4. Nikoli

After a quick shower and change,I"m dressed in jeans and a dark blue button-down. I always try to look neat for my grandmother, but I"m also doing it for Willow. I want her to see me as a man and not as a hockey player. I"m one and the same, but something tells me that Willow is uncomfortable around me. It"s more of a feeling than anything else.

The woman in question approaches me with a smile on her pretty freckled face. I"m half tempted to turn around to see if she"s smiling at someone behind me.

"Nikoli, your grandmother is waiting for you in her room," she tells me. I stare at the woman until a blush spreads across her cheeks.

I clear my throat. "Right!" I offer a wry smile. "I don"t suppose you have time to accompany me there?"

She holds my gaze for a moment before nodding slightly. I quickly sign in and walk through the security door, falling into step beside Willow. This woman makes me nervous. Something I"ve never experienced around a woman before. I know I have a crush on the girl, but my silver tongue shouldn"t let me down like this.

Lake"s wife, Juniper, once told me I"d have no problem talking the panties off a nun. I agreed at the time. Willow is unlike anyone I"ve ever met. I just can"t figure her out. When I"m around her, I feel like a shy teenager. If my teammates could see me now.

"When"s your next game?" Willow asks, looking straight ahead.

"In two days. New York."

"Oh!"

I look in her direction and sense a pause. "Are you okay?"

She gives me a sidelong glance. "Why wouldn"t I be?"

I let out a breath. "Willow, talk to me. Is it my grandmother?"

Willow stops and turns to me. "She"s fine. I don"t know much about hockey, so I didn"t know you had to travel to different cities."

"We have a lot of road games." I smile. "I"m just a phone call away." I look toward my grandmother"s room. "The entire team understands how much my grandmother means to me. If I have to rush back to Boston on short notice, I will. She is my priority, okay?"

She nods and looks shy. "I didn"t mean to sound accusatory. I know you have a life. I also know you spend a lot of it visiting your grandmother." Smiling, she adds, "Your grandmother wouldn"t have it any other way."

"That"s Grandma Martha for you." Eager to get out of the idle chatter we seem to have fallen into, I turn and enter my grandmother"s room. "Wow, don"t you look beautiful." I spread my arms wide and grin like an idiot. My grandmother has always been one of the best-dressed people in the world. No matter where she is, she always makes an effort. No pants or jeans for her. "That dress makes your eyes pop, Grams."

"Oh stop!" She blushes and giggles as I move closer and wrap my arms around her.

"Willow told me you started a food fight at breakfast." I raise an eyebrow, but not before I hear a gasp behind me.

"Don"t mind him, Willow. He"s just teasing." Grams turns to me, her eyes glowing with mischief. "Willow, dear, would you mind bringing three cups of coffee and the cakes?"

"Three?" She asks.

I know exactly what my sneaky grandmother is up to. "She expects you to join us."

"Oh, no. I couldn"t." Willow backs away. "I"ll get the tray."

I frown as she scurries out of sight. "Is she okay?" I ask quietly as I take a seat across from my grandmother.

"She"s perfect, Nikoli."

I narrow my eyes. "You like her?"

"Of course, I like her. She"s a good girl."

"That"s not what I meant."

"You"ll have to be more specific." My grandmother is watching me closely, the sparkle never leaving her eyes.

"You mean she"s perfect for me, huh?"

"See," she laughs, "I knew you"d get there in the end."

I groan. "I can get my own girl, Grandma."

"Huh, then why are you single? You don"t bring anyone to visit me."

"Juniper comes to visit you."

She rolls her eyes and gives me an irritated look. "Juniper is married to your best friend, Nikoli." She takes a breath. "I want to see my great-grandchild before I die."

"Jesus!" I rub my forehead and squeeze the bridge of my nose. It really gets to me when she talks about dying. I"d rather she outlives all of us.

The sound of a cleared throat announces Willow"s return. I take a deep breath and move to take the heavy looking tray from Willow"s hands. I place it on the table where Gran sits with a smile on her face. I know what she"s doing. She"s doing what I want her to do for a change. But I feel awkward and out of my depth around Willow.

"I"ll be right back," Willow says, heading for the door.

"Willow, you are invited to join us. Please sit beside me."

I smile at Willow"s expression. I can see that she wants to run away, but she doesn"t. With a nervous twitch of her hands, she joins us at the table. The table is small, more like a side table for playing cards, which is why I bump knees with Willow.

"I"ll pour," I suggest quickly. Willow"s hands tremble in her lap, and Gran hasn"t lifted anything heavy in a long time. At least with me in charge, there is no chance of a burnt crotch.

