O Goalie Night (The Ottawa Otters #1)

Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

BETH

Foster: Figured out what we’re doing tonight yet?

Beth: How can I figure it out if you refuse to give me any hints?

Foster: No hints

Beth: Three hints would be fair

Beth: Two hints would barely be civil

Beth: FINE. I will accept one hint. Final offer.

Foster: Zero hints. See you soon.

“ I s this a kinky sex thing?”

Foster’s deep laugh fills the air as he tightens my blindfold.

“I’m not objecting if it is; I’m just curious,” I add for clarity.

“Beth’s up for kinky sex. Noted.” I hear his grin even though I can’t see it. I can't see anything.

When Foster said he had a surprise for tonight, I had a few guesses, but none of them included him picking me up at work and blindfolding me. I texted, begging for hints, but he gave me nothing.

The man is an impenetrable fortress.

Fort Foster buckles my seatbelt for me before starting the car, and away we go.

At first, I try to pay attention to our direction, noting how long we drive and any turns we make, but I don’t know the area well enough and I’m hopelessly lost within minutes.

“Having fun yet?”

“No,” I sulk. I don’t like surprises. I read the last pages of books to make sure the ending isn’t dumb. I read the Wikipedia page on movies to make sure I’ll like them. I like to know where I stand and what to expect at all times.

“You will be,” he assures me. “How was your day?”

“Fine. A few of the boys got sent to the office for stealing the girls' toques and filling them with snow.”

“Was Amelia one of the girls?”

I don’t miss the slight change in his tone when he asks about his niece. “She was. But she didn’t take it lying down. ”

“What did she do?”

“Caught up with the boy who did it to her and shoved snow down his back.”

I hear him chuckle beside me.

“We don’t encourage retaliation at school, Foster.”

“Of course.” He clears his throat. “That was very wrong of her.”

“I can still hear you snickering.” I shake my head. “Have you replied to Cody yet?”

He’s silent for a beat. “Not yet.”

His answer doesn’t surprise me. Foster’s lost so much and been on his own for so long, it seems perfectly natural for him to be hesitant about letting his brother back in his life.

“He waited ten years to reach out. I figure I can give myself a week to reply. Right?”

“Of course.” I reach my hand in his direction blindly and he takes it, kissing it before intertwining our fingers.

“I missed you.”

I’m aglow from within. I missed him, too, more than I would have thought possible. “You should have woken me when you got in last night.”

“Nah. You had to work this morning. Plus, you looked so peaceful when I looked in on you.”

“You looked in on me? Really?” I debated sleeping in his bed last night in the hopes that I’d wake up when he got home. In the end, I decided not to. This thing between us is so new and I didn’t want to overstep.

“I did. Your hair was a disaster and you were face down in your pillow, ass up in the air. I should have taken a picture because you were a sight to be seen. ”

I try to wrench my hand away, but he holds on to it with ease, pulling it back up to his mouth to kiss it again.

“You’re awful,” I tell him, even though I can’t stop smiling.

“You’re perfect.”

I’m not sure how long we’ve been driving when he stops the car and kills the engine. He instructs me to keep my blindfold in place and I obey. As much as I hate surprises, he’s put the effort in and I’m invested now.

He opens the car door and lifts me straight out of my seat.

“Foster!” I squeal as he cradles me against his chest. “I can walk!”

“Where's the fun in that?”

I hear a door open and then I’m guessing we’re inside given it’s much warmer now. He sets me down and starts to unbutton my coat.

I’m getting nervous. Where exactly are we and what are we doing here? What if there are people here ready to jump out and scare the bejesus out of me?

“Ready?” he asks and I nod, unsure. He undoes the blind fold and I blink several times to focus my eyes as I take in my surroundings.

What the hell?

“We’re…we’re at your house?” We’re standing in his foyer.

“Surprise,” he smirks and he kicks off his boots and walks away.

“I…what?” I slip off my boots and follow him into the living room. “What was the point of all of…oh.”

Foster is standing in the middle of his living room looking expectantly at me. Behind him is the most beautiful fir tree I’ve ever seen. It’s at least nine feet tall, branches gracefully sweeping downward in a symmetrical cascade. It's huge, taking up a third of the room. I take in its dark green needles and breathe in its fresh, fragrant scent.

Stacked on the floor and coffee table are brand new boxes of Christmas decorations and lights.

My vision clouds and I blink several times in an attempt to clear my eyes. My mind reels and my thoughts are a jumbled mess. I can’t speak, only stare and blink.

“I thought you could help me liven the place up a bit.” He runs a hand over his face before crossing his arms over his chest. “I tried to pick a tree like the ones you’ve pointed out. And I didn’t know what kind of decorations you liked, so I pretty much bought out the entire store. I might have gone a bit overboard.”

I shake my head, still unable to speak.

“Beth?” His brow furrows with concern. “Is this okay? I just thought it might make you feel more at home, but we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I can return all of this stuff; it’s not a problem.”

My legs start to move towards him. At least one part of my body is still accepting instructions from my broken brain. I close the distance between us taking the last couple steps as a run and leap into him. He catches me easily and I wrap my arms around his neck as I bury my face in his neck.

I never expected this, not from anyone. My eyes can’t hold back their tears and my voice wavers. "Thank you." My words are almost a whisper.

