He Shoots, She Scores

With Nate
Nate woke up a smile on his face for the first time in months and reached to his left expecting to find Carrie. He pops his eyes open when his hand hits something furry finding their dog Cash instead of Carrie.
“Morning there Johnny Cash, have to admit buddy I really would have rather you been Carrie”
He sat up running a frustrated hand through his messy hair, a dream of course it was, just like playing hockey this season was becoming a dream between the CBA negotiation and his back which was on the mend until his fight with Roysy. Then to top off the illusive hockey season he has a dream of making up with Carrie, beyond being at least friendly towards each other. He couldn’t even make up with his wife right he shook his head.
The word wife rang in his head like a gong, his wife, yeah she was and it was official he was sick of this argument- if you could even call it that- they were in the middle of, he got off his bed and headed for the shower. After a quick shower, shave and getting dressed he headed down the stairs to find Carrie. On the kitchen counter laid her book abandoned with no bookmark the sign she was done reading it.
He could hear soft music and humming from the living room, he turned the corner to find Carrie with her headphones in the music practically blaring in her ears. He watched as she made her way around the room dusting tables and shelves then across the mantle and pictures. The song ended and a quieter piano solo started as she reached the picture at the center of the mantle among other family pictures. It stood a bit taller than the rest and was a candid picture from their wedding reception he had her wrapped tight in his arms her cheek was against his chest and they were smiling and dancing to Hunter Hayes “Wanted”. As an inaudible voice started to sing the melody it hit Nate, her smile and her pause while dusting that picture, it was their song. He took 4 large steps to cross the living room quickly yanking her iPod from her back pocket.
Carrie turned quickly to face him her face filled with puzzlement and surprise. He carefully took the headphones out of her ears and unplugged them from the device, never saying a word as he started the song over and extended his hand to her. She carefully set the picture back in its place as the slow piano started again and took his hand. They danced lazily to the songs country twang and when it ended and a fast paced song took its place neither of them moved as the song filled the room.
“Good morning” she finally said quietly even though it was close to noon
“I had a dream last night” he stated simply looking down into her eyes for any objection “There was a thunder storm and the power went out and long story short we made up. Actually made up not this on friendly terms thing we have going on”
Carrie looked up at him with wide eyes and stepped away from him and towards her cell answering a text message
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” he asked nervousness and frustration filling his voice
“Derek Roy got traded to the Dallas Stars today, and we acquired Steve Ott and John Scott those rhyme” she said absent mindedly and turned to head to the kitchen. Nate looked at her in surprise entirely speechless. She was 3 steps out of the room when she looked over her shoulder and added “And that wasn’t a dream and I can’t figure out why it hurts that you thought it was”
Nate took 2 steps towards her before grabbing her arm preventing her from taking a step further out of the room “It wasn’t a dream” he repeated and she faced him and shook her head no once. He gave her arm a light tug pulling her into him and kissing her hard, he pulled away with a smile “It wasn’t a dream” he said again his smile broadening. He looked at her expecting a smile but the look on her face made his smile falter “Why aren’t you happier about this?”
“Nate I was ecstatic until you thought it was a dream, also the house is a mess”
Nate laughed and pulled her towards the couch “The house can wait baby. I just want to waste the day with you on the couch”
“Nate we can’t we have a party tomorrow! I need to clean the whole house food needs cooked, the pool needs vacuumed and Cash stinks and really needs a bath”
“Please?”
“Nate!”
“Come on Carrie” he smiled kissing her and she groaned
“Stop it! Don’t kiss me, help me!”
“But you’re my wife and I can kiss you whenever I want” he said kissing her again
“My husband just made a vague “Sweet Home Alabama” reference, no more romantic comedies for you and the answer is still no”
Nate sighs and using the only trick he has left whines out “But Carrie” and pouts
“NO! Not that Gerbe pout, fine okay? You win! But only for an hour, then, you have to help me get all the house work done” she reaches out grabbing his chin “I hope to God none of our kids inherit this pout! We’ll have weird animals and extravagant toys everywhere”
Nate laughed and grabbed the remote to turn on the TV as he plopped down on the couch pulling Carrie with him; he pulls her closer into his side and kisses her hair
“This wouldn’t be so easy if you weren’t so adorable” She says getting more comfortable next to him
“What’s that?”
