Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Whitney

I shifted from foot to foot at the curb of the busy parking lot, scanning for any sign of a black town car and Gramps. He didn't know I was meeting him, because I hadn't been sure my plan would work out. I fiddled with the lanyard around my neck that held my access pass. My hand clutched its twin for Gramps. I couldn't help a surge of excitement about my surprise. With the passes, we could use the private elevators in the arena and bypass the stairs between levels. I'd asked Hudson if we could get them, and he'd berated himself for not thinking of it sooner. He requested them, and they were waiting at Will Call when I arrived.

A sleek sedan pulled up, and Steve opened Gramps's door. I rushed forward and took his arm to steady him as he stepped out of the car.

"I can get out myself," he grumped with no real heat. "What are you doing here at the car, missy?" Despite his protests, I could sense a hint of pleasure in his voice.

"Guess what?" As soon as he was on his feet, I gave him a light hug. "I have passes to use the private elevators. We'll just have to climb a few steps here and there." I hung his lanyard around his neck.

"I can climb stairs," he grumbled, leaning on his cane. But he patted the pass as if to make sure it was still there.

Steve wished us a good game and left. We passed through security, found the elevator tucked under the stairs, and rode to the second floor. The bustling throng flowed around us like a river as we slowly made our way through the concourse and to our seats.

"Mr. Merriweather!" Hope beamed. "Welcome back."

Gramps sat heavily into his seat with an oomph . "Wouldn't miss the start of playoffs." He sighed and massaged a knee.

I said low, for his ears only, "Do you need some Tylenol?" I'd brought a few tablets.

He patted my arm. "Thanks, but Corazon gave me a dose and fed me before I left home."

I squeezed his hand, relieved. He'd just needed some extra care to get over a rough patch. Between Corazon's help and Hudson's daily visits, he was doing better.

The atmosphere in the arena buzzed and sparked like an overloaded high tension wire. The lights dimmed, spotlights danced over the audience, and the smoking dragon's head descended from the rafters to the ice. As Hudson shot out of the dragon's mouth, followed by the team, the din swelled to a thundering roar and goosebumps rose on my arms. I stayed seated with Gramps, but the girlfriends took to their feet and deafened us with their cheering.

In the first period, Vegas received a penalty for tripping. Beck scored a power play goal with an assist from Luc. Laughing, Hope and Brynn smacked a high-five.

At the first intermission, Hope tapped me on the shoulder. "I loved Bluestocking ! "

I raised my eyebrows. "You finished reading it already?"

"Um-hm. Finished it at three o'clock this morning."

My eyes widened. "That's…wow. Aren't you tired?"

She nodded. "Exhausted. But it was worth it. I loved that Daphne was such an independent woman and Charles supported her interest in literature and writing." She grinned. "Well, after he got over himself. And that twist…I didn't see that coming."

I chuckled. "I can't make it easy, or there would be no story."

"I gave it five stars on Amazon. My review is under HopesAndDreams."

"Thank you! That means a lot to me." My heart lifted at having a fan and a friend.

"What did you do to celebrate your release? Did you and Hudson do something special?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

My cheeks heated at the implication, but Hope could never know that we weren't having sex. Although, Hudson's cuddling the previous night warmed my heart…and other, more intimate parts of my body.

"I see you blushing," Hope teased.

Which made my cheeks flame even hotter. "It's not what you think. We went out on our fir—" I stopped myself just in time, noticing Gramps listening intently to our conversation. I'd almost admitted in Gramps's hearing that we'd gone on our first date. Hope knew we hadn't dated in public, but Gramps didn't. One misstep like that could bring our whole tower of lies tumbling down.

My hands grew clammy and my heart tripped at the close call. It would wreck Gramps to find out our marriage was nothing but a sham, and I'd lose the only grandfather I'd ever known. Would the girlfriends shun me? I didn't think Hope was shallow, but Hudson was part of the team. I was a new addition to the group. It was best to stick to the simple facts as much as possible.

"We went out to dinner. To Maestro's."

"Ooh! Fancy! Hudson's a keeper."

My stomach dropped. If only I could keep him. I knew he cared for me—he was warm, thoughtful, and generous. But he didn't love me. And I wanted a husband who loved me.

Hudson skated onto the ice for the second period, tall and broad in his goalie gear. I sat up straight, and butterfly wings fluttered in my tummy.

I was falling in love with him.

But fear kept me from telling him. Hudson guarded his heart. Would he reject my love, like Benjamin did?

The butterflies froze, and a weight landed on my chest as Hudson roughed up the ice in the crease.

Hudson blocked every shot in the second period, and the Blazers scored three goals, one each by Chase, Derek, and the rookie, Matt Carr. The third period began with a score of four to zero. Tensions ran high, and slashing, roughing, and hooking penalties littered the period. Nate Lane, The Blazers' fourth line left wing, and two players from Vegas received game misconduct penalties for abuse of officials and stalked to the dressing rooms. Avery, Nate's sister, groaned. The Blazers' fans exploded in protest of the call against Nate. Hudson blocked shot after shot, and Chase scored an empty net goal. The crowd celebrated the shutout on its feet with a racket that shook the rafters.

The teams shook hands, and the arena started emptying. Hope turned to me. "See you at Scrimmage's?"

I shook my head. "I'm going to escort Gramps to his car." I helped him to his feet.

"Steve has instructions to drop you off at the bar after the game." Gramps's voice was tired as he leaned on his cane .

I raised my eyebrows and turned to Hope with a grin. "I guess I'll see you at Scrimmage's." And I would get to spend time with Hudson as a couple, complete with public displays of affection under the guise of newlyweds.

A ribbon of excitement twirled in my stomach.