Pulse: Sport Romance (The Boys of Winter Book 6) (4 page)

I
stretch
my legs out in the back of Dannika’s Range Rover and yawn. I’ve been up late studying Bellae spreadsheets and documents most nights this week, and I’m glad I get a day off to go shopping for wedding and bridesmaid dresses. The sun bounces off the rhinestones on the ridiculous bedazzled sunglasses Lori found us for the trip and creates a mini light show in the car.

Dannika joined our friend group last year. She’s my boss at Rhinestone Cowgirl and quite rich with family money. Because she’s originally from the East Coast, I wonder if she’s ever figured out who I am. She sighs as Casey changes the music on the iPod again to find her favorite songs. I think Dannika is tolerating her because she’s the bride to be. And regretting letting her ride shotgun.

Lori is in back with me, and we both giggle when Dannika slaps Casey’s hand and says, “Stop. Suffer through a full song for me, okay?”

I jump in before Casey can retaliate, and say, “Casey, tell us what your ideal dress would look like.”

She turns around, and I know it’s the right question by the way her green eyes sparkle. “Okay, so I have to consider that I’m kind of flat-chested without much of a waist. I need something that gives me an hourglass shape.”

She rattles on about the design elements she needs, and Dannika pipes in with her ideas. It makes me wish I was planning my wedding with Nick instead of crunching numbers and reacquainting myself with big business. I stop that line of thinking and focus on the happiness of my friend and time with the girls to keep from wallowing in misery.

When there’s a lull in the conversation, I say, “It might be snack time. Anyone?”

“Yes,” says Dannika. “Driving makes me hungry.”

Casey snorts. “Everything makes you hungry. I’ve never seen a girl eat as much as you do.”

Restraining belts click as Lori and I undo them, and we both reach over the seat to get the cooler behind us. I call out, “Dannika, can you handle Casey if we give her a wine cooler?”

“Sure, I have an eject button right here.”

Lori chuckles, and ice rattles as she digs for one. I say, “Give me one of those.” Suddenly I’m not sure how I’m going to deal with seeing my friend prepare for something that brings home the reality of what I can’t have with Nick, and I think it might be easier to be happy for her if I’m a little numb.

The bottle is cold in my hand, and I take a sip of the sweet drink before placing it in the cup holder. The wrapper of a cracker package rustles as I open it, and Lori digs out goat cheese with a knife to be ready for me.

I hand the treat to Casey. “Feed the driver first.”

Lori reaches forward with a small plate of cut fruit and hands it to Casey to hold in her lap. She asks, “Dannika, did I hear you and Christian are thinking about starting a family?”

Dannika glances in the rearview mirror at us. “We are. I’m trying to eat right and”—she pauses—“we’re keeping the sheets tangled.”

Casey sputters. “Oh my God. Gretchen needs to hear this.” She pulls out her phone to call her.

Lori says, “Ewww, that’s her brother Dannika is talking about.”

“Oh please, nothing is sacred to Gretchen.” Casey has video calling on, and Gretchen appears on the screen that Casey holds up for us.

“Cupcake? Is that you?” asks Gretchen.

Lori replies to Gretchen’s nickname for her. “It sure is. How’s school?”

“Great. Derrick and I are getting fat and drinking too much coffee. How’s things with Kaleb?”

“Awesome.”

I squeeze into the area that is visible to Gretchen, and she says, “Hey, Megan. Tell me what I’m missing.”

“So far we discussed the merits of wedding dress styles, Casey’s annoying us all with her fidgeting, and Dannika and Christian are trying to get pregnant.”

Casey yells, “She says they’re keeping the sheets tangled.”

Gretchen’s chuckle comes through before she says, “Please tell me everyone is skiing man mountain and doing me proud.”

Casey pulls the phone back to face her. “Megan and Nick finally discovered car sex the other day.”

Dannika asks, “What? Spill it.”

I groan as Casey turns her cell to me. I say, “It’s pretty self-explanatory.”

Lori jumps in. “Sex. In a car. On the way to work in broad daylight where everyone could see.”

“Wait. No! We parked behind a dumpster.”

Gretchen says, “Oh Megan, it’s not dumpster diving. You were supposed to ask for muff diving.”

If she only knew. My face burns, and Casey squeals when she notices. “Oh my God! I think Nick did tickle her fancy. Dumpster diving has a whole new meaning now.”

Everyone is laughing. I press the cold wine bottle to my cheek and say, “I’m totally dying here. Nick’s going out for dev team in a couple weeks.”

“That’s great. He’ll get it, for sure,” says Gretchen.