“Goofing off with you”
He smiles down at her a full gorgeous Nathan Gerbe smile that she hadn’t seen in a while “I love you Carrie”
“Good remember that when you’re vacuuming the pool and bathing Cash”
“Aw man the two worst jobs on the list!”
“But you love me don’t you” she says innocently looking up at him through long eyelashes and he sighs
“That right there is the look I hope our daughters don’t inherit”
“I don’t know what you are talking about I’m innocent” she says smiling at him “And besides Cash is not a small dog”
“Oh come off it! You’re like what an inch, two at the most shorter than I am? How does it get easier for me?”
Carrie thinks for a moment before squeezing his bicep with a smile “Your great hockey player physique”
“Woman you could sell a millionaire with a PhD dog crap on a stick”
“I love you too”
“So Roysy got traded”
“Yeah Lace text me”
“Good” he says a tight smile on his face, Carrie looks at him slightly confused when it clicks she tries not to let her exhale come out as a frustrated sigh
“Hey” she says quietly and he turns to face her again “I love YOU”
“Yeah I know, I love you too”
“Then what’s wrong, my joking sweet husband just turned into an ice block”
“Oh baby, it’s not you I’m just still mad at him, at myself for believing him”
“Nate, it doesn’t even matter anymore” she says almost pleadingly
“Yeah it does Carrie, I missed a lot of time with you because of him. I’m sorry, forgive me? Please?”
“Nathan Gerbe, you are so far past forgiven that I never want to hear about this again! And now that I’m aggravated it got brought up lets clean”
She got up from the couch in a huff and made her way out of the living room.
By the time they were done cleaning and the food was cooked it was near 9 pm, they had a light dinner and were sitting on the couch Nate watching sports center and Carrie reading. It wasn’t long before the turns of pages were coming slower and slower and Nate noticed the slight droop of Carrie’s head out of the corner of his eye
“Carrie, why don’t you go to bed you look exhausted” she only nodded and got off the couch leaving her book on the coffee table and stretching “Goodnight baby”
“Night” she said rubbing her eyes and making her way slowly out of the room and then up the stairs.
She turned heading to her room changed into pajamas and crawled into bed falling asleep quickly.
It was a little after midnight when Nate decided to go to bed and he walked up the stairs and to his room quietly not wanting to wake Carrie up, he was surprised to find her side of the bed empty though and turned out of the room and down the hall to find her fast asleep in her own room. He nodded and went back to his room trying to fall asleep.
Carrie woke up at 2 am and rolled over trying to find warmth the temperature outside had dropped significantly in the past couple of weeks and she could feel winter in the air, remembering that she was in her own bed she gave up the search for warmth and tried to get positioned back into her warm spot.
Nate was staring at the clock unable to sleep, while he could understand that Carrie was used to sleeping in her own bed it did still slightly hurt that she wasn’t next to him, he could hear Cash softly snoring from the floor and hoped that would lull him to sleep. After another half hour he sighed ready to give up on sleep when his door swung open and there stood Carrie a blanket wrapped around her and a pillow in hand
“What’s wrong?” he asks quietly
“I can’t sleep I’m freezing, and your pillows suck” she mumbles sleepily tossing the pillow off his bed replacing it with her own and crawling in next to him “You’re warm” she sighs happily snuggling closer to his side
“You could have started here”
“I know, but your bed sort of sucks too and I really like memory foam”
“Then we’ll get a new bed”
“Go to sleep I’m tired”
Nate chuckled but pulled her closer and fell asleep quickly.
Carrie and Nate woke up the next morning with a jolt as Nate’s ringtone blared from his phone on his night stand
“Hello?” he said groggily “Hang on, Carrie its Lacey”
“What Lace” she said semi irritated into the phone
“Hey don’t get pissy with me, you were the one that said be here at 11, its 11 I’m here. For once I am on time and we aren’t going to talk about how early I got up to be here at 11 but once again I’m here and locked out!” she yelled into the phone and Cash started barking as Lacey began to bang on the door
“It’s 11! Oh no I over slept! Why didn’t my alarm go off!”
