Empty Net (22 page)

“A year?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s a short amount of time.”

“Humor me!”

Tate laughed, nodding his head as he thought. “I guess I hope to still be playing with the Assassins. I have a meeting with Eleanor Adler about that in a couple weeks.” He was nervous, but his agent was pretty confident that they were going to sign him as a regular, not an interim goalie. “I would like to be married or at least have a girlfriend.”

“So early? You don’t want to live life as a single hockey player? I heard it’s all the rage,” she said with a giggle.

Shaking his head, he said, “It really isn’t, and no, I don’t. My dad got married early, and
it worked for him. I want that. I want the wife and the kids, early. I don’t want to wait.”

Tate couldn’t help but notice Audrey’s hands pause before she reached up into her hair, pulling it into a ponytail. Her mouth was parted and her eyes wide as she said, “You want kids?”

“Oh yeah, a lot of them,” he asserted.

“Early?”

“Yeah, why? You don’t want children?”

Surely that wasn’t true. She loved kids; he had seen her with all kinds of kids. She was spectacular with them.

Audrey swallowed and shrugged. “Of course I do. I’m just surprised you do, being so young and all.”

Tate watched her for a moment, then said, “I don’t think age matters. It’s all about what you want and what makes you happy. I don’t want to be some single hockey player with no one to share my accomplishments or triumphs with. I want that person who will be there with me, and love me through thick and thin.”

Audrey looked up at him, and Tate noticed the sadness in her eyes. “I do too,” she said. “So let’s hope we both find that person, huh? I know you’ll find yours, and she’ll be one hell of a lucky woman.”

Tate’s brows came together, confused. Was he missing something?

“So, hey, I’m more tired than I thought. I’m gonna go to bed.”

What? What the hell just happened?

And why did he feel that her walls were back up?

Shit!

Sweat coursed down Audrey’s back, and it wasn’t the happy sweat she liked either. It was the sweat from the four miles of her run that she had already completed. Her feet hurt, she couldn’t breathe, and she was pretty sure she was never baking another cupcake in her life.

Pushing herself, she rounded the corner and headed into Centennial Park. It was cold as shit out, but she was burning up. She could see the steam of her hot breath as she pushed herself a little harder.

Only two more miles.

She would blame Tate for this. The guy could eat a whole platter of cupcakes and feel like a billion bucks. Tate could win hockey games, wear the same size jeans, while she put on a pair of her favorite black and red tights and saw the dreaded cellulite.

Hence the morning torture she was putting herself through.

Not only did she hate working out for itself, she hated it because it always made her think more than she liked. For example, she had rethought all of her and Tate’s interactions for the past two weeks: Every conversation, every touch, every glance, everything. She couldn’t help it. She had to understand why she still wanted him even though she was aware that he wanted kids and she couldn’t give them to him. Was she really that selfish?

She turned the corner, picking up her pace, just as she heard a voice behind her.

“I’m surprised you don’t run in heels.”

Audrey quickly glanced over and saw Tate grinning at her. Crap! She was sweaty, but she didn’t have time to freak out about her awful appearance, because at that moment her face
was introduced to a pole and her butt and head got acquainted with the ground.

“Shit! Audrey! Are you okay?”

She fell back onto the concrete, holding her head. She felt like she had run into a steel wall. The coldness from the sidewalk was helping, but not much.

“Ow … my head hurts,” she moaned, pressing her hand against the swollen spot as it pounded underneath her hand.

“Um yeah, I bet it does, you ran dead into that pole,” Tate informed her.

“Damn pole came out of nowhere,” she muttered. Tate chuckled as he moved her hand out of the way, to see what had to be a nasty bump. She opened her eyes, and came face-and-face with him. For the love of God! He was hot even with sweat dripping from his face and breathing heavily. Damn it! She probably looked like a stout pig!

“Man, Audrey, you got a nasty bruise coming in. Are you sure you’re okay? Can you see me?”

She scoffed. “Yes, Tate, your face is only inches from mine.”

Tate paused, looking from her aching head to her eyes. His eyes were light and soft, playful. When he tilted his head to the side, looking all sexy and yummy, she swore she didn’t care how bad her head hurt.

Because she was going to ravish Tate Odder in Centennial Park.

“Tate, please get your face out of mine before I jump you in the middle of this park,” she muttered.

If she shocked Tate, she couldn’t tell. His face broke into a big grin, while not moving an inch. “Are you sure you are okay?”

Audrey laughed. “Move, and help me up.”

Tate chuckled, moving only slightly to help her up, but even in a sitting position his face was right there. Coming close to her, Tate made a show of examining her head, lightly touching her now-growing lump. That touch was not helping her inappropriate thoughts about having sex in a park. She was pretty sure he was doing it so he could stay close to her. And she didn’t mind, really. She liked him that close.

“Tate, your face is still by mine.”

He smiled, pushing his tongue against his teeth as he looked deep into her eyes. “I am calling your bluff.”

“You really know how to make a girl crazy,” she complained, standing up slowly.

Tate continued to grin, watching her as she fixed her clothes and rubbed her butt. She looked up to see that he had a beanie holding his hair back. His shirt was drenched in sweat, and he had running pants on.

“Cupcakes catching up on you too?” she teased.

Tate laughed as he nodded. “Yup, this is my pre-workout, before the intense workout with the guys.”

“Sheesh, eff all that. I’ll stick to my six-mile run,” she said, her hands resting on her head.

“Well, I’m done. I was running back to the Sportsplex when I saw you. Thought I would come over and say hi, make sure we are still on for tonight.”

