“So? You’re never embarrassed about anything. What aren’t you telling me?”
Shea didn’t say anything. He wasn’t telling Grace about the beautiful brunette with the biggest and brightest green eyes he had ever seen. She had the kind of eyes that took his breath away when he looked into them; something that had never happened to him before.
“Who is she?” Grace asked with a knowing voice, “Hopefully not some dumb blonde bimbo who will suck you dry.”
“Hey, no one has sucked me dry!” Shea said defensively.
“They tried.”
“Now you know that’s not true. I won’t even let them close enough to suck me dry.”
“Whatever. You bought the last chick, Marie, a diamond necklace!”
“Because I unknowingly slept with her sister. I felt bad and since I had no intentions on starting anything with her, it was a sorry present before I stopped talking to her.”
“Oh, yeah. Well she should have told you anyway, so who is this new girl?”
“How do you know it’s a woman?”
“Because, like I said, you don’t get embarrassed. So shut up and tell me.”
“I don’t know who she is. She was the photographer today.”
“Okay, and?”
“And she was beautiful.”
“Did you ask her out?”
“No, she is kind of different,” he said sheepishly.
“What the hell, Shea? You are not making sense. Who am I talking to?” she said teasingly, “This isn’t my brother, big scary Captain Adler, because my brother’s motto is ‘I came, I saw, I conquered.’ ”
Shea let out a booming laugh, which caused her to laugh.
“I don’t know. She wouldn’t look me in the eye. She was shy, cute.”
“Hmm, sounds like a winner in my book,” Grace said.
“Maybe.”
“So, anyway, the party for this weekend is almost done, planning-wise.”
“Great!”
“I’m excited. The guys are gonna have a ball.”
“That’s why I hired the best party planner in Nashville.”
Grace giggled and went on with the details, as Shea stood in his stainless steel kitchen. Grace had decorated the whole condo for him when they came to Nashville four years ago. He had just gotten traded to the Assassins from the Flyers and couldn’t be happier to be moved to a team that was going to pay a hell of a lot more than the Flyers ever did. Plus, Grace had hated Philadelphia. Probably as much as Shea did. Luckily, they both loved Nashville since Grace would never go anywhere without Shea, and he wouldn’t go anywhere without her.
The joy of being twins!
Grace had helped pick out the condo, and even lived with him for a while to finish decorating, before looking for her own. Then she met James Justice. After only being together for a couple of months, she got pregnant. Now Grace lived ten minutes from Shea in a beautiful 1.2 million dollar house, blissfully married, with two of the greatest kids in the world, Ryan and Amelia, while running the biggest party planning business in Nashville. Shea couldn’t be happier for her, but he always got nervous at the thought that one day he might be leaving her, if he got traded again.
“Does that sound okay?” Grace asked, bringing him back to the conversation.
“Of course. Do you have a photographer?” Shea found himself asking. Grace started laughing.
“No, you never said you wanted one.”
“Well, maybe it would be a good idea. With all the new players and their families, don’t you think?”
“Yeah. Do you have a certain photographer in mind, Shea?”
“Oh hush, and get her.”
“Who is she?”
“I don’t know, but find her and get her. Offer her a price she can’t refuse.”
“You have no idea what her name is?”
“I think I heard Elli, but I’m not sure. Call Melody, she would know.”
“Fine. I’ve got three days to find this chick. Jeez, Shea.”
“I love you, Gracey,” he cooed. She laughed.
“I love you, too. Bye.”