“Of course I made it. Did you think I wouldn’t come?” Char asked. She extended a hand to her stepfather. “Hi, Scott.”

  “Char. It’s nice to see you again. How was the drive?”

  “In this car,” she jerked her thumb back in the direction of the Mustang, “the drive’s always fun.”

  “Then you should visit more often,” Vicki said. “How long are you staying?”

  “Through Monday.” Char grabbed her bag from the back seat. “I’ll probably drive back to town early Tuesday morning,” she said. “I have to get back to work.”

  “You work too hard.”

  Char tried not to roll her eyes. If she’d said she was staying longer, her mother would think she wasn’t working hard enough. That was the way things had always been. “Maybe I do, but I like my work. Besides, this is a busy time for us.”

  “Well, at least you’re here for a few days,” her stepfather said. “Weather’s supposed to be nice. Maybe I can take you out on the boat later today or tomorrow, if you’re interested.”

  She nodded. “I’d like that, yes.” A boat ride over Christmas. Casey would be so jealous. It was most likely snowing where he was. Or at least frigid cold.

  “We were about to eat lunch,” Viki said. “It’s nothing special, just chicken salad, but I’ll get you a plate.”

  “That sounds great. Thank you.” Char followed them into the house, where she set down her bag in the guest room before going into the kitchen. She piled a hoagie roll high with chicken salad and grabbed some potato chips, then joined her mother and Scott out on the back deck.

  Her mother poured her a glass of white wine, and Char took a sip as she looked out at the lake. No wonder her mother was more relaxed lately. The view was incredible. “It is gorgeous here.”

  “You’re welcome anytime,” Scott said. “Vicki and I were a little surprised you didn’t drive up last night, since the hockey game was in the afternoon.”

  “I thought about it,” Char admitted. Until she’d gotten a better offer. Walk on eggshells trying to avoid an argument with her mother, or have mind-blowing sex with Casey. It wasn’t much of a choice. “But I ended up being invited to dinner at the team owner’s house.”

  “Really?” Her mother’s lips narrowed into what wasn’t a frown, but wasn’t a smile, either. “Do you have dinner at his house very often?”

  Char shook her head. “No, it was the first time, and I wasn’t the one he technically invited.” She wasn’t sure how much she should say, but after a second’s hesitation, decided to just go for it. She couldn’t spend three days with her mother without some prying into her private life, anyway. Might as well get it out of the way. “It was a dinner for the team, and I was invited by one of the players to attend as his guest.”

  “You mean like a date?”

  “Yes.” Char reached for a potato chip. “We’ve been seeing each other a little bit lately.”

  “Since when?” Vicki wanted to know. “And who is it?”

  “Since a little more than a week ago. It’s nothing serious, not so far, but he invited me to the dinner, so I went.” Char shrugged her shoulders as if it were nothing. “And I’d rather not say who it is, until we have a better idea where things might be headed.”

  Her mother’s expression changed again, and this time there was no mistaking the frown. “One of the players? Isn’t that a bit of a conflict? And how old is he? I’m assuming he must be younger. I mean, I know there’s that guy who plays for the team in Florida team who’s in his forties, but isn’t that kind of unusual?”

  What was this? Twenty questions? Char took another drink of wine and forced a smile on her face. “No, it’s not a conflict. Yes, he’s a little bit younger.” She kept her answer vague. “Yes, it’s true that most of the players are. But I like him, and he likes me, and we have fun together. We’re just going to take it day by day and see what happens.” It was funny how her own perspective had changed over the course of the past week. Yep. Casey had definitely gotten to her.

  Her stepfather gave her a genuine smile. “Then that’s all that matters,” he said, before turning to his wife. “Lay off the inquisition, Vicki. It’s Christmas. Just let her be happy.”

  “Thank you, Scott.” Char found herself grateful for her stepfather’s calm and practical influence on her mother. Maybe Christmas wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  ***

  A light snow fell as Casey landed in Ottawa, serving as a quick reminder that he wasn’t in Texas anymore. It was good to be home, though, even if it was only for a few days.

