Page 45

Yo yourself

Remy

I crossed my ankles on the porch railing, chair tilted back against the wall of the cottage on the remote Ontario lake that was usually my home for the summer.

The only sounds to reach me were the gentle lapping of the water on the shore, the call of birds, an occasional splash of fish feeding.

A light breeze rustled the leaves, shifting shadows over the lawn sloping down to the lake in front of me.

This area wasn’t developed, no road or hydro lines in place, so the waters were rarely disturbed by motorboats full of noisy people.

It was calm and peaceful. My whole body relaxed into a zen-like state.

Then my phone rang, ripping through the silence.

I dropped the chair down, grabbing for my phone. Beast grumbled, but I ignored him as I saw it was the call I’d been waiting for. “Yo.”

“Yo yourself. I’ve just crossed the Ontario/Manitoba border. It’s beautiful.”

Sophie’s voice soothed me but also made me impatient. I’d been up here at the cottage for a couple of weeks, getting it ready for the summer and for her. I wanted her to love it the way I did, and I’d scrubbed the place beyond anything it had seen before. But damn, I’d missed her more than hockey.

“It is.” I loved it out here for a reason. “So, I’ll see you in a couple of hours?”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Me too.” I wanted to tell her I’d been counting down the hours and now was at the point of counting minutes. That she was in my thoughts every waking moment. But I wasn’t good at the words.

Instead, I nudged Beast with my toe. “We’ve got things to do, buddy.”

He pushed up to a sitting position with a sigh. Unlike in Austin, he had free range of the property here and had been busy asserting ownership of every bit of vegetation in the area, pee by pee, bush and shrub and tree.

Unlike last summer, I could nudge him now and put on his leash without fearing for my fingers. I had hopes that by next summer I could have another rescue here to keep him company. I also had hopes that Sophie and I would be permanent.

The cottage was as clean and tidy as I could make it. A glance at the sky confirmed that the weather was cooperating and should stay dry. I grabbed the keys to the boat and Beast’s leash, and headed to the dock.

Beast followed me and jumped into the boat with a twitch of his tail, as close as he got to a tail wag. He loved the wind on his face when we went out on the water. I turned the engine on and slipped off the lines. Fifteen minutes later we were slowing at the marina dock.

One of the summer staff caught the line I threw, and Beast and I were soon walking into town.

I made a few stops at different stores, leaving Beast tied up outside.

He no longer went into attack mode when people passed by, but also, no one would try to steal him.

I got sunscreen and after-sun lotion since Sophie might not be aware that the sun could burn up here.

Some flowers and books at a gift shop. A Lake of the Woods T-shirt and hat.

We took everything back to the boat, and then stopped at the grocery store to pick up the food and drink order I’d placed. For an extra charge everything was packed in insulated boxes, and they had a kid help deliver it to the boat.

Eddie, who ran the marina, had the parcels I’d ordered online and had delivered to the marina address.

“Shame the Aces lost in the second round.”

I agreed, but already hockey was less important.

I’d retired, and next season I would work part-time with Lappy on the Aces farm team.

I’d committed to twenty hours a week at the shelter, and Delores was happy—and also wanted me to use my hockey contacts to give the place exposure.

I had Sophie and that was the most important part. Life was good.

The boat was getting full. With everything organized, I went to the marina entrance to wait for her.

She wasn’t long. She was driving slowly, finding her way, and I smiled to finally see her again. Her own face lit up when she noticed Beast and me.

She pulled to a stop and rolled down the window. “You weren’t waiting long, were you?” I shook my head, but I’d been waiting for her for years. Maybe my whole life. A few minutes now wasn’t going to change anything.

“So where can I park?”

Sophie

I hadn’t been to this part of Canada before. The Winnipeg airport was small and easy to navigate, and it wasn’t long till I was driving east on flat, straight roads. Then, as I approached where Manitoba turned into Ontario, trees, rocks and a wildness I wasn’t used to.

Remy had offered to pick me up, but it was a three-hour drive each way and he had Beast to take care of.

We’d decided against bringing Goober, since she couldn’t be kept in the cottage and there were predators around outside.

Cash told me I was smart to have my own getaway, but I wasn’t worried.

