Page 115 of Pucking the Team

Matthew laughed again. “No, my husband would kill me if I hit on another guy. But you and Pippa are amazing together, and having a Viper in a few of the shots, that would really blow up the launch for Mae and her charity.”

“What do you think?” Eduardo asked me.

“I think it’s a great idea and I’d love to be in a few non-paparazzi pics with you.” I popped a chunk of cream cheese bagel into my mouth. “Really I would.”

“So you’ll do it?” Matthew clasped Eduardo’s shoulder.

He was quiet for a moment, looked between us, and then frowned. “Have you two Brits just totally set me up?”

I giggled. “Don’t do it if you don’t want to.”

“Would it make you happy,ma choue?” he asked.

I thought for a moment, studying his chiseled cheekbones and glossy skin. Matthew had a good eye. Eduardo would look amazing shirtless in these shots. “Yes, today was always going to be special, but if we can do this together, the memories really will last.”

“Then I’ll do it.” Eduardo plonked himself in the chair next to me and drew a circle around his face. He winked at the other makeup lady. “Do your thing, madame, and make me beautiful for the camera.”

I had never had so much fun on a shoot. Matthew controlled the entire thing with such professionalism and slickness that he made it appear easy, when in truth I’d seen total breakdowns on sets before when even small things went wrong. It wasn’t a breeze by any stretch of the imagination.

All the staff Mae had hired were good fun and relaxed and clearly knew her well. A few were a little starstruck, not just with me but also with Eduardo who was always going to be a big deal in Orlando and around a bunch of hockey fans. Not that you’d know it. He was charming and relaxed and cracked jokes in his sexy accent that had the girls both swooning and laughing.

Wolf appeared briefly, kissed his wife, and gave Eduardo a thumbs-up. He put his hands together in a heart sign and mouthed ‘thank you’ to me.

In that moment I had a wonderful feeling of belonging, of doing the right thing, of making a difference, and when the shoot ended, I wondered if I was beginning to find peace with the turn my life had taken. I may have lost a fiancé and a best friend, but decent, solid people were quickly filling their spaces.

“The range of shots to choose from is great,” Matthew said as Eduardo and I were preparing to leave. “And it’s always appreciated how quickly you change outfits and moods, Pippa, you’re such a pro.”

“So are you.” I squeezed his arm. “Stay in touch, okay? I’m looking forward to being an auntie.”

He laughed. “You can only be an auntie if you promise to come up to New York and visit us.” He nodded to Eduardo. “You, too, we’ve got space in the apartment for visitors.”

“You’ll need plenty of room for us.” Eduardo took my hand. “And thanks for today, it was fun.”

“You’re a natural, Eduardo. If you get bored with hockey, hit me up and I’ll find you some work.”

“Ah, hockey is in my blood and it is the beat of my heart.” He pressed his hand over his chest. “But right now, I need to take care of the other thing in my heart, my woman. Come on,ma choue,I have a treat planned for us.”

“You have?”

“Oui,a special one.”

“See you, Matthew, take good care,” I said.

He kissed my cheeks, each in turn, and then his cell rang. “It’s Todd.” His face lit up. “I need to take this.”

We drove to Kissimmee, a place I’d never been to. It was all wide roads with colorful verges and huge adverts for various theme parks, rides, and restaurants.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“You’ll see.” He reached over and squeezed the top of my leg. “Not far now.”

After a few more minutes, a large sign grew up from rocks and flowers. It had a rhino, elephant, and lion carved into it along with the wordsAnimal Kingdom.

I laughed. “Are you taking me to a theme park? I’m a bit old, don’t you think?”

“You’re never too old for Disney, but no, not the park, the hotel.”

“The hotel, why?”