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Diane shrugged. “Maybe not deliberately, but based on the women I’ve seen him with? Makes sense, right?”

Hanny lightened the mood. “Sadly, I don’t think Remy and I make enough to attract a gold digger. Now, if we played basketball…”

The oven timer chimed, and we left the topic behind.

It was a great afternoon. I’d always gotten along with Hanny, and Sophie was incredible, but Diane fit in with us too.

She and Hanny kept the conversation going, but we all contributed.

The food was delicious, and Hanny and I cleaned up after shooing Diane and Sophie away.

In the evening, we had wine and pie and played card games.

Goober even appeared, after hiding out while Trinity was around.

Diane laughed at the way Goober ignored Beast while keeping close, and Hanny swore it was the freakiest thing he’d seen.

It was the best Christmas I’d had in years.

Hanny finally stood up, finishing the last of his wine. “I should be on my way.” He pulled out his phone to order a ride.

“I can drop you off if it’s not too far.” Diane had stopped drinking not long after we ate, so she was sober.

“If you wouldn’t mind.” He frowned at his phone. “There’s a long wait for a ride.”

We took the last of our dishes into the kitchen. I promised to deal with them so we weren’t leaving it all on Sophie. She and I saw the two of them off at the door, then returned to the kitchen.

“There’s not a lot,” Sophie said. “Most of the dishes can go in the dishwasher and the rest I can take care of in the morning.”

I shook my head. “No, I’m not leaving you with a mess.” I headed for the sink, bending down to get the dish soap underneath the cabinet.

Sophie was right behind me and reached around to snatch away the container I’d just retrieved. “What if you do them in the morning?”

My breath caught. “Do you mean…”

She raised her brows. “I mean we can do something more fun now and do any dishes tomorrow.”

I twisted in her arms so she was pressed against my chest. There was a teasing smile on her face.

“I need to take Beast out one last time.”

“You know where my room is. Come find me.”

Beast took forever to find a bush he’d accept to pee on, but the time outside cleared my head. I wanted to be present, aware and sober if I was having sex with Sophie again.

A little ball of hope was vibrating in my chest. I wasn’t crowding Sophie, but she wanted me. She wanted me to stay tonight. This was the third time, so she enjoyed the sex. And maybe, maybe it could be more?

That was dangerous thinking. Sophie had roots in Austin, and the chances that I’d be playing hockey here after this season were slim to none.

Leaning heavily to none. I didn’t even know if I’d be in the city past the trade deadline.

If I got another offer to play next season, I’d have to take it, because what else could I do?

When winter made the cottage uninhabitable, I had no place to go.

I was able to stay in Austin now, since the team arranged a visa, but I wasn’t an American citizen. I had no job skills beyond playing hockey. At least in Canada I could live even if I wasn’t working.

Beast tugged on his leash, heading away from the main house to the carriage house, and I shoved the thoughts away, pulling him back.

“We’re staying here tonight, bud.” Beast narrowed his eyes and glared.

“Your friend Goober might still be around.”

Beast paused growling, but that had to be a coincidence. At least he didn’t resist as I headed back to the main house.

There was no sign of Cash and Trinity returning. I opened the back door and stepped inside. What should I do with the dog? If Cash was coming back, I didn’t want to leave Beast wandering loose. He was housebroken, but not people broken. I headed to Sophie’s room with him following me.

I heard Sophie brushing her teeth in the en suite. “What should I do with Beast?” I called.

I heard spitting, then she came back to the bedroom. “I’m not sure if I want him staring at us while we…”

“Maybe if we put down a towel in the bathroom?”

She pursed her lips. “We can give that a try, sure.”

“And if he decides to chew on it?”

“It’ll be worth it.” She grinned.

She’d washed her face, so the makeup was gone and she looked open and vulnerable, her dark hair swinging around her face. She went back into the bathroom and called me a moment later. She’d made a pile of towels in the corner by the tub.

“What do you think, Beast? Will this do?”

I picked him up and set him on the pile—he no longer snapped at me when I helped him. He turned several times, scratching, and finally lay down. I was ready to cheer until he pulled out a corner of one towel and started to chew.

I closed my eyes, mortified, but Sophie just laughed. “That’ll keep him busy for a while, won’t it?” I opened my eyes again when she grabbed my hand with hers. “I think I can provide better entertainment out here,” she promised.

I followed her, but said, “That’s a pretty high bar.”

“Then I’d better bring my A game.”