All of My Soul (7 page)

“And tomorrow everyone’s going to the St.
Patrick’s Day Parade while I ride on the Blackhawks’ float, and
then we’re going to drink green beer and eat corned beef and
cabbage at Patrick’s. And on Sunday, we’re going to sleep in until
I have to go to the rink, and you’re going to come watch my game.
You’re not going to think about internships or jobs or your thesis
at all this weekend. Okay?”

I locked my arms around his neck and rested
my forehead against his. “That sounds perfect.” I loved how Lincoln
knew I desperately needed some time to relax and not think about
schoolwork or my career.

He tipped his head slightly until our lips
met. “You’re perfect,” he said after kissing me quickly.

“You keep saying that. You’re going to have a
rude awakening one of these days if you honestly believe that.”

“I don’t need to believe it. I need
you
to believe it.”

I shook my head. “But it’s not true. I have
flaws. I have faults. Everyone does.”

“Don’t you see, Princess? Your flaws aren’t
faults. They’re part of what makes you perfect to me.”

I wasn’t stupid. I knew all the things about
myself that were considered less than desirable. My scars, of
course, were on the top of the list. My confidence level was also
less than enticing, although that was getting better the longer I
was with Lincoln. I was stubborn. I could be clingy, and I had
massive trust issues. But I could almost—
almost
—see how
Lincoln could think those things weren’t faults, considering his
last relationship. Mackenzie had put him through a world of hurt
when she used him to increase her celebrity status, and he knew I
would never do that to him. I could see how that would be
covetable.

I sighed. “I still think you’re crazy,” I
told him as I wrapped my arms around his neck. “But you’re my
crazy.”