  His sister Cassie met him at baggage claim after he’d passed through customs. “Hey, little brother.”

  “Hi, Cass.” He gave her a hug and kissed her cheek. “Thanks for coming to get me.”

  “Of course,” she said. “I don’t mind. How long are you here ‘til? Wednesday, right?”

  Casey nodded. “Yeah. We play the Sens here on Wednesday, so I got permission from coach to stay an extra day rather than travel back to Texas only to leave again,” Casey said. His luggage came out on the conveyor, and he grabbed it, then walked with Cassie out to the parking lot.

  “That works out good, then.” The reached Cassie’s car, and she unlocked the trunk for him to put his suitcase in. “It’ll be nice to have you around, even if it’s not for very long. Assuming we actually see you, that is.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Casey asked as he got in the car.

  His sister laughed as she got in the driver’s side. “As if you don’t know? Most of the time when you’re home, you’re out carousing.”

  “Not always,” Casey insisted, even though he knew she was right. Heck, he even had a couple of local girls he could always count on for no-strings hookups when he was home. Not anymore, though.

  “Yeah, right.” Cassie rolled her eyes. “I love you, Casey, but let’s face it, you’re a horndog of the worst kind.”

  “You mean I was. Past tense.” He settled back into his seat. “You’re not going to believe this, but I’m changing, Cass. I met someone, and she’s making me change my ways.”

  “And you’re done with the tawdry one night stands? Well, I’ll be damned.” His sister turned her head to the side for a second. “Who is this girl, Casey? She must be something special.”

  “She’s not a girl. She’s a woman.” He felt like it was an important distinction to make. “The most incredible woman I’ve ever met.”

  “Whoa. That’s some high praise. Tell me more.”

  Casey wasn’t even sure where to start. “She’s kind and intelligent and classy,” he said. “She’s devoted her life to helping others. She’s got a sense of humor, and we make each other laugh. She’s a great cook. And she’s smoking hot and great in bed.”

  Cassie let out a laugh. “The fact that that’s the last thing you mentioned tells me this one probably is special. In fact, she sounds just about perfect, Casey.”

  “I don’t know about perfect, but maybe perfect for me,” he said, “and she’s making me want be a better man.”

  “Nice,” Cassie said. She stopped at a stoplight and turned to face him. “So when do we meet the woman who’s making you forget all the ones before her?”

  “I don’t know. Probably not for a while.” Casey doubted Char was anywhere near ready to take that step. He could live with that, as long as she eventually got there. “We’re taking things kind of slow, at her request. It feels like the real deal, though. Or whatever the real deal should feel like.” It wasn’t as if he had a lot of previous experience, but this thing with Char... it felt pretty damn real to him.

  ***

  Char was up before sunrise, drinking coffee out on the deck. Her mother and stepfather were still asleep, so she used the time to call Casey. Ottawa as an hour ahead, so she figured he’d be awake.

  Sure enough, he answered on the first ring. “Hey, babe.”

  “Hi, sexy,” she said. “Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas to you, too. How’s the lake?”

  “Gorgeous.” She stretched her legs out. “I’m sitting here in my kimono, watching the sunrise over the water. It’s breathtaking. I want you to see it sometime, Casey.”

  “I want to see it. In fact, I wish I could be there now. It’s snowing here.”

  Char chuckled. “Of course it is. It’s Canada in December.” She stood up and walked down from the deck to the edge of the water. If the day turned out as nice as it looked like it would, she would definitely take Scott up on the offer of the boat ride. “I want to see where you’re from, too, though.”

  “We can arrange that,” he said. “My sister already wants to meet you.”

  “You told her about me?” Char dipped her foot into the edge of the water. A little cool, but not too bad.

  “Is that okay?”

  “Sure, it’s fine. I told my mom about you,” she said. “Not by name, though.”