We continue to catch up for a while and end the call with a promise to ring back when we’re down to the final dress picks.

Casey, Lori, and I are a little silly from wine coolers when we finally arrive at the dress shop. But Dannika scolds us into being appropriate before we get out of the car. Warmth rises from the sun-baked asphalt as we walk toward the door. Spring has arrived in the mile-high city, and it seems unreal compared to the snow-covered town we left a few hours ago. I lift my face to the sky, and a gentle breeze blows through my hair, making it tickle my neck.

Dannika became friends with the shop owner at a trade show, and we get VIP treatment the moment we walk in. A very blond woman with too much makeup greets us. Dannika tells her who we are, and she says, “Ladies, right this way. I have your room all set up.”

Lori and I look at each other and mouth, “Room?” We cover our mouths to suppress the fit of giggles that wants to escape. We are led to a space that is luxurious with overstuffed purple velvet couches and two large dressing rooms. There is a small stage for the bride to stand for alterations and a three-panel mirror behind it. On the glass table is a platter of tiny sandwiches, and champagne is chilling in a bucket of ice.

Lori says, “Wow.” She eyes the alcohol, but Casey shakes her head.

“No drinking until we pick your dresses.”

I plop down on a couch with a sigh, and the cushion hugs my thighs. I say, “Good plan. But if you take too long deciding, all bets are off.”

“You can drink while I try on dresses. I want to get you guys done first.”

Dannika says, “Casey and I already found options online, and they should be in the dressing rooms.”

Lori speaks over a mouthful of food. “Well, that’s easy.”

I grin at Casey. “I should have known the control freak wouldn’t leave it to us to decide.”

“You got that right. Now go.” She motions for us to move, and Lori, Dannika and I scramble into a dressing room.

Three styles of violet-colored dresses are hanging. Dannika says, “Let’s all try this one first.”

We are an interesting mix of bridesmaids, with Lori being barely five feet tall and Dannika just over six feet. After parading out in all three gowns, Casey picks the one that magically works for everyone, and we order Gretchen a dress to be delivered to a shop near her on the East Coast.

Casey says, “Okay. Crack open the bubbly, and pour me a glass. Dannika and I are about to go in.”

She’s referring to the huge warehouse of dresses in the back. The bottle of champagne is slippery with moisture when I grab it, and the cork pops loudly. Lori holds the glasses as I pour. Dannika makes a toast. “To the beautiful bride!”

Bubbles dance on my tongue before I swallow, and Casey hands her glass to me after one sip to say, “Let’s do it.”

Once they’re gone, I lean back on the couch to relax. The velvet is smooth under my hand as I stroke the arm of the sofa.

Lori says, “I don’t know about you, but all this wedding stuff with Dannika and Casey has my mind going to dangerous places.”

I nod and ask, “Are you and Kaleb even ready for that?”

“That’s the thing. I’m not. But I’m getting little hints that Kaleb wants to know what I’m thinking about our future.” She takes a sip of her drink, and I watch her throat work as she swallows. “Would you say anything?”

I think about my current predicament and wonder where Nick and I would be now if he had known I couldn’t marry him. “I think it’s always good to be honest with each other.” Like I was with Nick in the beginning. Because I do want a family and children someday. “But remember, a couple years can change everything.”

“I think you’re right. I love Kaleb, and he makes me happy. It’s fine to be in love and have a relationship that is nothing more than that for right now. It’s not like we’re old and desperate for husbands.”

Lori has a good point. It is okay to be in a relationship that is for right now and not forever. Unfortunately, that does little to help my situation, because I’m dealing with an expiration date.

F
or the past three weeks
, Stacy has spent more time with Nick than I have. Bonded by their desire to make dev team, they train during the day and spend hours at night poring over video, notes, and anything they think might help their chances. I do give Nick credit though. To make sure the time he spends with Stacy isn’t a problem for me, they study at our house. I’m grateful for his consideration, even if it can’t stop my jealousy.

The night air is crisp when I get out of the car, and my ears are cold by the time I make it to the top of the steps that lead to my apartment. Heather insisted Nick and Stacy both take a day off from everything before driving to Vail tomorrow for their exam. Nick asked me to take the day off too, and I’m looking forward to spending time together.

The door swishes over carpet as I push it open, and Nick calls out, “Hey, babe. How was work?”

I walk in to discover him on the floor with a leg up in the air and resting against Stacy’s torso. Heat is rising up my body as I will my green monster to stay contained. I ask, “Hamstrings tight?”

Nick must notice my anger, because he says, “That’s enough, Stacy.”

She releases him, and he hops up to step over and give me a quick kiss. “Missed you.”

