For Keeps (7 page)

While Tyler wasn’t exactly
excited at the prospect of being a lawyer, he also knew that hockey
and racing weren’t things he could count on forever, and as he
started to age, he’d need something to fall back on.

He stood, walked around the bed,
and kissed Valerie as she, too, sat up and stuffed her feet into her
slippers, then headed to the kitchen to brew some coffee. He heard
the shower start and almost laughed at how quickly he’d fallen
into a comfortable routine.

He sat down at the kitchen table,
his eyes still bleary and his body stiff. They’d had a good
round of sex last night, and then he’d slept like the dead. Sex
was a great workout, but he was slacking, hadn’t been to the
gym because it was just easier to avoid old crowds. He needed to set
up somewhere else, stay on top of his game, especially if he expected
to survive this tryout on Saturday.

As he thought about how Valerie
had prodded him into making that appointment, he felt an incredible
tenderness toward her that went beyond love. Of course he loved her;
he’d never felt this way about anyone. But he also respected
and virtually worshipped her. She thought of him constantly and
wanted him to be happy. And he wanted to make her happy.

Which was why he’d bought a
ring but had not proposed.

Tyler knew that Valerie really
had no idea as to the depth of his feelings for her. It seemed as
though no matter how much he tried to show her how important she was
to him, she was always second-guessing herself. She felt unworthy,
and he wanted more than anything to be with her for the rest of his
life. He figured there was no better way to prove that than to ask
her to be his wife.

At the same time, he feared she
would assume his proposal was simply to fulfill the obligations his
father had set forth so he could take possession of the trust fund.
Which wasn’t the case. After all, he’d been happier these
last few months with her and his own money than he ever had living on
his father’s dime.

“
Why so glum?”
Wrapped in her terrycloth robe, Valerie breezed into the kitchen,
startling him and interrupting his internal musing. He gave her a
quick smile and shook his head, getting up to pour coffee for the
both of them.

Valerie didn’t miss the way
he ignored the question. There was something on Tyler’s mind,
and it frightened her. He’d been lost in thought a lot over the
past couple of weeks, and she could only imagine what it could be
about. Likely, he was becoming bored and restless with the same
routine every day, the same woman in his bed. She had hoped this
whole hockey thing would drag him out of whatever inner turmoil he
faced, but it didn’t look like he even cared about that
anymore.

He hadn’t mentioned the
tryout since he’d set the appointment.

She was losing him, and she knew
it, but she needed to make the effort, for her own sanity. He was
worth fighting for – they were worth fighting for, even though
deep down she knew that she had little to offer him that he couldn’t
get from someone else.

She wrapped the robe tighter
around her waist as she sat across from him, thinking about just how
average she was compared to the women that he was used to dating
before her. She didn’t present the image that fit with him and
what he was expected to be attracted to. In return she didn’t
have the same interests that he had although they could laugh for
hours, when it came to racing she cringed each time he drug her
along. The only thing they did particularly well together was sex,
and while that aspect of their relationship was phenomenal, Valerie
felt Tyler drawing back.

Sex wasn’t a relationship;
they could have sex and not live together, not be a couple. People
did it all the time. It didn’t mean they had feelings for each
other.

But somewhere along the way,
Valerie had allowed herself to fall madly, deeply, hopelessly in love
with Tyler. He treated her with respect and kindness, and he
brightened a room with his smile. He was adventurous, and sometimes
she lived vicariously through the stories he told about the things
he’d done, even through his races and, she’d hoped,
through him being drafted to the minor league hockey team.

With a deep breath that burned as
her heart broke, she looked at Tyler, who had placed a cup of coffee
and a plate with toast slathered with butter and jelly the way she
liked it in front of her. “You aren’t happy, are you?”

Tyler frowned at her. “Why
would you say that?” he asked through a mouthful of his own
toast.

She shook her head. “Don’t
pretend, Tyler. This isn’t the lifestyle you’re used to.
I don’t have a yacht, I don’t have parties with rich
friends, and I’m not adventurous. I’m not even that
pretty. I could certainly stand to lose a few pounds, at least, and
maybe start going to the hairdresser and a nail salon.”

Hating how she always beat
herself up, Tyler reached out and caressed her hand, running his
thumb specifically over her nails. “Valerie, I love the way you
look. You are gorgeous and sexy with curves in the right places.
You’re reasonable rather than high maintenance. There’s a
reason I’ve never spent much time dating. I hate phony,
superficial people, and all the women I met through my father and his
friends were fakes. Everything about them was plastic.”

He leaned forward. “No,
this isn’t the lifestyle I’m used to, but I hated my
life. I really, really enjoy this life with you.” He gestured
around the apartment. “This place is cozy, and more than enough
for me. Getting up and making coffee and toast, spending a few
minutes in the morning with someone that I cherish…those are
things I never thought I’d be able to enjoy.”

His words struck her, and Valerie
felt tears prickle her eyes. He said he cherished her. That was
beautiful, and it touched her. Of course, it still didn’t mean
he was in love with her. “Are you sure you’re okay with
settling down like this?”

There was a mischievous twinkle
in his eye as he responded. “Sweetheart, neither of us is ever
going to ‘settle’ for anything, especially down. But yes,
I’ve more than okay with this arrangement. I’m thrilled
that you let me be a part of your life.” He stood, pulling her
to her feet and kissing her fully on the lips with her body pressed
to his. “I wouldn’t want it any other way, Valerie,”
he whispered against her lips. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.
I have to climb in the shower, or I’ll make us both late to
work.”

