Reed (Cold Fury Hockey 10)

The argument could be made that in a month, Reed's going to be starting the preseason, so his time is going to be limited again and thus our time together is going to get cut anyway. Why not have a professionally satisfying project going that would put a published paper under my name?

This makes sense, but the only thing that truly sucks about that proposition is that Reed and I had just talked about this very thing last night while we were lying in bed. He asked me if I would travel to some of his away games with him if my concurrent days off matched up to his travel schedule.

"Yes," I'd exclaimed without any thought. As I learned more about hockey and Reed's career, I had been getting really excited about watching him play. I had only ever thought to catch his home games, but the fact he wants me to go see some of his away games caused my heart to squeeze in pleasure.

Reed had laughed and pulled me into him. He buried his face in my neck and murmured, "I can't get enough of you, Josie, so I want you close to me as much as possible."

I almost dissolved into a puddle of tears, because those words were so damn special. Reed wanted me near him. Even though his career would take him away for a good chunk of our time, he was already planning on ways that we could be together. It only served to highlight the disparity in my relationship with Aiden, who essentially didn't want to be with me bad enough.

"Josie?" Aiden's voice penetrates my silent musings.

I blink. "Yeah...um...I think I could commit to that. But I might want to knock those hours out in just one day so I can still maintain a few days off for myself."

"Totally understand," he says with obvious delight in his voice I've accepted. "This is going to be awesome to work on this project with you. Just like the old days."

I laugh, because Aiden and I used to butt heads all the time in residency, but I think that might have just been our total familiarity with each other since we were a couple. "Well, thanks for asking me."

"Sure thing," he says, and turns for the door. Just before he reaches the knob, it opens and a nurse pokes her head in.

She looks to Aiden, then me, and smiles big. "You got a delivery, Josie."

She pushes the door open further and she's holding the biggest bouquet of flowers I've ever seen in my life. Hydrangea, Gerber daisies, roses, and some purple flower on a stalk that I have no clue what it is. The vase is tall and thick, and there's a box tied to it with a ribbon.

"Wow," Aiden says in awe. "Reed sure has the romance thing down."

I quickly analyze Aiden's tone, but I don't detect any snideness or bitterness. He seems genuinely impressed by the display.

The nurse brings the vase all the way in and sets it on the desk. I stare at it in disbelief because of its monstrous size. I've never had anyone send me flowers before, but I've seen other people get them and I've never seen arrangements this big.

"Enjoy your flowers," Aiden says with a wink, then walks out of the office with the nurse. When the door closes, I reach to pull out the card from among the blooms and giggle nervously as I realize my hand is shaking.

I stare at the words curiously, not understanding what they mean.

If it's meant to be...

Password: 4593

Thoroughly confused, I untie the box from the vase. When I lift the lid, I see an iPod nestled inside some blue silk fabric. I pull it out and turn it on. When the password screen lights up, I type in the password from the note card.

I stare at the home screen, not sure what I'm supposed to do with it, but since it's an iPod, which is first and foremost about music, I pull up the iTunes app. There's only one song listed, "Meant to Be," by Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line.

Never heard of it or the people who sing it, but I push play and listen.

Immediately the hair stands up on the back of my head from just the first few words sung by a male country singer. He's joined by a female singer with a voice so beautiful my eyes sting. They sing a song of finding each other and wondering where their relationship is going, the key message being if it's meant to be, it will be.

I find myself softly singing the chorus, So won't you ride with me, ride with me? See where this thing goes.

When the music fades away, I blink my eyes hard to dispel the moisture and let out a sigh of pure happiness. Who thinks to do something like that?

And how in the hell had Reed gone from banging every Barbie doll in the free world to bestowing the ultimate in romantic gestures?

I know it happened sometime in the past several weeks, and I also know that I'm falling hard and fast for this guy.

Chapter 19

Reed

Not sure how it's become my favorite thing to surprise Josie in the parking lot when she gets off work, but I find myself doing it more and more. Most often, I'll just take her somewhere close by for a late dinner and then back to her car, where I'll follow her home.

Sometimes I'll just bring her home with me in my Tahoe and we'll eat pizza in bed and rock the headboard hard. On those nights, I get up early to take her into work the next day if she has a shift.

I know all of this is going to change drastically when the training camp starts in less than thirty days, so I suppose I'd better take advantage of my free time and use it all on Josie so we cement what we have into something solid and long lasting. I'm definitely ready for more.

I'm sure Josie got that message today when I had flowers and a song delivered to her at the hospital. God, she was fucking adorable when she called me.

Reed, she'd said in a breathy, awed voice. What am I going to do with you?

Whatever you want, Doc, I'd replied.

The flowers are gorgeous, she had murmured, and as if she was taking a moment to reflect internally for the right emotion, she added, That song...it's just...perfect.

Man, the feelings she provoked within me right at that moment were overpowering. All I could do was respond lightly, saying, I'm glad you liked it, Josie.

I loved it, she'd said, and I knew I was a goner.

It's muggy out tonight, but that won't dissuade me from taking Josie to see an outdoor movie at the NC Art Museum. They're showing Forrest Gump, and it's her second favorite movie, only losing to Titanic by a little bit harder crying at the end.

Or so she said.

I hear her voice across the parking lot before I see her. I can't make out exactly what she's saying, but her tone is serious and professional. As she comes into view, I see her walking beside Aiden, and I push up from the hood of her car where I'd been leaning.

They stop a good fifty feet away and continue what looks to be an intense discussion. I thought it would bother me that Aiden is working at the same hospital as the woman I currently like and whom he formerly screwed over, but it actually doesn't. All I have to do is remember she's in my bed at night and it's my name she's screaming when she comes.

Josie nods at something Aiden says, and then he reaches out and cups her elbow briefly in farewell before turning around and cutting across a row of cars until he's out of sight.

Turning toward her car, Josie locks eyes with me and I get that same beautiful smile I get from her every night I come out here to meet her. She walks toward me, hitching her leather satchel over her shoulder a bit.

"So, what's the plan tonight?" she asks as she gets closer to me.

I don't answer her direct question, and instead ask one of my own. "Where are your flowers?"

"I decided to leave them since I'm on shift tomorrow so I can look at them all day," she replies as she steps right into me for a kiss.

When she pulls away, I tell her, "You're so smart."

Her grin lights up and she pats the satchel. "But I've got the iPod and I plan on listening to that song all night."

"You do, do you?" I tease her. "How do you know you won't be listening to me talk dirty to you?"

"Oh, that's a given," she says with a sexy purr. "But I'll have the song playing in the background."

I loop my arm around her neck, pulling her into

me. Her hands go around my waist and we share a quick squeeze.

When I let her go, I take her hand to guide her to my Tahoe, which is two rows over.

"Where are we going?" she asks. "Do I need to get changed?"

"Outdoor movie," I tell her. "Forrest Gump. And you're perfect the way you are."