Chapter Five

I spend my Sunday nursing a hangover. I am never drinking again. Luckily James’s plans fell through, and he was able to bring Matthew to his game.

It’s been two years since the divorce, and yet it’s still weird being there but not being together.

I’m on my way home, where I see a bubble bath and an early night in my future, when my phone starts ringing. I look down, seeing it’s Cooper.

My mind is playing games with me. Should I answer or not? Before I can make up my mind, my finger has already hit the green button.

“Hello.”

“Babe, supper?”

“Um, hi, what do you mean?”

“I mean we are having supper.”

“Um, together at the same time?”

“Yeah, you me food. Pick you up in thirty?”

“I’m sorry. I must be confused. Did you just ask me to supper or tell me I’m having supper with you?”

“Same thing. What’s your address? I’ll swing by.”

“I’m sorry to bust your bubble, but I already have a date. If y—”

“You said you weren’t dating Adam,” he growls.

Growling. Why is this so hot?

“If you let me finish, I was going to say I have a date with my bathtub and couch.”

“You have to eat. I’ll pick you up. We’ll go to Overtime.”

“Ugh, fine. I’ll meet you there. I’m already in the car. I was on my way home. I guess I’ll see you in thirty minutes.”

“Yeah, babe, you will.” And with that, he ends his call. Someone really needs to tell him about phone etiquette.

I pull up at the same time as Cooper does, watching him get out of his truck. He’s wearing blue cargo shorts, a white T-shirt that I just want to rip off him, and his baseball cap covering the hair I want to run my fingers through.

When he spots me, he walks over to my truck, opens my door, leans in, and kisses me.

Right. On. The. Lips. In. Broad. Daylight.

“Babe.”

“Okay, so a couple of things we should go over. Number one, and this is a big one, no kissing in public, like ever. When you leave after two months I still have to live here, and it’s bad enough people might have seen us and will probably talk, but I can’t have my reputation ruined. Number two. No babe...ever.”

He has to understand that this thing, whatever you want to call it, has a deadline.

“We can talk about it inside. I’m starving.” He grabs my hand, practically dragging me inside.

As per their usual stance, Larry, Curly, and Moe are at the exact same spot. They turn around and smile while I give them a wave with the one hand I have free.

“Let’s grab a booth in the back,” I say, hoping to get this dragging me around thing finished.

He slides in front of me, and the waitress, who is new, comes over with the menus.

“Can I get you guys something to drink first?” she asks but just bats her eyelashes at Cooper, making me want to pluck them out one by one.

“I’ll have a beer on tap. Babe, you want one, too?” He looks at the menu while ordering, leaving me with my mouth hanging open. Did we not just have this discussion five seconds ago? What is wrong with him?

“Um, I’ll have water with some lemon, please.”

The waitress doesn’t even address me. She just turns, walking away.

“Did we not discuss you calling me babe?”

“No, we didn’t. You told me. I’m not agreeing, so there was no discussion.”

I’m so frustrated with him I’m at a loss for words, and, trust me, that practically never happens.

“So, let me get this straight. You will continue to call me babe, regardless of if I want you to or not?”

“Pretty much. You want to split nachos?”

“You’re training. You can’t have nachos. It’s enough I let you ordering a beer slide. You can have grilled chicken and some steamed vegetables.” I mean, surely he knows he can’t eat this shit.

“It’s Sunday. It’s my cheat day. I eat what I want. You gotta live, babe!” he says, throwing his eyebrow up.

I, on the other hand, throw my hands up in frustration. I give up.

“Fine, have the nachos and beer. I’ll just make sure we do more skating drills tomorrow, you know, so you can work all those calories off.”

He laughs at me. “In order for me to do more drills you’ve got to show up earlier, and we both know that isn’t going to happen.” He smirks, waiting, baiting. He knows he is pushing my buttons, but I’m on to him.

“True, it’s not going to be earlier, we just won’t have water breaks.” I smirk back, as if I would give him the last word.

