“If you don’t tell me, I’m going to shout it out loud. Let the entire world know that tough NHL player Wes Hatfield knits.”
He tugs my hair playfully. “Fine then, but I must warn you. If you do, I might have to kiss you again just to shut you up.”
God, I wish I didn’t like the idea of that so much.
“You two are like an old married couple.” Rider laughs.
I roll my eyes at Rider, but now I’m suddenly wondering why Wes isn’t attached, engaged, or married like his best bud. I think Jules is right. He is a catch. But I’m guessing he’s probably having too much fun with all the puck bunnies who throw themselves at him. Not that I care. I don’t. He can sleep with anyone he wants. And now I’m mad at myself because my stupid mind is visualizing what it would be like to have him in my bed, those big hands all over my body.
“His grandmother taught his mother and they both taught him,” Jules explained. “I was curious about the whole knitting thing too, so I asked last night.”
“There you go, Charlie. You can thank Jules. She just saved you from having to kiss me again.”
I think I might be mad at Jules. “Thank you, Jules,” I say, and twist my lips. “You know, in Newfoundland, it’s tradition to kiss a cod.”
“Eww, did you do that?”
“Well…” I say, teasing as I glance at Wes.
A chuckle rumbles in his throat, and wraps around me in the most erotic ways. “It was a rushed kiss. Not my best work. If you’d like me to—”
Oh, yes please.
“Nope I’m good.”
Laughing, Wes pulls his wallet from his pocket and grins at me. “I’m buying, what do you all want?”
“I can get my own,” I tell him.
“And I can buy.”
“But—”
“What was that you said about not being stubborn?”
I lift my chin an inch. Dammit, he got me there. “Nothing.”
“Fine, I’m buying. A thank you for coming with us. Jules really enjoyed your company.”
I’m about to ask if he did too when I catch myself. I don’t really care if he enjoyed my company or not. The truth is Ishouldn’tcare if he enjoyed my company. He was so mean to me years ago, and I don’t want to let myself get close to a guy who’s only here for a few summer weeks. Been there, done that. I take in his profile as he walks up to the counter, and a powerful kind of want grips me. Rider joins him, and they place their order. Jules loops her arm around mine and I take in her grin.
“He might not be your catch of the day, but you can’t deny he’s cute,” she says.
“What?”
“Wes, he’s a real cutie.”
I shrug. “I guess. I haven’t really noticed.” A sudden shriek pierces my ear. “What the—”
“Here we go,” Jules says, and I frown, not understanding. I turn to see a group of girls running up to the guys, and they both adjust their hats again. That’s when I realize why they wear them pulled low. But two handsome men, NHL players or not, are bound to grab attention everywhere they go, no matter how hard they try to keep a low profile. As I study Wes’ body language, it’s pretty clear that he doesn’t enjoy the limelight. I guess he grew up working alone on the farm and prefers his privacy.
“Wow, does this happen all the time?” I ask Jules.
“All the time.” Both Wes and Rider smile and are very gracious and accommodating as the girls ask for autographs and take selfies.
I stand back and watch, an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I swallow, and I think back to my last boyfriend. He was good looking. Not as good looking as Wes, but he was charming and outgoing, and women loved him, much like they love these two guys. He worked the docks with his uncle for one summer, and applied for jobs out west. Honestly, I never should have gotten emotionally involved with a guy who was only visiting. When the season ended, he landed his dream job and wanted me to go with him. Alberta didn’t have the ocean, and it meant changing everything for him, and I wouldn’t be happy doing that. In the end, I didn’t go. I can’t be what someone else wants me to be, and he had no trouble replacing me with another local. Last I heard, they had three kids.
Is it possible that I’d change things up, make compromises, if it was with…a different guy? Or would fear of heartbreak and loss keep me grounded?