Melting hearts, p.1
Melting Hearts, page 1
Melting Hearts
Kat Obie
Copyright © 2021 by Kat Obie
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Contents
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 1
3. Chapter 2
4. Chapter 3
5. Chapter 4
6. Chapter 5
7. Chapter 6
8. Chapter 7
9. Chapter 8
10. Chapter 9
11. Chapter 10
12. Chapter 11
13. Chapter 12
14. Chapter 13
15. Chapter 14
16. Chapter 15
17. Chapter 16
18. Chapter 17
19. Chapter 18
20. Chapter 19
21. Chapter 20
22. Chapter 21
23. Chapter 22
24. Chapter 23
25. Chapter 24
26. Chapter 25
27. Chapter 26
28. Chapter 27
29. Chapter 28
30. Chapter 29
31. Epilogue
What's Next
Also by Kat Obie
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Hockey Hottie
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Acknowledgments
About the Author
Chapter 1
Petey
While waiting in the airport lounge to board the plane back to Vancouver for the summer, Petey looked down to see a text from his best friend, Maddy.
Are you still coming home tonight and who's picking you up?
Of course, that's when he saw that his flight was boarding. He wouldn't have much time to chat with her, which was a disappointment. Maddy was the best thing about going home. Going back to Vancouver meant everyone calling him Master Aaron, Aaron, or Mr. Peterson. He hated the pretentiousness of it. He’d much rather be called by his hockey nickname 24/7 like he had over the past seven years. It didn't help that he had to do law school and work for the family business, all the while keeping up and even improving his hockey skills so he was ready to play for the Cleveland Sound at the beginning of his NHL career.
He grabbed his carry-on bag and headed down the aisle, texting. I am and it's going to be Lucas. Still have that date tonight?
There was a part of him that hated how she had a date with Jared tonight. He hadn't seen her in months, and he wanted to spend time with her in person. She made him feel so much better about his whole break up with Aubrey.
She’d never liked Aubrey anyway. Much like he’d never liked her boyfriend. His twin brother, Lucas, swore they only hated each other's partners due to jealousy, but Petey didn't think it was that. Jared was a creep, and it seemed like he was a wee bit possessive of Maddy. She deserved better. Then again, she was right about Aubrey being petty.
Maddy: Yeah.
He hated that answer, but he wasn't surprised by it. She had that date arranged before he bought the flight home last week.
Petey: Tomorrow then? I've been missing you.
He wanted to see her again, but he wouldn't be able to see her answer for several hours since it was time to go into airplane mode and unplug.
He settled in and started to read his latest law book, hoping to get a head start on the readings before his classes really got going. He was used to trying to get ahead and reading on his tablet as much as possible when he traveled.
The flight was long but uneventful. Just the way he liked it. He wasn't in a rush to get to the manor or deal with work stuff, so he left his phone off for a few more minutes while he went through customs and collected all his things. As he walked out the arrivals gate with his baggage, he was surprised to see Maddy standing there in front of him.
It took all his self-control not to run up and hug her, but he knew all his chicklets had to be showing. He was so stoked to see her. The only thing that could bring down his mood was the fact that Maddy looked so upset.
"Mads, what's going on? Is everything okay?" He enveloped her in a hug. He didn't even care that he couldn’t see his brother at that moment. He was worried about her.
She crashed her head into his torso and just stayed silent. He didn't feel any dampness on his shirt, so he was pretty sure she wasn't crying, but he was sure she was about to. He leaned his head on hers and started to rub her back. Since she hadn't said anything yet, he got worried but just whispered, "It'll be all right."
She jutted her chin into his chest and looked up at him. "Oh, I know. Breaking up with Jared sucked, but I'm so glad you're here."
If it wasn't such an asshole move since she was upset, he would have celebrated the break up. Jared had never been right for her, and now she could find someone who was.
"So, shall we get some ice cream and head back to the manor to watch movies in our cinema? Or do you want to make your mom mad and order lots of Chinese food as we watch movies?"
Maddy's mom had been their family chef since Petey was born and was amazing. The one cuisine she never did well was Chinese, and she hated when they ordered in from other places. They both loved Chinese food, and after a long flight, he could go for real food rather than ice cream. But since Maddy was having a rotten night, she would get the choice of cuisine.
"Chinese sounds wonderful. But we won't make her mad; she has the night off."
"Perfect. Since you’ve had a rough night, you get to pick the movies."
Petey was so glad she was smiling again and looked so much happier than even a few minutes before. They headed to her car and started to order all the Chinese food the both of them could ever want.
Maddy
Going to pick up Petey was impulsive, but she needed a friend. Breaking up with Jared was never going to be easy, but she needed to do it.
Of course, Jared accused her of cheating on him and wanting him to be Petey. Petey was her best friend and confidant. Him coming home for the off-season and being single wasn't the reason why she wanted to break up with Jared. She'd needed to do it for weeks now and had just been putting it off. But when he’d grabbed her this evening, it was the last straw.