He smiled my favorite smile. “You got that
right,” he whispered before dipping in to kiss me as Brody drove us
to my house.

~~~~~~~~

“You look so beautiful in that dress,”
Lincoln said to me from across the restaurant table. We had stopped
at my house to drop off my research stuff, and I had quickly
changed into nicer clothes. Since he was wearing a suit, I wanted
to dress up too.

Normally our dates were pretty casual. I’d
maybe wear a nice sweater dress and leggings. I hadn’t even dressed
up for Valentine’s Day since we had been in Boston and attending a
hockey game, but tonight I chose the nicest dress I owned. My
sisters had given it to me as a graduation gift when I got my
bachelor’s degree. It was a simple black dress, something they
claimed every girl needed in her closet, and tonight I was grateful
for it. The spaghetti straps and v-neckline were covered in very
faint silver glitter that gradually faded out toward the bottom of
the dress. The hemline fell just above my knees, and since it was
cold out, I added a black satin shrug top and simple low-heel dress
shoes. I couldn’t wait for spring to arrive in full force.
Thankfully, the cold and snow were slowly disappearing. Winter just
made everything so much more difficult.

“You’re not looking so bad yourself,” I said,
eyeing him over my wineglass as he smiled. It was odd to see
Lincoln in a suit. All the players were required to wear them when
they traveled with the team, but I usually didn’t see that. I was
used to his jeans and T-shirt or sweatshirt. He was mouthwateringly
attractive no matter what he was wearing, and as much as I loved
how his jeans fit him, right now this suit was my most favorite
outfit of his. He was just so strong; his muscles filled out his
suit coat, and it was tailored to be flattering on his
physique.

I set down my elegant wineglass and looked at
my plate again. For some reason Lincoln had taken me to an
incredibly fancy French restaurant. I didn’t want to say anything,
but I had to force myself to take the first few bites. I hadn’t
understood a word on the menu and ended up ordering the same thing
as Lincoln. Now I wondered if he even knew what was on his plate.
Whatever it was, it was disgusting, and neither of us had eaten
much.

“Um…” I tried to phrase this delicately. I
didn’t want to sound like I wasn’t happy with his meal choice.
“Have you been to this restaurant before?”

“No.” He sounded embarrassed, and I could
have sworn his cheeks turned a little red. “I asked my mom for the
name of the nicest restaurant in Chicago.”

He looked so chagrined. It was really cute,
and I couldn’t help but chuckle at him.

I slid my hand across the table and placed it
on Lincoln’s, rubbing the back of it. He turned his hand over and
entwined our fingers.

“You don’t like it?” he asked.

I cringed slightly. He had clearly made an
effort to try to have a nice evening planned for us, and I didn’t
want to seem unappreciative.

“Well…” I hesitated and poked at a dark gray
blob on my plate with my fork. “I’m just not sure what it is.”

Lincoln picked up his fork and stabbed at his
own grayish blob. “Well, clearly, it’s a… velouté… poussin… pâté…
of some sort.”

I laughed as he stumbled over the words,
butchering the French language. It was obvious he had no idea what
he was talking about.

“Oh, yes. Yes, of course. The flambé bisque
really brings out the delightful overtones.” I tried to sound
snotty and high class as I recalled the few words I understood from
the menu.

Lincoln laughed and squeezed my hand. “Do you
want to order something else?”

“Do you think they have burgers?”

Lincoln chuckled. “No, but I know somewhere
that does.” He lifted his hand to signal our waiter. “Check,
please!”

An hour later, Lincoln and I sat in his man
cave in comfy clothes, eating burgers and fries from Patrick’s out
of to-go boxes. He had eaten two burgers, his order of fries, and
half my fries. I didn’t know a person’s stomach could fit that much
food, but he burned a lot of calories every day during hockey
season.

I set down my now-empty to-go box next to
Lincoln’s and curled into his side, resting my head on his
shoulder. Now that my stomach was full, my exhaustion was almost
overwhelming, and I felt guilty for not liking the fancy French
restaurant.

“I’m sorry I didn’t like the restaurant.”

He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled
me closer to him. “Jillian, it’s okay. I didn’t like it either. I
just wanted to treat you to something special. You worked so hard.
You deserve the best.”

He pulled my legs across his lap and began
rubbing my right foot.

“Mm… but this is all I need. I like simple. I
don’t want anything else.”

“And that is one of the many reasons why I
love you. But that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be treated to
fancy restaurants for special occasions.”

“Okay,” I said, relenting. “But next time
maybe we should bring a translator.”

Lincoln laughed. “That sounds like the best
idea yet.”

I ended up falling asleep on the sofa with my
head on his shoulder. He must have carried me into his bedroom,
because when I woke the next morning, I was snuggled under his
blankets and he was spooned up behind me. For a moment I panicked,
thinking I was late to get to the lab, but when I realized it was
Saturday morning and I had nowhere to be, I closed my eyes and
smiled to myself. I was warm and happy lying in Lincoln’s arms, and
we had a few hours yet before he had to report to the rink for
practice before the parade. I was so accustomed to waking up early
to be at the lab though. It was just natural for me to be awake
this early.

I sighed quietly as I thought about the lab.
No longer did I have to report to my internship every day, but that
didn’t mean my workload had decreased. I had mountains of data to
interpret and form into a cohesive thesis paper.

Lincoln’s arm tightened around my waist.
