Empty Net
Page 30
She just did it for him.
Like today, she was wearing an expensive looking blazer that came to the top of her extremely tight jeans. The jeans curved with her amazing body and ended at heels that gave her an extra five inches in height. She had put a knitted teal cap on her head and a bright yellow scarf, tight around her neck. Her cheeks were rosy from the chill in the arena. She looked so classy and so beautiful that Tate found himself walking a little faster, just to get to her.
When he got to the section she was sitting in, he made his way up the stairs, taking three at a time. Audrey glanced up at him just as he reached her, dropping his large body next to hers. She glanced down and saw the cupcakes and then back up at him, a grin tugging at her lips.
“I see you brought game food.”
Tate smiled, “Yup, I have a feeling they will be the best cupcakes ever.”
Audrey giggled as she looked down at the arena. She ran her hands up and down her legs before tucking them in her lap. Since Tate’s hand started to itch from the need to touch her, he opened the box of cupcakes and took one out. He held it out for Audrey, and she took it with a grin. They both were silent, while unwrapping the delectable cupcake as they both watched Aiden skate around the rink, taking shots at the goal. Aiden was Lucas Brooks made over. The kid skated and shot just like his dad. It sure was a sight to see. Tate could be watching a future NHL leading forward in the making.
With a grin, Tate took a huge bite out of his cupcake and moaned when the flavors exploded in his mouth. It was buttery and sweet, two things Tate loved in his sweets. He had an unhealthy obsession with sweets. Thankfully, he was extremely active or he might be 900 pounds.
When he took the gummy bear off the top, popping it in his mouth before returning to the cupcake, Audrey chuckled beside him. He glanced over to see her grinning at him.
“So I guess you like them?”
Tate nodded, swallowing the mouthful he had before he said, “Oh yeah, they are fantastic.”
When he reached for another one, Audrey continued to laugh. “I hoped you would.”
He shot her a wide grin before taking a bite out of another cupcake. After swallowing he said, “I love sweets. I’m not hard to please, but you hit the gold mine with these. Gummy Bears are my favorite.”
Audrey looked pleased as she wrapped her arms around her legs, leaning her head on her knees as she watched him eat.
“Why?”
Tate’s face broke into a grin as thoughts of his mom moving around their kitchen back home. She baked constantly, having him and Matilda try everything she made. Tate never minded, but Matilda would get mad, saying that their mother was trying to make her fat. His favorite thing she used to make was a gelatin-based candy that was very much like a gummy bear. When he came to America and found Gummy Bears, he became obsessed with them. They reminded him of her.
Remembering that Audrey was waiting for an answer, he swallowed before saying, “My mom was a baker. She could bake anything and everything. She used to make these things that were like Gummy Bears. They were my favorite.”
“Aw, that’s awesome!”
“Yeah,” Tate agreed, taking another bite of cupcake.
“You know, Lucas used to say your English was horrible, but I understand you just fine.”
Tate nodded as he looked over at her, wiping the icing off his lips. “I had a really good speech therapist. Plus I wanted to learn the language.”
“Oh, that’s good.”
“Yeah, she was an amazing teacher.”
In and out of bed. Tate’s relationship with his speech therapist was short lived, but it was fun while it lasted.
“You can tell; your speech is really good.”
Tate nodded as he continued to stuff his face, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” she said. She sat up, stretching her arms out in front of her before turning her attention to the rink. The game had started and Aiden was a starter. They watched as Aiden skated around, deking, and juking kids left and right. Tate shook his head, his lips curving into a grin.
“He is just like Lucas.”
Audrey laughed as she nodded, “He sure is, and everyone hates it. They all think he should be moved up, but we want him to play with his friends. He’s such a blessing, we are so proud of him.”
“You should be. He’s a great kid.”
Audrey blushed as she nodded, “Thanks.”
Tate watched as she watched Aiden, cheering when he would do something good and yelling out words of encouragement. She really was a great aunt. When the first period ended and the kids all gathered around the bench for a breather, Tate cleared his throat before saying, “So how have you been? I haven’t seen any fires lately.”
Audrey’s laughter filled the arena, her eyes bright as she covered her mouth as if she was trying to keep her laughter in. Tate noticed people glancing over at her, and he couldn’t help but chuckle along with her.
“Yeah,” she giggled, “I haven’t felt the need to burn anything. Thanks for checking on that though.”
Tate beamed as he nodded, “That’s good, and you’re welcome. Anytime.”
Audrey blinked twice, her eyes locked with his as seconds turned into minutes. He could get lost in the caramel depths of her eyes. When the horn sounded, signaling the start of the second period, Audrey looked away, taking in a deep breath. Things weren’t going the way he wanted them too. She was being uncommonly quiet and he didn’t understand it. He wanted to know everything about her, but he didn’t know how to ask. She was watching her nephew play. He felt rude asking her things but what if he never got this opportunity to be with her like this. He needed to gather up all the confidence he had in him and channel his inner Lucas. He had to stand out in her mind, make her think of him when he was gone.