It wasn't hard to text Lucas and see if he minded her tagging along to pick up Petey at the airport, and he was all for her coming. Hell, he even told her to make sure Petey got home okay. Lucas was either trying to give them some alone time or wanted to hook up with a girl. With Lucas, it was hard to tell.
She was so damn grateful for Petey's suggested plan for the evening. It was the perfect way to forget about an ex-boyfriend.
They ordered so much food. There were dumplings of all types, egg rolls, General Tso's chicken, beef & vegetables, and a few other dishes that were delicious—she couldn't remember what they were called. It was all spread out in front of them on the coffee table, with chopsticks in a few of the boxes.
Best of all, she got to cuddle up next to Petey. His body was so large and comforting. There was nothing that could go wrong while he was around.
The two of them were snuggled up watching The Notebook when Lucas came to the doorway. "Don't you two look comfortable."
The thing was, she felt comfortable being wrapped up in Petey's arms and munching on dumplings. She could forget all the accusations from earlier in the evening and just move on. It was good to hang out with her best friend again. To outside eyes, it probably looked super romantic, but Petey was just being an awesome friend.
Petey looked up and said, "Thanks for leaving me in good hands, bro. Although, you could have warned me that you weren't going to show up at the airport."
Lucas grabbed one of the food containers as he flopped onto a cinema chair that was off to the side of their joint seat. "I knew you would rather spend time with her." He looked up at the screen. "Really, The Notebook? Couldn't it at least be Miracle or Goon?"
She didn't expect Lucas to like her choice in movies, although she was impressed that he knew what movie it was. "Shh. It's my favorite. Although, we were talking about watching Slapshot next."
"So, all night movie fest on Aaron's first night back?"
It was strange to hear Lucas call Petey by his actual name. He'd been going by Petey for so long that his own brother should be calling him Petey by now.
Petey said, "Yup."
Lucas took a break from shoveling lo mien into his mouth with the chopsticks. "If I didn't know better, I would think you two are a couple."
Petey shot his brother a look. "Let's not talk couples tonight. Maddy and Jared broke up."
Lucas nearly choked on his noodles. He hopped off the chair and said, "Oh shit. I'm going to leave you two, then." But he looked at the table and grabbed another pint of food as he stalked out of the room.
She looked up at Petey and asked, "What was that about?"
"No clue. But it's Lucas."
Petey was right. His brother could be as flighty as Petey was steadfast and responsible. But it was nice to be able to watch movies with Petey alone. All the stress from the early evening was completely gone.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Petey
As he packed things up from the summer to head back to Lager's house in Cleveland, one of the butlers came up and said, "Master Aaron, Miss Williams is downstairs in the parlor for you."
He nodded in acknowledgement as he set down clothing in his bag. "I'll finish this later, Charles."
He hoped he would let him pack stuff up, but he knew there was a 50/
He plodded downstairs to see Maddy looking at the bookshelf. He stared at her from a distance for a moment before making himself known. He loved the way she would get on her tiptoes to peer up and the way her long hair flowed down her back. He smirked before he cleared his throat.
She turned and said, "Hey, Petey," as she came up to give him a hug around his broad shoulders.
One of the many reasons he loved Maddy: she was one of the few people in Vancouver that actually called him by his hockey nickname. He was probably closer to her than he was with his own twin brother, Lucas. "What are you doing here? I thought you were studying for the bar exam?"
"You’re leaving soon. I wanted to spend tonight with you. Besides, you could always study for the bar with me.”
She was right. He should probably be studying for the bar exam too. That was if he gave a damn about the law and if it wasn't years away. He didn't even care if he practiced law, unlike Maddy. He was only working on the degree to make his father happy and get his blessing to play hockey. That way he could take over the Peterson Consolidated Group when it was time.
He shrugged and said, "I'll worry about it closer to the time I have to take it. So, what book caught your eye?"
She clasped her hands behind her back before she looked down at her feet. It was an old song and dance. He wished she would just skip the shy bit. "It's not that big of a deal. I can always read it later."
He went over to where she was looking and tried to see if he could figure it out so he could just hand over the books. But there were at least six new ones on there and three related to law. "Okay, I need a clue."
She placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's fine, Petey. I don't need that book."
"But you want to read it." He laughed. Then he reassured her, "And you have my permission to read it. Just bring it back the next time you visit, or have your mom bring it back. No one will even know it was gone."
"True. They never noticed before."
He almost pushed her forward towards the bookshelf so she could grab the book. Instead, he teased her. "Yet you still worry, and you still have my permission. So go on, borrow it."
Finally, Maddy grabbed two books with a wide smile on her face. "Thanks, Petey." For a moment, he swore she was going to lean up and give him a peck, but she just gave him a side hug. "I swear I didn't come here to borrow a book."
