Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 52183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
“Good, I’m starving.”
I check my phone to make sure everything’s in place for the surprise I have planned for Molly. Once I’m satisfied, I drive Jonah to the restaurant, where Molly and Rey are sitting on opposite sides of a booth, both laughing. It makes me so damn happy to see Molly having fun with my teammate’s girlfriend.
Since we got back together a couple weeks ago, we’ve been inseparable. I meet her for lunch on days I’m home and don’t have games. She’s been coming to my home games and sitting with Rey in the friends and family suite. And when I’m on the road for away games, we text every night. She sends me pictures of her snuggled up in bed with Mr. Darcy.
I love that dog. He lives for food, belly rubs and sweet talk from Molly. When she tells him he’s the best boy in the world, he gazes at her adoringly, never getting enough.
I’ve also grown really fond of Gram. I took Molly, Gram and Sara out for dinner one night last week at a swanky new Asian fusion place downtown and we laughed nonstop. Gram proclaimed the cost of martinis at the restaurant as “completely outrageous,” but she got over it real quick after drinking a couple of them. And next week, she’s coming to one of my games with Molly. I got her a sweater with my name on the back to wear.
“Hey, you’re here,” Molly says as we approach the table.
I slide in beside her and give her a light kiss, the taste of sweet tea on her lips.
“How was the team meeting?” Rey asks Jonah.
He shrugs. “I was voted most badass team member once again.”
“You wish,” I say, shaking my head.
There’s a new guy on our team—a backup goalie named Matt Katz. He’s been running his mouth about how shitty Chicago is and how underpaid he is. Anton called the team meeting so he could let Katz know in front of everyone that he needs to shut up and play if he wants to stay.
With his reputation as a whiner, Katz was lucky the Blaze picked him up. Knox pointed that out at the meeting, too. Katz most likely hates us all now, but as long as he shuts the fuck up, no one cares.
“We ordered a couple appetizers,” Molly says.
I put an arm around her and open the menu, scanning it. “I need some pasta. And meat.”
After I decide what to order, I pull Molly a little closer and kiss her temple.
“What have you been up to since you went home this morning?” I ask her.
She stayed the night at my place last night, but said she had to go home to get stuff done earlier. I quit trying to lure her into staying when she promised to stay again tonight.
“I went to the laundromat, took Gram to get groceries and took Mr. Darcy on a walk to the doggie bakery.”
“Did you get him everything he wanted?”
She laughs. “He got a few things. He’d eat everything in the place if he could.”
“You have a dog?” Rey says, lighting up. “Can I see a picture?”
Molly shows Rey and Jonah a few photos of Mr. Darcy and they both melt.
“Handsome guy, right?” I say.
“He is,” Jonah agrees. “That looks like a dog who would appreciate a good glass of bourbon and a cigar.”
“He’d eat the cigar,” Molly says.
“I want to get a dog so bad,” Rey says, “but we’re talking about moving in together and we both work so much we wouldn’t have much time to spend with a dog, and that doesn’t seem fair.”
“Moving in together?” I arch my brows and give Jonah a look of approval.
“I’m expecting a home cooked meal on the table every night,” he says.
Rey laughs loudly at that, and Molly joins her.
“Expect all you want. It’s never happening, babe,” Rey says.
Jonah winks at her and grins. It’s good to see my buddy happy with someone. His first wife Lily’s death was hard on him, and there were times I wondered if he’d ever be the same again. And now, I’m not sure he is the same. Lily’s death changed him, but in time he found a way to keep living without her.
We order lunch and eat, and Molly never gives me the signal we worked out for times she’s feeling anxious in social situations and needs to get out—telling me she’s cold. I hope that means she’s enjoying herself, and I ask her about it as we’re walking out to my car.
“You and Rey get along well, did you have a good time?”
“I did,” she says, smiling. “I really like her.”
“We should plan a trip with them sometime.”
Molly’s eyes widen. “That’s a lot of socializing. Let’s start small, with a trip for just the two of us.”
“Yeah, good idea.”