“I called your phone 3 times where is it?”
“Oh I must’ve left it in my room”
“What are you doing not in your room… hold it do I want to know?”
“You’re gross I was asleep, Nate’s coming to unlock the door will you do me a huge favor and put the table cloths on all the tables and start reheating the stuff that can be reheated while I shower”
“Yeah I suppose”
“Thank you”
Carrie hung up the phone and looked at Nate, “Go let her in please” Nate nodded and got out of bed following Cash down the stairs. Carrie got up and went back to her room to shower and get dressed; she was downstairs a half hour later. Lacey already had the pasta boiling the sauce reheating and the burgers and chicken out of the fridge and out by the grill for Nate, who was already showered and dressed and outside cooking
“You’re awesome”
“Tell me something I don’t know” Carrie laughed and stirred the sauce while Lacey drained the pasta
“Hey” Nate said entering the kitchen and Carrie turned to smile at him “Good morning, I haven’t said that yet”
“Good morning” she said back and he kissed her quickly before grabbing Cash’s leash
“I should probably take him for a walk so he can burn off some energy before a ton of hockey player children are running around the yard. Also I’m thinking the pool is going to need to be closed next weekend today will probably be the last good day for swimming”
“Alright we’ll go get the pool closing kit tomorrow, don’t be too long people will be here at 1, love you”
He nodded kissing her again and headed for the front door
“You can tell me something I don’t know and start with that”
“I think you get that, don’t play stupid”
Lacey smiled popping a hunk of tomato from the veggie tray in her mouth and went back to stirring pasta.
It wasn’t long before players and their wives and children started showing up at Carrie’s front door, Nate had taken Cash outback and was cooking again while Cash was lying happily in the sun by the pool.
Carrie plugged her iPod into the speaker dock on the deck and hit shuffle, she was not going to play dj today if anyone wanted to change it or didn’t like it they would have to deal. Everyone was laughing and having fun when the gate on the side of the yard swung open and Tyler walked in, from next to her Carrie could hear Lacey gasp since she’d last seen him Tyler looked like he bulked up and his hair was really short or at least for now it was.
“He looks”
“Shut up Lace, don’t go there”
“Thanks”
“Stop staring…. Ooo look chicken!”
“Carrie bribing me with food will not... Is that barbeque sauce?”
Carrie laughed and heard the door bell ring inside, as she was about to get up she felt someone’s hand on her shoulder
“I got it” Nate said kissing the top of her head Carrie smiled as she heard a couple of the wives say awe and a few more mumble something about acting like that to their husbands.
Nate came back less than a minute later and stopped at the end of the table blocking both Carrie and Lacey from seeing past him
“Who was it?” Carrie asked looking up at him confused by his expression
“Uh no one important”
Carrie scrunched her eyebrows and studied his face, Lacey was engrossed in a game on her phone ignoring them both Nate looked over his shoulder then visibly relaxed and took his seat back next to Carrie
“Who was it?” she whispered
“Marcus”
“So, why is he unimportant yet making you nervous?”
“He’s with a girl”
“I’m gonna kick his..” Carrie yelled and looked around at wide eyes of both parents and children before smiling sheepishly and holding up her phone “Intense game, sorry” she chuckled and turned to Nate whispering “His ass I’m going to kick his ass”
“Calm down kujo”
“Nate, sweetheart I love you very much but compare me to a rabid dog again when I’m this pissed and I will land you in a hospital” she said with a tight smile “Where is he”
“I’m not going to tell..”
“Oh I’m gonna go say hi to Marcus” Lacey popped up from the table and was walking across the patio before Carrie or Nate could stop her.
Carrie bit her lip watching her friend with a big smile plastered on her face tap him on the shoulder she shuddered when he turned around and looked shell shocked to see Lacey. Before Carrie could even try to get up from the table to save her friend the tall blonde was at Marcus’s side practically morphing herself into him and Lacey turned quickly with a red face and walked briskly into the house, accidentally letting out an audible sob on the other side of the open screen door. Carrie felt Nate’s grip on her wrist when she tried to go after her
“Nate, let go”
“Let him handle it” Nate said as Tyler jogged into the house after her
“No I refuse to let him make it worse”
“What if you stop him from making it better?”