It was hard enough waiting to get to Lake of the Woods.

If Remy had been driving, after two weeks without seeing him, I’d have struggled to keep my hands off him.

My guy was reserved. He didn’t pull me into an embrace as soon as I was out of the car. But the smile on his face when he saw me? Bigger, freer than normal. And the heat in his eyes told me he was having similar problems being discreet.

I’d packed lightly. He’d warned that evenings could be cool this early, but I would use him or his clothing to make up for anything I lacked.

He helped carry my case to his boat, his hand constantly touching me, as if making sure I was here.

Little shivers raised goose bumps on my skin when he did.

Beast led the way. There were a lot of things already in the boat, so I was glad I hadn’t brought more than I had.

He shot a look at me as he wedged my carry-on in. “I stocked up. So we don’t have to come back too soon.”

Who didn’t love a man with a plan? “Good thinking.”

Beast hopped aboard, obviously familiar and comfortable with the boat. I sat beside him and didn’t even get a growl. It had taken a while, and Beast would never be completely comfortable with people, but Remy’s patience and love had done wonders for the dog.

And for me.

“How was your visit with Lappy?” Remy had invited him to spend a couple of days at the cottage while I was tied up in Austin. The young man had been in a rehab center, and the cottage was a quiet place for him to adjust back to regular life.

“Good. He’s had a lot to deal with. Family pressure, stuff like that. He’s going to work out with a trainer in Toronto, and when he’s back in Austin we’ll meet up.”

I wasn’t sure if Remy was happier about helping Lappy or the animals at the rescue when we returned.

Once we moved away from the dock, Remy sped up the boat.

There were lakes in the Austin area and we weren’t too far from the coast, but this was a different experience.

Hard rock islands, thick forests, water looking deep and cold.

Remy reached a hand over to me and I gripped it, smiling like a loon.

He was relaxed here, and comfortable. The wind ruffled his hair beneath his ball cap, and when he turned to look at me, he looked happier than I’d ever seen him.

We passed cottages, some small, some large and elaborate. But we hadn’t seen any for a few minutes when he slowed the boat at a wooden dock. This must be it.

It wasn’t a big and fancy place, which was a relief.

That wouldn’t fit Remy, and my shortage of appropriate clothing would be an issue.

The cottage was very woodsy, almost part of the surrounding forest. The hillside sloped upward, and there was a porch across the front of the building, looking down over the incline to the dock.

I couldn’t tell how large it was, since it blended so well into the surroundings.

“I like it.”

He relaxed, his smile returning.

He docked the boat with competence and Beast jumped out. Remy started to unload things. I did my best to help, but he was skilled at this and I was not.

“I’ll carry everything up. You go ahead and check the place out.”

I shook my head. “I can help.” I grabbed my carry-on and a bag from a pharmacy and followed him up the hill.

Not a hardship. The shorts hugged his ass, and he’d already gotten a tan on the exposed skin of his legs.

They were hairy and muscled, and if my hands were free, I’d have been tempted to grab them.

So far, we hadn’t touched beyond holding hands on the boat.

There was tension in the air, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.

More like foreplay. Once we let our control loose, we wouldn’t be able to stop.

Remy opened the door, which wasn’t locked. More likely to get a racoon than a burglar here, I thought. Beast pushed past me to his water bowl.

The door opened into a large room. There was a fireplace with a couch and chairs surrounding it on one side, a kitchen with a table and chairs on the other. Remy set my suitcase on the floor and the bags on the table.

“There are a couple of bedrooms and a bathroom down the hall. You can choose one, or…”

“Or?”

He shrugged. “We could share.”

“Sharing sounds good.” I shot him a look. “It might get cold.”

He bit back a grin. “Good thinking. Take your stuff through. I’ll bring up the rest.”

I nodded and dragged my suitcases down the hall.

It wasn’t difficult to see which was the main bedroom.

A queen-sized bed filled most of the space, with a dresser and doors to a closet.

When I opened them, his clothes were pushed to one side.

Sliding open a dresser drawer, I saw it was empty.

The next one down had T-shirts and boxers in it. He’d hoped we’d be sharing space.

