Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 52100 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52100 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
She scoffed. “I think you’ve got your beer goggles on.”
“I felt this way before today,” I assured her. “Even when I’m stone-cold sober, I think you’re spectacular.”
She smiled. “Thank you. I spend so much time in the kitchen focused on food and service that I tend to forget I’m...you know, a woman. And I think you’re spectacular, too.”
I sighed softly, not wanting to ruin the moment by bringing up my ex, but needing Shea to understand where I was coming from.
“My ex-wife got pregnant with another man’s kid while we were still married,” I said.
“God, Holt, I’m so sorry.”
“No, it’s not...I’m not telling you because of me.” I took a deep breath. “She wanted to take my kids to California with her because that’s where her new husband lives, but I fought her in court and won.”
“I had no idea.”
I nodded, remembering the day I won the most important thing I’d ever be competing for, which had nothing to do with hockey.
“They went from seeing their mom every day of their lives to never seeing her,” I said. “Marley’s counselor told me they went through a grieving process similar to what they’d experience if she died.”
She shook her head. “I don’t even know what to say. I don’t have kids, but if I did, I can’t imagine leaving them like that.”
“I need my kids to know I’m never leaving them,” I said. “And it’s one thing to tell them that, but...”
Shea nodded emphatically just as the sliding glass doors opened.
Shit. Worst timing ever. Coulter stepped out onto the deck.
“Can we finish this conversation later?” I asked Shea softly.
“Yes, but I know what you’re getting at. You dating a woman could make your kids worry that you’ll do the same thing their mom did. And I totally get that. I don’t want to be part of making them feel insecure in any way.”
I rubbed her bare shoulder with my thumb, my arm still around her. “If I could, though...I mean, if I were in a position to just think about myself and be with someone, it would be you.”
“You two lovebirds gonna go eat dinner?” Coulter asked.
Lovebirds. I liked the sound of that, even though it was impossible.
Others were streaming out the sliding glass doors now, and I looked at Shea. “I could eat. You hungry?”
“Starving. And it would be nice to de-raisin.”
I stood up and then offered her a hand. We were both drying off when Grady came over and clapped a hand on my shoulder much harder than necessary.
“How’s my sister?” he asked me, his words slightly slurred.
“You should ask her.”
“I’m great, big brother. How was dinner?”
“Outstanding. Ribs, baked potatoes and cooked carrots.”
Clearly, Grady had chosen the menu; those were some of his favorite foods.
“Let’s have a shot!” he cried, raising the bottle of whiskey in his free hand.
It was the first of many shots. I ended the night stumbling to my bed, knowing I would have preferred it if Shea had come with me, but too drunk to think about it for long before I passed out asleep.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Shea
Reality packed a massive punch when I returned to work Monday morning after a carefree weekend at the bachelor/bachelorette party. Eight youth baseball teams and their parents had stayed at The Moose for a tournament, and Nina had done her best to handle it, not texting me until very early this morning.
I wasn’t surprised to see Caden in the kitchen when I walked in at five thirty a.m., but I was aggravated. I knew him well enough to know he was waiting to unleash a full weekend’s worth of stored-up complaints.
“How was your weekend?” he asked, an edge in his tone.
“Fine. Nina told me she hit some speed bumps over the weekend.”
I was trying to tell him to leave me alone so I could work on breakfast prep. I’d given Nina today and tomorrow off to make up for her long weekend covering for me, so I had extra work to do.
“‘Speed bumps’ is putting it generously,” Caden said. “We ran out of bacon on the breakfast buffet Saturday morning for more than thirty minutes. And people told me the scones were inedible on Sunday morning. Cold potatoes and gravy at dinner Saturday. Someone put the whipped butter out on the buffet Saturday morning. That’s only for dinner rolls! Little boys were slathering it on their pancakes and we had to serve regular butter with dinner because, surprise, we ran out of whipped butter.”
I sighed heavily, hanging up my bag and walking over to the sink to wash my hands.
“Baseball tournaments are a nightmare. I’m not sure I would have done any better than Nina. And Caden, she’s my number one. I need Nina. If you drive her out of here”
My boss’s chin nearly hit the floor. I used the few moments of sudden silence to grab an apron from a hook and tie it behind my back.