Carrie sighed and sat back down “He has 20 minutes”
“It took me 2 weeks”
Carrie just sent an iced glare at him, she turned from him and watched the screen door and listened for any sound coming out of the open windows to let her know Lacey needed her.

With Lacey
Lacey slumped down on Carrie’s bed she felt like an idiot this was beyond anything she could have imagined he had a girlfriend or at least he did now apparently it wasn’t common courtesy to tell the girl you are currently talking to that you and you’re ex were going to give it another try.
She took a few deep breaths willing herself not to cry, she barely knew him there was no use in crying, but it hurt. She stared quietly out the window listening to the music and laughter from the party below her, when the door swung open she didn’t even turn around
“He got back together with his girlfriend Carrie, I have great taste in men don’t I”
“That’s not exactly my place to say” Lacey turned around quickly to find a sheepish Tyler standing in the doorway “Lacey I’m sorry he did that to you” he said running his hand through his much shorter hair
“Tyler, what are you...”
“Lacey I just really need to talk to you ok? And if you hate me you hate me but I have to say it I just have to” Lacey nodded and he took a deep breath “I’m sorry, for the way I acted for the things I said for the drunk calls for everything. But, most of all I’m sorry I ever accused you of cheating on me”
He looked at her with sad eyes and Lacey crossed her arms like it was her last line of defense to protect her fragile heart.
“Lacey all my life the only thing I have been really good at is hockey, and then I met you and I found out I could be good at being myself because you didn’t care who I was. Then I hear Derek spin this story to Nate and I thought if Carrie could cheat on someone like Nathan Gerbe who if you haven’t noticed is loved by a lot of girls, then what stopped you from cheating on me. Where I came up with Pommers I have no idea I just I guess needed someone to pin it on and he was the last player I seen. It was stupid, so stupid I’ve regretted it since then but for some reason every time I saw you it didn’t matter how much I wanted to say I was sorry my brain just took over and I made it worse”
“Tyler, nothing hurt me more than hearing you say you actually thought I would do that to you I loved you”
“So its past tense huh?”
Lacey closed her eyes trying not to cry “Don’t do that”
“I need to know Lacey”
“Tyler I can’t! I can’t tell you that it’s not past tense, I can’t just say let’s try again!”
“Why not?”
“When you break a glass, you can glue it back together but it never works as efficiently as it once did”
“No you’re right you can’t, however, if you line the pieces up just right and incase it in more glass it makes something beautiful”
Lacey heard from outside a slow song start to play and she recognized it almost immediately and smiled even though she didn’t want to “Oh Ed Sheeran I love this song”
“What’s it called?” Tyler asked stepping closer to the window to try to hear it over the talking
“Kiss Me” she answered and Tyler turned to her with a smile
“Okay” he said and kissed her softly leaving Lacey breathless
“No, the name of the song is Kiss Me”
“I liked it as an order better” Lacey laughed a real whole hearted laugh
“Maybe I did too” she said shyly
Tyler sat down next to her quietly and they just listened to the music quietly by the 3rd time the chorus came around Tyler had figured out the words and started to sing along
“Kiss me like you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved. This feels like falling love, falling in love, falling in love”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sing before” Lacey says quietly and rests her head on his shoulder
“And probably never want to again”
“I didn’t say that, it was pitchy but what do I know I am not a musician”
Tyler chuckled and tentatively wrapped his arm around her waist “I miss you”
“Don’t ruin the moment”
“I don’t want to, I want to live in it forever but I highly doubt Carrie and Nate will enjoy us sitting on a bed in their house. Although from what I’ve seen today I’m going to say Carrie probably doesn’t need this bed anymore”
“You’re probably right”
“Lacey” he whispers and she only nods “Please” he says hurt already in his eyes and she could feel his body tense anticipating her answer. Taking a deep breath she closes her eyes and opens them again lifting her head off of his shoulder and they slump almost immediately
“Kiss me, and this time, it’s an order” Tyler smiled his beautiful crooked smile and did as told “We better get back to that party before Carrie comes looking. If I know her you had a time limit that is probably almost up”
“But I just want to sit here for a little while longer; I don’t want to lose what we have here”
Lacey giggled and rolled her eyes at him “You can make up for the time we will lose here by making me dinner tomorrow”
“It’s a date! It is a date right?”
