Page 28 of Keeping Kyle

So freaking adorable. I’d never had a guy do something like this, and this gesture touched my very core, setting my heart aflutter. “What did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking… God, you may think this is super silly or weird or I don’t know… A Cirque show?” He spoke quickly, but I heard every awesome word.

“No way! Seriously?” He looked stricken, misreading my excitement. “That’s so cool. I was trying to get some of the guys to go to one tonight. I’d love to go—just us.” This time I gave him a bear hug.

“Yo, KP. It’s time,” Kennedy called from down the corridor.

“I gotta…” I gestured at the door

“Go. I’ll meet you back here after. What show should I get?”

“Your pick. Surprise me.”

“You got it.”

“Great.” I headed for the door but turned back before I got into the hall. “It’s really cool you’re here.”

I waved with my gloved hand, and he waved back, looking deliriously happy. I’m sure I looked the same.

I can’t believe he did that.

Another proof that non-working Austin was a good guy. Please don’t let me get traded, I silently prayed to the hockey gods. I wanted to see what this could be.

SIXTEEN

AUSTIN

AFTER THE AMAZING SHOW—HOLY crap, those people were flexible—we walked on The Strip.

“Thank you for that. I loved it. I haven’t been to a show in a long time.” Kyle sounded so happy. Pride swelled in me since I’d been able to cap off his winning day with a show he’d enjoyed.

“Why don’t you go to more?”

“This is lame. I honestly don’t think to do it. I don’t pay enough attention. Hell, Cirque comes to the arena, as do a lot of concerts. I usually find out about something once it’s sold out.”

“You couldn’t pull strings to get a ticket?”

“I probably could, but I don’t like doing that unless it’s for someone else.”

He gave so much. I’d seen that in just the short time I’d known him. He gave time to Hockey Allies and other charities. He gave time to his family. He worked with the team on community projects. Impressive didn’t begin to cover it.

“You do better than me. I find out after the event’s gone and I end up reading about it or someone in the office saw it. The only thing I can keep up with is hockey.”

“I used to go to concerts regularly during high school in the off-season. Bobby and I liked the same music and friends would come along too. We’d see which bands were coming and sort out what we could all afford.”

“What was your favorite?” As I asked, he moved us toward the Bellagio where the fountain show was in progress.

“Has to be Beyoncé. Saw her when I was sixteen. We’d all obsessed over ‘Single Ladies.’ When it was announced she’d play Auburn Hills, we were all over that.”

I remembered that song from the skating play list.

“What was your first?”

I shrugged “I didn’t go to my first concert until I was in my junior year of college. I had a friend in the jazz band, and she convinced me to come to her show. It was good, although not really my kind of music. I’m more of a pop guy like you.”

“Nice. Good to have similar music taste. Do you mind if we catch the next fountain show? It’s one of my favorite things here.”

I kept learning more about Kyle—small things, but so good to know. This trip was so the right thing to do.