“Stop it,” he said in a sleepy voice.

“Stop what?” I wasn’t doing anything. I
wasn’t even moving.

“Stop worrying. This is a worry-free weekend.
It’s not allowed.”

I smiled and rolled over to face him. His
eyes remained closed as I wrapped my arms around his waist and
rested my head on his chest.

“Go back to sleep, Princess,” he ordered as
he kissed the top of my head.

I closed my eyes and let my mind wander,
refusing to allow myself to think about school. My man was right.
Besides, worrying about it didn’t help anything.

I snuggled tighter against Lincoln and
drifted back to sleep fantasizing about swimming in a warm tropical
ocean with him.

Chapter Five

My sisters, Tabitha, and I stood on the
street curb with Kennedy, Brian, and their kids, watching the St.
Patrick’s Day parade go past us. Unlike the last parade I attended,
no heated tent was needed today. It was warm enough outside that we
wouldn’t freeze while watching. Plus Lincoln’s parents weren’t
here, so Kennedy and Lincoln weren’t required to be with them in
the VIP tent. So for this parade, we got to act like normal folks,
watching the parade from the street curb surrounded by our fellow
Chicagoans.

My younger brother was here on duty
somewhere. Every time a policeman walked past, Tabitha asked if it
was her Uncle Elliot. His twin, Emily, had texted him to tell him
where we were, but we didn’t think he’d check his phone while on
duty. With how fast the green beer was flowing, I was sure he’d
have a busy day keeping people safe and under control.

The weather was getting warmer and warmer
every day. Winter still had its chilly grip on the city, but there
were signs of spring everywhere you looked. A large portion of the
snow had melted and the rest of it was quickly turning to water.
People dared to go without coats; a thick sweatshirt would be
sufficient, and it felt so good to stand outside with the warm sun
shining down on us.

Ben and Tabitha were in front of us, standing
as far into the roadway as their mothers would allow. Kennedy held
Madison on her hip while she talked to Rebecca, Emily and me during
the parade while Brian stood behind us. He seemed to be more
focused on the crowd than on our conversation, but he was the only
man in our little group for the time being and probably felt a
little out of place.

Most of the parade floats that passed in
front of us were fun and entertaining. Every float was covered in
four-leaf clovers, green and gold streamers, and rainbows with pots
of gold coins. Most of the parade walkers were dressed as
leprechauns, and the Irish Riverdancers were a huge hit with the
crowd. It wasn’t as enchanting as the Razzle Dazzle Parade, but I
think that parade would always hold a special place in my heart.
That was the moment I met Lincoln, and my whole life changed.

“Mom! Dad! There’s Uncle Lincoln!” Ben cried
from the front of the crowd. Sure enough, the Blackhawks’ float was
approaching us. It was a large flatbed trailer covered in green and
gold with the Blackhawks’ emblem on the back towering over
everyone. The players were wearing their jerseys and standing on
top toward the edges, waving to the crowd. I recognized most of the
guys, and it made me smile to hear the crowd’s reaction to them.
Cheers and hollering erupted from all around us as fans expressed
their love for their team.

Deacon managed to find us first in the crowd,
and he waved at Ben and Madison before pointing at Rebecca. Rebecca
rolled her eyes but smiled and waved at him. Lincoln stood next to
his friend but had yet to see us in the crowd of green. Deacon
finally pointed us out, and when Lincoln’s eyes connected with
mine, his face broke out in a wide smile. I smiled in return and
gave him a small, shy wave. He waved back at me before ducking down
slightly to wave at the kids.

I wished I could run up to the float to give
him a kiss, but the Ice Crew girls—hockey’s form of
cheerleaders—were walking next to the float, blocking my way. A
small voice in my head told me he wouldn’t like such a public
display of affection either.

Once the last float retreated down the street
and out of sight, it was time for our little group to split up.
Emily had offered to take the kids so the rest of us could go to
Patrick’s bar for dinner and drinks.

“We’ll both have a green beer, and I’ll have
a corned beef sandwich with fries, and he’ll have the same as well
as a burger with all the fixings,” I told the waitress as I pointed
to Lincoln’s empty place next to me. Normally I loved the burgers
here, but it was St. Patrick’s Day, and indulging in anything Irish
was practically a requirement.

The waitress raised her eyebrows at my large
order, but I knew Lincoln would be hungry and would want the extra
protein. The rest of our group placed their orders, and the
waitress left. Brian became engrossed in his phone as Kennedy began
quizzing Rebecca on her relationship with Deacon.

“It’s not a relationship,” Rebecca said in
response to the questions. “We had fun together at Lincoln’s
birthday party, and he called me a few times after that but that’s
it.”

Kennedy leaned toward Rebecca. “Just how much
fun did you have together?”

I chimed in since I already knew the answer.
“Well, I know Deacon didn’t sleep on Lincoln’s couch.”

Rebecca shot me a look silently telling me to
shut up, but Kenny’s eyes gleamed with this tidbit of juicy gossip.
“You slept with him?” she asked my sister with a big smile.

“It was just the one time. We were both
pretty drunk. And like I said, I only talked to him a few times
afterwards.”

“How long has it been since you talked or
texted him?” I asked.

Rebecca shrugged. “Since you and Lincoln got
over your little argument.”

My eyebrows shot up. She was referring to the
week when I didn’t speak to him after I found out he lied about
having Mackenzie’s picture. “That was over a month and a half
ago.”