I heard him entering the cottage a couple more times while I put my stuff away and changed into shorts. When I returned to the front of the cottage, he was putting food into the fridge.

“Can I help?”

“Sure. Did you find everything you needed?”

“Yes, thanks.” There was still tension in the air.

“We need to get the perishables away.”

“That makes sense.”

He pulled a jug of milk out, the last thing in the cooler, and put it in the door of the fridge. “Okay, that’s done. I can give you a tour. The place is off-grid, so there are some things you need to know?—”

I put a finger on his mouth and he stilled. “Can it wait?”

He nodded.

“It’s been two long weeks.”

“Fifteen days,” he corrected.

“Is Beast okay? Anything else need to be done right away?”

“No.”

“Then the only tour I want is in your room.”

Finally, the politeness and carefulness were gone. He reached a hand out and pulled me to him.

“Fifteen very long days.” Then he kissed me.

I pressed up against him, needing that touch. His kiss was hard and passionate and everything I’d been missing. He started to walk backward, leading me to the bedroom, the two of us still wrapped around each other, still kissing.

He jerked away, breaking the kiss when he ran into the corner of the wall. Then his mouth was back on mine, and once we were in the room he spun me around and lifted me onto the bed.

“Where’s the bag from the pharmacy?”

“I left it on the table.”

He groaned. “It’s got condoms. I’ll get it, and you get naked.”

He pulled himself away after one more kiss, his cock pressing against his shorts. His hair was messed, his lips red, and his chest rising as he drew in long breaths. He was pulling off his T-shirt as he almost ran back to the kitchen.

I sat up and tugged off my top and shimmied out of my shorts. I didn’t get fully bare—I’d brought the sexy lingerie I’d worn our first time together for him to see. When he returned, he was naked, his cock hard in front of him.

He stopped and ran his eyes over me, lying on the bed in skimpy and sheer red.

“I can work with that.”

And he did.

After, with the lingerie gone and my bones mostly jelly, I lay with my head on his chest, totally content.

His fingers ran through my hair, occasionally tangling in a knot. “So how are things in Austin?”

“I’ve moved most of my stuff over to String Theory. Cash helped. He keeps asking to buy my guitar, but I turned him down.”

His chest moved with his laughter.

“I’ve looked at some places.”

His arms tensed. “What kind of places?”

“Houses. Nothing fancy, but room enough for two. For now.”

“I told Hanny he could bring his family to the cottage for a vacation. No use the place going to waste when we have to go back in a couple of weeks. He likes the idea of a break here before he’s back to meet the media in Toronto, now that he’s traded to the Blaze.”

“You sure you want to give up some of your summer here?”

He tugged on my hair till I was looking into his eyes. “I missed you. I don’t want to miss you again.”

“So, you might be interested in getting a house with me?”

“Definitely. One hundred percent. I haven’t said this, but I love you, Sophie Williams.”

My smile almost hurt, it was so big. “I love you too, Daniel Rempel.”

He nodded, like he knew it. It pleased me, that I’d shown him enough attention that he believed me so readily.

“I’ve been thinking.” His gaze drifted to the ceiling, so I twisted till I was braced on his chest, alert to every expression. “Maybe, if you wanted, I could…”

I pinched him. “Spit it out.”

“I don’t have to worry too much about what I’m doing next. After this season with Lappy.”

“Of course not. Take all the time you need. You should. It’s going to be a big adjustment.” I’d been through it with Ollie.

“Do you think I’d be a good dad?”

That had me bolting upright. “Of course I do. You’d want that, a family?”

He met my gaze again. “With you, absolutely.”

The thought of Ollie drifted through my brain again, but I let it sweep away. This wasn’t about getting back at him or trying to continue a legacy. I knew, just as Remy had rescued Beast, he’d adopt a child if we couldn’t have one.

“You amaze me, Remy.”

“Really?”

I nodded. “Just when I think I know you, you show me something more.”

He looked over the side of the bed, dislodging me and checking on Beast. “You realize, if I hadn’t had the dog, we probably wouldn’t have met.”

I pulled him back to me, settling again on his chest. “I brought some treats. I’ll thank him later. Right now, I just want to enjoy you.”