Free Las Vegas Sidewinders: Karl (Book 3) by Kat Mizera Page B

wants me to go
with him to some awards show.” She pulled out her phone and answered a text.
“And now my sister needs me to get fitted for a bridesmaid dress!”
    He laughed. “Better you
than me!”
    Her phone buzzed again
and she saw Karl’s name. You there?
    Having lunch with Trey.
How’s Mom?
    Can’t stop throwing up.
Going back into the hospital.
    Shit. I’m sorry, babe.
    Call me later when
you’re done with lunch.
    Okay. Xoxoxo
    She moved her phone off
to the side and sighed.
    “Boyfriend trouble?”
    “He’s stuck in Sweden,
I’m stuck here.”
    “Take a vacation—life’s
too short!”
    “Dante would have a heart
attack—we’re in the middle of baseball season and he’s doing great so far!
We’ve got to ride the positive energy while we’ve got it.”
    “You’re the reason he’s got positive energy!” Trey laughed.
    “That’s what he pays me
for.”
    “Don’t let him suck you
in,” Trey said quietly. “He’s a good guy, but he’s totally self-absorbed. He don’t care about nobody else, you know what I mean? He
thinks ‘cause he’s paying you he owns you, but you
make sure he knows that he don’t .”
    “Right now it’s all
good,” Kate replied. “I’m busy, my business is taking off and I’m making a name
for myself.”
    “And what about your
hunky hockey player?”
    Kate sighed, looking
outside. “What do I say? Hey, forget your mom, come spend time with me? He
needs to be with his family and I need to be here. Unless he puts a ring on my
finger, I can’t afford to walk away from this kind of money.”
    “Is he going to
put a ring on your finger?
    “I have no idea,” she
admitted. “I mean, things were going really well before he left, but now…” Her
voice trailed off.
    “Well, don’t wait too
long, you know? You’re a beautiful woman—you shouldn’t be alone.”
    “I was alone for years
before Karl. Most guys think I’m fat.”
    His eyes widened and he
gaped at her. “What are you babbling about? I am not interested in those of you
born with vaginas, but if I was, I’d be all over your hot little booty! Dante
can have any woman he wants and he thinks you’re fine !”
    “He said that?” She
narrowed her eyes at him. “Really?”
    “Not exactly like that,” Trey hedged with a smirk. “But yeah.”
    She laughed. “Lots of
guys want to fuck me, Trey—that’s easy. But guys like Dante? They want a size 0
on their arm.”
    “Karl doesn’t—and Dante
likes you. A lot.”
    “Karl is special,” she
said softly. “And I’m not going out with Dante, Karl or no Karl.”
    “He’s not a bad guy,”
Trey said hopefully. “He just needs the right woman.”
    “He’s getting married,
you goof!” She couldn’t help but laugh.
     
    Karl left the hospital
late. His mother was finally able to keep down some food, but they were all physically
and emotionally spent. His mother was having a hard time with the chemotherapy
and Karl couldn’t fathom watching her go through four more rounds of it but he
couldn’t think about leaving her yet either.
    Meanwhile, Sebastian
was driving him crazy, talking about the SHL constantly. Coach Nilson had called yesterday, inviting him to lunch, and
Karl couldn’t really say no. He’d played for him when he was younger, and not
meeting with him would be rude, but he was beginning to realize he just wanted
to go home to Las Vegas. Or wherever Kate was. Sweden wasn’t the way he
remembered it, and his life in the NHL was better than anything he had here.
    Pulling up to the
house, everything was quiet. His father was at the hospital with his mother, Sebastian
was out with friends and Emilie had flown to Athens for a photo shoot. He just
wanted to call Kate, hear her voice, and collapse in bed. He walked into the
kitchen and pulled a beer out of the refrigerator. He popped the cap and took a
long pull, jumping when someone touched him from behind.
    “Jesus Christ,
Therese!” He whirled around, glaring at