“Oh, shut up, both of you. You know what I mean. He’s not the kind of guy I would have chosen for myself.”
Tara let out a soft laugh. “They rarely are. But they sneak up on you and surprise the hell out of you, and suddenly, you’re head over heels in love and there’s a not a damn thing you can do about it.”
Was she falling in love with Ty?
God, she hoped not. This was not in her plan at all.
NINETEEN
JENNA WAS ON A DAMN AIRPLANE HEADED TO CHICAGO.
How the hell had that happened?
She blamed Liz and Tara for this. Somehow, over lunch that day, they had convinced her she might be falling in love with Ty. Or if not love, then something that at least required she stay checked in to this relationship for a while longer. So when Ty actually made good on the offer to go to Chicago and meet his parents, she hadn’t run screaming in the other direction.
Ty had arranged everything, including a first-class ticket on the flight. She decided she was going to look on this as a mini-vacation away from her responsibilities at the bar, and nothing more.
The flight landed and she was met at baggage claim by a gentleman holding a placard with her name on it. He escorted her by private car to one hell of a luxury hotel. She had club seats for the game tonight, where she’d be seated with some of the Ice players’ wives and girlfriends who had also traveled up for the game.
She had just enough time to shower and dress for the game when it was time to meet the women downstairs to take the car over to the event center where the Ice would be playing Chicago tonight.
Admittedly, she was excited. She’d talked up Crista and Leslie on the plane, so she sat next to them when they got to the center. Leslie was married to Jeff Lincoln, the other center on the Ice, and Crista was engaged to Ruddy Meyers, one of their wings.
Leslie was a pistol, as full of fire as Jeff was cool and reserved. She was tall, statuesque, and built with an amazing body, with raven hair that fell straight down her back. She looked like a Victoria’s Secret underwear model when in fact she was a middle school math and science teacher. Jenna could well imagine the pubescent boys fantasizing about Mrs. Lincoln.
Crista was a beautiful blue-eyed blonde. Jenna found out Crista was a librarian, and so smart Jenna felt inadequate. But Crista’s knowledge level was so damned amazing, Jenna couldn’t help but ask her a million questions since she’d all but grown up in libraries as a kid, so they shared their love of books and had talked nonstop on the plane.
“It still shocks me the two of you are in love with sports players,” Jenna said as they took their seats.
“Why?” Crista asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I have this idiotic delusion that sports guys attract—”
“Bimbos?” Leslie finished for her.
“I didn’t want to say that without insulting all of us.”
Crista laughed. “I met Ruddy in college. We shared an art history class. He’s so intelligent. I fell in love with his brain first, but God, I love sports.”
“Me, too,” Leslie said. “There’s only so much math and science I can handle. And when school is out, sports are my outlet. I played basketball in high school and I love tennis, but there’s something about hockey that’s so…primal.”
“It gets my motor running,” Crista said. “Seeing my guy out there, whether he’s trying to score or fighting for the puck against a defender. It’s just hot. Huh. Maybe I am a bimbo.”
Jenna burst out laughing. “If you are, we all are.”
Listening to these two amazingly intelligent women talk about hockey and their men was a revelation to her. Then again, they didn’t have her life or her past or her job.
It was different for her.
Still, when the game started she was caught up by their enthusiasm and she had more to root for than just Ty. She found herself keeping an eye on Crista and Leslie’s guys, too. Observing their reactions to their men was a study in relationship dynamics. These cool professional women became crazed hockey maniacs, screaming at the opposing team and cheering for the Ice with fist pumps.
Jenna joined right in, unable to help herself. It was infectious once the action started. The Ice went up two goals after the first period, and she wanted to make sure that somehow Ty could hear her when he had that puck, that he could somehow feel her support when he fought a defender or got slammed up against the boards, or when he and Eddie had that two-on-one breakaway. She wanted him to know she had his back, and if she lost her voice screaming, then she’d do it.
Chicago came back and tied it, but the Ice ended up winning the game by one goal. It was a triumph and she, Crista, and Leslie were ecstatic.
After the game, they were taken back to the hotel.