Unbreakable(4)

“Everything okay, Mav?” I ask softly. I can’t read his expression as he glances around the living room.

Will shoves his keys into the pocket of his shorts and nods. “Yeah, I’m okay. It’s always going to be weird at first when I come in and they aren’t here. But the feeling eventually passes.”

I fling my arms around his waist and wrap him in a huge hug. The smell of spring water, soap, and sandalwood invades my senses.

God, I’ve missed him so much.

“I’m always here for you, Mav. You know that, right?”

He plants a chaste kiss on the top of my head. “I know, Sunshine. C’mon. Let’s air this place out, okay? It’s stuffy in here.”

We go through the cottage and open all the doors and windows before turning on the air conditioning. Will turns the main water valve on, and we let the rust run out of the taps to clear the lines. We finish with a little light dusting before putting sheets and blankets on our beds.

Fifteen minutes later, Will flops down on the couch and pulls off his hat, running his fingers through his messy hair. I sit next to him and put my bare feet up on the coffee table.

“So, what’s new with Will Maverick? Are you seeing anyone special in Toronto?”

Will’s very closemouthed about women. He dated a few girls when we were teenagers, one more serious than all the rest, but since he’s joined the Smoke, he’s never even mentioned a girl.

At least to me.

He gives me an amused look. “We talk all the time. Why would you ask me that now?”

I shrug. “Yeah, but you never talk to me about women.”

“What women? I’ve been too busy working out and playing hockey to even think about starting something up with anyone.” He stretches his long, muscular legs out in front of him and winks at me.

That wink… it does funny things to my tummy.

“So you’ve adopted a celibate lifestyle?”

He snorts. “I didn’t say that.”

Gah! He’s talking in circles, and it’s making me crazy.

Lilly Weir, who I've known since kindergarten, told me that she’d hooked up with Will a few times. I’d been equal parts shocked and… well, jealous.

I had a hard time believing her at first. Lilly and I have had our share of issues over the years. She’s done a few questionable things during the course of our friendship that hurt me.

I know she hooks up with a lot of guys, but she just doesn’t seem like Will’s type. When I mentioned that, she’d laughed and said, “Honey, Will hooks up with lots of girls. He’s become quite the player since joining the Smoke. And I don’t just mean on the ice.”

It didn’t help that she said the sex was off the charts incredible.

I just can’t picture Will being a player, but—let’s face it—if he’s hooking up left and right, he kinda is. But he just doesn’t come off like a cocky guy eager to get into the next pair of panties.

“You never tell me anything,” I pout.

Will laughs. “Em, there’s nothing to tell.”

I think of Lilly again and cross my arms. “Somehow I seriously doubt that.”

I’d never really thought of Will as being boyfriend material, but before I broke up with Aidan, things started to change. I’d get this happy feeling when I saw Will’s name light up my cell phone. It was Will who always texted to see how I was doing. It was Will who’d message me silly things or call just to talk about nothing.

Will gave me everything I needed emotionally. He made me feel good about myself, and I could let my guard down completely with him.

When it came to Aidan, I always felt like I did everything wrong. That’s when I knew I had to end things.

Will glances over at me. “We should probably go shopping and lay in a supply of food for the next week or so. We need to get some stuff for dinner tonight, too.”

I frown. “You know I can’t cook. Or grill.”

“Oh, yeah. I know,” he says with a straight face. “I wouldn’t even trust you with a toaster, let alone a grill.”

“Will!” I grab a fluffy throw pillow from the couch and give him a few whacks with it. He holds a cushion up to block my attack.

I know he’s thinking about the time I set the tree branch above our patio on fire when I attempted to grill a few steaks. The fire department had to come, and it was totally humiliating.

“How do you feed yourself, Em? Do you eat out every single day?” He snatches the pillow out of my hands.

“No,” I say defensively. “I have a microwave.”

“Of course you do. But you know most of that packaged stuff is total crap, right?” He stands and takes my hands, tugging me off the couch. “C’mon. Let’s go get you some real food for a change.”



We spend an hour wandering around the grocery store. Will loads up the cart with all kinds of healthy foods like chicken, fruit, oatmeal, and fresh veggies. He shakes his head when I grab two boxes of my favorite sugary breakfast cereal.

“This cereal’s the best,” I say, tossing the boxes into the cart. “It’s practically a breakfast staple for me.”

He laughs. “Okay, Sunshine. Whatever you want.”

Once back at the cottage, we divvy up the bags to carry inside. Will’s holding five loaded bags on each arm with ease, and I’m struggling with four bags total.