Page 15 of Clear Shot

“Just a little overwhelmed. I’ll be okay in a minute.”

“See you back at the house!” Johan calls to us as he and Sloane get into his truck.

We’re going over there to get my things so I can move into Aiden’s condo. I’ve been there once, and it’s spacious, if not a little barren. He’s definitely got the bachelor chic vibe happening and has already told me I’m welcome to decorate or change anything I want.

“Do you have a fully stocked kitchen?” I blurt, suddenly a little nervous.

He glances at me. “You mean pots and pans and stuff? Yeah, I have the basics. I’m no Gordon Ramsay, but I can hold my own in the kitchen.”

Thank God.

I hate to cook.

“Was that a look of relief?” he asks, chuckling.

I can’t help but grin. “I’m a terrible cook and hate doing it. I was having visions of trying to figure out how to make meals for us.”

“Don’t worry about that. I cook sometimes, but I use a service that makes me custom meals based on my nutritional needs. I can have her double up so there’s enough for both of us. And when I’m not traveling, I’m happy to cook.”

“Whew.”

We may have just broken the ice.

“I also have a cleaning service that comes once a week,” he adds. “So you’re not responsible for upkeep of the house in that way.”

“But I should be responsible for something,” I protest.

He shrugs. “You can drop off or pick up my suits from the dry cleaner if it’s important to you.”

“What else?”

“I’ve been a bachelor for a while, so I’m pretty self-sufficient. I do laundry, order groceries, bills are on autopay. I don’t need anything from you, Hana, so we don’t have to overthink this. Let’s just get you moved in and figure out what’s next. Hockey takes up a lot of my time so you’ll be on your own a lot.”

“I’m planning to start job hunting immediately.”

“Take some time to breathe,” he suggests softly, reaching across the center console for my hand. “You’ve been through a lot of life changes in a short amount of time. It doesn’t hurt my feelings if you take a few weeks to just wrap your head around everything. And that gives us a little time to find our footing asa couple since we don’t want anyone to know the truth about us getting married. Besides, you might have to go back to Slovakia for a little while, so you don’t want to be in the middle of the interview process if that happens.”

“Did the team attorney give you any updates on my visa?”

“We should know something tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Why does that sound ominous?

Chapter 6

Aiden

My divorce wasugly so I vowed no more marriage for me. And if I did change my mind, it wouldn’t be for a very long time. Probably around the time I retired from hockey.

Instead, I just married the most beautiful woman I know so she doesn’t have to go back to Slovakia.

And now we’re moving her in.

Something else I swore I wouldn’t do again for at least a decade.

“Where am I sleeping?” she asks as we bring in two suitcases and a box of her things.