Page 55 of Never Bet Against A Hockey Player

“Perfect,” Conrad grinned. He slid his hand into mine before leading me out of the diner.

I called a quick goodbye to Lydia and happily followed them outside. He led me to a sleek, red SUV that I didn’t recognize.

He paused before climbing in, his eyes searching as he studied me. “Do you have a driver’s license?”

It might seem like a ridiculous question to someone my age, but for me it wasn’t. My mother controlled too much of my life. If not for my boss, I would have had a different answer.

“Yes. Lydia and her guys actually helped me get it. I’ve been working here a long time,” I admitted. “Since I was finally old enough to get a job. They’ve been like a family.”

“Perfect,” he said, dangling the keys in front of me. “You drive. We’ll guide you.”

“Why am I driving?” I asked, looking at him like he’d grown a second head.

“I have a feeling you don’t get to do it very often. Unless you don’t want to drive, then I surely can.” It was just that easy with Conrad.

It had been a really long time since I’d driven, so my first instinct was to say no, afraid I’d hurt his car or do something stupid, but the confidence in his eyes had me wrapping my fingers around the dangling keys.

Grinning, I opened the door and practically fell into the driver’s seat when I climbed in. The alpha was so much bigger than me that I had no hope of reaching the pedals. The seat was pushed back so far I was practically lying down.

All three of the guys started cracking up right along with me. Conrad took pity on me and adjusted the seat while I stayed in it.

Once I was upright enough, I made a few more adjustments, making sure I could reach the pedals and see through the mirrors before reaching for my seatbelt.

Conrad beat me to it. My alpha pulled it across me and clicked it into place before offering me a soft smile. This alpha was just too adorable. Warmth bloomed in my chest, and I had to bite back the giddy grin that wanted to take over.

I’d spent so long making sure Gavin was taken care of that I hadn’t bothered to do the same for myself. It felt so good to have someone taking care of me for once.

He closed my door and there was a slight scuffle between the guys that had me cracking up before Conrad opened the passenger door and climbed in beside me.

“You guys are ridiculous,” I accused.

“We just all like being there for our omega,” Conrad said easily as he buckled himself in this time.

“Where am I going?” I asked as I backed out of the parking spot.

“Right,” Conrad said, not giving me anything more than that.

I turned on my blinker and pulled out when it was safe. They directed me through town the same way, giving me a heads up, but also giving nothing away.

They were bursting at the seams to show me something. I could feel it in the air, crackling between them in their shared looks and smirks. That only had the anticipation growing. I had no clue what this could be.

“Alright, you’re going to turn right up here at the stop sign. There’s a winding road. It’s not quite gravel, but it’s close, so take it easy.”

I kept my eyes peeled for the turn, spotting it just before he pointed it out.

We were so close to the lake now that I could see it peeking through the trees.

I turned onto the road, surprised to find it was actually a long driveway. At the end sat a gorgeous lake house.

It was big, but not overly so. The siding was a mix of light brown brick, sage green siding and shutters, and a gray gabled roof. The large windows were decorated with neat little flower beds and the landscaping out front swooped around the large wrap-around porch. From the extra materials stacked on the side of the house they must have done all this recently.

I could also see hints of a garden sweeping out back between the house and the lake. My feet carried me that way to peek around the house. The lake was gorgeous in the afternoon sun, lights and blue sky reflecting on the surface.

The yard sloped toward the lake and there was a long dock that reached into the water.

It was gorgeous here. The kind of place just outside of town that felt secluded and peaceful, a step removed from society.

Out of my mother’s reach.