained Carter’s text this morning asking me what I was up to, if I wanted to hang out.Let’s have a lazy non-romantic bum dayoff, he’d proposed.
And like an idiot, I’d said yes.
I played it off like I was just bored and had nothing better to do. The truth was I didn’t want to be alone on this dumb holiday.
And I wanted to see him.
So here we were, both of us on Carter’s couch, him kicked back on one end watching a golf documentary, and me with my feet in his lap, pliers in hand as I bent a stubborn jump ring into place. The delicate chain was cool against my fingertips, the gemstones clicking softly together every time I shifted them. A little pile of extra links and beads rested in a dish at my side, catching the lamplight as I worked on the bracelet I was set to give Chloe as a wedding gift when she and Will returned from their trip. Zamboni was snuggled between me and the back of the couch, snoozing away with his head on my stomach.
We’d had a lazy day just as Carter suggested. He’d arranged at-home massages for us, which I didn’t realize I needed so terribly until I was a sated bag of bones afterward. There was a quick group FaceTime call after with Chloe and Will, long enough for them to show us their luxury hotel room right on the water before bidding us adieu until their elopement party once they were back. Then, Carter had made us a ridiculous snack board from all the random things in his pantry, from Zebra cakes and popcorn to aged cheddar cheese and garlic olives.
We’d laid in the sun, watching the boats drift by in the canal behind his house. I’d taken a nap while Carter played video games. When I woke up, we went for a long, slow walk with Zamboni, throwing a Frisbee at the park until he ran out all his energy. And now, the evening was winding down, the sun set, our bellies full of the Mexican food we’d had delivered — along with cookies from Bake’n Babes — and I was as happy as a royal pet as we did our own separate things, quietly, together.
“I’m glad we did this.”
Carter’s voice shook me out of my jewelry-making meditation, his hand squeezing my ankle in his lap. It was too intimate, the way I let him hold me like that, and yet I was powerless to fight against it tonight.
Because I was glad, too.
I was glad to not be alone. I was glad to feel so cozy and warm inside his little house on the water. I was glad to have my feet in his lap and his dog’s head in mine.
I’d never had it like this with a man. I’d never let them get close enough to even try.
I smiled, eyes still on the delicate chain and stones in my hand. “It wasn’t a terrible day.”
“Whoa, easy there. I might think you actually like spending time with me.”
I snorted, setting another bead on the chain. “Don’t push your luck. But, speaking of people I actuallydolike spending time with, how was your day with Ava the other day? I have her tomorrow, and I’m thinking manis and pedis are in order.”
“You know she’ll love that. As long as you let her get hockey pucks painted on her nails, anyway,” Carter said.
Will and Chloe were on their elopement trip, and as a group, we’d convinced them to leave Ava here with us. We knew how much they loved her and wanted her to be a part of their union, but we also knew the two of them needed some alone time tocelebrate first. So, as a team, we’d planned to make sure Ava was cared for in their absence.
“My day with her was pretty low key. She wanted to get on the ice and practice, so I took her to the rink out in Wesley Chapel.”
“Isn’t that against the rules of the league? You’re not supposed to practice right now, are you?”
“It wasn’tmewho was practicing. Besides, no one has to know — least of all Coach, who would probably pull me off the ice by the ear if he found out.”
I chuckled. “Well, I’m sure she had fun, but I bet she’s bouncing off the walls waiting for Chloe and Will to get home.”
Carter snorted. “Or praying they don’t. Mia Love has been her nanny all week and she’s had the rest of us to entertain her twenty-four-seven — pretty sure that kid’s living her best life.”
“True. She’s probably hoping her parents extend their trip another month.”
Carter’s grin softened. “She really is a good kid, though. If I ever had one, I’d want one just like her.”
The comment startled me. My eyes flicked up, but Carter was watching the screen again now, like the statement was a flippant one, and not the kind that sank my stomach to the floor like an anchor.