The waitress comes back with our drinks and takes our orders. He wasn’t lying about Sunday being his cheat day. He ordered whatever he shouldn’t eat on the menu.

“So tell me about yourself, Parker.”

“Well, Cooper, I’m thirty-four, almost thirty-five. Woot woot.” I throw my hands up like I’m celebrating. “I’ve lived here my whole life. Married my high school sweetheart. Married almost fourteen years till I walked in on him banging his assistant. Isn’t that hilarious? I wish I were kidding. But sadly I’m not. What about you, Stone, how many puck bunnies you got across the globe?” I say, snatching up a nacho when the waitress places it in the middle of the table.

“You caught him banging his assistant?”

“Yes, but now she isn’t just his assistant, she’s his fiancée. So it must be true love, right?”

“He cheated on you?” He shakes his head like he’s clearing something out.

I look into his blue eyes and want to get lost in them. I want to climb over the table and swallow him. All of him.

“Puck bunnies, how many of them are there?”

“I’ve had a girlfriend for the last five years, but we didn’t live in the same city, so I never got how shallow she was till she decided that we needed to live with each other. It lasted a week after that. As for puck bunnies, I don’t have them. Did I have them? Fuck yeah. In my early twenties, I had so many pussies I didn’t know what to do with them. Then I grew up. It’s not me anymore. Have you always trained or is this a new thing?”

“Really, that much pussy, huh? It makes sense how you think people just fall all over Cooper Stone.” I smile because he flat out gave me what I asked for. He didn’t even try to deny the puck bunnies. Point one for Cooper. “I trained when I was younger, learned everything from my dad, went to school, but I really learned everything just by being on the ice. I stopped a bit, with being married and all.” I snatch another nacho, chewing. “But then I was stuck divorced with nothing to do, so I sank all my time into the rink. Have you always played hockey?”

He nods, swallowing the bite of food in his mouth. “I’ve been skating before I could walk. At least that is what my parents say. I’m an only child. My parents were older when they had me. I’m not really close to them.” He shrugs his shoulders. “It’s just the way it is.” He takes a sip of beer. “So the rink is like your baby?”

“No, it isn’t like my baby, it is my baby. When I took over from my dad, there was only one rink. I’ve worked hard to make it what it is. Taking the NHL players’ rehabbing contracts really helps me achieve my goals. You, my friend, are going to be paying for a special powerskater and skating treadmill. It’s the next thing to help kids with speed.”

We continue the meal, talking about the game and all the challenges he faces now that he isn’t a kid anymore. I can’t tell you when the last time I enjoyed myself so much was. When it’s time to leave, I try walking out before him but that only gets my arm yanked back so I can walk with him.

The sun has now set, making the stars light up the sky.

When we get to my car, I don’t know what I’m expecting, but what I’m hoping is that he kisses me. Again. I know I shouldn’t even go there, but my head isn’t in sync with my body these days. I try to dislodge from him and open my door when he turns me around and gazes down at me. I’m sucked in, his blue eyes lock with mine, and I want to get lost. I want to get lost with him. I want whatever he has to give, for however long he wants to give it.

He leans down and smiles right before he places a gentle kiss on my lips. The funny thing is our eyes are still open, he’s still looking straight at me, through me, and it scares the shit out of me. I blink and try to look away, but he palms my cheek and turns slightly and licks my bottom lip, making me open my mouth and meet his tongue halfway. I drag my hand up his back and finally sink my hand into his hair. And. It’s. Heaven. I slide my tongue back into his mouth and push myself on my tippy toes in order to get closer to him. He slowly eases himself away while I’m standing here with my eyes closed.

“I think it’s best you go now before I fuck you in public.”

I’m blinking my eyes, trying to focus and hear his words.

“Get in and text me when you get home.”

I still haven’t said anything because frankly I have no words to say. He has just given me the best kiss of my life in the parking lot of Overtime, in public.

I don’t know how I make it home, but I do. I sit here in my car, thinking that I’m not sure what is going on, but I’m really hoping that I’m going to survive when he’s gone.