Empty Net (12 page)

“He is just like Lucas.”

Audrey nodded. “He sure is, and everyone hates it. They all think he should be moved up, but we want him to play with his friends. We are so proud of him.”

“You should be. He’s a great kid.”

Audrey blushed. “Thanks.”

Tate watched her as she watched Aiden, cheering when he did something good and yelling out words of encouragement. She really was a great aunt. When the first period ended and the kids gathered around the bench for a breather, Tate cleared his throat before saying, “So how have you been? I haven’t seen any fires lately.”

Audrey burst into laughter, her eyes bright as she covered her mouth as if trying to keep it in. Tate noticed people glancing over, and he couldn’t help but chuckle along with her.

“Yeah,” she said, “I haven’t felt the need to burn anything. Thanks for checking on that, though.”

Tate beamed. “That’s good, and you’re welcome. Any time.”

Audrey blinked twice, her eyes locked with his as seconds seemed to turn into minutes. He could get lost in their caramel depths. When the horn sounded, signaling the start of the second period, she looked away, taking a deep breath. Things weren’t going the way he wanted them to. She was uncommonly quiet and he didn’t understand it. He wanted to know everything about her but didn’t know how to ask. He felt it would be rude to ask her things while she was watching her nephew play, but what if he never got this opportunity to be with her again? He needed to gather up all the confidence he had in him and channel his inner Lucas. He had to
stand out in her mind, make her think of him when he was gone.

“How did you get so great at making cupcakes?”

Yeah, that was going to make her think of him later.

With her eyes still on the ice she said, “My mom bought me an Easy Bake Oven when I was four. I’ve been obsessed ever since. It calms me and makes me happy.”

Since she wouldn’t look at him, Tate looked out at the ice, and was just in time to see Aiden shoot and score. They both stood, screaming for him as he hugged his teammates. When the boys lined up for the puck drop, Tate and Audrey sat back down.

He said, “It isn’t what you do for a living, though?”

Audrey glanced over. “Huh?”

Tate blushed, feeling stupid. “The cupcakes, you don’t do that for a living?”

“No, I work for my family’s wine company,” she said.

“With Fallon?”

“Not with her, but I’m in the same building. She’s the PR rep and I’m the customer service manager.”

Tate nodded. “That’s cool. How long has the company been in the family?”

“Oh, Lord, for forever. Eighty-one years now. There isn’t a day of my childhood that I wasn’t out in the vineyards, chasing my granddaddy and father around or racing Fallon up and down the rows of grapevines. I have lived and breathed Rocky Top Wines my whole life.”

“You must love it a lot.”

Audrey looked over and smiled. “No, actually I hate it.”

Laughter bubbled in the base of Tate’s throat, coming out as a cough. “Excuse me?”

“Oh, I hate it. If I could quit today, I would.”

“Wow, I didn’t see that coming.”

“Yeah, not too many people do,” she said with a shrug. “They all think that since Fallon
loves
it, that I do too, but really I hate that place. I don’t like wine, I hate grapes, and I think being a customer service rep blows.”

Tate chuckled, leaning his elbows on his knees. “Tell me how you really feel, Audrey.”

She giggled as she glanced at him. Her eyebrows were drawn together in a puzzled look and she was cupping her neck with her right hand. Her eyes were glossy and wide. They reminded him so much of the dolls that Matilda collected and their father made. They all had wide bright eyes and round faces, much like Audrey’s.

“I have no clue where that came from, jeez.” She blinked twice, then shrugged her shoulders. “I seem to get diarrhea of the mouth around you.”

Tate shook his head. “That doesn’t sound safe.”

Her giggles intoxicated him. She laughed with her whole body, smacking her knee as her other hand went to cover her beautiful mouth. He loved it. He had never been around someone so bright. “Ha ha, no, it’s not.”

When she didn’t go on, he smiled shyly and asked, “What exactly does that mean, ‘diarrhea of the mouth’?” He had never heard that before.

She giggled. “It means that I seem to just run off at the mouth when I’m around you.”

Tate was still confused. “Is that good for me?”

Audrey nodded. “Yeah, but not for me because I keep embarrassing myself in front of you.”

He shook his head. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed,” he said, “and I think you’re fascinating.”

