Of course, she'd never really have him all to herself. There would always be hockey between them. He'd left her once for the game. If the choice came up again, what would he do? What would she do? Send him away again? She wasn't sure her heart could take it this time.
Suddenly she was looking forward to returning home. She followed Kip in the front door. He kicked off his shoes and went up the stairs. Mandy turned on some lights and started unpacking the things they had purchased that afternoon. She was itching to make Kip something. He might be able to buy damn near anything he wanted in the world. But she could give him a meal cooked with her own hands.
She had everything unpacked and ready to wash and he still hadn't come down. So up she went. After looking in every room on the way, she finally found him on the edge of the tub, filling it with water. "Would you like to join me?" he asked.
She nodded. "I really would." She felt that now-familiar flip flop of her stomach and heart. Her eyes searched his face and then she reached out and wrapped him up. "This is all so overwhelming."
He looked up from where his face was pressed in between her breasts. "It is. And I'm sorry meeting the team was so bad for you. I didn't realize it would be."
Mandy shook her head. "No, don't apologize. Everything has been overwhelming and that just put me over the top. But Colton, he's-"
Kip cut her off. "-amazing. I love spending time with him."
"That just tears at me even more. I can't believe we have to leave tomorrow."
He nodded. "I know. Look hockey will be over sooner or later."
"Let's hope for later. There's a lot of time between then and now. We don't have to talk about the future tonight."
Kip leaned forward and shut off the water. He kissed her deeply. "Let me undress you."