was another person holding you close when your moment wasn’t the happiest.
Lacey listened to Shayne’s soft breathing as they gazed up at the Saskatchewan night sky. “Did you blame your mom for leaving your dad?”
“No,” he said after a few minutes of contemplative silence. “I blamed her for leaving me behind. I can understand her wanting to get as far away from Jerry as she could. He was a drunk bully who hit whatever he wanted when he was drunk and angry. What did I do though? Aside from being born. I guess that was equally bad in her eyes.”
She reached up to cup his face. He turned and kissed her palm. “Silly woman.”
“Though if she had taken me with her, would I be playing hockey to this extent? It was an escape from the house. A way to flip the old drunk the middle finger when I made it. And if I weren’t here, whom would you have flashed tonight? It is what it is, Lace. Nothing more, nothing less. And, shit, maybe she’d be worse than him. Our roads are what they are. What ifs are nothing more than insanity pills.”
She liked that. “Very pragmatic, Donnelly.”
“Hey, I’m not just a hot piece of ass.”
He was actually the last person she’d thought to be sitting under the stars with. The last one she expected to make her feel not so shitty. And yet here he was, lying beneath her doing just that. He gave her no platitudes, offered no words of wisdom, he simply was and that was enough.
She shifted so she was facing him and his gaze shifted from the stars to her face. “Thank you.”
“For what?” He brushed her hair aside then stroked his thumb down her jaw.
“Tonight. I didn’t expect to get all morose about Kevin.”
He shrugged as his other hand rested on the small of her back. She felt his hand grip the denim then drag her up so her position wasn’t so awkward, bringing her face closer to his. “Hell, any conversations about Kevin make me morose.”
“Thank you.”
“Shut up.” Shayne glared at her and she lowered her head to his shoulder. His hands slid down her back, over her ass and along her thighs. At her knees he gave another tug so she was straddling his waist. “Better.”
Lacey could stay like this all night. Listening to Shayne’s heart beating, his body warming hers and his hands holding her steady. “You’re so unexpected.”
She felt him kiss the top of her head while his fingers spread and gripped her thighs. “You too, Lacey. You too.”
“Let’s stay here forever. It’s peaceful and quiet.”
“Until the train goes by. You’ll change your mind when it’s speeding by you and your insides vibrate.”
Lacey grinned. Sounded a lot like him.
“Lace?” His voice rose at her name and he cleared his throat and she smiled. “I have to tell Todd. About us.”
She blinked five times then rose up to see his face. Her heart was thumping nervously in her chest at three little words. “Okay,” she said, not sure how she felt about this.
“He’s not stupid. And you’re not a dirty little secret. Neither am I. I’d rather tell him,” he sighed and looked up at the sky. “Secrets are hard to keep in Granville, especially when it’s a Donnelly and a Magerin. I figure with the whole flashing and me sticking around, he’s gonna be thinking something.”
She nodded. “Okay. He’s gonna kick you out.”
“Probably. There are hotels. Unless--” An eyebrow arched up as he glanced at her.
“Yeah, because that wouldn’t send my teenage daughter through the roof at all. If things were better with the girls,” she lifted a shoulder in a shrug, “but it’s not. It’s really not better with the girls at all. You’re sure about this?” Jesus, her brother. She didn’t want to ruin their friendship.
Shayne looked back up at the sky. “Fuck no, I’m not sure at all.”
“Okay.” She lay back down on him and worried about what kind of shit was going to rain down on Shayne tomorrow. She didn’t want him hurt. She didn’t want her
Lacey listened to Shayne’s soft breathing as they gazed up at the Saskatchewan night sky. “Did you blame your mom for leaving your dad?”
“No,” he said after a few minutes of contemplative silence. “I blamed her for leaving me behind. I can understand her wanting to get as far away from Jerry as she could. He was a drunk bully who hit whatever he wanted when he was drunk and angry. What did I do though? Aside from being born. I guess that was equally bad in her eyes.”
She reached up to cup his face. He turned and kissed her palm. “Silly woman.”
“Though if she had taken me with her, would I be playing hockey to this extent? It was an escape from the house. A way to flip the old drunk the middle finger when I made it. And if I weren’t here, whom would you have flashed tonight? It is what it is, Lace. Nothing more, nothing less. And, shit, maybe she’d be worse than him. Our roads are what they are. What ifs are nothing more than insanity pills.”
She liked that. “Very pragmatic, Donnelly.”
“Hey, I’m not just a hot piece of ass.”
He was actually the last person she’d thought to be sitting under the stars with. The last one she expected to make her feel not so shitty. And yet here he was, lying beneath her doing just that. He gave her no platitudes, offered no words of wisdom, he simply was and that was enough.
She shifted so she was facing him and his gaze shifted from the stars to her face. “Thank you.”
“For what?” He brushed her hair aside then stroked his thumb down her jaw.
“Tonight. I didn’t expect to get all morose about Kevin.”
He shrugged as his other hand rested on the small of her back. She felt his hand grip the denim then drag her up so her position wasn’t so awkward, bringing her face closer to his. “Hell, any conversations about Kevin make me morose.”
“Thank you.”
“Shut up.” Shayne glared at her and she lowered her head to his shoulder. His hands slid down her back, over her ass and along her thighs. At her knees he gave another tug so she was straddling his waist. “Better.”
Lacey could stay like this all night. Listening to Shayne’s heart beating, his body warming hers and his hands holding her steady. “You’re so unexpected.”
She felt him kiss the top of her head while his fingers spread and gripped her thighs. “You too, Lacey. You too.”
“Let’s stay here forever. It’s peaceful and quiet.”
“Until the train goes by. You’ll change your mind when it’s speeding by you and your insides vibrate.”
Lacey grinned. Sounded a lot like him.
“Lace?” His voice rose at her name and he cleared his throat and she smiled. “I have to tell Todd. About us.”
She blinked five times then rose up to see his face. Her heart was thumping nervously in her chest at three little words. “Okay,” she said, not sure how she felt about this.
“He’s not stupid. And you’re not a dirty little secret. Neither am I. I’d rather tell him,” he sighed and looked up at the sky. “Secrets are hard to keep in Granville, especially when it’s a Donnelly and a Magerin. I figure with the whole flashing and me sticking around, he’s gonna be thinking something.”
She nodded. “Okay. He’s gonna kick you out.”
“Probably. There are hotels. Unless--” An eyebrow arched up as he glanced at her.
“Yeah, because that wouldn’t send my teenage daughter through the roof at all. If things were better with the girls,” she lifted a shoulder in a shrug, “but it’s not. It’s really not better with the girls at all. You’re sure about this?” Jesus, her brother. She didn’t want to ruin their friendship.
Shayne looked back up at the sky. “Fuck no, I’m not sure at all.”
“Okay.” She lay back down on him and worried about what kind of shit was going to rain down on Shayne tomorrow. She didn’t want him hurt. She didn’t want her
Similar Books