  “You could’ve,” Casey said. “I wouldn’t mind.”

  “You’re sure?” Char already knew the answer. Casey seemed ready for more. She was the one trying to proceed with caution. Then again, she’d been burned before. He hadn’t.

  “Absolutely. I’m not embarrassed. I’m not holding back. I want to be with you, Char.” The conviction carried through his voice.

  “I want to be with you, too,” she said. “I know I’ve been the one holding back a little, wanting to move slower. I’m working on catching up, though.”

  “You’re doing fine, babe,” Casey said. “We’ve got time. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Char smiled. “Then I’m not either,” she said. “I’ll see you in a few days, Casey.”

  “Yep. Until then, I’ll miss you.”

  “Me too.” Heck, who was she kidding? She already missed him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Char survived an uneventful Christmas at the lake. The temperatures were perfect, and three of them went out on Scott’s boat a couple of times. Her mother kept the prying into her personal life to a minimum, which was surprising considering Char dropped the bombshell that she’d been dating one of the players on the team. No arguments erupted, and overall, it was a pleasant three days. So much so that Char even considered staying an extra day. She had plenty of personal days saved up, and the team and majority of the staff wouldn’t be back until Thursday.

  However, she had plans to watch the game against the Senators with some of the girls at a local sports bar, so she stuck with the original plan and got up early Wednesday morning to make the drive back to town. With so many people still gone, the office was quiet, and Char got a lot of work done before leaving to watch the game.

  It was an early Central time start, and by the time she arrived at the bar, most of the gang was already there, including Jessica, who enjoyed a rare weeknight off. Char was introduced to Kendall Myers, who dated the team’s goalie, Beck Lawson, but missed a lot of functions and gatherings because she had two young children, one of whom had special needs. On this particular Wednesday, her kids were with their dad, allowing Kendall to join the others to watch the game.

  All in all, it was a great group, and even though Char had worked with several of the women before on various Foundation projects and they weren’t exactly strangers to her, she’d noticed a subtle shift since she and Casey had gone public with the fact they were seeing each other. Now, Char wasn’t just the one who organized various projects and brought the group together. She was part of the group. And she liked it.

  “I ordered the first round of drinks already,” Angie said, “but I’ll wave our guy back here to get your order.”

  “That’s fine,” Char said. “The next round is on me.”

  “No one’s going to argue with that,” Maya said. “I’m way too tense about this game.”

  “Join the club. Trevor’s always nervous playing back in Ottawa,” Dani Greer said, and it made sense. Trevor had begun his NHL career with the Senators.

  “Casey loves it, because it’s his hometown,” Char told them. “When I talked to him this morning, he was pretty pumped to be playing in front of his family and friends.”

  “Good. Hopefully you’re still his good luck charm.” Jessica gave Char a wink.

  “Let’s hope so,” she said, and they settled in to watch the game. It wasn’t the same as being in the arena, with the boisterous home crowd, but watching the game on TV with a group of friends beat watching it alone. When Casey scored a power play goal midway through the first period to open the scoring, they cheered and high-fived each other.

  As the game announcers talked about Casey’s recent scoring streak, even proclaiming him to be the hottest player in the NHL right now, Maya turned to Char. “Okay, it’s settled. This thing between you and Casey needs to continue being a thing.”

  Char laughed. “All right. I’ll see what I can do.” The truth was, she wanted it to continue being a thing, too. For a long time.

  ***

  Casey scored the first goal, and notched an assist on another as the Generals went on to a 4-2 victory over Ottawa. This time the holster was awarded to Colton for his two goals, but that was fine with Casey. Heck, he wished there were more of them to go around. This was a true team in every sense of the word, and after some early season struggles, they were kicking on all cylinders.

