Insert Cheesy Love Title About Mr. Johnny Toews

“Tessa!” he growled at me as I sprinted towards the ice. I giggled like a school girl, holding tight to his sweatshirt. “Give it back you little brat!”

The ice was straight ahead and I jumped on, sliding a good ten feet. I turned around to face him and grinned cheekily. “Aw come on Seabsy. Learn to relax every once in a while and take a joke.”

“I get it all the time from Sharp and Burish!” he exclaimed. “You do know that if I can skate on the ice for an NHL team, I can sure as hell chase you on it,” he told me, smiling evilly, stepping onto the ice.

I rolled my eyes. “I chose the ice as an advantage to me you doofus. I can run on it too.”

“We’ll see about that,” he said and started to chase me again. I started to run to, keeping to the boards.

“Sorry Seabsy, but you’re just too easy of a target,” I apologized and tossed his sweatshirt over the glass. It just so happened to land in Sharpie’s hands.

“Oh thanks Tessie. What a thoughtful gift,” he held up the sweatshirt for the defensemen to see.

“I thought you’d like it Sharpie,” I said and ran away and into something. Or rather someone. I shook my head of the stars and looked up to see which brick wall I had run into this time.

It was two weeks after I moved in with my brother and well my second brother and things hadn’t been terrible. I bonded with some of the guys like Seabs, Sharp and Kaner. They made life more exciting.

“Johnny Toews,” I smiled sweetly up at my brick wall. “What are you doing out here?”

He just stared at me like I was stupid. “It’s our ice house.”

I shrugged. “So? It’s after practice. You’re usually one of the first to leave.”

He held out his hand and I took it gratefully. He pulled me up in one swift movement. “I had some charity work that needed to be taken care of this past week. I usually stay after practice actually.”

“Doesn’t surprise me. You’re a perfectionist,” I said, walking around him.

His eyes followed me, but he didn’t swivel his body to watch me. “Some would say that. I just like to be prepared.”

“That’s good. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go find my brother.”

“Oh. They left,” he called after me just as I got off the ice.

“What?!” I shouted. “Why?!”

“They thought you were getting a ride from Seabs today.”

Seabs walked by, his sweatshirt back safely on his back. He gave me a look and I knew he would forgive me in a few hours. “Nope. Wait for Johnny to drive you home.”

So I waited the extra hour and a half, watching him skate laps with pucks and shoot at a make believe goalie.

“Sorry if that was too long,” he said as he showered. I waited patiently right outside, ready to hand him his towel. I was that nice.

“Don’t worry about it. Wasn’t long at all. Though I thank you for driving me home. It seems like you’re always driving me there.”

He laughed and stuck his hand out, the only sound of water was that which was dripping off his body.

I shook my head of the image of him standing in the shower and handed him his towel. “I don’t mind. You’re only a short drive away from mine and Kaner’s house so it’s no big deal.”

“That’s good.”

“You know, if you want, you can come over for dinner,” he offered.

“Do you mean so I can cook dinner?” I let a smile run across my lips.

He laughed. “Kaner mentioned you’re a good cook.”

I smiled and pushed some blond hair behind my ear. “I can make a mean barbeque chicken.”

His head popped out. “We have chicken,” he said hurriedly. “We have. . . oh no we don’t. Shit. Kaner used all of it last week. . .I’ll call him and tell him to pick some up.”

“And salad and potatoes.”

“Will do,” he said, making a mental note.

“Um question? What was Kaner using barbeque sauce for? He doesn’t strike me as a cook.”

Johnny’s face turned red as he struggled for a response. “Well um. . .he had a girl over last week.”

“And she cooked?” I probed.

“Not really. . .”

It dawned on me and I knew my face twisted up in disgust. “Ew! What happened to old fashioned whip cream!”

He laughed and stepped out, the towel secured around his waist and I couldn’t help but stare as he walked to get his clothes. “Just give me two seconds to get my boxers on.”

I waited patiently and walked back into the lounge when he called. I was pleasantly surprised to see that he only had on his black boxers. He was pulling on his jeans as I stepped in and again, I couldn’t help but stare.

He quickly threw on his shirt and grabbed his keys. “Ready Tess?”

I nodded and he led me to his car and we drove back to his house in comfortable silence.

“You brought food!” Kaner greeted when we walked in. The blonde hugged me and I was surprised by how strong he was.

“Um Kaner, we don’t eat the people making our dinner,” Johnny smiled, pushing him away.

“I got the stuff you asked for,” he smiled at me.

“You are absolutely disgusting,” I told him walking into the kitchen where I was met with three other hungry players. “You’re kidding me.”

“No I’m not! Tazer has a big mouth is all,” Kaner tried to defend himself as he walked in with his teammate by his side. “Oh yeah. Seabsy, Hammer, and Duncs called and asked if we had that number to that Chinese place by the shady looking Jewel? I said you were cooking and they were over before I could hang up the phone.”

“You have enough chicken?” I asked the Captain.

“We have enough to last the team a week.”

“Comforting. Well get the hell out of my kitchen! Scram! Go drink beer or something.”

They were easy to shoo from the kitchen except for Johnny who wanted to help, mostly because he was hungry.

An hour later everyone was sitting around their big dining room table, happily eating barbeque chicken and loaded mashed potatoes.

“This is possibly the best dinner I’ve eaten since Christmas,” Duncs said, cleaning off his plate.

“Christmas?” I asked.

“My mother cooked. I can’t decide which is better.”

“That’s good to know I guess,” I shook my head and looked down at my phone. My bother was calling. “Hey Andrew,” I answered.

“Where are you? Seabsy get you guys lost.”

“Actually no. Seabs left and I got a ride from Johnny.”

“Where to?”

“His house. I cooked for him, Kaner, Seabs, Duncs, and Hammer.”

“Why weren’t we invited?!”

“You didn’t call asking for the Chinese restaurant by the shady Jewel?”

“That’s stupid. It’s by the shady Walgreens. Duh. Well tell Johnny Two Toes that he has to drive you home wince he forced you to cook.”

“Um got it Andrew. Bye.”

“What did Laddie Boy say?” Kaner said, looking satisfied with the meal.

“Basically telling me that Johnny has to drive me home because I cooked. Johnny Two Toes to be more specific.”

He rolled his eyes. “I told you I had other names.”

“Obviously,” I said. “Okay the rest of you clean up. Two Toes over here has to drive me home.”

The drive home was much like the ride to their house. Quiet and comfortable. That was until Johnny ruined it.

“So why are you here Tess? Laddie didn’t give much insight.”

He had just parked in the driveway and I debated telling him or just telling him to shove it and running into the house.

I tapped my fingers on my knee, an old habit since I was a kid. “I just. . .I found out the hard way that there are some horrible and selfish people in the world.”

I was afraid he would keep prying for something deeper, but my answer seemed satisfying enough. “Yeah, there are, aren’t there? Good night Tess.”

And with that, I walked up the steps and it was only when I opened the door did I finally see the car back out of the driveway.

I couldn’t help but smile. The last time someone had waited until I was safely in the house. . . well I couldn’t remember that far back.