Page 10 of Any Second Now (Fort Collins Blizzard Hockey #2)

Hopeless in Love

ATTICUS

R aleigh walks through the door of The Black Diamond and a sense of relief washes over me. I’m not sure why I thought she might be a no show. This is not something I’m ever worried about when meeting up with women.

But Raleigh’s here. I watch her stride toward us, a closed-lip smile on her face.

“Hello,” she says. I stand and Lachlan leaps up off his chair.

“It’s good to see you again, Raleigh.” Lachlan pulls her into a hug first, like he’s the old friend, not me.

Last fall we were all in on the fake dating scheme between my sister and Kellen. There was a fake dating committee for it and everything. It was a hard thing for me to swallow at first—my sister and my teammate —but it was clear they fell hard for each other.

We’d video call Raleigh from Connecticut along with January, their other best friend who lives in London. And they all met up here in Fort Collins for New Year’s Eve.

The night Raleigh and I kissed.

Lachlan and Raleigh separate and she steps back, turning to me with a tentative smile.

Raleigh’s always been the one of my sister’s friends who was the most stable. She kicked ass in college and pharmacy school, got a great job right away, and got married shortly after that.

Then divorced. Then married again.

Maybe she’s not the most stable.

Raleigh doesn’t quite look like the same woman, even with her always wispy blonde hair and pretty brown eyes. There’s a slightly lost look in those eyes, even more pronounced than what I noticed on New Year’s Eve. Then she looked happy and free and relieved.

I realize we’re all standing around awkwardly so I step forward and open my arms. She’s stiff as she leans in, but her body relaxes against mine as I wrap my arms around her in the most appropriate way I can muster. It feels more than good to have her in my arms.

I swear I hear her sigh.

“Now that I’m not holding a sewage tube, you’ll hug me?” Raleigh says into my shoulder.

“Exactly.” I chuckle and let her go reluctantly, but before it gets weird. Weirder. “It didn’t seem like the right time for a hug.”

“Sorry, sewage pipe?” Lachlan gestures to an empty chair next to me and Raleigh sits.

“Yeah. I was emptying the Pink Palace’s sewage tank.”

“Still confused.” Lachlan makes a face.

“The Pink Palace is an RV,” Raleigh says with a laugh. “And emptying the sewage tank, while necessary, is my least favorite part of RV life. My second least favorite is actually driving the giant hunk of metal.”

“Sounds like you need wine.” Lachlan picks up an empty glass from the middle of the table and fills it generously with red wine before topping off mine. “Not sure why Atticus got all fancy on us for tonight instead of just drinking local craft beer like usual, but it’s his birthday celebration.”

Raleigh glances over at me, her eyes flitting down over my face briefly. I might have tried just a bit harder than usual tonight. Instead of a plain t-shirt, I’m wearing an expensive black shirt. Instead of my backwards hat, I actually swiped some product into my curls.

I look like an asshole, and truly wish I’d just been myself.

“What’ve you been up to since yesterday?” I gulp the wine. I prefer beer, but this’ll do the trick to relax me faster. “Any good new cross-stitch ideas?”

“Cross-stitch?” Lachlan furrows his brow in amusement. “Why am I so confused tonight?”

“Yes. I do cross-stitch and sell it online. With sarcastic or snarky quotes.” Raleigh sips her wine and sighs with pleasure. “And I do have some new ideas.”

“Go on,” Lachlan says. “Tell us.”

“It’s inspired by my chicken.” She pauses with a smirk.

“Sorry, your what?” I sit up straighter in my chair. “Did you say your chicken?”

“Yes, yes I did.” Raleigh rolls her shoulders back and closes her eyes for a second, as if gathering the strength to tell us a story. “This morning a chicken knocked on my door, and when I opened it—carrying my baseball bat, Fred, of course?—”

“—wait—” Lachlan tries to interrupt.

“Shhh, dude, let her talk.” I wave at him.

“—she literally let herself into the RV. She’s a white fluffy chicken.”

I stare at Raleigh with my jaw dropped slightly open.

“You— you kept it?”

“Her. And yes, for now. I named her Megg-hen.”

“I like it,” Lachlan says with a laugh.

“You are now a chicken mom.” I shake my head but can’t stop grinning.

“That sounds weird, but yes, temporarily.” She laughs. “Someone must have lost her—she’s really pretty. Clearly a backyard chicken. Or pet chicken. Or whatever.”

“Clearly.” I glance at Lachlan. “Did you know people have pet chickens? ”

“Yeah. Of course.” He looks at me like I’m nuts.

“Did you know chickens can be pretty?” I try again.

“Obviously.” Lachlan shakes his head and turns back to Raleigh. “I bet your chicken is a silkie.”

“Yeah?” Raleigh raises her eyebrows. “How would you know?”

“I watch Chicken House. It’s a reality show about a family who has chickens. Melissa’s really into it.”

“Wow,” I mutter under my breath and judge Lachlan harshly.

“Well, I went to a farm store and bought some things that she’ll need. The guy who helped me thought I was nuts.” She huffs a laugh.

