Page 13 of Make Your Play (Aston Archers Hockey #2)

CHAPTER TWELVE

RILEY

“ Y ou are literally the worst patient ever.”

Nash narrows his eyes at me. “Have you had other patients before?”

I can’t help myself as I snort and roll my eyes. “No, I have not, but you really do suck at letting people do things for you.”

“Coming from you, I don’t accept it. You’re the same way.”

I picked Nash up at the airport earlier today and drove him to the outpatient facility where he met with some of the medical staff who work with the team. They took him in for imaging and were able to determine that he didn’t fracture his ankle—surprisingly. The bone is bruised and the tendon right near his ankle was injured, but intact.

“Okay, but this isn’t about me right now,” I remind him as I pull my car from the parking lot and head out onto the street. “The doctor said you’re not supposed to bear weight for a few days. That does not mean you can go skate.”

“I have to get back on the ice, Riley.”

I cut my eyes at him. “You have to heal, Nash.”

“Yeah, but he said I should be able to play within the next week or two,” he argues with me, repeating what I already heard the doctor say. He has to talk with the team doctors to make sure, but the one he saw today said he would recommend waiting a month, but he knows how grueling this sport is and that he needs to get back out there.

His treatment can be modified to accommodate his need to be playing, but he won’t be playing at all if he doesn’t try to rest and heal it in the meantime.

“If you fucking listen to him.”

Nash tilts his head to the side, looking a bit shocked but also amused. “Damn, okay.” He glances out the window as I take the next turn then looks back at me. “Where are we going?”

“Back to my house.” I glance at him and back at the road. “Someone has to keep an eye on you to make sure you listen to the doctors.”

“You don’t have to take care of me, Ry. You need to take care of yourself right now.”

I give him a sideways glance. “I’m pregnant, Nash, not disabled.”

“Well, I know that. What I’m saying is that you don’t?—”

Something inside me snaps. There are no other cars around and I quickly pull mine off the side of the road, putting it in park as I turn to look at him. “I need you to stop arguing with me. If you really don’t want to stay with me, I will take you home, but I would feel much better knowing you’re being taken care of and that someone is making sure you are doing what you need to heal.”

He stares at me for a moment, his eyes searching mine. My throat constricts and I attempt to push the emotion back down. “Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not.” The words come out in a rush and I shake my head at him. “I am okay. It’s you that has me fucking worried. I know it’s just your ankle but what happens when it’s something more serious?” I let out a deep breath, knowing I’m getting worked up for no reason. “Sometimes, I just really wish you would have picked a different career.”

The muscle in his jaw tightens, his throat bobbing as he swallows hard. I watch his face transform, a small crease forming between his brows as his eyes grow warmer. His lips part, a soft breath escaping him before he closes them again.

“I watch every game that I can and sometimes I really just hate it. It’s scary to watch you get injured, to see you go off the ice and not return.” I shake my head, my nostrils flaring as tears prick my eyes. Stupid pregnancy hormones. “Sometimes you get hit so hard by other people, I’m afraid of what it’s doing to your body. I don’t know if the hits or the fights are worse.”

He stares at me for a moment before his voice drops lower, the sound vibrating directly through my heart. “As much as I’m trying to focus on all the things you’ve said, the only thing I can think about is the fact that you worry about me that much.”

Suddenly, I feel extremely self-conscious, like I just exposed a lot more than I needed to. “You’re one of my closest friends, so I think worrying is natural.”

His nostrils flare, his jaw tightening as he gives me a nod. “You’re right. You don’t have to worry about me, Riley.” He reaches over, grabbing my hand as he gives it a gentle squeeze. “I’ll follow the doctor’s orders and let my wife take care of me until I’m cleared to do things,” he adds with a wink.

My breath hitches, my eyes widening as my heart skips a beat in my chest as I hear him say that word. I force a smirk onto my lips, my eyes relaxing. “That’s what a good wife would do, right?” I ask him, the playfulness lingering in my tone.

“Only the best.”

***

“This smells amazing, Ry. Seriously, who knew you could cook?”

Laughter spills from my lips and I give him the middle finger. “I may or may not have picked up a few things over the years.”

“Well, I happen to be an avid watcher of all things Food Network, so if you ever need any pointers, I got you.”

Shaking my head, I sit down on the couch, holding on to my plate as I shake with laughter. “Bullshit, Nash Simmons. We both know you don’t cook.”

