Falling Fast (Loving the Sound Book 1)

by Kat Obie

  On the counter sat the flowers he’d ordered for Alice. He was surprised Alice didn’t come downstairs to greet him. She must have fallen deeply asleep.

  He climbed the stairs and quickly changed into athletic shorts and a Sound Tee. The moment he climbed into bed, Alice rolled over and gave him the widest smile as she said, “Hey there, sexy.”

  Scotty smiled. He had to look like hell and yet all she saw was him looking sexy. He leaned forward and kissed her as he said, “Hey, I thought you were still asleep.”

  “I heard you moving about.”

  “Sorry,” said Scotty as he kissed her forehead. “I was hoping not to wake you.”

  “Nah, you’re good. You know, your new haircut is soooo sexy.” Scotty had to smile. He knew that she was exhausted. She almost never let herself get drunk, but she would get punch drunk occasionally. There was a huge part of him that wanted to keep her awake to have her say something else silly about his hockey and kisses.

  “You keep saying that, babe.”

  “It’s true . . .”

  Suddenly, there was a burst of energy that came through the bedroom door. “Miss Alice, Miss Alice,” said the little boy, but the moment the little one saw Scott, he said, “Uncle Scotty!” Klaus launched himself into Scotty’s arms and landed near one of his bruises. He tried not to cringe. The boy loved all the guys on the team but always loved hanging around Scotty the most besides his dad.

  “Hey there, buddy,” said Scotty, trying to keep things light.

  Scotty was going to set Klaus in between him and Alice. But before he could, the little boy whispered in his ear as only a little kid would, half hushed and yet perfectly audible, “Uncle Scotty. If you sleep with Miss Alice like how mommy and daddy sleep, does that mean I should be calling her Aunt Alice?”

  Scotty wanted to laugh. That was something he wasn't expecting, but that was kid logic for you. Scotty whispered back to the little one, “You are going to have to ask her.”

  Klaus then pulled a smile that was so much like his dad’s, complete with the charm turned fully up. He was way too young to know how to charm someone, but it seemed to be an instinctive trait for the Lagerfield guys. Klaus said, “Miss Alice, can I call you Aunt Alice?”

  Alice smiled and said, “Sure, but why are you awake?”

  “I heard noises. But now I see it’s Uncle Scotty. Does that mean I have to go home now?”

  “Not yet, but you should be in bed asleep. The sun is still sleeping,” said Alice with a yawn.

  “And I should be asleep too. But I can stay up if hockey is on,” said Klaus as if he’d heard it before and was repeating the obvious. Then, with Lager’s smile, he said, “Is hockey on?”

  “Not yet, buddy. Even hockey players are sleeping or going to bed,” said Scotty with a laugh.

  Alice grabbed Klaus from Scotty’s arms and got up from bed. Backup jumped off the bed to follow Klaus and Alice. As she clutched him, she said, “Okay, let’s go back to sleep. Before you know it, we can get up.”

  “Okay. Night Uncle Scotty,” said Klaus from Alice’s shoulder.

  Scotty loved seeing Alice’s maternal side. She just took over in that caring way. It was the perfect thing to see them together.

  The only bad thing was that Alice was more alert and no longer punch drunk. Within five minutes, she came back to the bedroom, but Backup didn’t come back to the bedroom. Scotty rolled to face Alice and said, “You know, you will make a great mom one day.”

  “Well, given he jumped up for you the moment he saw you, are you sure that it’s not you that will be the great parent?”

  “When you put it that way, it will be the both of us,” said Scotty. He laid his arms on her shoulders in a loose hug. He was glad to hold his girl and look in her eyes. He leaned his head on hers and said, “Are you okay with everything?”

  “Yeah. What about you? That was a chippy game.”

  “Been better. Have I ever mentioned I hate LA? Sorry about not being there for you today.”

  “Given all the shit you have been dealing with today, it’s no wonder you hate LA. Don’t worry about me being alone at court today. Literally all you missed was a lot of waiting.”

  “I hope you didn’t see all of it,” muttered Scotty under his breath as he thought about the super reports of him supposedly hooking up with PK’s girlfriend.

