It wasn’t just her body I missed. I’d gotten used to seeing her on a daily basis. Her smile, her light laughter, her jabs back at the guys who gave her shit. She was the only one I’d ever talked to about my dad.
Ryke was right – as a single mom, Dell was off limits for fun and games. But the more I’d thought about things since getting home, the more I realized part of my attraction to her was based on her being a mom. Kyler was her priority. She tucked him in every night she was home and left him in the hands of a trusted friend when she was away for work.
She’d also nurtured me when I was recovering. It was a turn from women who only cared about my fame and money. When no one was watching, and when she didn’t have to do it, she’d helped me. I missed that part of her more than anything.
Fuck it. Before I had time to talk myself out of it, I pushed her name on my phone to call her.
“Luke?” She sounded surprised.
“Hey. How are you?”
“Good. I’m good.”
“How’s Kyler?”
“He’s good, too. We read a book after school about a magical toilet that’s on my last nerve, but he was loving it.”
I smiled even though she couldn’t see me. “It’s a guy thing. We’re fascinated by toilets. Especially magical ones.”
“You’ve been playing well.”
Had she been watching my games on TV? I loved the thought of her curled up on her couch watching me play in her pajamas.
“Yeah, I’m having a good run. It’s why I haven’t called, actually. I’ve been wrapped up in getting back into my groove here.”
“Oh.” Her voice fell with disappointment. “You didn’t have to call. I hope you don’t think that because we—”
“I wanted to call. I miss you.”
“I miss you, too.”
“You miss me?”
She paused before speaking. “A lot.”
I sighed and sank into a leather chair in my living room. “I wish things were different.”
“Me too. But we’re still friends, right?”
“I hope so. Don’t call me for advice about guys, though.”
She laughed. “Ditto on girl advice. Not that you probably need any.”
“I’m just focused on my game right now. There were times I wasn’t sure I’d make it back, so I appreciate it more than I did before.”
“Have you heard from your dad?”
“No, but he’s blocked on my phone.”
“You’re feeling okay about cutting him off, right? You did the right thing.”
“Yeah.”
I heard background noise and wondered what she was doing. It sounded like a locker room.
“I just got to the rink for practice,” she said.
“Better let you get to work.” Massaging and stretching other men’s bodies. Such bullshit.
“It was great to hear from you.”
“Yeah. Text me sometime if you want.”
We said goodbye and I tossed my phone on the coffee table. Why had I told her to text me sometime? Did she think it was code for ‘send me a pic of your tits’?
Not that I’d mind a pic of her tits … but it hadn’t been. I was shit at communicating with a woman in a way that wasn’t laced with sexual innuendo.
Shit, now I was thinking about her tits. Her pink nipples that stood up when I breathed on them and hardened when I licked them. I’d fantasized nightly about those perky B’s since getting home.
I stood up and went to the bedroom to change. I had to get her off my mind. I’d head to the rink early. Maybe today would be the day that everything didn’t remind me of Dell.
***
Dell
I hadn’t heard from Todd Landis since the fundraiser we went to. When I returned after talking to Luke that night, he was cool and detached. Not that I cared, since I wasn’t interested in him.
Luckily I hadn’t needed to reach him about any of the guys over the past couple weeks. That would probably be awkward.
But he didn’t seem uncomfortable at all when he appeared at practice one day out of the blue.
“Hey, Dell,” he said, grinning happily. “How are the boys?”
“Pretty good.” I was wrapping V’s wrist, and I finished so he could get back on the ice. Landis sat down on the bench, waiting.
“How’s it going?” I asked him when V left.
“Not bad.” He wouldn’t look at me. Something was up. I hoped he wasn’t going to quit working for the team because of our weird non-date to the fundraiser. He was a good doctor who trusted my opinions about what was going on with the guys and whether he needed to see them.
I sighed, wishing I could come up with some small talk. But I had nothing.