"You"re a good boy, Nikoli." Grandma grins as I pour the coffee into her flowered English teacup. She loves the idea of afternoon tea but discovered long ago that the taste of tea is something she never wants to experience again.

"Coffee?" I ask Willow.

She chews on her lip, which attracts my attention. "I shouldn"t be doing this." Her voice is a quiet whisper. "I could lose my job."

I frown and turn to my grandmother. "Is that true? I thought your personal health aide was allowed to spend time with you. I mean, isn"t that their job?"

I"m distracted by Willow"s leg bouncing with nerves. I reach out and put my hand on her knee and squeeze it gently. "Please don"t worry."

"Nikoli"s right, Willow. I should have at least five hours of personal care a day." Grandmother smiles. "We still have two hours."

"I need this job, so it"s always a worry that it will be taken away from me," she admits before taking a deep breath and looks at Grams. "I will very much enjoy having afternoon tea with you."

Grandmother laughs. "That makes me happy."

"Me too." I grin and it"s only when Grams clears her throat that I realize I"ve been staring at Willow.

I roll my eyes and lean back in my chair, trying to balance the delicate teacup in my large hands.

"Mr. Hancock spent the night in Donna"s room," Grams says in a matter-of-fact tone.

I"m caught with my cup halfway to my mouth. "How can he get it up without having a heart attack?" is the first thing I blurt out.

Willow"s teacup rattles on the saucer as she leans forward and sets it down on the table. Her cheeks flush and her lips twitch. Grandma, on the other hand, looks at me in horror. I wince. "Sorry."

"Nikoli Southern, I know for a fact that your parents taught you manners."

Willow giggles, the sound of which warms my blood in all the wrong places, considering I"m in a room with my grandmother. I clear my throat. "You were thinking it," I mutter. This time, Grams laughs.

Willow giggles. "I think your grandmother has a crush on Mr. Hancock."

I wince. "He"s old."

"Oh, Nikoli, how old do you think I am?"

"I know how old you are."

"I could still have sex if it was offered to me."

I shoot to my feet. "Grandma, that"s enough." I feel my cheeks heat. "Grandmas don"t have sex." I turn to Willow. "Back me up here."

She shakes her head, her face looking as red as mine feels. "I think it"s time for me to go see if anyone else needs help while you visit with your grandmother."

"Chicken," I mutter under my breath.

She giggles. "Let me know when you"re leaving."

I nod, my eyes lingering on the doorway she disappears through.

"When are you going to ask her out?"

"She"s not like other girls Grandma. I have to take it slow."

"Any slower and I"ll be dead."

I rub my chest and sit down. "You will be if you exercise in the same way as Donna."

She snorts and opens her mouth to speak.

I jump in. "Isn"t it a beautiful day?"

"The weather? Really?"

"It"s better than the alternative."

"If you think talking about the weather is better than sex, you"re doing it wrong."

"Jeez, did you put bourbon in your teacup?"

"Today is a good day, Nikoli. I enjoy teasing you. You look young and innocent when your cheeks turn pink." With a grin on her face, she continues, "You are a virile young man, I have no doubt that you are very, um, experienced with the girls."

"Can we please talk about something else," I groan. "This subject is off-limits to grandmothers." I watch her carefully and I"m relieved that she"s having a good day. Some days she gets down and depressed.

"Tell me how your friend is doing."

I frown. "Which one?"

"The sexy one, Dario." She sighs.

I groan. "You can"t have a crush on one of my friends. It"s weird."

"Grandson, I am old, not dead nor am I blind. I don"t have much else to do." She shrugs. "I watch all your games. It"s not my fault if you have good-looking friends with nice... qualities." She winks and chuckles while I groan. It"s impossible not to laugh. I shake my head with a grin on my face.

* * *

On my wayout of Evergreen, I see Willow helping a man get comfortable in the media room. I stop and watch. She is patient and smiles kindly. When the man is satisfied, Willow pats his hand and walks toward me.

The way she takes her lower lip between her teeth makes me uncomfortable. I grin as she stops in front of me. The smell of raspberries wafts into my nose from her freshly washed hair.

"Come with me for a minute." I take her hand and wait.

She nods.

Looking around, I don"t see anyone paying attention to us, so I move Willow into an alcove. "Will you have coffee with me when I get back from New York?"

"My life isn"t easy, Nikoli."

"Just coffee," I beg, moving closer. Her green eyes meet mine and I"m completely lost. The things this girl does to me should be illegal.

"I"d like that," she whispers huskily.

"Good. Good." I lean in and brush my lips across her rosy cheek. "See you soon," I whisper in her ear.

The moan she lets out is dirty. I quickly leave her there.

I stand outside for a moment to cool off. The woman is dangerous to my self-control.