  Alice giggled. That’s when Scotty knew that she’d heard it. But he was relieved to hear her so relaxed and he didn’t need to worry. “I don’t know what’s the most ridiculous part about the rumor: the fact they think you cut your hair for her, despite the fact you clearly had it done when you were in San Jose, or the fact you can clearly see PK’s hand on her waist. Unless you have been hiding a third arm from me, I know there is nothing to worry about. Not to mention all the Facetiming we did—when would you guys have done anything?”

  Scotty had to kiss Alice with full tongue action.

  He was so glad to see that she wasn’t a tiny bit jealous or worried that he might stray. He’d seen similar reports blow up a seemingly stable relationship with teammates over the years. While he couldn't imagine straying from Alice, there was always the threat of these rumors since there were always girls who threw themselves at hockey players.

  It just seemed crazy to be linked to PK’s girlfriend in the first place. PK and half the team were present at the dinner that night. He was never even alone with her. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to know that didn’t faze you.”

  “Dude, compared to the court crap and seeing you manhandled by the Titans, I’m not going to worry about nonsensical rumors.”

  “I get that. At least we showed the Titans who's boss. 5-1 was pretty ridiculous.”

  “Yah. You did pretty damn good,” said Alice a bit coyly.

  “Pretty damn good? What should I have done better?” he asked incredulously. He’d had two goals and two assists that night. He’d played almost his normal amount of time.

  In the most blasé fashion possible, she said, “A hat trick. Dkystman had one.”

  “Oh, you.” He rolled on top of her. “What am I going to do with you? Don’t you remember I just came back from surgery and, even by your own words, I got manhandled out there tonight? And you are saying I should have had a hat trick?”

  Alice just laughed and leaned up to kiss him. Scotty realized that she was just trying to rile him up.

  They should have been sleeping, but it was just fun fooling around. His bad mood dissipated at that point. He kicked himself for so easily falling for her ploy.

  Alice was satisfied with just getting him on top of her. She liked the easy access to kisses when he was on top of her and kept leaning up for more. She was careful to keep her hands around his neck or fisted through his hair. While he would have loved for her to caress his body, he was glad that she didn’t touch any of his bruises.

  They couldn’t get too loud with Klaus being down the hall but, fortunately, she seemed to be thinking the same thing.

  Thinking about Klaus’s comments, he realized that the two of them probably watched the game together. He loved Alice’s reactions during games, but they weren’t usually kid-friendly. He pulled back from the kissing. “Babe, did you watch the game with Klaus?”

  “Yes, and before you ask, I was on my best behavior. Although, if we have kids, they will probably learn how to swear way too young. It’s too tough not to swear during a game.”

  Scotty shook his head and rolled off of Alice. He laughed. “As long as you didn’t teach Klaus any, I won’t care. Lager and Bridge would probably kill both of us if you did.”

  Alice smiled and asked, “How has Petey not sworn in front of Klaus?”

  “No clue. Probably fear of death if he did. Come on, baby, let’s go to sleep like the sun is.”

  Alice threw her head back and groaned. “Ugh. You are going to tease me about that for a while, aren’t you?”

  “Probably. Just like you love to bring up hockey and kisses.”

 
“You use it as much as I do,” accused Alice.

  Scotty pulled Alice into a spooning position, the way he usually held her right before they went to sleep. “Maybe I do. But, come on, let’s go to sleep. It’s been a long day.”

  23

  Scott

  Scotty got anxious, a feeling that he’d always hated. Keeping his hands busy preparing dinner was a godsend.

  When Alice mentioned that her dad was arriving before she got home, he knew that he had the perfect opportunity to talk to her dad about his intentions. As her arrival drew closer, he worried that it wouldn’t go his way. Although he couldn’t imagine a reason why her dad would say no.

  Scott put the fish packets into the oven when the doorbell rang. Both dogs rushed to the door. He grabbed Backup’s collar to prevent him from running over Alice’s dad when he opened the door.