"I know. So what did you have planned?" Maddy would never come there for a book. She wasn’t a transactional person. She was damn caring. If he didn’t know better, she was interested in him, but she seemed so oblivious to his flirtation.
"Come with me."
Maddy
She was happy to spend time with Petey before he went back to Cleveland. He’d seemed so quiet this whole summer. It wasn’t him. He was dealing with something but wasn't sharing much, other than that his ex was a money hungry bitch who didn't understand him. He should have known she wasn’t the one when she refused to call him Petey.
Carrying the two books that he’d loaned her, they walked out to her car. As they were getting in, he asked, "Hey, any chance we could do something simple tonight?"
She started to back up the car. "Of course. What's the deal?"
"Just not in the mood to get hounded." That seemed to be his excuse for not wanting to go out all summer. But most of the time, she wanted to stay in or do something that was pretty cheap too, so it worked out perfectly. She just wished he would share what he was actually avoiding.
Petey gave few clues that he was a billionaire. Hell, he liked to live with one of his teammates in Cleveland. She could see the appeal of hanging out with his roommate and his son. He kept such a low profile. He donated to charities anonymously and never seemed to get himself in the news other than for being amazing at hockey. He was basically the exact opposite of his twin brother, the playboy heir.
"Well, it just so happens I was thinking about dinner at my place and maybe throwing on a movie in the background. I just wanted to hang out one more time before you leave me behind again."
A grin broke out on his face. She’d picked the right plans for tonight. Of course, he threw out, "Hey, just let me know. It would be fun to have my best friend with me."
"I can't just up and leave." She protested his invitations to visit every single time he offered to fly her across the country. She didn’t want to take advantage of his generosity.
"Why not? What's keeping you here?"
"Family, school, and well, everything. We aren't all like you and willing to give up everything for a dream." She chided herself. That was harsh. She knew it wasn't easy for him either. He’d nearly lost his inheritance when he decided to follow his NHL dreams.
His hand covered hers that was resting on the arm rest, completely engulfing it. He gave it a gentle squeeze. "Maddy, a trip to Cleveland wouldn't mean giving up those things. I’m talking about a visit, not to come and live there. You have to admit, it would be so much fun to have you hang out with my hockey family."
"Okay. I'll think about it."
Once they were at her apartment, he carried the two books inside for her. He always tried to be gallant but in a very quiet way. He would carry a book or bag inside and open doors. If he could get away with it, he would pull a chair out for a woman.
Once they got inside, she asked, "So, what's with getting hounded? Is it more than the normal stuff?"
He folded his arms and looked down. He thought for a moment and then walked over to her fridge. He would always drink when he was nervous. But if he was grabbing a beer, he was more likely to tell her what he’d been avoiding all summer long.
She asked, "Get me one too?"
He nodded and grabbed two bottles. He opened them and handed her one. He took a swig and said, "A legacy from my ex."
That was too vague. "So, things are worse now?" He nodded but was still deadly quiet. She had to probe a bit if she wanted to know more. "Are your worlds colliding?"
He nodded again. That would do it. He loved how he was fairly anonymous playing hockey. Peterson was a common name, and few people cared enough to know which twin made it into the NHL. Around here, everyone knew that he was Aaron Peterson, the heir to the Peterson fortune. It was also slightly problematic that his father had bought the Vancouver Legacy, the local NHL club, the moment his sons showed some promise in the sport. While both Petey and Lucas loved hockey, only one of them made it to the NHL.
"She told the bunny boards that I was loaded and I was looking for some fun."
That was the most preposterous thing ever. He wasn't easy. He was a good man. The guy willing to help out anyone. Like making sure she could read each and every book that she ever wanted from the family library. He’d dated Aubrey for years, never even looked at another girl, even when they were on a break. He was loyal.
If it was his twin, it might have made sense. They were like night and day, despite looking identical. Lucas was such a playboy. New girl every night to a different event. Nor did he ever care if people knew he was loaded.
"So, the girls want you more than ever."
He nodded. He took another swig of his beer. "To make it worse, she also gave out my cell number earlier today. So tomorrow I have to get a new phone number."
She shook her head in disapproval, but that explained why she couldn’t reach him earlier today. She’d showed up at his house in the hopes that he was available. "That's insane."
"Completely. I just don't get her end game on this one."
She couldn’t blame Petey for being confused. It seemed a bit of a contradictory move if the girl wanted to get back together with him. However, Petey had made it clear that this time it was really over. She shrugged. "I hate to say it. Make your life miserable."
Chapter 3
Petey
Pulling up to Lager's house felt weird. It had been his home for the last three years. Last year was a bit rough because Lager and his soon to be ex-wife were fighting so much. He was curious what he would be walking into this year.
Almost as soon as he entered the house, he heard the pitter patter of little feet. Klaus was running toward him, and it didn't take long for the six-year-old kid to launch himself into Petey’s legs for a hug. "Uncle Petey!"
