Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“Really?” I ask, hating the hopeful need in the words.
“Really,” he assures me before pressing his lips to my forehead. His hand then slaps my ass hard, and he’s pushing me toward the bathroom. “Now go finish getting ready so we can get to the arena.”
CHAPTER 16
Cannon
I know I should feel foolish in this Cowardly Lion costume, but I don’t. Big and baggy, and the only part of me showing is my face from an actual cutout in the hood. The four paws are disproportionately large, and I have to pick up my legs a little higher when walking so I don’t trip. And best of all—although annoying—the tail curves upward with sturdy wire so it waves when I walk, continually catching my attention from my peripheral vision and startling me. Ava is a whiz with makeup and painted a nose and whiskers on me in no time. When all was said and done, I admittedly looked ridiculous, but cute.
We decorated the trunk of my BMW with fake cobwebs and spiders and placed a huge bowl of candy inside. On the ground to one side of my trunk sits a mechanical witch with her cauldron and to the right some papier-mâché tombstones. Ava also strung the perimeter with flashing orange lights and hooked up a Bluetooth speaker that plays howling wolves, groaning monsters, creaking doors, and cackling witches.
Despite the amazing setup, she then lamented that she wished she’d had time to go with an entire Wizard of Oz theme, but I personally prefer the spooky Halloween version of my car.
While decorating, I’ve been able to introduce Ava to various players who are participating in the trunk-or-treat. It’s mostly the single guys since those with kids will be on the receiving end, and they’re really getting into the mood with their costumes.
I have to say it’s fun watching the interplay between Ava and those I’m introducing her to. Because I’m new to the Titans, no one knows anything about my personal life other than I’m not currently married. So I’m getting a kick out of the looks of surprise when I introduce her as my girlfriend.
I struggled for all of two seconds about what to call her when I first introduced her to Baden and Sophie, but quickly realized that calling her just a friend wasn’t even close to the truth.
If Ava thought the title inappropriate, she didn’t say anything as we worked to prepare the trunk.
In addition to Baden and Sophie, I introduced her to Coen and his girlfriend Tillie; Gage and his girlfriend Jenna; and a host of the single players, including Hendrix, Boone, Camden, and Kirill, all dressed as Power Rangers.
I think Ava might have been overwhelmed by it all because she wasn’t her normal outgoing self that I’ve observed. I’ve watched her charm and hold conversations with strangers at The Grind, and she doesn’t have a shy bone in her body.
So it was obvious she was a little uneasy when I made introductions. She was bright and cordial, but she didn’t engage past that. Of course, there wasn’t much room to sit around and talk as everybody was scrambling to decorate their cars.
I survey the two rows of cars with open trunks facing each other—it looks like seventeen in all—and most everyone is done. We’re using a walled-off portion of the players’ parking lot not accessible to the public.
Ava is still fussing with the spiderweb when a woman with a clipboard who’s been walking around and making sure things are organized calls out, “Ten minutes until showtime.”
This event is only for the children of members of the organization. Not just players but anybody employed by the Titans, which includes hundreds of people. For the next hour, kids will be hopping among our decorated trunks to fill up their treat bags. We’re running it from four to five p.m. so they can then go trick-or-treating in their own neighborhoods tonight.
Ava sighs, pulls a spider off one portion of web, and moves it to another. Frankly, it looks no better to me.
I pat her on the back with my big paw. “You okay?”
She glances back at me. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
I turn and settle on the edge of the trunk, pushing into her space. My paws make it too difficult to cross my arms over my chest or even place them on my hips, so I let them rest on my thighs. “It looks like you were a little overwhelmed meeting everybody.”
“I guess it’s a lot to take in,” she admits as she moves to sit beside me. “You just introduced me to some of the most famous people in this city. They’re all local heroes. Most people never get to meet one professional hockey player, and here I am, meeting practically the entire team.”
Chuckling, I bump her shoulder with mine. “You know I’m top dog, right? Head coach and all. If I don’t make you nervous, no one should.”