Audrey nodded, causing her head to hurt more. “Yup. Seven o’clock?”

“Sounds good, I’ll have dinner there and ready.”

“I got two more miles, so I’ll see you,” she said, walking away from him.

“Wait,” Tate said, stopping her in her tracks. He had that sexy wicked grin on his face,
the one he wore while stripping her clothes off during their night together. Audrey felt like she couldn’t breathe when he pinned her with that grin. It felt like her heart was beating in overtime, while her body was going to explode with want.

“Yeah?” she basically groaned out.

“What happened to jumping me in the middle of the park?”

She smiled. “That was my concussion talking.”

Tate laughed. “Well then, instead of telling you to miss the poles, please hit at least three more. Maybe then you’ll kiss me again.”

When his face brightened with excitement, Audrey rolled her eyes and shook her head, “Goodbye, Tate Ooooodder,” she said as she walked away.

Tate’s chuckles ran up her spine, and then he said, “ ’Bye, Audrey.”

Still worried about her head, she jogged off slowly, thanking the Lord that she didn’t give in to her desire to molest him in the park. But no one said she couldn’t fantasize about it as she ran.

It would make the run more pleasurable, in her opinion.

Later that morning, Audrey lay at her desk with her face in a pile of paperwork. Her body was aching from the tips of her toes to the top of her head, complete with a new lump, thanks to a stupid pole. What was she thinking? She should just accept the cellulite, love it. It would be way better than running and being all healthy.

With a sigh, she knew she would go again tomorrow despite her aching muscles.

Trying not to move, she reached for her ringing phone to see that it was Fallon calling.
Hitting Answer, she groaned, “Hello?”

“Jeez, what’s wrong with you?”

“I went running this morning, my body hurts.”

“Why on earth would you do that?”

Audrey shook her head and grimaced in pain. “Some people can’t eat anything, including cupcakes, and not gain a pound.”

“Yum, bring me some.”

“Will do. So what’s up?” Audrey asked.

“Nothing, just wanted to chat,” she said. Audrey could hear her moving papers and the phone ringing in the background. “Did you watch
Survivor
last night?”
Survivor
used to be their thing when Fallon lived with her. They loved Wednesday nights with their favorite show. A big bottle of wine for Fallon, beer for Audrey, and a bowl of popcorn to share, and they were in heaven.

It hadn’t been like that for months, Audrey thought sadly. Fallon probably watched it with Lucas now. But that was fine; she was going to start watching it with Tate.

“I haven’t seen it yet,” she told her sister. “I’m watching it tonight.”

“Why are you waiting?”

Audrey shrugged as she said, “Tate hasn’t watched it yet either, so we are watching it together tonight.”

“Tate?”

“Tate Ooooooodder.” She giggled then stopped since it hurt her head. “You know, Tate, Lucas’s friend.”

“I know who he is, and why are you dragging out his last name?” Fallon asked, but didn’t
wait for the answer and went on. “But no, really, why are you watching it with him?”

“We’ve been hanging out,” Audrey said simply.

“Like, hanging out … or just watching TV?”

“Just watching TV. He’s my neighbor, we’re cool. But if we were to get together, you’d think it was weird?” she asked, feeling she needed to talk to someone about Tate.

Fallon paused. “Well, no, I wouldn’t. I just want you to be happy. The guy could have one leg and nine eyes, but if he made you the happiest girl on earth, nothing else would matter.”

“Well, that’s good,” Audrey answered, biting down on her lip.

“Why? Is it more than just watching TV?”

Audrey wanted to choose her words wisely.

When she still hadn’t answered, Fallon said, “Audrey?”

“Yeah, I’m here … I slept with him.”

“Excuse me?”

“It was before I knew who he was.”

“Wow. When?”

Audrey could tell Fallon was shocked. She was doing that sputtering thing she did when she didn’t understand something or was completely out of her element. She still felt she needed to tell her. Her sister would be okay. “The night of your bachelorette party.”

“So what? Like a one-night stand?”

“Yeah.”

“With Tate?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh my God, wow. I am totally stunned.”

“It was a one-time thing. I got into a stupid fight with Levi and then I went to the bar where Tate was. He gave me a sexy grin and batted those baby blues and I was a goner!”

“They are intoxicating,” Fallon agreed. “But Tate? Wow. I didn’t know it was this advanced.”

“What do you mean, ‘advanced’? It hasn’t gone anywhere. We are getting to know each other. I’m trying to figure out if I should … you know, advance it.”

“Audrey Jane, you slept with him after knowing him for what … a few minutes? Then you proceed to get to know him afterward. If you were really worried about him wanting more sex, then you wouldn’t be getting to know him. I don’t believe this ‘I’m too old and he only wants sex’ crap, so tell me, what is keeping you from moving forward with someone I think is a great guy?”

Audrey didn’t even think, she just said, “My insecurities.”

“Audrey Jane, really? You are fantastic, you are—”

“Fallon, stop,” Audrey said, interrupting her. “I don’t need your ‘Audrey, you are fantastic’ speech. I know I am awesome, but there are things about me I’m not ready to tell you.”

Fallon surprised Audrey by laughing. “Then why did you just say that? You know I’m gonna bug you till you tell me.”

Audrey rolled her eyes. “ ’Bye, Fallon.”

Hanging up the phone, Audrey knew she had messed up, but maybe it was her subconscious. Maybe she really did need to tell someone. Maybe then she would know if it was worth the shot with Tate.

Or maybe she was just an idiot.