Kiss and Don't Tell(24)

Katherine tosses her hands up in the air and walks away while Max snorts.

“If it makes you feel better, I fell face first into the mud and embarrassed myself. But, yeah, Minnie is in a ditch now and needs to be towed out. And because we’re on back roads, a tow truck won’t come up here until the roads are dry. It’s supposed to rain the next couple of days so I’m without a car.”

“Dear Jesus, I think . . . yes, I think I’m having a heart attack.” Katherine takes a seat on the couch and clutches her chest.

“You are not having a heart attack.” Max rolls his eyes.

“Um, if you didn’t like that part, you might not like this next part, either.” I wince.

Katherine’s head snaps toward the phone. “What now?”

“Well, do you remember when I was leaving, you asked where I was staying in Banff?”

“Yessss,” Katherine drags out.

“Well, I told you that fancy place where all of the celebrities stay.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So, that was a lie.”

Katherine’s eyes turn murderous.

“I thought I would show up and just grab a room at that hotel. Turns out, when I was on a lunch break from driving, I looked it up and the prices were astronomical. It’s a popular time to be in Banff right now. One of the boys told me it’s because the lakes are the most beautiful this time of the year. Something about glacial melting, I don’t know. Anyway, I thought I’d find a place to stay when I got here, and then the boys informed me everything is booked.”

“If you tell me you’re going to camp, I will disown you.”

I perk up. “No, I’m not camping. The boys offered me the guest room for as long as I want it.”

“That’s even worse,” Katherine shouts.

“How is that worse? They’re really nice.”

“Of course they’re nice. They’re trying to gain your trust so when they turn you into their sex slave, you start to think that’s your new normal.”

“Okay, you need to go take a nap,” Max says, taking Katherine by the arm and ushering her down the hall toward her bedroom. “I’ll bring you a cold compress in a few. Just chill.” When she’s out of earshot, Max says, “You realize you just made my life exponentially harder.”

I cringe. “I know, I’m sorry.”

“Do you know how you can make it up to me?”

“How?” I ask.

“Try to get Ian Rivers’s phone number for me.”

I chuckle. “I’ll do my best.”

“And do you know what else you can do for me?”

“Score you a date?” I ask.

“Well, that, but also . . . live your best life, Winnie.” His eyes turn soft as he smirks at me. “Katherine loves you, that’s why she’s so insane, but we know you need to do this, so do it the way you need to, and if that means spending a week in a vaulted-ceiling cabin with five hunky hockey players, then do it. Take this time for you.”

The tension in my shoulders eases as I lie back on the comfortable, plush bed. “That means a lot to me, Max.”

“But please just be careful, okay? I think you and I both know these guys are probably down-to-earth and nice. They’re not stupid enough to do something, you know, illegal, but just be careful. That heart in your chest, it’s fragile right now. It’s been through enough to last a lifetime. Take good care of it.”

I press my hand against my chest. “I will.” I smile at Max. “Thank you. I needed to hear this. I was really worried. I don’t want Katherine to be mad at me.”

“You know Katherine, her bark is bigger than her bite. Don’t worry about her. I’ll give her some sedatives here on the home front. Just take care of you and take care of your business. We need you back here, refreshed, and with a clear mind. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“And for the love of God, check in often. Even if it’s a text.”

I chuckle. “I will. Don’t worry. But if you don’t hear from me in a while, look up the weather forecast for Banff before you freak out. When it storms, correspondence can be low, so keep that in mind as well.”

“Got it.” He winks. “Now go have fun with some hockey players.”

“I will.”

“Before you hang up, tell me . . . do you have your eyes on Eli Hornsby?”

I burst out laughing. “He’s far too pretty. I don’t think I could ever go for a guy like him.”

“But . . .”

I shy away, putting my hand over my face as I feel it heat up. “But Pacey is . . . God, there’s something about him that I’m completely drawn to. He’s so handsome.”

“Ooh yes, Winnie. Pacey is a certain kind of man. He wears his hair well, ties it up in a knot when he wants to, those thighs of his could crush a watermelon, and his eyes.”

“Yes,” I whisper into the phone. “His eyes sear me.”

“You need to go for it.”

I snort. “You’re insane. There’s no way someone like Pacey Lawes would ever go for someone like me. Not to mention, I’m just passing through.”

“Uh, have you looked in the mirror? You’re gorgeous. You also have that special zip about you.”