Tacker (Arizona Vengeance 5)

“I’m so sorry,” Nora whispered.

“Don’t be,” I told her, my eyes locking onto hers. “I’m glad I can tell you these things. No one else knows I did that.”

“Then I’m glad I can offer you that.” Her voice had been so sweet and sincere. “And no matter what happens with us… whether this progresses or we stay just friends… you can always talk to me about these things.”

It was a promise I knew she’d keep, and it gave me a level of security I had not felt in an exceedingly long time.

Nora and I sat on that picnic table for almost three hours as we simply talked. Some of it was heavy.

Some of it was not.

What struck me the most as I was driving her to her house was there wasn’t one single lull in the conversation, no matter if we were talking about death and grief or laughing over our shared love of The Office.

It was a great first date.

“Dude,” Aaron says, smacking me a bit harder with his stick. “Dinner tonight?”

“Um… I can’t,” I say, willing the line we’re in to go faster. As it is, there are four pairs of skaters in front of us, but there’s an equal number on the other side. We’re alternating.

“Why not?” he asks suspiciously.

Erik and Bishop take off, Bishop with the puck. They ram their shoulders into each other, legs braced and skates digging hard all the way to the net.

“Why not?” Aaron demands, stepping into my line of vision. I reluctantly meet his worried gaze. “You okay?”

I feel horrible. He’s worried something is wrong with me when, in fact, everything is right.

Clearing my throat, I lean in toward him and whisper, “I had a date last night.”

“You had a date?” he exclaims so loudly that every head turns our way. He gives me a shit-eating grin.

“You asshole,” I mutter, giving him a slight push not meant to do anything but convey irritation.

Play continues, the next set of skaters in our line taking off. Aaron looks slightly abashed, shrugging apologetically. “Sorry. But I’m just so shocked and stoked at the same time for you. Where did you meet her and—”

Coach Perron shrilly blows on his whistle, stopping the drills. “All right, guys… that will do for drills today. Team meeting tomorrow at ten with a light skate to follow.”

The men start dispersing, chatting along the way.

All except my line. Bishop, Erik, Legend, and Dax skate up to me, forming a circle.

“You’re dating someone?” Bishop asks.

“Who?” Dax demands.

“Where did you meet her?” Erik inquires.

“Or if it’s a he… that’s cool, too,” Legend adds.

Rolling my eyes, I turn from the group, half irritated and half slightly charmed they care. They follow along, poking at me.

“Come on, dude… cough it up,” Aaron says. “We’re just going to nag the hell out of you until you tell us.”

I spin on them. With a huff, I admit, “If you must be nosy bastards and need to know, then fine… it’s Nora.”

They stare back blankly as other players file by us, exiting the ice.

Finally, Bishops asks, “Isn’t that like against the rules?”

“It would be if she was my therapist, but I fired her first, then asked her out on a date.”

Bishop’s eyes darken with worry. “Tacker… you have to go to counseling. It’s a requirement to stay on the team.”

Some would be offended by the reminder, but really… I’m touched they all care so much. I hold a hand up. “Relax. I got in with another counselor. Even had an appointment with him first thing this morning. It’s all good. I also reported it to Christian so management knows what I did.”

All appearing relieved, Erik nudges me with a sly grin. “So, Nora, huh?”

Shrugging, I try to play it off. “We have a connection.”

“Just how much of a connection?” Erik croons, waggling his eyebrows.

“Oh, fuck off and grow up,” I growl. “We just had dinner last night for our first date. And we’re going out again tonight.”

“So I guess that’s a no to dinner with me then, huh?” Aaron says in an exaggeratedly glum tone.

“Nora’s way prettier than you,” I reply blandly.

The guys laugh, but then Dax asks a sobering question. “Are you ready for this, man?”

I should feel lame for divulging what is a very personal and deep insight with these guys, but I decide to brave it. “She turned on a fucking light in my dark room. She’s the one who flipped the switch. I don’t care if it’s as my therapist or just as a beautiful woman I’m interested in, but she caused this change within me you guys have seen. So yes… I’m ready to move forward and see where this thing between us goes.”

“All I needed to hear,” Aaron says with a slap on my back. “Except… I would like to book some time with my best friend in the near future, if it’s not too much trouble.”