“You did, too,” Tara said. “You think we’ve never had sex before? We know the look.”
Jenna looked around to be sure no one heard. The TV was blaring and obviously if her mother heard anything she wasn’t going to come running into the room for details. Thankfully.
“So who was the guy?” Tara asked.
“I don’t want to talk about this.”
Liz looked at Tara. “She doesn’t want to talk about it. She isn’t denying it, which means she definitely had sex last night.”
She raised her chin. “I plead the fifth.”
Tara nodded at Liz. “I was obviously busy the entire night. Who was she with?”
Liz tapped a perfectly manicured fingernail on the table. “Let’s see. She didn’t bring a date, and as far as I know she isn’t seeing anyone.”
“No one that I know of. I could ask Mick.”
“I could ask Gavin.”
“Stop it, both of you. There’s no one. Just a random hookup.”
“Random hookup my—oohh,” Liz said. “It was Ty.”
Shit.
“Ty Anderson? The hockey player?” Tara asked. She turned to Jenna. “Oh, he’s gorgeous. And so hot, Jenna.”
“And a hockey player, and you know how I feel about sports and the men who play them.”
“That shouldn’t matter, if you like him,” Tara said. “And if you had sex with him I assume you like him.”
Liz looked from Tara to Jenna. “What does sports have to do with you staying up all night screwing his brains out?”
“She won’t date anyone involved in sports,” Tara explained.
Liz frowned. “Why not?”
Jenna shrugged, realizing it sounded stupid. “Because I live it in my job and I’m surrounded by it with my family. I’d just like a freakin’ break when I date a guy, you know?”
“But sports are in your blood, Jenna.”
“No, sports are in their blood.” She motioned toward Gavin and Mick. “Not mine.”
Tara leaned back and sipped her juice. “Okay, well I get that, really. And as someone who was the queen of denial herself, I understand about your reason for not wanting to be with Ty—”
“As stupid as that is,” Liz interjected.
Tara pinned Liz with a look. “But it’s her reason, nonetheless.”
Liz waved a hand. “Whatever.”
“So anyway,” Tara continued. “Was it good?”
That got Liz’s attention. “Yes. Tell us. Was it?”
Jenna shook her head. “You’re as bad as men.”
“Men don’t gossip about sex details,” Tara said.
“They don’t?”
Tara shook her head. “No. Mick told me all they say to their friends is, ‘I gave it to her so good last night, she couldn’t walk today,’ or some such nonsense. But no details. We want details.”
“Huh. Well, I gave it to him so good last night he couldn’t walk today.”
Liz snorted. Tara tilted her head back and laughed out loud.
“What are you all laughing about in there?” Mick asked.
“Girl talk,” Tara hollered to him before turning back to Jenna. “And?”
“And what?”
“Come on, Jen, we need more than that,” Liz said. “Just how good was it? That man is sex on a hockey stick. I’ve seen him play. Hell, he’s my client. His stamina on the ice is epic.”
Jenna leaned back in her chair. “And you want to know if that stamina translates to the bedroom.”
“Hell, yes.”
Her lips quirked, remembering last night, and her body heated. “Then…hell yes.”
Liz slapped her hand on the table. “I knew it. Not that I have any complaints. Gavin—”
Jenna held up a hand. “Is my brother and I so don’t want to hear about your sexcapades with him.”
“You are not fun.”
She stood and grabbed the carafe. “I’m going to refill the coffee. You can share sex stories with Tara. I’ll be right back.”
She went into the kitchen. Her mom had just ended a phone call.
“I’m sorry, sweetie. It was Diandra, who couldn’t make to the wedding last night because Bill had emergency gallbladder surgery.”
Jenna refilled the carafe from the full pot of coffee on the counter. She knew Diandra was one of her mother’s oldest friends. She and Bill had been over to the house so many times over the years, they were like family to Jenna. “Oh, no. Is Bill okay?”
“He’s fine. Still in the hospital because they’re treating him with antibiotics due to an infection, but he should go home by tomorrow. She was so upset to miss the wedding.”
Jenna leaned against the counter. “Understandable considering the circumstances. I’m glad Bill is okay.”
“Me, too. Now what were you girls talking about in there?”
“Nothing much. Wedding stuff.”
“It was a great wedding, wasn’t it?”
“The best, Mom. The absolute best.”
And that was all she was going to tell her mother. It was bad enough Liz and Tara knew about Ty. Since she didn’t intend to see him again, there was no point mentioning him to her parents.
DESPITE THE LACK OF SLEEP, TY WAS ENERGIZED AT the game.
They were up three to two with four minutes left in the third period. He paced in the penalty box after getting a high sticking penalty. Fifteen seconds to go and he was out of there.
Seconds ticked by like hours when he was in the box and the game was on the line. He watched the time count down, then sprang out of the box and onto the ice, taking his position back.
Wolkowski passed him the puck and he threaded it through the defenseman and back to Eddie, putting himself in position in front of the net. Eddie shot it over to Victor, who sent it sailing back to him. He slammed the shot at the net but the goalie defended, then sent it circling around behind the net.
Damn.
Adrenaline pumping, he moved backward when the Montreal center breezed toward him. He wouldn’t let him past and jammed his stick against the center’s, then took the puck from him, digging his skates into the ice and charging toward the opposite goal again.
His opponent slammed a shoulder into him and prevented his forward movement, and they fought for the puck. The puck slid free and Ty went after it, determined not to give it up. Every fraction of a second was a battle to be won. He wasn’t going to let their center take the prize from him. They reached it at the same time and Ty swung around, turning his back to the center. He raised his stick, scooping the puck away from the opponent. He passed it to Victor, who shot it to Eddie.