* * *

With giddy excitement, Valerie
sat outside the rink, awaiting Tyler’s return. She wasn’t
the biggest hockey fan, but in her opinion, he’d looked amazing
on the ice, and she would have thought he was a professional player
already. Like, NHL worthy. She nibbled her thumbnail, wishing he
would come out already and not leave her hanging so long. Supposedly,
he was supposed to talk to the coach, get his feedback, and then
leave.

That had been almost forty
minutes ago, when he’d skated by the side of the hockey rink
and given her a kiss. Now, she couldn’t imagine what was going
on inside and only hoped that, maybe, they were signing some papers
and setting him up with a locker.

Starting to lose her confidence
in this decision, she worried at strands of her hair that blew around
in the breeze, defiantly escaping the braid down her back. Maybe she
shouldn’t have pushed Tyler so hard. After all, maybe he’d
given up on this as a career goal long ago and his heart wasn’t
in it anymore. For all she knew, this whole day was causing him pain.

But he’d looked so
confident out there on the ice, and the glimpses she had of his face
showed her pure, unadulterated joy. Of course, there was always the
chance they wouldn’t take him, but with the talent he showed,
that seemed like an extremely remote possibility, even though this
seemed to be taking forever.

And second guessing herself
had always gotten Valerie in trouble.

She sucked in a deep breath as
Tyler finally emerged from the door to the locker rooms and held that
breath as he walked toward her, a deep scowl on his face. Her heart
sank. What the hell could have happened? This was perfect, and it was
supposed to work out.

She stood, ready to offer comfort
as he approached, but instead, he dropped his bag on the ground and
pulled her into a bear hug, swinging her around and chuckling in her
ear. “I had you going for a second, didn’t I?” he
asked, setting her down and kissing her forehead, both cheeks, and
finally, her lips.

She giggled. “You, sir, are
an ass. You had me thinking it was the end of the world.”

He scoffed. “With the
measly money their offering, it just might be.” A worried
expression furrowed his brow as he stared down at her. “I’m
serious, you know. This isn’t the ideal job for most people.
There’s a lot of overnight travel involved, and it pays shit
money. I’d still be racing to get us the money we need to have
a good time.”

Valerie waved her hand and made a
face, letting him know it was no big deal. “The nights apart
are going to be harder than the money. Trust me, I’ve lived
with much less in my life.”

Tyler watched her eyes grow
bright, and he could feel her pride in him and her happiness for him.
He’d accomplished his dream. Maybe he wasn’t in the NHL,
but that could still happen. He was young and healthy, and he could
very well end up with a long, satisfying sports career. The truth
was, he just wanted to play hockey, and even if the money sucked, he
was now a professional hockey player.

And it was all because of
Valerie. She was so supportive, he didn’t even know how to
react to her.

“
That could be a problem
for me, too. Maybe you could come along on some of the trips? We
could travel together, and that way, after a game, I can enjoy the
beautiful woman of my dreams in my bed.”

That sounded like heaven to
Valerie. She gave him her most winning smile. “And maybe you
can have that woman twice if you win.” She nuzzled his neck and
sighed with contentment before pulling away and looking up at him.
“So, I’ve planned a little celebration. I hope you don’t
mind.”

He raised an eyebrow, taken off
guard. “Oh, really? And just what did you have in mind?”

Her eyes twinkling with mischief,
she told him, “It’s a surprise. Now, hand over the keys
and let me drive.” If she thought the idea of handing over the
keys to his sports car would rankle him, she was wrong, and, anxious
to see what her plan was, he tossed them to her without protest or
hesitation. With a bounce in her step, she started toward the car,
and he shouldered his bag to follow behind her.

* * *

Tyler couldn’t remember the
last time he’d eaten in a sports bar, but it had been far too
long. “Would you like to eat in a booth or at the bar?”
Valerie asked over the buzz of the place.

He shrugged. “Doesn’t
matter to me. Whatever makes you more comfortable.”

She led the way to a table in the
bar, and they took a seat on the tall stools next to each other,
facing one of the large screen televisions mounted around them.
Wondering what difference the time mattered as Valerie checked it on
her phone before dropping it into her purse, he squinted at her
suspiciously. “Are we meeting someone here?”

“
No.” She shook her
head and continued to stare at the television, not even looking his
direction. He followed her gaze and found a commercial, making him
want to hurl something into her line of vision to try to get her
attention. Instead, he attempted to be subtle in checking his watch,
which showed him it was a few minutes before five. It was his turn to
worry about the end of the world.

He watched Valerie intently, even
as they ordered their drinks, and slowly, a small smile crept over
her face. Tyler started to elbow her and demand an explanation for
why she was ignoring him, but he heard an announcer and turned to the
television, finding the major league regional hockey game on. He
started laughing, and she cracked up. “Is this what you were
planning?”

She scrunched up her face. “Well,
this is part of it. I hope you like it. I just know it’s
something we haven’t done, and it seems an appropriate way to
celebrate this specific occasion.”

He agreed wholeheartedly. “You
are amazing, Valerie. So, what’s the other part?”

She hesitated. She hadn’t
wanted to give the rest of it to him till after dinner, but he
wouldn’t wait. So, she reached back into her purse and pulled
out a business card, handing it to Tyler. He looked at it for a
moment, then gazed at her quizzically before returning to the card,
which held only a name and a phone number.

“
What’s this for,
Valerie?”

“
I noticed your skates
needed a little work. So, that guy is one of the best locals in the
business. He’s going to sharpen your blades, clean up the
leather, and customize them for the team. He’s also going to
duplicate them so you have a second pair, just in case.”

Tyler blinked at her in awe. For
someone who didn’t really know or care too much about sports,
Valerie sure had an eye for detail. Not that getting this done would
have been a huge expense for him, but it was the fact that she had
invested enough interest to understand the importance to him. It
touched him how considerate she was of his needs and how selfless she
could be.