  Seeing Alice’s dad, he said, “Hey, Mr. Kercheck.” As soon as Alice’s dad came through the door, he let go of Backup. Both dogs sniffed their legs, but when they didn’t get any attention, they scampered off.

  “Hey there, Scott.”

  “How was the drive in? Do you want anything to drink?”

  “It was fine. A beer would be good.”

  “Any particular kind? Alice has a large selection, although she said she’s sorry about the lack of pils.” Scott wasn’t comfortable talking about beer. He knew Alice and her dad enjoyed it. He basically repeated the words that Alice had texted him. “I should let you pick out your beer for tonight rather than listing what she has or telling you styles.”

  “Sounds good.” Mr. Kercheck followed Scott to the fridge. Scott pulled out his standby beer as Alice’s dad pulled out a craft beer. “I bet you’re glad to be playing again.”

  “Yes, sir. It sucked not being able to play.” Scott instantly regretted his choice of words. Her dad was way cooler about swearing than Alice’s mom, but he still needed to win him over. Her dad sat on the living room couch.

  “Relax, Scott. I knew Alice wouldn’t be here.”

  “It’s not that. I have to ask you something, and I don’t want to upset you.”

  “Given how much you care about Alice, you have nothing to worry about.”

  “It’s not just care for her; I love her very much. Which is why I wanted to ask if I could marry her. I know she’s not quite ready for an engagement, and I won’t rush that. But I do want to ask her for her hand one day. Possibly after the end of the season but maybe Christmas. I don’t know the exact time frame.”

  “Breathe, Scott. You are as bad as Alice when she’s nervous.”

  Scott took a drink of beer and waited for what felt like forever.

  Finally, Mr. Kercheck said, “Yes. You have my blessing. Honestly, from the moment you asked her to move in, I’ve been waiting for this.”

  “Of course, sir, and thank you.”

  “Stop calling me ‘sir.’ Just keep treating my daughter the way you do.”

  “No problem. I wouldn’t dream of treating her any other way,” said Scotty instinctually.

  “Also, she’s more ready than you think,” replied Mr. Kercheck. That surprised Scotty. “First, she knows about the rings. Don’t ask me how. But the idea makes her nervous, as much as it excites her.”

  Scotty knew she had to have seen them the night he got them. He was astounded she hadn’t tried to find out more about them. It was so unlike her.

  “Nervous?” asked Scotty. It didn’t make much sense to him. He had to get up and check on the food.

  Alice’s dad then said, “Yeah, but it’s not really about the two of you. Rather, she’s nervous solely from what happened with her previous relationships. Has Alice told you anything about her exes?”

  “Not much. Just that there were a couple bad break ups and she’s still friends with a couple of her exes.”

  Alice’s dad smiled and he took a sip of his beer. “Well, that’s Alice for you: understating the facts. Okay. Her and Nick were talking about marriage before they broke up. They seemed good for each other, and the only real flaw in their relationship was that she said that he was an asshole about her hockey knowledge. Always downgrading her opinion since she was a Flyers fan and he was a massive Penguins fan. And yes, I know you tease her about the Flyers, but you respect the hell out of her. The way it should be. But it all ended suddenly. Ally was there, witnessed it all, and told me about it first. It took a long time before Alice said anything about it. Nick literally broke up with her for not promising to smile when they were going out to a club and not having the right clothes.”

  Scotty was dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe it. “But Alice doesn’t like to go to clubs. Strobe lights give her migraines. So he literally wanted her to be happy about getting a migraine? Sure, she would go for him if he wanted and try to fake it. But she would never promise something she couldn’t guarantee.”

  “Oh, it gets better. Alice was having a terrible day already. Several of her plans fell through, including a lunch with Ally. She was genuinely not in a smiley mood. In the end, he put the icing on a really bad day. She got so guarded with relationships afterwards and didn’t open up to anyone until she met you.”

  Scott felt his blood boil. That was ridiculous. If he found out who that Nick guy was, he would kill him. No wonder she had more than a normal amount of hatred towards the Penguins. They were a constant reminder of that asshat. “So, let me guess, she’s worried that we might end over some bullshit reason especially if I wait too long.”

