Page 101

“The Thunder has an away game tonight in upstate New York,” I said. “Do you want to watch it on TV? And order a pizza? And sit on the couch like slugs?”
She turned to look at me, and I noticed tears in her eyes. “Does that sound like fun to you?” she asked hopefully.
“It sounds like the best night ever.”
Jenny nodded. “I agree.”
“Good.” I kissed the top of her hair and held her. I wasn’t sure why she was emotional, but I hoped it was because she was happy.
Only one thing was for sure: she was here in my arms.
And I intended to make the most of it.
“That’s called icing,”I explained when the referee blew his whistle. “You can’t hit the puck down the ice like that when there’s no one else there.”
Jenny blinked at the screen. “When are they going to fight again? That’s my favorite part!”
“Soon,” I assured her. “There’s bound to be a power play in a minute.”
“Good thing, Coley. I don’t want our guys to lose.” She squeezed my thigh, and my heart flip-flopped.
Jenny looked adorable in the Thunder sweatshirt I’d given her. We were on the couch in front of my enormous flatscreen television, snuggled under a blanket while we watched the game. Empty pizza boxes littered the island in the kitchen. Jenny had insisted on pepperoni, while I’d ordered one with braised short rib and gorgonzola, which Jenny had deemed an “insult to pizzas everywhere.”
In a minute, we were going to have ice cream sundaes.
In a minute, I might die from happiness.
The Thunder was winning. Jenny was wearing sweats and cuddling with me on the couch. We were both recovering from our respective hangovers and the punishing sex we’d had earlier that day. Somehow, the tension between us had broken. It was like the morning after a heavy rainstorm when the sun finally came out.
I didn’t know whether I could trust the newfound peace. Like the conversation I’d had with my father, it seemed too easy. It was almost anticlimactic. Still, I intended to enjoy it.
Jenny leaned her head on my shoulder. I threw my arm around her, feeling like my heart might burst. Since when didI, Cole Bryson, enjoy watching the game with a woman while we were both wearing sweats? When had I enjoyedsnuggling? What had happened to me? I didn’t know why, but tonight was the best date I’d ever been on. But it wasn’t a date. It was…
A relationship.
“Do you want some ice cream?” Jenny asked when the next commercial break came on. “I looked in the freezer—you got some good stuff in there, Cole. I know you didn’t buy it, but whoever you’re paying has good taste.”
“Okay.” I shrugged happily. “I’ll have some ice cream if you’ll have some.”
“Great.” She jumped up and padded to the kitchen. I heard her rummaging around, talking to herself.
“Now, where are the jimmies? Got ’em… Chocolate sauce, check! Coffee Oreo ice cream, check! Cole,” she said, suddenly very annoyed, “what the hell is avocadoice cream? You have got to be fucking kidding me!”
I snorted. “I didn’t pick it out. It’s supposed to be Paleo,” I said, as though that was a solid excuse.
“It’s an aberration. It’s outta here.” I heard the pint hit the trash can. “You have fresh whipped cream? Ho my God, I might marry your chef.”
Jenny banged around in the kitchen until the game came back on. “Pause it, please. I’m coming!”
I loved that she wanted me to pause the game, that she hated avocado ice cream, that she was making us sundaes, and that she was wearing my hockey team’s sweatshirt.
I loved everything about having Jenny back. And if that terrified the fuck out of me, I refused to admit it.
Not even to myself.
JENNY
“What doyou want to do today, babe?”