Eva grabbed the bottle of Malbec and topped off their glasses, grinning at Bex across the table. They’d met up after Eva’s Tempest practice at Chop’s Grill, a new pub in Buffalo’s Allentown district that Bex had been eager to check out. The place did not disappoint. It was more upscale than Bex’s cozy neighborhood pub, but the vibe was unpretentious, the food delicious, and the wine selection unique and affordable. Bex found herself taking lots of mental notes for her marketing plan, dreaming up new ideas for Big Laurie’s. By the end of the meal, she was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn’t realized Eva was talking until she heard her friend’s warm, jovial laughter.

“Sorry,” Bex said, blinking away the daze. “I’ve got work on the brain. What were you saying?”

“Oh, nothing much.” Eva smirked, reaching for her glass. “Just that Henny’s been playing like a rock star lately, smiling like an idiot, and walking around like a man who’s really making the most of his free time. Don’t suppose you know anything about the sudden improvement in his mood?”

“Wow,” Bex said, scooping up a forkful of the peanut butter cheesecake they’d decided to share. “We made it all the way to dessert before you started the third degree.”

“Don’t keep me in suspense.”

Bex swallowed the velvety-smooth cheesecake, wondering why her mother had never considered chocolate peanut-butter menu items for Big Laurie’s. Add that to the list of things to fix when the place is finally mine…

“Fess up,” Eva said. “This is a safe space.”

Laughing, Bex gave a playful shrug. “Why are you asking me about Henny’s game?”

“Hmm. Maybe because you’re wearing the same guilty, wanton look he’s been wearing lately?” Eva cracked up, clearly enjoying this. “You two are so busted. Spill it.”

“A lady never kisses and tells.”

“Good thing we’re not ladies.”

Bex laughed again, stealing another bite of cheesecake. Since they’d started hanging out, Eva had been the one with all the red-hot stories; Walker’s athletic prowess apparently extended well beyond the rink. Now that Bex had a few stories of her own, she was more than a little out of her element.

It’d only been a few weeks since she and Henny had “leveled up” on the pool table, but she’d already lost count of all the places they’d done it since then. In his bed. In her bed. In her car. In the tiny office behind the bar. In the even tinier store room behind the tiny office. In the press box at the practice arena. Two more rounds on the pool table before they finally decided to give that rickety old thing a break.

To say Henny was insatiable was like saying Buffalo winters were a little on the cool side. Bex’s body had been in a constant state of beautiful exhaustion for weeks, and she’d never felt so damn good.

“Things are definitely heating up between us.” Bex sipped her wine, trying to hide her smile. “Maybe it’s helping his stamina.”

“It’s the enhanced personal training program.” Eva winked. “I’ve got Walker on it, too.”

“Do you think those boys have any idea we control their destiny?” Bex teased.

“It’s way more fun to let them think they have free will.”

Bex poured herself a little more wine, enjoying the oaky aroma as it swirled into her glass. She really needed to broaden Big Laurie’s wine list. “Long story short, after the whole drunk nachos thing, we just kind of went for it. And now it keeps happening. Like, everywhere. We can’t keep our hands off each other.”

Eva placed a hand over her heart, lashes fluttering. “Young love in a kid-free, dog-free home. I can’t even remember what that’s like.”

Bex nearly choked on her wine. “Slow down there, hotpants. It’s only been a few weeks.”

“Plus or minus twenty-some years.”

“As friends. No one’s talking about the L-word here.”

Eva shrugged. “Maybe you’re not talking about it, but it’s pretty obvious you guys are crazy for each other.”

Bex opened her mouth to deny it, but she couldn’t. Her feelings for Henny were complex, growing deeper and less defined by the day. Unspoken or not, the L-word had always been part of the package. But now, that love was evolving so quickly, she couldn’t keep up.

The friendship was as solid as ever. All the inside jokes, the secrets, memories of a thousand heartaches and triumphs and everyday moments they’d shared over the years—none of that had gone away. And the passion between them? The new path they’d been forging together as they spent their nights touching, kissing, bringing each other to the edge and back again? Epic. Bex had never felt so desired. So alive.

She sighed. It should’ve been perfection.

“Hey,” Eva said gently. “What’s wrong?”

Bex met her eyes across the table, trying to find the words to explain the uneasiness in her heart.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Henny—total opposite, actually. He was the only man she did trust, and she could easily see herself falling for him. Hard. But she was still reeling from her past mistakes. From rushing in, not seeing the signs, losing herself. And as much as she cared for Henny, she couldn’t deny that he was unpredictable, moody as hell, and saddled with his own baggage. There was a lot he hadn’t dealt with in his life, and it manifested in all sorts of ways he’d never admit; if she wanted proof, she didn’t have to look any deeper than his NHL discipline record or his reputation with the media. The so-called “Bad-Boy Bachelor of Buffalo” might not see the connection, but Bex knew his troubles hadn’t appeared out of nowhere.

Sure, Eva had said he’d been playing well lately, joking around with the team, hamming it up for the media. Bex had noticed it, too. He seemed to be playing with a purpose now, skating away from fights, keeping things cool with his coach and management.