“Yes it’s a date you dork”
“Good, I’m gonna kiss you again”
“You don’t have to announce it” she said standing and pulling him up off the bed, he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, then her nose and lastly her lips.
“I have a lot of those to make up for” he says pulling her out of the room and back down the stairs to the party.
They walked down the stairs and outside hand in hand Tyler placed a quick kiss on her lips before walking back to his seat and Lacey took hers nonchalantly next to Carrie. Carrie raised an eyebrow at her and nodded towards Tyler
“In the words of my best friend, tell me something I don’t know and start with that”
“And in the words of my best friend, I think you get that, don’t play stupid”
Carrie smiled and turned back to Nate who gave her an I told you so look “Don’t go there mister”
“I didn’t say a thing”
“I can tell what you are thinking”
“Oh? So you know I’m thinking that my wife looks beautiful with cake in her hair?”
“I do not have cake in my hair and so help me if some ends up in it I will throw you in the pool!”
“I love you” Nate says trying to kiss her
“And I don’t trust you” Carrie says in a sing song voice pushing him away from her.
The party lasted for a while longer until kids started getting cranky and parents started hauling ketchup faced and cake wearing toddlers and children out of the yard with yells of thank you and good bye. Tyler and Lacey stayed to help clean up and after all the dishes were done and the food put away they all sat around the island in the kitchen with coffee in hand
“When did 20 become old Lacey? We are sitting here drinking coffee like 40 year olds”
“Its cause you’re married, you mature when you get married”
“And your excuse?”
“I won’t go out without you, and I really like coffee”
“Please take some of that food with you guys seriously I don’t know who we were cooking for”
“It really was the best party of the year Carrie, Nate good job”
“It was a picnic Tyler not that big of a deal”
Tyler just shrugged draping his arm over Lacey’s shoulder causally and Carrie laughed “Yours is cuter than mine” she whined at Lacey who laughed while Nate scoffed
“It’s cause he’s married. The get less romantic when they get married” Lacey said taking another sip of her coffee
“I am right here! And plenty romantic thank you very much”
“Says the man whose main goal since our wedding was putting cake in my hair”
“You already did that for yourself Carrie about 20 minutes ago when you were doing dishes” Tyler laughs pouring himself another coffee and topping off everyone else’s
“And no one tells me! Lacey get it out!” she whines leaning towards her friend “Evil people” she scoffs
“Don’t deny you love everyone here, but me a little more” Nate says with a chuckle kissing her shoulder
“No she loves me more” Lacey says matter of factly
“Stop it!” Carrie says laughing “Your both wrong, I love the one who actually TOLD me there was cake in my hair most”
“We lost to the new guy” Lacey says looking at Nate and then offended at Carrie
“And I won over the veterans, looks like a good day to be Tyler Ennis”
They talked for a while more Lacey yawning first; they finally noticed it was after midnight. Tyler and Lacey each took food from the fridge and said good night to their friends before leaving.
“I’m so tired” Carrie says dragging her feet up the stairs
“Me too” Nate says with a yawn they make it to the top and Carrie turns for Nate’s room, and he pushes her back in the other direction
“What?” she asks confused
“1. You need pajamas, 2. If your bed is so much more comfortable I want to sleep in it. Go I’ll change and grab your pillow off my bed” He kisses her and heads to his room while she heads to hers, changes and crawls into bed. A few minutes later the door opens revealing Nate and Cash he tosses the pillow on the bed and climbs in next to her
“Oh man this is better than mine”
“Told you”
“We’ll switch them tomorrow”
Carrie yawned and nodded in response she kisses Nate on the cheek and mumbles a good night before falling asleep quickly.