Page 61 of Right Man, Right Time
“Oh wow, this is . . . this is bigger than I expected,” she says as she glances around the arena. “You play hockey here? Look at all those empty seats. Are they usually full?”
“Every home game,” I say.
“It must get loud in here.”
“Very loud, but the cheering fans only spur me on to work harder.”
“Sexy,” she coos as I take her over to the skates section. Of course, the players all have their skates on display and below them are their respective family and friends. We had to provide the team with sizes prior to arriving to make it easier.
“Mr. Taters, are you ready to skate?” the attendant asks.
“I am,” I say. “And please, call me Silas.”
“Sure thing,” she says as she retrieves the skates and hands them off to us.
“Thank you.” I guide Ollie to a couch, then kneel in front of her.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“Helping you put your skates on,” I answer and then carefully slip her shoe off. When I glance up at her, I notice her cheeks are blushing. I don’t know how much of that has to do with me kneeling in front of her or the chill of the ice beneath us.
“Oh, that’s not necessary.”
“Have you done it before?”
“No,” she answers.
“Then let me help you . . .babe.”
She chuckles. “Really going with that, aren’t you?”
I’m about to answer when I hear, “Oh my God, Pacey, look, he’s helping her with her skates.”
Winnie.
Here we go.
“Hi,” Winnie says, walking right up to us and holding her hand out. “You must be Ollie. I’m Winnie, Pacey’s fiancée.”
“Hi, Winnie,” Ollie says with a bright smile. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Good God, she’s gorgeous.” Winnie knees me in the side. “Potato, she’s so freaking pretty.”
Ughhhhh, Winnie.
“Potato?” Ollie asks. There it is.
“Oh yes, that’s what I call Taters. Just reminded me of a potato.” I glance up at Ollie to see her smiling from ear to ear.
“I rather like that nickname.”
“Don’t even think about it,” I mutter under my breath as I pick up her foot and help her insert it in the skate. When it’s fully in, I lace her up.
“When Pacey told me Potato was bringing you, I could not stop thinking about all the things I want to talk to you about.”
“Winnie,” Pacey says. “Give her a second to breathe.”
But Winnie takes a seat right next to Ollie and says, “How on earth did you two meet? The first time I met Silas, he was a total ass. Sure, I was crashing his guy vacation, but God, he was a tough one to break.”
