Teagan
Saturday night was family night and I had been pacing the gravel driveway waiting for Daisy to arrive. The second I saw Harm’s truck pull up, I made a run for it and dragged her from the cab.
"Oh my god, you took your ti getting here!" I admonished.
"Hi, bestie, how are you? Congratulations on passing your finals," she teased.
"I already texted you all that flowery bullshit earlier." I took her hand and pulled her toward the door.
"Thanks for the ride, Harm," Daisy called.
"You’re welco," he called back.
"Where’s the fire?" she asked.
"New recruits," I whispered in an effort to keep up my ruse of boy-crazy, unattached Teagan.
"Okay, honey, calm your tits."
I paused briefly and fluffed up my boobs. I was already spilling out of my V-neck, so I had to stuff a little back in. "I will never."
She chuckled, following through the little lobby area, then into the great room. It was already full of our family and friends.
Daisy’s mother interrupted our trip, pulling her in for a hug. "Hey, honey. How’s my girl?"
"Good, Mama." She leaned back and took her in. "Good lord, you’re supposed to be getting old, woman. Why do you just get prettier?"
This was true. Dani Carver was in her fifties and looked closer to thirty, her blonde hair still long and her face still void of wrinkles. She currently wore a pair of skinny jeans and a Harley-Davidson long-sleeved T-shirt with a pair of knee-high boots.
She narrowed her eyes. "What do you want, Ducky?"
Daisy laughed. "Nothing. But I reserve the right to keep that complint in my back pocket for a later date."
She cupped her daughter’s face. "I’m so proud of you and acing your finals, baby."
"Not sure I aced them."
"Of course, you did. With how hard you work? How could you not?" She wrapped her arm around her shoulders. "You’re a rock star."
"Thanks, Mama."
"Hey, baby girl," Booker said once he reached us, leaning down to kiss her cheek, then mine.
"Hi, Daddy."
"Any issues gettin’ here?"
"Harm delivered tout de suite, safe and sound, as you can see," Daisy sassed.
"I see that French degree is payin’ off," he retorted.
She smiled. "Speaking of that... do either of you care if I skip the walking ceremony in June?"
"Hell, no," Booker said.
"Not at all," Dani said.
Daisy sighed in relief. "Oh, thank god."
Her parents laughed. "You kids go have fun. I’ve got plans for your mom."
"Ew, gross, way too much information," Daisy complained.
Booker pulled her away and Daisy faced again.
"Did you get the hot neighbor’s number?" I asked.
Daisy had t the ’hottest guy on the planet,’ and that was saying sothing in my bestie’s opinion. Daisy didn’t wax poetic when it ca to guys and she initially thought he was her neighbor, Louisa’s, boyfriend, but co to find out, he was her brother. He’d already had a run-in with Cash and Archer, shoving Cash up against a wall, so I imdiately liked this guy. Anyone who would stand up to Cash was good in my book.
She groaned, pressing her hand to her stomach. "Oh my god."
"What?"
"Sort of?" She grabbed my arm and dragged into the kitchen. Luckily, it was empty. "He totally gives the collywobbles, Teagan. I made a total fool out of myself."
"Spill," I demanded.
"I invited him tonight, which was so dumb, because he won’t co, but Harm says he was totally checking out, and watching him like a hawk to make sure I was safe. He rode down in the elevator with us, using the excuse to get the mail, then asked for my phone so he could put his phone number in it. He said, ’Text the address to this shindig and we’ll see if we can make it.’ And Harm said that was a baller move and I’m kind of clueless when a guy likes ."
"Well, Harm’s totally right."
"About which part?" she asked, as I poured the wine.
"All of it." I smiled. "You’re way too hard on yourself, for one, and I think Huck’s totally interested, for another."
"I just don’t understand why I lose my ever-blessed mind around him," she breathed out.
"Yeah, that’s the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question." I shrugged. "You’re usually so eloquent around boys."
