Facing Off with Alexi (Witch Field Prowlers Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

a few eastern prairie fringed orchids here and there.
    He stepped out on the worn wooden deck and inhaled deeper. The sweetness of maple surrounded him. Dark red beams formed the framework and flooring of the deck with screens spread between the openings to allow in the warm summer’s kiss of air. His heartbeat slowed, and his muscles loosened as he took in the well-loved patio furniture with their plush cushions and faded headrests. Here nothing of his hockey life existed. No posters or hockey sticks or pucks from past games or jerseys from the many teams he’d been on. He walked around a corner and went through the open entryway leading out into the backyard area. In the distance he heard the gentle lap of water against a shore. One of the reasons he’d taken this place was for the ability to fish and unwind during his off time.
    They had yet to catch a lot of fish due to not enough time and Ti’s hatred of mosquitoes, and he was pretty sure the pond was exactly like the one in that popular sci-fi show where a team traveled through a portal to other alien worlds. Still, he tried. He headed over to his trusty grill, a large block of metal and brick with a smoker attached to it. Every year he and Tianna had their before-training-camp get-together, and they made a week of celebration, if only an excuse to use the barbecue. This time, however, he wanted to keep things simple.
    He lifted the lid. The metal grill bars gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. A hint of fire, ash, and charcoal lingered. An examination of the smoker showed it in the same condition. He checked the bin where he kept the firewood, matches, and charcoal, all fully loaded.
    “All ready?” Tianna called.
    “Yup. We’ll have to go to Gus’s for more meat, though.”
    “Some spicy sausages and beer?” she teased.
    “Maybe.” He joined her on the porch. There was no ceremony, no place settings or anything. Just card tables and cans of pop and only nature as their mealtime music.
    “So what was wrong?” Tianna’s question brought him back to what would happen after this week was over.
    Reality.
    He tried to find words. “My mind is racing to what happens after this. We go back to our usual lives—you to the law firm, and me to prepping for training camp. I…I just want to get things settled between us now.”
    “So what? We explore what we have and then at the end make a decision…?” Her voice trailed off.
    He considered her question. “We do our usual thing and maybe explore this new side of our relationship?” He waited for her to deny it, make an excuse. Neither of them were attached to anyone. He hadn’t been for a long time. This vacation seemed like the perfect time to start something. “We may not get a lot of time to go on dates, and you live in a different city, but I don’t see that as an obstacle, more like us working that much harder.”
    “Basically what we do normally only on a romantic level?” she threw out.
    “Well…” He thought about his answer. They had a good communication already; they didn’t hold back from each other and could talk about anything under the sun. Romance on the other hand may make this awkward or weird between them at times, but nothing in his opinion that they couldn’t work out. “Yeah. Like we can do date night via video calls and that kind of thing.”
    Even though he hated the idea of not being able to be with her for her law firm parties and outings with other couples, that was par for the course with their busy careers.
    “Could get sexy,” she teased.
    “Hopefully.” He didn’t want to think about all the teasing he could get from his on-the-road roommate Brice Douglas, but then again, Brice was in a committed relationship himself, so he had some idea of the need for privacy.
    She raised an eyebrow. “You don’t sound so sure. Are you finally going to wow me with your romantic skills or not?”
    He made a T with his hands. “Whoa, whoa, I didn’t plan on romance…”
    She