But no one knew better than Bex that big changes could throw Henny completely off balance, and nothing was a bigger change in his world right now than his relationship with her.

“Henny’s a little… all over the place,” Bex said. “You’ve seen it. These past few weeks aside, his game has been off for months. I wish I knew what was going on with him, but that’s the one thing he won’t talk about.”

Eva’s eyes softened. “Honestly, I think he’s just adjusting to having you back in his life again. I wouldn’t be surprised if he feels responsible for you, especially after everything you went through in California.”

“I know he does,” she said. “He thinks he could’ve saved me from all that, which is ridiculous. I’m a grown woman. He’s always been like that, though. You should’ve seen him in high school.”

Eva smiled, shaking her head. “Scared off all your boyfriends, right?”

“What boyfriends? He basically threatened all the guys long before they worked up the nerve to ask me out.” Bex rolled her eyes. “Everyone thought we were together anyway. Henny never bothered correcting them.”

“Some things never change.” Eva sipped her wine. “When he first told us about you, one of the guys joked about asking you out. Henny almost bludgeoned him with a water bottle.”

Bex laughed. “Such a charmer, my boy.”

“And now you’re in the same city with that boy. Same bedroom. It’s bound to cause some upheaval for both of you—good and bad. It will level out.”

“That’s the thing, Eva. I’m not sure I can wait for it to level out. And I definitely can’t handle the bad. Not right now.”

“Come on, hon. Women are a lot tougher than we give ourselves credit for.”

“Still doesn’t mean a relationship is a good idea.” Bex and Henny hadn’t even talked about what was happening between them. Hadn’t tried to define it or think too hard about the future. So far, they’d just been rolling with it, enjoying every moment as it came. “I’m not sure I’m even staying in Buffalo long-term, and Henny’s never been one to pin himself down. Not for anything.”

“I’m pretty sure there’s nothing that man wouldn’t do for you.”

“That’s not the issue.” Bex’s eyes glazed with tears. Henny was the most loyal man she knew, and he’d never not shown up when she’d needed him. “He’s always looked out for me.”

“Oh, it’s so much more than that, Bex. Looking out? He does that for Walker and the rest of the boys. Heck, he looks out for me and Gracie. You should’ve seen him on family skate night last year. Someone brought their kid’s friend—this smug little ten-year-old asshole who thought he owned the place. He nailed Gracie so hard she nearly face-planted, but Uncle Henny got to her quick, scooped her up just before she hit the ice. Then he and Walker chased the kid down and put the fear of God in him.”

Bex cracked up. “I would’ve loved to see that.”

“It was pretty amazing.” Eva smiled. “Gracie wouldn’t leave Henny’s side after that. And I may be biased, but I think my seven-year-old is an excellent judge of character.”

“Well, she gave Walker the seal of approval, so she must be good.” Bex lowered her eyes, staring at the last bite of cheesecake. “Everything you’re saying… I get it. Henny is amazing. And yes, maybe there’s more than friendship here—a lot more. But there’s still so much we… I mean, he’s… and I’m…” Bex trailed off. How could she explain it to Eva when she hadn’t even been able to explain it to herself? With a sigh, she met Eva’s eyes again. “I just don’t think the timing is right.”

“If you wait around for the perfect time, you’re liable to miss it altogether.” Eva grabbed her fork and speared the last bite of cheesecake, popping it into her mouth. “Case in point.”

“How long have you been planning that?” Bex asked, laughing.

“That was all improv, baby. Live in the now.”

With dessert and wine finally finished, they settled the bill and headed outside to say their goodbyes. Eva would be heading down to South Carolina with the team in a few hours, and Bex needed to take care of some admin at the pub before she could see Henny off to the airport.

“Thank you.” Bex hugged her friend. “I know it’s not easy trying to talk some sense into this thick head of mine.”

“Takes one to know one.” Eva kissed Bex’s cheek, her eyes serious. “Listen, Bex. No one is telling you to rush into something you’re not ready for. And you and Henny certainly don’t need to define your relationship for me or anyone else. I just… I know what it feels like to be afraid, and I don’t want you to miss out on something that could change your life just because you’re a little scared.”

Eva was right—Bex was scared, and that fear was holding her back. It was a typical response to her brain’s hyperloop of constant analysis, picking apart every good thing in her life and trying to predict all the possible ways it could implode.

For once, maybe she could set all that aside. Stop waiting for the floor to drop out from beneath her and just let herself truly feel. Truly fall.

After walking Eva to her car, Bex spotted a little souvenir shop across the street, one of those chintzy tourist traps that sold T-shirts and collectable plates painted with pictures of Niagara Falls and Buffalo-themed puzzles. She headed inside, curiosity getting the better of her.

She hadn’t known what she was looking for until she saw it there, stacked on the half-price shelf with the other misfit gifts. The oversized mug was shaped like a bison—the city’s unofficial mascot—its tail curved into the handle, horns painted on the sides. It was the goofiest, cheesiest thing she’d ever seen—in other words, perfect. She picked out two of them, and when the clerk asked if she’d like them gift-wrapped, she accepted the offer with a smile.

Nothing but the best for my man.