Off Sides (Off #1)(24)

I see red and I open my mouth to lay into Angeline, which I know will be useless because she's drunk. But Danny gives a small shake of her head and I hold my tongue. Instead, Danny just takes my hand and gives Angeline a polite smile. "Well, it's nice meeting you but I have to get going. I have work tomorrow."

Danny walks around Angeline and I, of course, eagerly follow. Angeline just stands there dumbstruck that she doesn't get a rise out of Danny. And really, she should know better than to try to dual wits with Danny. Danny would chew her up and spit her out if she had it in her to do so.

As we walk toward my car, our hands clasped and gently swinging back and forth, I'm silent.

"Is something wrong?" Danny asks.

"No. Actually, everything is just right. You're amazing you know. You completely charmed my friends and even though you had every right to punch Angeline in the face, you were polite to her. You are a class act, toots."

"I had fun tonight. Thank you for inviting me. I really like Mike and Carter. I can see why you are friends with them. Even Cameron was really nice."

"It was fun tonight. But you know what would be even more fun?"

"What's that?" she asks.

"Making out with you in my car when we get back to your place. You know, to see how foggy we can get the glass?"

"That does sounds like fun. Count me in."

By the time I walked her to her door, I couldn't see anything outside of my windows.





CHAPTER 10


Danny



I think I might be on the verge of completely losing myself in Ryan. While our time alone has been like a fairy tale, I’m surprised how much fun I had the other night with Ryan and his friends. Everyone was really nice...well, with the exception of Angeline and that creepy teammate of Ryan’s. I shudder when I think about the conversation I had with Reece Malone. He wasn’t very subtle in making his moves. I had been standing by myself, sipping a beer when he had approached.

“It must be my lucky night, finding the most beautiful girl here all by herself,” he had said with oily charm. I could tell he was drunk or high by the hazy look in his eyes and deliberate way he was trying to talk.

I smiled at him politely and took another sip of my beer. I’ve had to deal with my share of suggestive lines by drunks and I knew it was best not to even engage.

Swaying slightly while he peered at me, he stepped very close and I could smell the liquor on his breath. He leaned in and whispered in I’m sure what he thought was a super, sexy voice, “I have about twenty different ways I can make you scream.”

Okay, that was beyond suggestive and he was clearly a complete slime ball. “Hey buddy, why don’t you step back and give me a little space here.”

He took a slight step back but he was still too close. He was looking at me like I was a piece of candy. “S’all cool,” he drawled. “You’re just so damn fine, and I can imagine the fun we’d have together.”

Luckily, I was saved from having to reply when Ryan interjected himself into the conversation, coming to my rescue. I am forever grateful that Mike immediately pulled Reece away.

Yeah, the guy gave me the major creeps and I would be happy never having to see him again. Ryan had asked me if I had been upset by something Reece said, and I wasn’t about to tell him about the pathetically lame pickup line. I didn’t want Ryan to have any reason to go after him.

So, it's been a week since Ryan and I made up and it has been phenomenal. We haven't been able to see each other the last few days between work, school and hockey but we constantly text each other on the phone and every night we talk for a few hours until we are both so tired we are practically falling asleep with our phones pinned to our ears.

And last night...last night Ryan surprised me when he showed up at Helping Hands Ministry with a huge bouquet of Stargazer Lilies. They are my favorite and I knew instantly he must have asked Paula what flowers to buy for me. I rewarded him with a kiss full of nips and bites which had both of us groaning. It was quickly stopped when Maverick walked into the kitchen and caught us. After yelling at both of us, he put us to work in opposite places so we didn't even see each other until we got done. We both laughed hysterically at that.

Best of all was before we left, I got to introduce Ryan to Sarge, my only real friend other than Paula. Sarge is a grizzled, Marine Corps veteran that had served in the first Gulf War. He had his left leg blown off by a roadside bomb and was medically discharged in 1992 after serving thirteen years.

Unable to get a job, and feeling general self-worthlessness, Sarge turned to alcohol to numb his pain. He didn't have a family to lose like my dad did so he said it was no surprise he ended up on the streets so quickly.

I met Sarge on the first day I went to Helping Hands to visit my dad. They had struck up a quick friendship and tried to keep each other on the straight and narrow path. My dad lost out but Sarge persevered. After successfully completing Helping Hands’ rehab program, he went on to stay sober now for the past five years and now serves as a counselor at Helping Hands.

After my dad died, I continued my friendship with Sarge in addition to volunteering at the shelter. He was like a surrogate father to me and next to Paula, he was all I had in this world.

Ryan and Sarge hit it off grandly. That is, after Sarge warned Ryan that he could still kill with his bare hands and if he hurt me, he would never see the killing blow coming. Ryan swallowed hard and just said, "You don't have to worry about that, sir." And then they became fast friends.