Page 53 of Home Ice

My body goes still, and I look around to make sure no one overheard him. Princeling is just a few feet away at the bar, but he's wrapped in a deep conversation with a cute little brunette. No one else is nearby. But it's still reckless of Kayden to mention her name. "Keep it down," I hiss at him. "You know she might get in trouble if anyone found out."

Kayden laughs and rocks back, and I wonder if he's had more drinks than I think. Maybe I need to cut him off already. "Dude, just invite her to come out here. That's obviously what you want."

"I can't."

"There are no coaches or execs here. It's just us. Us and some of the absolute finest and smartest women in Manitoba. But you're sitting here like someone stole your dog. How is Silver, by the way? You need to bring him to practice again. We all miss him."

"Silver's not my dog. He's not even Lily's. And he's fine." I don't know what's so hard about just accepting that not all of us feel like hanging out tonight. And it's not because I'm thinking about Lily and how none of the women in this bar even come close to comparing to her. And it's not like I've spent the last hour wishing she was sitting across from me where Kayden is now.

"Call her, Branny. Do it."

"Are you two talking about Lily? You should invite her." Milo and Poppy come out of nowhere. Milo squeezes in beside me, and Poppy sits next to Kayden. "Maybe she would cheer you up."

"That's what I was just telling him," Kayden says.

The server sets the drink in front of me. I smile my thanks to her and then stare at the glass. It is certainly blue. "I don't need cheering up, guys. I'm fine."

"But Lily would make you finer?" Milo elbows me in the ribs.

I shoot a look at Kayden. I told you not to tell anyone.

He gives me an innocent look and shakes his head. I didn't say a word.

"Did I hear you say Lily was coming down?" Princeling pops up at the end of the table. The woman he was talking to at the bar just a few minutes ago is at his side with her hands on her hips. "That would be sweet. Lily's fucking great."

"Agreed. She's fucking great, but I'm not inviting her down here. How would I even get ahold of her?"

"Maybe text her using that brand new cellular phone technology, grandpa?" Princeling smirks. He has no clue that his practices are going to be hell for the next week now.

I hold my hands up like I couldn't possibly know her number when Milo cuts me off. "We know you have her number." Everyone at the table nods. I look at the woman next to Princeling for some kind of help, but she just shrugs. So much for the kindness of strangers.

"It's obvious to all of us," Poppy says.

I shoot a panicked look at Kayden, who just raises his shoulders. "I don't know what you're talking about," I insist.

"The way you kept looking back at her during the flight today?" Princeling imitates someone looking over their shoulder every second.

"And that smile after every time you see her?" Milo adds.

Poppy points a finger at me across the table. "All the times you look at her during practice too. Anyone can see."

"Oh, and remember how you looked for her after that pad save against Dallas?" The others look at Milo like they didn't notice it, but he just nods. Leave it to another goalie to track where my eyes go after a save.

Kayden gives me a look that tells me I might as well give up.

When the woman beside Princeling says "I don't know who this Lily is, but it's obvious you're pining for someone," I know it's over. But really? Pining? Who uses that word? Is that how people in Winnipeg talk? Did Princeling find this woman in the 1890s?

I look at everyone around the table, pointing and hopefully staring my seriousness into them. "You can't tell anyone about this." Milo starts to say something, but I put my finger in front of his mouth. "I mean it. She could lose her job over this, and I will destroy each of you if you ruin this for her. You all claim to like her so much, so you don't want that, do you?" I look around at each of them again, and they all shake their heads.

"Harsh. I like it. So we calling this girl or what?" the woman asks. "You're ruining the vibe of the entire bar."

"And you are?"

She smiles and holds her hand out for me to shake. "Samara. Who are you?"

I was trying to not-so-gently let her know this is none of her business, but she obviously did not pick that up at all. "This is Brant Morrison," Princeling answers for me. "One of the greatest goaltenders of all time." Milo growls under his breath, but I think maybe Princeling isn't so bad after all. Maybe I won't be quite so hard on him at practice this week.

"So are you going to ask her to join us?" Kayden leans across the table to push my phone closer to me.

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