Her lips quirked up as her cheeks darkened with beautiful color. “Well, thanks.”

He nodded, looking out at the ice. Nothing was said for the rest of the period, and he wanted to scream in frustration. With Audrey not speaking, he felt uncomfortable. He was afraid to say or ask anything because he didn’t know what she would think. Yeah, they had slept together, but that felt like eons ago. Plus, there was no talking happening in that bed. This was different. He knew how to make love to a woman, he even knew how to pick up one when needed, but he didn’t know how to actually talk to a woman. Back home, no problem, but here, he didn’t know if he would sound stupid.

She made him nervous.

“So, do you like Nashville?”

Tate glanced over to see her looking up at him, her head on her legs again, her arms wrapped around them. She blinked twice, and he found himself speechless. No other woman had made him this nervous. Ever since day one with Audrey, he had been out of his league.

He didn’t understand it.

Clearing his throat, he said, “Yeah, I like it a lot.”

She nodded, a grin on her lips. “How long have you been here?”

“Um, right around eight months.”

“And you came from Florida, right? The Rays?”

He nodded. “Yup, I was there for a month before I was brought here.”

“Wow, so you haven’t been in the States all that long.”

Tate shook his head. “Nope, not even a year.”

“I bet you miss it.”

He shrugged his shoulders. There was nothing to miss, so why would he? “Sometimes.”

She watched him for a while, then let out a long breath. “This is really awkward.”

“What?” he asked, confused.

“This conversation. It’s super awkward. All I can do is think that you think I am a crazy slut, and no matter how much I try to forget that you’ve seen my wobbly bits, I can’t. So I think that we should just part ways, you know? Like just agree to be cool around each other since we will see a lot of each other, but that’s all.”

Tate found himself blinking in total shock. Was he getting the brush-off?

“Okay, what if that isn’t what I want?” he asked.

Her eyes narrowed as she pinned him with a look. “What do you want, Tate? Another roll in the hay? ’Cause if you think I’m gonna get naked with you again, think again, bud. I tore up my slut card.”

“I never said anything about getting naked. You are the one that has brought it up twice,” he said, holding up two long fingers. “I just want to get to know you.”

“Why?”

He thought it over for a moment and then said, “Because maybe I think you are worth knowing.”

“I’m really not. Go find someone your age.”

“I don’t want someone my age.”

“Well, you sure as hell won’t want me,” she said as she stood up. “See you around, Blondie.”

Tate watched in disbelief as she made her way down the stairs and around the rink to meet Aiden. He had gotten brushed off … again. He stood, picking up what was left of his cupcakes before making his way down the stairs. He knew he should take the hint and leave her
alone, but he also knew something was there. Their conversation was awkward, but wasn’t that part of getting to know someone? Things were always awkward at first, but he was convinced they had chemistry. He felt it in that bed, and every time he had been around her. He could feel it in his bones, see it in her eyes. So what was the problem?

His age couldn’t play that much of a factor, and neither should the fact that he was good friends with Lucas. He also knew that she couldn’t still be hung up on that guy if she was burning his stuff and making cupcakes for him. Maybe it was the embarrassment. But why? Didn’t she realize she was amazing and beautiful? He didn’t think twice about the fact that she’d gone home with him quickly. He thoroughly enjoyed it and would love a repeat, but not until they knew each other. He could wait.

Something was different between them, and he was going to find a way to make things not awkward.

He couldn’t let her go.

Not yet.

“So, I am thinking about going on a Guy Break. Wanna do it with me?”

Piper looked up at her quizzically as Audrey handed her a beer. “Say what?”

“A Guy Break, you know, where we swear off guys for a while.”

Piper’s eyebrows came together, her bright blue eyes confused as she took a quick sip of her beer. “Why in the world would we want to do that?”

Because Audrey knew she couldn’t do it alone.

It had only been twenty-four hours since she walked away from Tate, but it seemed like a year. She felt horrible for pushing him away, but he needed to find someone else. He was too young and she couldn’t give him what he wanted. It was obvious that he was attracted to her, and she was attracted to him too, but it would never work. She wasn’t looking for a fling. She was looking for forever, and she doubted that Tate was.

He was a hockey player, for fuck’s sake.