Stacy rolls her eyes, and I want to punch her.

Nick wraps an arm around my waist and keeps it there when he turns back to Stacy. She says, “I should go. I’ll pick you up at four.”

“Sounds good, thanks,” says Nick.

As soon as the door clicks shut, he turns to me. “I wish you wouldn’t let her upset you. You’re the one I want.”

“I know. But she’s in love with you, and as incredibly selfish as this sounds, I hate that she’ll be making her move once I’m gone.”

Nick isn’t listening though, because his hands are at my waistband, and he slides the zipper of my skirt down. “Shhh. I don’t want to think about that.”

I grab his hands and stop him. My jealousy has turned to lust, and I feel the need to stake my claim. “Oh no you don’t. I’m the last one home, and I get to take what I want.” I drop to my knees and look up at him. “Strip, and let me show you what’s been on my mind all night.”

N
ick
and I never made it to lunch the next day. We spent the time in bed, watching bad movies and taking pleasure in each other for intermission. Nick moans softly as I nuzzle his neck. I say, “I’ve been thinking. You should date Stacy.”

He bolts up to stare down at me. “What is wrong with you?”

“Hear me out. She’s smart, hot, and skis almost as well as you do.” My finger trails down Nick’s chest toward his groin, and his body shivers, yearning for more, despite himself. “You should go for it.”

He grabs my hand before I go further. “Stop. I don’t need you to find me my next girlfriend, okay?”

“I’m just saying that she’d be good for you.”

“And I’m just saying you should shut up.” He gets out of the bed, and I scramble across it to grab him by the waist and throw him down. The mattress bounces under us.

I gaze down at him and take in the beautiful display of man that he is. A low sound comes out of my throat, and I say, “Forget it. Join a seminary for the next few years until I can come back.”

My mouth lands on his in a crushing kiss. I almost lose myself in it, but the bed squeaks as he rolls us over so he’s on top. “Hold on,” says Nick. “What do you mean in a couple years?”

“Once I have control of Bellae and fulfill my duty, I can do what I want. So I’m going to create contracts to protect the employees, sell, invest the money, and come back to you.”

“Can you do that?”

“I’m bound to the job for five years, and then I can do what I want.”

Nick doesn’t respond and climbs off me.

“What’s the matter?”

He rakes a hand through his hair, and a draft from the window makes goosebumps stand up on my skin as I lie watching him. He asks, “You want me to wait five years for you to come back?”

I sit up. “Yes.” Alex’s words come back to me.
Entitled much?
“I mean no.”

Nick scowls, and his hands fist by his side. “Which one is it, Megan?”

“I want you to wait, but I won’t make you promise.”

He huffs. “Do you have any idea what you’re asking?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. It’s just that... damn it. It’s killing me that in a little over a week, I’ll be gone.”

Nick shakes his head slowly. “Amazing. Thanks for making this a little bit easier.”

I can’t breathe and feel as if the air was suddenly sucked out of the room. I approached this all wrong. “Babe, please.” I reach toward him with both of my hands, but he steps back.

“I’ve got to get ready to go to Vail.” He pounds over to the bathroom, and the door shuts more loudly than usual.

I kick myself mentally as I get out of the bed. What’s wrong with me is right. What the hell was I thinking, suggesting he be with the one person who makes me crazy with envy when she so much as looks at him?

As difficult as it is for me to leave him, it’s got to be worse for Nick. I’m about to go off to a new place and leave him behind to pick up the pieces. I whip the sheets up to make the bed, and our combined scent wafts toward me. I drop down on the mattress and put my head in my hands.
This is so damn hard!

The door to the bathroom opens, and Nick steps out with a cloud of steam. I gaze over at him and say, “I’m really sorry. I’m taking out my frustrations on you. It’s not fair.”

“No, it’s not.” He sighs. “This is hard for both of us. But there’s nothing to say that will make it better.”

“Want me to go double-check your gear bag?”

We both know everything he needs is already in it, but he says, “Sure.”

When four o’clock rolls around, it’s time for Nick to go realize his dream. When Stacy gets to the door, I hand her a cooler with food for them both. “Take care of him for me. He’ll be nervous and won’t want to talk. Don’t make him, it’s how he deals.” I cringe at my words.
What is he, a toddler?

Nick bristles when I touch his arm, and he steps back to hoist his bag over his shoulder. But I don’t let him escape and grab his face with my hands to kiss him. “You’re going to crush this.”

He nods, and I say, “I love you.”

Nick’s face is blank when he says, “Thanks.” He steps out the door to a waiting Stacy. Their feet thump down the stairs, and it’s as if each one is taking Nick farther away from me.