  “Yup. And I think that’s why she freaked out about getting a place together in Philly. It was just another piece for her to lose if things went south.”

  “So you heard about that too.” Scotty shook his head marveling at how much Alice confided in her dad. “I thought she would love that idea.”

  “She did. But it was too much. Maybe if you guys get married she will open up to an actual place in Philly. But I know she wants to spend time in your summer place too. Just continue to love her hard and keep being you.”

  Scotty smiled and thought about what her dad had said. It was a lot to process. He nodded and was about to say something, but then her dad shifted gears, in a similar way to Alice. “I know you were on the road but you talked to her a lot. How did the court stuff go this week?”

  “Okay.” Scotty traced the bottle opening with his thumb. “She was fine with the prep, but I could tell it brought that night up. So she was pretty quiet. Then yesterday was . . .”—he was going to say ‘a clusterfuck,’ but he caught himself—“. . . a mess. I could tell she was nervous waiting, but then she was so pissed off after she found out that the case was continued and no one had told her. Not that I could blame her. I’m glad that she decided to work off the emotions with hockey. This morning she was basically her normal self again.”

  “Yeah, I got through to her shortly after she played hockey. I couldn’t tell if she was putting on a front or what. I’m glad that things weren’t bad.”

  Scotty bounced back between the kitchen and the living room. He turned on the Flyers game. He thought her dad might like the game and knew Alice was going to want to turn it on.

  Besides, he wanted to know what was going on with them anyway since they still had a chance to make the playoffs given the outcome of tonight’s and tomorrow’s games around the league.

  Scotty heard the garage door open and close, along with the nails of the dogs running to that door. He wasn’t surprised at all when Alice opened the door. Chloe and Backup were greeting her. Once she was able to get past the two dogs, she went up to Scott and hugged him as she said, “That looks and smells amazing, babe.”

  He kissed her forehead. “Hey baby. How was work?”

  “It was good. How was practice?” Alice didn’t even give him time to answer as she noticed her dad sitting in the living room. “Hey Dad, was the drive in okay?”

  “Practice was good.” Scotty smiled. “Come on, dinner’s ready.”

  Alice’s dad came up to the kitchen and hugged Alice
. Then the three of them headed to the table. Alice made a detour to grab a beer from the fridge.

  As the three of them started to sit down, Alice noticed that the Flyers game was on. “For fuck’s sake,” Alice said under her breath as she saw the score. It was early into the second period, and they were only down by one.

  Her dad shook his head as Scotty said, “Hey, they aren't doing that bad. It was an unlucky break.”

  Alice smiled and teased Scotty. He seldom rooted for her team. “Don’t tell me you are rooting for the Flyers tonight.”

  “Yup. You know that I hate Columbus on principle. Even if I didn’t, it would be better for the Sound if the Flyers win their next two games and Columbus loses.”

  Her dad asked with curiosity, “Still not a lock for the playoffs?”

  “Well, the Sound is. It’s more who they have to play through. It could be a few teams including the Flyers,” explained Alice.

  “Obviously, I want to go through the Flyers. It’s an outside chance,” said Scotty. Alice made a face. She had to be one of the few fans who didn’t want that match up. Not that he’d blame her. “Sorry, babe, but they are the least evil team to go through.”

  “But your record against them was 50-50. Wouldn’t you rather face the Carolina? You swept them.”

  Scotty should have known that was the match up she’d prefer and couldn’t argue her logic. Both of them were in agreement that they wanted to avoid one of the potential matchups. “Touché. As long as the Pittsburgh stay exactly where they are in the standings, I’ll be happy.”

  Alice laughed. The two of them knew it was only a matter of time before the Penguins got hot like they did almost every year in the playoffs. Scotty asked, “So, what are your plans for tomorrow?”

  “Dad and I are going to Platform Brewery or maybe one of the breweries nearby. Did you have a preference?”

  “Doesn’t matter. It’s your day, kid.”

  “Please tell me you’ll be okay for the game,” said Scotty. While she knew her limits, he didn’t want her taking the cursing too far in front of all the wives and kids.