She grabbed an orange sitting on the island and chucked it at my head, missing by a mile.
"Well, your career in the Majors is over. Back to the farm teams for you," I joked picking the fruit up off the floor and dumping it in the trash can.
She laughed. "I better gas up my tractor."
"The farm league isn’t made up of actual farrs... you know what? Never mind."
Suddenly, the building went eerily quiet. If there’d been a turntable present, you’d have heard a needle scratch.
Followed by...
"What the fuck are you doin’ here?"
That sounded like Buzz’s angry voice.
"Huck the Puck?" Buzz bellowed. "I’ll ask again. What the fuck are you doin’ here?"
"Is he talking about your Huck?" I hiss-pered.
"No, I’m sure soone else just happened to invite soone else nad Huck to family night by coincidence," she hissed back sarcastically.
I waved my hand toward the door. "Well, go out and see."
"I can’t believe Huck the Puck is here at this party," Buzz continued. "Now I can personally kick your ass."
"Oh, shit, you better go out there," I said.
"You go out there," she snapped.
I threw my arms in the air. "Huck the Puck isn’t the guy I’m trying to fu—"
"Okay, fine, I’ll go out there!" she growled, grabbing my hand, and pulling toward the door. "But you’re coming with ."
"You cost twenty-grand on that playoff ga against Philly last season," Buzz accused.
We walked out to find Huck giving Buzz an amused grin. "Well, I’m not usually one to throw my teammates under the bus, but I have to say, it was technically our right wing who cost us that particular ga."
"Yeah, maybe, but Cherkowsky ain’t here," Buzz pointed out.
Huck shrugged. "Well, I don’t usually fight off the ice, or without pads."
"Yeah, figured you’d need pads to throw down."
"Oh, no the pads are for you," Huck retorted, putting his hands up in a boxer’s stance.
Buzz bust out laughing. "Co on, man, I’m just fuckin’ with you. But what the hell’s a Stanley Cup winner doin’ in our house?"
"The team won the cup, and I won a trip to an orthopedic surgeon."
"Yeah, man, I was real sorry to hear about that. I thought you were a shoo-in for rookie of the year."
Wow. Huck was a hockey player? Hockey was kind of a big deal around here. Ever since the Ducks had beco a team back in the early nineties according to Hatch. I an, football, basketball, and baseball were also a big deal, but hockey for Buzz was life.
"Um, I invited him," Daisy squeaked. "Hi, Huck. I see you’ve t Buzz."
Huck smiled at my best friend, his face soft and he was obviously totally into her. "Hey, Daisy."
"God damn, Buzz, hockey?" Fletch admonished. "Is there anything you don’t bet on?"
"The kids are playin’ hide-n-seek, why don’t you see if you can get in on the action on the boys’ team?" Chigger suggested.
"I would never do that," Buzz scoffed. "I already got twenty ridin’ on the girls." Buzz turned to Huck. "Let ’buy’ you a beer."
"Thanks, man." Huck nodded toward her. "I’m gonna hang with Daisy for a bit, cool?"
Buzz gave him a chin lift, but I could see disappointnt in his eyes. "Oh, yeah, sure. Find later."
Huck smiled and focused on Daisy. I took him in. I could see why Daisy liked him. He wore dark jeans, a tight, black T-shirt, and a pair of Nike high-tops, and it was so different than what we were used to seeing. No cut, no leather jacket, and certainly no motorcycle boots. Not my type on any level, but certainly sothing Daisy would adore.
"Did you find the place okay?" Daisy breathed out.
"Yeah."
I reached out my hand. "Hi, I’m Teagan."
"Oh, my god, sorry. This is my bestie," she explained as we shook hands. "Did you bring Louisa?"
Huck shook his head. "Nope, just ."
"Nice to et you, Huck. I’ll let Daisy show you around." I hugged her, whispering, "Into you, honey. Into you."
I gave her one more squeeze, then walked over to the pool tables and challenged Razor to a ga.
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