  “One, two, three, team,” they shouted in the locker room as they ended the post-game speeches and dispersed for the showers. Casey never tried to establish himself as a leader on the team before. He preferred to just have fun, live it up. Sure, he stepped in line to help out when needed, but he’d always been a follower, not a leader. And he’d been okay that. Lately, though, he’d been more vocal in the locker room. It probably coincided with his scoring streak. Since he’d led the team in scoring over the past five games, he began to see himself take on more of a leadership role. He may never wear a “C” or an “A” on his sweater, because Colton, Alex and Ryder were firmly entrenched as the team’s captain and alternate captains, but he could still be a leader. Somehow. Maybe it was Char’s influence, but Casey thought maybe his own charity might the way to make his mark.

  When he met up with his family after the game, he pitched the idea. “I need something, a cause for me, and I can promote it at the games. Like some guys support cancer research, paraplegics, diabetes. I don’t know what mine is, yet, but I’m working on finding it out. I can sponsor suites at the games, so people who wouldn’t otherwise get the opportunity can go to a Generals game,” he said. “I’d have to base it San Antonio, but maybe I can do something here, too.” After all, Ottawa was home.

  “I’m proud of you, Casey,” his mother said, and his father echoed the sentiment,

  “Yep,” Cassie said. “It’s like my baby brother’s growing up right before my eyes.”

  Casey turned to her and grinned. “Maybe I am. That’s what it feels like. You’ll still be my best girl, though.” He held up his phone and snapped a picture of the two of them, his arm around her.

  “Perfect,” he said, then posted the photo to his Instragram account.

  ***

  Char wanted to call Casey after the game, but she was out with her friends and assumed he might be going out to celebrate with his family, so she opted for sending a him text, congratulating him on both the win, and adding to his scoring total.

  He responded right away, a short message that said, Thanks, babe. See ya soon. Save a kiss for me.

  A kiss? She replied. You earned a lot more than a kiss, and I can’t wait to deliver.

  She slept restlessly that night, missing Casey and thinking about ways they could make up for the time apart. It might have only been five days, but it felt like a lot longer. “Yeah, Char, you’ve got it bad,” she said to herself as she drove to work, knowing full well she probably wouldn’t be able to concentrate, wondering when the team’s plane would arrive back in town.

  The mood at team headquarters was jubilant after the win, which moved San Antonio into a tie for the final playoff spot. Most acknowledged it was too soon to talk playoffs, though, and were more focused on the upcoming All-Star Game. With the game being played in San Antonio, the home team was all but certain to have at least three players selected. It looked more and more like Casey would be one of them.

  Char was at her desk drinking her morning coffee and catching up on email when Leah gave a knock at her door before walking in. “What’s up?” she asked.

  “Nothing. I just wanted to see how you were?”

  Char gave her assistant a puzzled look. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “I don’t know. I just wondered...” Leah looked at the floor.

  “Wondered what, Leah? Can you please get to the point?”

  “Okay. It might not be my place, but I think there’s something you should see,” she said. “If it was me, I think I’d want to know.”

  Char frowned. “What are you talking about?” So far, Leah wasn’t making a lot of sense, but she sensed it wasn’t good.

  “Well... you’ve sort of been seeing Casey Denault, right? I mean, you haven’t said anything to anyone here, but people like to talk.”

  “Yes, they do.” Even if she and Casey hadn’t made a public announcement, they hadn’t denied anything, or tried to hide anything, either. “And yes, I have. Why?”

  “Do you follow him on Instagram?”

  “No.” Char shook her head. “I’ve never gotten into the whole Instagram thing.” Maybe it was time she did, but she found it hard enough to keep with Twitter and Facebook. Besides, Leah and others on the staff were younger and more social media savvy than her. She’d been content to leave Instagram to them.

  “Then you haven’t seen this. And you should.”

  “See what?” Judging from the way Leah acted, Char guessed she wouldn’t like it.

  “Casey’s Instagram account. He posted this last night.” Leah handed Char her cell phone, which was opened to Instagram, and the latest photo on what was, presumably, Casey’s account.

 

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