"Sure. Is anything wrong?" She backed up to let Arielle pass.
"Blair called Dylan a little while ago to check in on him. She offered to stop over with dinner. After that, he asked if I was planning on staying home tonight. So I took the hint and decided to make myself scarce."
"Oh." She raised her brows. She and Arielle had discussed the Dylan-Blair relationship status at length. She hoped something amazing would happen there.
"Yeah." Arielle agreed. "I told him that I'd come here to watch the game but I'd be home before midnight. I feel bad for the poor guy but not enough to stay out all night. Besides, the team will be home by one-thirty or two, so Rod will be coming in then anyway."
"I hope Blair is able to help him feel better." Kelsey retrieved a second wineglass from the kitchen and filled it. "The game's about to start."
They settled in front of the TV with Icing between them. Arielle glanced at the dog. "How do she and Leo get along?"
At Leo's name, the dog's ears perked up.
"Mutual love." Kelsey rubbed the back of Icing's head.
"And how are you and Leo getting along?"
Kelsey laughed at her friend's wiggling brows. They'd been friends since high school and didn't have any secrets. "I always thought my rule about not getting involved with the players was smart. But with Leo..."
"Your face lights up when you talk about him."
"Does it?" She wrinkled her nose, not liking that her face gave her away. "Leo put up with a lot of crap from people over Dylan's first concussion, but just as that was going away, Dylan gets that second concussion, so now people keep bringing up the first one again and circulating blame. I know it's bothering him. And because it's bothering him, it's bothering me."
"You care about him."
"I do. A lot."
During the first intermission, her phone rang. She didn't recognize the number but knew the Toronto area code. Her heartbeat paused and then beat double-time. "Oh no, that's the area code for Toronto. The guys are there."
Imagining the worst, she accepted the call and put it on speaker. "Hello?"
"Kelsey Fraser?"
"Speaking." She frowned at Arielle and her friend moved closer.
"This is Constance Adler. I'm one of the executive producers here at the national hockey channel. We were very impressed with your broadcast at the Bedlam's outdoor game and would like to bring you on board during the playoffs as part of our "around the league" updates where we go live to each game. It would be a pre-game segment similar to what you do now, but with more commentating and news updates."
Kelsey gaped at Arielle. "That is my dream job. Thank you so much for the opportunity."
"You're a fresh face and an up and coming personality. We can't think of a better person to bring us a live look into the Bedlam. And it may lead to doing more work with us next season."
"Wow, that's amazing. I can't thank you enough." Grinning at Arielle, she gripped her friend's hand.
"Wonderful." Constance's voice warmed. "I'm happy to have you as a part of our team. I'll be in touch next week with more details and a contract."
Kelsey swallowed her excitement and managed a professional tone. "Thank you again."
The call ended. Then she jumped to her feet and pulled Arielle into a hug. "I can't believe it."
"I'm excited for you. And that definitely calls for some more wine. I'll refill our glasses. You have to call your parents."
"I'll do that now." She spent the next period of play on the phone, discussing both the job and the Bedlam game with her parents. The guys were trailing by two goals. They were in a tailspin since Dylan's injury.
By the time Arielle left the apartment at midnight, Kelsey was still flying high over the career boost. She sent a text to Leo, inviting him to come over no matter what time the team's private plane landed in Buffalo, and then fell asleep on the couch waiting for him to arrive.
The dog woke her before his knock could. Icing darted to the door, tail wagging. Kelsey yawned and stretched and sleepily made her way to the door. Leo's face smiled back at her through the peephole. She threw the door open.
He dropped his bag inside the door and hugged her tight. "You feel good."
"Yeah?" She snuggled closer, sliding her hands inside his coat.
"Yeah." Drawing soft kisses over her lips, he shut the door at his back and managed to click the lock in place.
At their feet, Icing whined for attention. Leo bent and scratched the dog's head. "Did you miss me?"
Kelsey opened her mouth to respond, unsure whether he was asking her or the dog. "I'm sure she did. She kept walking around the apartment. I think she was looking for you. And her ears perked up every time the play by play guy said your name tonight."
"Well, I'm home now." He grinned at the dog and tossed a chew toy into the kitchen. Icing darted after the toy puck.
Home.
Maybe he was thinking of Buffalo as home now, after all. Enjoying the thought, Kelsey led Leo to the bedroom.
He slowly unbuttoned his shirt and kicked off his shoes. "So you watched the game? It was pretty bad."
"It was...rough. But you guys did some good things."
"You sound like Coach in the post-game press conference."
She shrugged and sat on the bed. "I don't know what's going on with you guys but you'll turn it around."
"He's tried every line combination there is. We're now up to a five-game losing streak."
"Then you're overly due for some lucky bounces with the puck. I think you're all so stressed and tense, it's making things worse."
His lips curved in a half smile. "Are you volunteering to help with my tension?"
"I know a pretty good way to relieve it." She drew him into her arms. "Oh, wait, before I forget. You're looking at the newest Around The
