Page 10 of My One & Goalie
Don’t get in deep here, Kovac. She has a kid. She’s not yours to have.
“This is us.” Her quiet voice jolts me back to reality. I click on my blinker and slide into a spot outside the two-story apartment complex.
Cutting the engine, I start to climb out of the car, but her hand shoots out and grabs my arm.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to get out. Thanks for the ride. And dinner and everything. Do you have Venmo?”
I shake my head.
“Cashapp? PayPal? Or I can bring money to the rink next practice.”
“Rachel—” I cover her small hand with mine. “It’s no big deal. Please don’t pay me back. I needed dinner and I was going this direction anyway.”
She presses her lips together in a thin line, tiny crinkles of worry forming around her eyes.
“Thank you. But I can absolutely pay you back.”
“Please don’t. And I’m walking you to the door.” I squeeze her hand, her pulse racing beneath my fingers. “I insist.”
Not waiting for a response, I hustle around and open the door for her. I lift the pizza box from her lap and she hops out to wrestle with Jett and the booster.
We lug all the gear up the stairs to her apartment.
“Well, this is us.” She grips Jett and shuffles from foot to foot, holding the key.
“Mommy, I have to pee.” Jett tugs on her hand, and her cheeks flush a bright pink. “Lemme in!”
Huffing out a breath, she unlocks the door and Jett flies into the dark apartment. She flips on the lights and he bolts through the living room.
I suck in, surprised at how small the place is. A faded couch takes up most of the room, with a galley-style kitchen in a lovely shade of goldenrod directly behind the living space. There’s a two-person table with chairs crammed into a corner, and I assume the bedrooms are on the other side of the kitchen wall. The place I’m renting from Jackson is at least three times as large and way nicer.
“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting any visitors.” She bends down, scooping a pile of Legos off the beige carpet.
“It’s fine. As long as I don’t step on one of those,” I joke, pointing at the colorful rectangles and she chuckles. At least that lightens the tense mood.
“Coast is clear.” She winks over at me and my fingers tingle, desperate to reach out and touch her. Smooth my thumb over the soft skin of her cheek, run my fingers through the long, silky waves of her hair.
Damn. I’m down bad for this woman and I only met her today.
“Coach!” Jett’s voice echoes through the tiny apartment. “Come see my room!”
“Jett! It’s time to get ready for bed. Coach has done enough for us already,” Rachel calls out.
“Please! It’ll only take a second.”
I shrug. “It’s fine, I’ve got time. If it’s okay with you.”
She shakes her head. “That kid, I swear. Don’t feel like you have to.”
“I’ve got it.” I tip my chin at her and head down the hall toward the light.
Jett’s kneeling in the middle of the room, building with his Legos.
“Look, Coach. I made a hockey rink.” He clicks two gray bricks together as I crouch down next to him.
“Wow. That’s really cool. How long did that take you?”
“Only a day or two.”