“Beth, Baby,” he says into my hair as he strokes my back. “Please don’t cry. ”

The more he rubs my back, the harder I sob. It's overwhelming, the thoughtfulness, the effort he put into something so personal, so perfect. Every detail, every moment he spent on this, it all speaks volumes.

“Sorry,” I sniff, wiping at my eyes. “This is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me. I’m not used to romantic gestures.”

His face softens as he gently sweeps my hair back from my forehead. “Get used to them.”

His lips touch mine, and the world falls away. My heart races, pounding in my chest as if trying to match the rhythm of our kiss. I can't think, can't breathe; all I know is the warmth of his embrace and the softness of his mouth. Gentle at first, tentative, as if he's testing the waters, but then deepens, sending a shiver down my spine.

All week, I’ve felt like I'm falling for him, completely and utterly, and this kiss is further confirmation for me. My hands find their way to his shoulders, pulling him closer, not wanting this moment to end.

When he pulls back, we’re both breathing heavily. He rests his forehead on mine.

“I have a confession to make.” His breath dances on my lips.

“Another one?” I tease.

“Afraid so. I’ve never decorated a tree before.”

My eyes widen. “Are you serious?”

“Very. It was sort of my mom’s thing. She worked a lot of late nights when we were kids and would decorate when Cody and I were asleep. I’d go to bed with the house looking normal and wake up to find everything covered in tinsel. I think she liked surprising us. ”

Just like he surprised me. I’m still so overcome with emotion that he went to all this trouble for me and I want this to be fun for him, too.

“Well, I’m glad you told me. Since it’s your first time, I’ll be gentle.”

He chuckles as he releases me. “Christ, you’re as bad as my teammates.”

“First things first.” I move to the centre of the room and assess my surroundings. “We need music.”

Foster fishes his phone from his pocket and swipes a few times before handing it to me. A music app is open on the screen and I spend a couple minutes searching for the perfect playlist while he disappears into the kitchen.

I make my selection, and moments later the room is filled with Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers’ sweet harmonies. Foster returns holding a glass of red wine. One dark eyebrow raises at my song selection.

“I will accept no criticism of Dolly,” I warn. There are few things I will defend to the death and the Queen of Country is one of them.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Sipping my wine, I start to look through what I have to work with. He bought enough to decorate an entire forest.

I glance over at Foster, who’s standing with a strand of twinkling lights in his hands, looking a bit lost but eager.

“Here, let me show you,” I say, taking one end of the lights and guiding him to the base of the tree. “We start at the bottom and work our way up.”

He follows my lead, wrapping the lights around the branches, and I can't help but smile at his concentration.

“You’re doing great,” I encourage, my heart warming at the sight of him trying so hard .

Periodically, I back up and squint at the tree, trying to find branches that need more lights.

“Move that strand slightly higher,” I instruct and he follows my directions. “A bit higher…too high. Right there! Now pull them slightly more to the front.”

He smirks at me over his shoulder and I allow myself a moment to enjoy the view.

“Am I being too bossy?” I ask.

“Not at all. Besides, I plan on being the one in charge later tonight.” He winks at me and my thighs clench.

I know I can be strong-minded, but so far I have thoroughly enjoyed his domineering side in the bedroom.

We hang the ornaments next. I’ve selected the navy and silver ones because they suit the colours of the room better than the red and gold. I try not to laugh watching Foster handle dainty glass ornaments in his massive paws.

“Like this?” he asks as he places a larger ornament on a sturdy branch.

“Perfect,” I reply, stepping back to admire our work. The tree is starting to come alive with colour and light and I’m having more fun than I have in ages.

Eventually, the ornaments are all hung and the tree looks spectacular.

“She is breathtaking,” I say as I gaze at it.

“She certainly is.” He’s not looking at the tree though.

I blush. “It just needs something for the top.” I glance around at the boxes strewn across the room wondering if I missed it.

“Will this one do?” Foster hands me a beautiful crystal star.

I hold the star in my hands, turning it slowly to catch the light. It's stunning. More intricate than any tree topper I've ever seen. The delicate details glisten, casting tiny rainbows around the room. I run my fingers over its smooth, cool surface.

“Foster, it’s beautiful. You do the honours.” I try to hand it back to him, but he shakes his head.

“Together.”

He places his hands on my waist and lifts me so high, I’m almost sitting on his shoulder. His arms around my thighs hold me steady as I lean forward and place the star in its rightful place.

He sets me down, and we stand back to admire our handiwork. I think I might cry again. The music, the lights, and most of all the company all making the night so magical.

“One last thing,” Foster says, grabbing a blanket and then my hand, leading me back to the foyer.

I slip on my boots without asking questions–it’s not like he’ll tell me where we’re going.

He wraps the blanket around my shoulders and guides me outside onto his front yard. The sun set hours ago and there isn’t much to see aside from the glittering snow.

Foster stands behind me with his hands on my shoulders. “Ready?”

“Ready for wha–”

Everything goes blindingly white. I gasp as the entire house lights up in a brilliant Christmas display. It's mesmerising, a winter wonderland. Every corner of Foster’s house is adorned with twinkling lights; there must be thousands of them.

It’s absolutely incredible.

I don’t say anything. At this point there’s nothing left to say. The man has spent the last several hours making an amazing night more and more memorable.

I start to giggle. I’ve got so much joy in me and it’s the only release I’m capable of.

Foster grins as he pulls me into his chest. “Too much?”

“Never. Exactly the right amount.”