Page 73 of Clear Shot

“Come on,” Aiden whispers, kissing the side of my face. “You know you want it.”

And I do.

“Okay. Yes.” I grin at him excitedly. “Let’s do it.”

“Make an offer,” Aiden tells the realtor. He gives her a number that’s two hundred thousand below asking price and then takes my hand and leads me into the bedroom. “I don’t have a lot of time, so let’s go bedroom furniture shopping. After that, it’s all you.”

I frown. “I don’t know anything about decorating a house this size.”

“You probably know more than me—and you have people you can ask, like Sloane and the other wives and girlfriends. Short-term, all I care about is the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. The rest of the house can stay empty until the off-season as far as I’m concerned.”

I chuckle. “What, no hundred-inch TV?”

He shrugs. “Of course, but again, my time is so limited during hockey season.” He pauses and turns to me, the playful look in his eyes gone. “This is kind of what it’s going to be like, Hana.”

“What what’s going to be like?”

“Life as the wife of a pro athlete. I’m gonea lot. Road trips, practices, game day rituals—I know you understand it intellectually because of your brother, but I don’t know if you really get it on a practical level. Even when I’m home, I’m usually a lot more distracted than I’ve been because of the hurricane. I nap on game days. I have a routine I try not to mess up because it messes with my game. I need to know you’re going to be okay if I’m distracted or generally not around.”

I cock my head a little. “Is this literal or are you trying to tell me something you’re expecting me to gather by reading between the lines?”

He shakes his head firmly. “I’m not a game player off the ice, babe. I’m being literal. I’m busy as fuck during hockey season, hurricanes notwithstanding. Of course I’d be available in an emergency and I’ll always prioritize you emotionally, but sometimes I simply won’t be able to focus on you.”

I’ve heard a few grumbles from the girls—Sloane and Claudia and Eden—about how sad it is when summer comes to an end because the guys don’t have as much time for them.

But they’re all happy, thriving even.

I can’t imagine it will be any different for me.

Well, a little different because Aiden and I are still new with our relationship, and certainly with being married.

“I’m okay on my own,” I say thoughtfully, “but things are a little different for us than other couples. Most couples fall in love and then get married—we got married and now we’re trying to figure out the rest. I don’t know you as well as I hope to, and we’re basically starting to date, for lack of a better word.”

I read a flicker of guilt in his eyes and he slowly nods. “No, you’re right, and I have to keep that in mind. I just want you to be prepared. If I’m a little distant and distracted—I haven’t lost interest, I’m just busy. I won’t take you for granted, and if I start to, absolutely give me a kick in the ass. But I don’t want you to panic and start overthinking things if I come home and genuinely don’t have the energy to make love or don’t feel like talking about the new furniture after losing three in a row on the road.”

He runs a hand through his thick, dark hair.

“And here’s the other thing—I’m medicated, but major depression can rear its ugly head at any time. I am functional and don’t have wild mood swings, but I still struggle sometimes. If it’s going to work between us, you can’t let it scare you away.”

I smile. “It won’t be that easy to get rid of me. I’m not perfect either.”

He grins, hands skimming the sides of my body. “You look pretty damn close.”

“I’m being serious,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck.

“Me too.” He playfully slaps my ass just before Rita joins us.

“I’m having my office prepare the paperwork,” she says. “So I’ll get that out shortly.”

“Perfect.” Aiden nods. “And we’re going bed shopping.”

Rita just laughs.

“We do have to talk about money,” I say once we’re in his SUV.

“I thought we did that this morning,” he says, pulling onto the street.

“We talked about your salary, how much house we can afford, your paycheck structure, that sort of thing. We didn’t discuss things like how much I can spend or what my budget is.”