“I was thinking that I wanted to do it and I kinda need a partner for it.”

Piper narrowed her eyes. “Are you telling me you’re gay?”

They looked into each other’s eyes for a long heated moment before laughter bubbled out of both of them. Audrey leaned her head back, laughing so hard her gut hurt. Wiping her eyes, she grinned over at Piper.

“No, you dork!”

Piper let out a few more giggles before saying, “Then why are we giving up guys?”

“Because,” Audrey whined playfully, “I keep picking idiots.”

“And how is that my fault? Why am I giving up penis?”

“ ’Cause if I have someone doing it with me, I won’t crave them.”

Piper shook her head. “No, that’s dumb. No Guy Break, we both like penis too much for that.”

Eh, she was right.

Piper perked up, a big grin on her face as she moved her hair out of her eyes. “I was thinking we could set up an account on a dating site!”

“Why on earth would I do that? Both our brother-in-laws play on a team full of hot hockey players,” Audrey said, rolling her eyes. “If I am not going on a break, I’m gonna find me a man. I can’t sit here all sad and lonely.”

“True that, sister!” Piper said, toasting her drink in the air before taking a long swig. “What about that sexy goalie who hollered at you at the wedding?”

Audrey shook her head. “He’s so young. Could you imagine what people would say?”

“Yeah, that you are a lucky bitch! That dude is gorgeous!”

Audrey rolled her eyes. “No way. We wouldn’t work.”

“You said it was the best sex you’ve ever had. I think it works.”

Eh, again, Piper was right.

“Well, yeah,” Audrey said, moving her hand with every word she said. “But still, he doesn’t want a forever kind of relationship. I’m pretty sure he wants a fling.”

“How do you know? And also, Levi never wanted anything but a fling and you stayed with him,” she said with a little nod of her head, like she knew she was right.

Which she was, but still.

“Exactly, so I need to find someone my age, someone who wants a long-term
relationship, and someone who doesn’t mind me having so many shoes,” she added when really she wanted to say,
someone who didn’t mind adopting
.

“You’re crazy,” Piper said with a shake of her head.

“True, but you still adore me.”

“Very true.” Audrey smiled as Piper ran her finger along the opening of her beer bottle. When she looked up, Audrey stopped smiling. “You haven’t heard from Levi, have you?”

Audrey looked down, picking at the label on her beer, avoiding eye contact. “Yeah, I have.”

“Blah, what in the world could that lowlife want?”

Audrey shrugged. “I don’t know, he said he needed to talk to me. I didn’t answer him back.”

Piper shook her head. “Please, babe, just stay away from him. He’s nuts.”

“I know,” Audrey agreed. She looked over at her friend and said, “Speaking of nuts, are you still lusting over Erik?”

Piper let out a long, distraught breath, running her hands through her hair before nodding. She looked over at Audrey with a look of failure. “Sure am, it is disgusting too, because I’m pretty sure that he slept with Reese.”

Audrey made a face. “Ew, please say it isn’t true.”

“Yeah, I think they did. I haven’t asked her yet. She’s been crazy busy with the studio.”

Audrey didn’t understand Piper’s obsession with Erik. Yes, he was insanely gorgeous, with dark hair and dark sexy eyes, but he kind of gave off a dick vibe. Piper was such a sweet and funny girl, and Audrey really didn’t think they would be good together. But apparently Erik Titov did it for Piper, and who was she to question it? She herself was in love with an ass-hat and
lusting over a child. She was in no place to judge anyone on their lusty needs.

“Well, let’s hope they didn’t,” she said. “Have you said you’re interested in him? Flirted at all with him?”

Piper shook her head sadly. “No, he doesn’t really look at me. I’m shorter than Reese, and I guess he just doesn’t see me.”

Audrey rolled her eyes. “You’re gorgeous, Pipe. He’s probably too blinded by your amazing awesomeness and can’t handle it, so he goes to Reese.”

“Audrey …”

“What?” Audrey said innocently.

“Be nice, she’s my twin.”

Reese was also a bitch.

Reese Allen was not Audrey’s favorite person. She walked around like her shit didn’t stink, and she was quick to tell Reese that it did. She had legs up to Audrey’s head. But so what? And who cared if Reese could put those said legs above her head? She sure the hell didn’t.