“Careful, on Chicken House they had a really flimsy coop and it got destroyed by raccoons. Luckily, the chickens managed to escape.”

“For fuck’s sake, Lachlan.” I roll my eyes. “Shouldn’t you be working out or doing something else with your time?”

“Hush.” He waves at me. “Mel and I bond over it.”

“Moving on.” I turn from Lachlan in disgust. He’s so whipped. “So she’s in a coop that you bought at the farm store?”

“Hmm. Yes? But at the moment she’ll be in the Pink Palace in her tent at night and when I’m not there, since the coop is pretty flimsy. No chicken murders by raccoons on my watch.”

“Smart.” Lachlan nods enthusiastically.

I press my lips together. They are seriously having this conversation.

“So my new idea for a hoop is I don’t need a husband, I have chickens .”

Lachlan laughs, and I chuckle.

“Perfect.”

“But can we please stop talking about me?” Raleigh pulls at her hair and crosses one leg, then uncrosses it right away. “I haven’t interacted with people this much in weeks and it’s kind of freaking me out. There must be some kind of hockey gossip to catch up on. ”

“Sure is. We’ve acquired a new player from Utah.” Lachlan is way too excited about this. “He’s the guy that fucked up Atter’s groin during our last game.”

“No way.” Raleigh’s eyes widen and she examines me. “And you feel how about that?”

“Fine. I feel fine,” I grumble. I want to punch Lachlan for bringing up Barrett fucking Steele.

“Barrett Steele.” Lachlan runs his hand across the air in front of him like he’s revealing something huge. “Even his name is savage.”

“I don’t care about Steele.” I grit my teeth and know I sound too defensive. “I’m just focusing on getting myself back together for the charity tournament.” I wish we were still talking about cross-stitch and chickens.

“Sure, whatever.” Lachlan’s phone rings loudly. He leaps up from the table. “I gotta take this.”

“Ever heard of silent mode, dude?” I shake my head as Lachlan dashes away from the table, phone already nestled on his ear, a goofy smile on his face.

“That the new girlfriend?” Raleigh asks when he’s gone.

“Yup. He’s completely obsessed.”

“Is that so bad?”

I shrug. I don’t want to sound like a jealous asshole. Cause I’m not. Jealous, that is. Probably an asshole though.

“I guess not.”

“Don’t get me wrong—I am the most negative person in the room right now when it comes to love and relationships.” She laughs with a bitter edge.

“A lot of people get divorced.” See? I sound like an asshole.

“ Two divorces by age thirty-four? It’s pretty bad, Atticus.”

I hate the crestfallen look on her face. Literally can’t believe two men let this woman slip away.

“The way I look at it—” I lean forward and catch a whiff of a light floral scent. “You are at least a mature enough human being to be in a serious relationship?—”

“And you, mate, aren’t.” Lachlan jumps back in the conversation as he rejoins us. “What are we talking about? How Atticus is hopeless in love?”

“Dude. Until two months ago you’d never seriously dated someone either, so shut your trap. You’re not a love expert.” I shoot daggers with my eyes at Lach.

“It just takes one, mate. The right place, the right time, and I was ready.” Hearts spring up in Lachlan’s eyeballs. “I don’t think you’re emotionally capable of going on a real date yet.”

“I am too capable!” I’m a child. Why are we talking about my pathetic love life in front of Raleigh? “And you can fully fuck off, mate .”

“When’s the last date you went on?” Lachlan cocks his head.

I shrug and try to look chill. “I don’t know.”

“Never. It’s basically never.”

“I go on dates.” Fuck Lachlan and his insider information.

“Okay, so when’s the last time you went on more than two dates with the same person?”

Well, shit, that answer might actually be never.

“You’ve never really dated someone?” Raleigh looks at me with shock.

“Hey, I met someone today that I could take on a date.” It might be my imagination, but a shadow passes over Raleigh’s face for just a second.

“Who?” Lachlan narrows his eyes.

“Her name is Rose. She works at the bookstore.” I lean my elbows on the table and attempt to look casual and confident, like I’d actually want to take the bookstore woman out on a date. Which I do not.

“And you want to date her?” Lachlan shakes his head. “I don’t believe you.”

“Why not?” Because I’m lying .

“Did you ask her out?”

“No.” Fuck no, I meant. I shake my head and plead with Lachlan to take my side. “Listen, even you just said I’m not good at this kind of thing. I wouldn’t know how to act.”

So that’s kind of a lie. Of course I know how to ask someone out. I’m a thirty-year-old man. But I simply haven’t had to do it very often. Usually women just sort of appear in front of me after I toss a charming smile and expensive drink their way.

Yup. I’m an asshole.

“Yeah.” Lachlan tilts his head at me, then looks at Raleigh. “But she is definitely good at this kind of thing.”

“Who?” I say, hoping he’s not going down some ridiculous rabbit hole.

“Raleigh. Raleigh’s good at dating.”

Raleigh’s eyes widen as Lachlan looks overly pleased with himself.

What the fuck is he thinking?