“Okay, you’re right,” he laughs, smiling back at me as he pushes his fork through the rice, mixing it with the vegetables. “Do you want to watch a movie or anything? I know I’ve kind of just moved into your house for the near future, but I wasn’t sure what your plans were for the evening.”

“I like that,” I tell him as I reach for the remote and head over to a streaming app to see what movies they have available. Nash falls silent as he digs into his food and I can’t help but smile at the sight of him. He’s comfortable on my couch with his foot propped up and an ice pack wrapped around his ankle. He looks like this is exactly where he belongs and I can’t help but feel like maybe it is…

We ended up settling on a comedy movie and we both finished our dinner. Nash pauses it for me as I take our plates into the kitchen and load them in the dishwasher. When I come back into the living room, I find him in the same place, smiling as he waits for me to get settled on the couch once more.

I sit on the cushion next to him, careful not to sit too close. I don’t want to encroach on his space, but with the way his leg is propped on one side, I have no choice but to sit like this on the other end.

Nash waits until I’m settled and covered with a blanket before he starts the movie again. It dives right into the part where the two main characters end up locked in a room together. Nash chuckles softly, the sound vibrating in his chest as it resonates against my eardrums. I start to laugh with him, the muscles contracting in my stomach when the baby moves, kicking the side of my belly with enough force to make it feel like my whole body moves.

“Ow! Jesus Christ.”

Nash whips his head to the side. “What? Are you okay?” He moves his body, his face instantly wincing in pain. “Goddammit.”

“No, I’m fine, don’t move!” I stare at him, the panic and pain evident on his face. Laughter bubbles up my throat and it feels inappropriate considering his expression, but I can’t help myself. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Look at both of us.”

“We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” Nash smiles through his pain, readjusting as he laughs. “I know why I’m in pain, but why did you say ‘ow?’”

I exhale a deep breath, my hand rubbing across my stomach as I feel him moving again. “Sometimes when he kicks, it catches me by surprise and it hurts.”

Nash’s eyes widen and he glances at my stomach, his expression filling with wonderment before he looks at me again. “Is he moving right now?”

“He is.” I smile at him as I nod. “Do you want to feel?”

His throat bobs. “Can I?”

“Of course,” I say, my voice soft as I reach for his hand and scoot closer. Nash twists his torso, extending his arm as I press his palm against my stomach. He warms my skin and my heart as he stares at my stomach, watching and waiting.

The baby moves again, his little foot hitting the exact spot where Nash’s hand is. He inhales sharply, his eyes immediately flashing to mine. “Oh my god, I felt him.” Worry crosses his expression. “That was him, right?”

“No, Nash, that was the alien I’ve been growing for the past thirty-five weeks.” I let out a soft laugh, watching the smile break out across his face. “Yes, that’s him.”

“Can he hear me if I talk to him?”

My heart stumbles all over itself as he looks at me with hope dancing in his irises. I swallow back the emotion welling in my throat as I feel the warmth from his hand still pressed against my stomach. “They said he can.”

Nash stares at me for a moment, his lips twitching as he begins to lower his face closer to my stomach. I watch him as his eyes scan my belly, his other hand coming to rest against me as he closes his eyes and brings his mouth closer.

“Hey, little bud.” I can see his lips lift into a smile as the baby moves once more, and he looks at me before looking back at my stomach. “I know we haven’t formally met, but it’s me, Nash. Maybe you’ve heard my voice in the distance before. I just want you to know that you have the most amazing mom in the world. She’s been working so hard to get things ready for you and none of us can wait to meet you—especially her.”

I quickly wipe away the tears that fall from my eyes, making sure I do it before he catches me. The baby moves again and Nash chuckles softly.

“I know, I know. You’re running out of space in there, but I’m going to have to ask you to wait a little bit longer. We’re excited for you to come, but we’re not ready just yet.”

An anxious feeling builds in the pit of my stomach. “No, we do not need you to come yet,” I add, smiling as Nash looks back up at me. His hands linger before he pulls them away and I instantly wish they were back on my belly. “I still have so much to do.”

“Don’t you worry about any of that. As soon as I’m cleared by the doctors, I plan on starting to check off the things left to do on the list.”

My breath catches in my throat, emotion washing over me again. “Nash…”

“I want to do it, Riley,” he says, his voice soft and pleading as he stares directly into my soul. “Please just let me help you.”

I get lost in the swirling depths of blue in his irises. “Okay.” I blink the tears away, rolling my lips between my teeth as I nod, feeling a smile tugging on my lips.

Nash’s eyes shimmer as a ghost of a smile dances across his face.

“Okay.”