Like today, she was wearing an expensive looking blazer that came to the top of her extremely tight jeans. The jeans curved with her amazing body and ended at heels that gave her an extra five inches in height. She had put a knitted teal cap on her head and a bright yellow scarf, tight around her neck. Her cheeks were rosy from the chill in the arena. She looked so classy and so beautiful that Tate found himself walking a little faster, just to get to her.
When he got to the section she was sitting in, he made his way up the stairs, taking three at a time. Audrey glanced up at him just as he reached her, dropping his large body next to hers. She glanced down and saw the cupcakes and then back up at him, a grin tugging at her lips.
“I see you brought game food.”
Tate smiled, “Yup, I have a feeling they will be the best cupcakes ever.”
Audrey giggled as she looked down at the arena. She ran her hands up and down her legs before tucking them in her lap. Since Tate’s hand started to itch from the need to touch her, he opened the box of cupcakes and took one out. He held it out for Audrey, and she took it with a grin. They both were silent, while unwrapping the delectable cupcake as they both watched Aiden skate around the rink, taking shots at the goal. Aiden was Lucas Brooks made over. The kid skated and shot just like his dad. It sure was a sight to see. Tate could be watching a future NHL leading forward in the making.
With a grin, Tate took a huge bite out of his cupcake and moaned when the flavors exploded in his mouth. It was buttery and sweet, two things Tate loved in his sweets. He had an unhealthy obsession with sweets. Thankfully, he was extremely active or he might be 900 pounds.
When he took the gummy bear off the top, popping it in his mouth before returning to the cupcake, Audrey chuckled beside him. He glanced over to see her grinning at him.
“So I guess you like them?”
Tate nodded, swallowing the mouthful he had before he said, “Oh yeah, they are fantastic.”
When he reached for another one, Audrey continued to laugh. “I hoped you would.”
He shot her a wide grin before taking a bite out of another cupcake. After swallowing he said, “I love sweets. I’m not hard to please, but you hit the gold mine with these. Gummy Bears are my favorite.”
Audrey looked pleased as she wrapped her arms around her legs, leaning her head on her knees as she watched him eat.
“Why?”
Tate’s face broke into a grin as thoughts of his mom moving around their kitchen back home. She baked constantly, having him and Matilda try everything she made. Tate never minded, but Matilda would get mad, saying that their mother was trying to make her fat. His favorite thing she used to make was a gelatin-based candy that was very much like a gummy bear. When he came to America and found Gummy Bears, he became obsessed with them. They reminded him of her.
Remembering that Audrey was waiting for an answer, he swallowed before saying, “My mom was a baker. She could bake anything and everything. She used to make these things that were like Gummy Bears. They were my favorite.”
“Aw, that’s awesome!”
“Yeah,” Tate agreed, taking another bite of cupcake.
“You know, Lucas used to say your English was horrible, but I understand you just fine.”
Tate nodded as he looked over at her, wiping the icing off his lips. “I had a really good speech therapist. Plus I wanted to learn the language.”
“Oh, that’s good.”
“Yeah, she was an amazing teacher.”
In and out of bed. Tate’s relationship with his speech therapist was short lived, but it was fun while it lasted.
“You can tell; your speech is really good.”
Tate nodded as he continued to stuff his face, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” she said. She sat up, stretching her arms out in front of her before turning her attention to the rink. The game had started and Aiden was a starter. They watched as Aiden skated around, deking, and juking kids left and right. Tate shook his head, his lips curving into a grin.
“He is just like Lucas.”
Audrey laughed as she nodded, “He sure is, and everyone hates it. They all think he should be moved up, but we want him to play with his friends. He’s such a blessing, we are so proud of him.”
“You should be. He’s a great kid.”
Audrey blushed as she nodded, “Thanks.”
Tate watched as she watched Aiden, cheering when he would do something good and yelling out words of encouragement. She really was a great aunt. When the first period ended and the kids all gathered around the bench for a breather, Tate cleared his throat before saying, “So how have you been? I haven’t seen any fires lately.”
Audrey’s laughter filled the arena, her eyes bright as she covered her mouth as if she was trying to keep her laughter in. Tate noticed people glancing over at her, and he couldn’t help but chuckle along with her.
“Yeah,” she giggled, “I haven’t felt the need to burn anything. Thanks for checking on that though.”
Tate beamed as he nodded, “That’s good, and you’re welcome. Anytime.”
Audrey blinked twice, her eyes locked with his as seconds turned into minutes. He could get lost in the caramel depths of her eyes. When the horn sounded, signaling the start of the second period, Audrey looked away, taking in a deep breath. Things weren’t going the way he wanted them too. She was being uncommonly quiet and he didn’t understand it. He wanted to know everything about her, but he didn’t know how to ask. She was watching her nephew play. He felt rude asking her things but what if he never got this opportunity to be with her like this. He needed to gather up all the confidence he had in him and channel his inner Lucas. He had to stand out in her mind, make her think of him when he was gone.
