Part 27 (1/2)

She sighed. ”It's good. Nice. We're having fun. That's all.”

Tara took a sip of water. ”Hmmmm.”

Liz waved her fork at Tara. ”That's exactly what I said. But let me tell you, the sparks that ignited between the two of them after the last hockey game I took her to nearly set me on fire. So I think there's a lot more than 'nice' going on between the two of you.”

She swallowed a bite of food and laid down her fork. ”He asked me to go to Chicago with him to meet his parents.”

”He did? Oh, my, that is big.” Tara looked to Liz, then back at Jenna. ”That sounds serious.”

She shrugged. ”I don't know. We're not serious. It really is just a fling.”

”Yeah, that's what I thought it was between Gavin and me,” Liz said.

”I thought the same thing about Mick and me,” Tara said, flas.h.i.+ng her wedding ring. ”And look what happened.”

Jenna laughed. ”We are not getting married. We aren't in love. It's just s.e.x.”

”Honey,” Liz said. ”If a guy is casually f.u.c.king you, he doesn't bring you home to meet his parents. He's serious about you.”

”You think so?”

”Definitely,” Tara said. ”The question is, are you serious about him?”

”I don't know. No, I'm not. He's not my type.”

Liz snorted. ”Yeah, there are so many things wrong with him.”

”So true.” Tara lifted her fingers and started counting on them. ”He's ugly. Poor. Bad job. Zero personality.”

”Horrible hair. And that body...ugh,” Liz continued. ”That smile is wretched. No sense of humor. He's so unfriendly that kids and dogs run screaming...”

”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 h.e.l.l out of you, and suddenly, you're head over heels in love and there's a not a d.a.m.n thing you can do about it.”

Was she falling in love with Ty?

G.o.d, she hoped not. This was not in her plan at all.

NINETEEN.

JENNA WAS ON A d.a.m.n AIRPLANE HEADED TO CHICAGO.

How the h.e.l.l 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 relations.h.i.+p 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-cla.s.s 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 h.e.l.l 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 p.u.b.escent 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 d.a.m.ned 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 cla.s.s. He's so intelligent. I fell in love with his brain first, but G.o.d, 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 relations.h.i.+p 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.

”Who needs a drink? I certainly do,” Leslie said, leading them to the hotel bar. ”I'm wrung out after that game.”

Jenna followed and they found a table. Leslie ordered a bottle of wine and soon they were drinking and laughing as if they'd known each other forever. A few of the other women came in and joined them, and suddenly another bottle of wine was ordered.

Jenna poured. They all drank. As a bartender, she knew how to monitor her own drinking, while making sure everyone else had a great time. And why not? They weren't driving tonight, so she wanted all the women to have a great time. The guys would be showing up soon enough.

”You aren't drinking.” Leslie narrowed her gaze.