Page 98 of Released from the Sin Bin

“Oh, I went to their chief’s birthday party with Carter once.” I wave it off. “What did he say back to her?”

“So, now you’re going on dates with Carter?” Jocelyn ignores my question with her own.

“No, it wasn’t a date.” It was definitely not a date. “It was his friend’s birthday party. We hung out with a bunch of old men.”

“From the fire department?” Jocelyn questions me.

“You know, Carter is a volunteer firefighter and a paramedic. It was at the firehouse.” I raise my hands out to my sides, not understanding why she’s angry at that.

She uncrosses her arms from her chest and nods. “Oh, I forgot that.”

“I asked if I could invite you, but he didn’t think it was a good idea.” Shit, I’m digging myself a bigger hole.

“Why not?” She scoffs, fixing her long hair.

“Because it was a small party, and he didn’t want to seem like he was inviting random people.” I roll my eyes as if his reasoning was ridiculous. It was, but that technically wasn’t the reason.

“Oh ok.” She sighs. “When are you hanging out with him again?”

“I don’t know, but we can all plan something together.”

“Oh!” She jumps in her seat excitedly remembering something. “I forgot I need a favor. Technically, it’s not a favor because you’ll enjoy it.”

“Enjoy what?” I laugh uncomfortably, already hating this idea.

“My cousin Kenny is coming for a visit again, and I may have mentioned that you're single now.” She shimmies her shoulders up and down.

“Jocelyn, I… I don’t know.” Her cousin Ken or Kenny was cute. He flirted with me the last time he visited, but I was still with Vic at the time.

“He really likes you, Willa. And it’s one date. Who knows? Maybe you’ll really hit it off with him. You guys were very friendly last time he was here,” she adds to make her point, but another light bulb goes off in that smart brain of hers. “We can make it a double date! If you think Carter will go for that.” She tilts her head and bats her eyes, pleading for me to say yes.

“Ok, yeah.” I agree and laugh awkwardly. “Why wouldn’t he?”

Chapter 24

Carter

“No,” I state, stopping Willa from asking the question I know she’s about to ask.

It was a nice setup, but it’s not going to work.

“You won’t even let me finish,” she huffs on the bench next to her skates.

“Put your skates on.” I lean over the wall and point to her skates. She’s been sitting on the bench for five minutes, procrastinating from coming out on the ice.

“Can you please go on a date with Jocelyn?” She ignores me and grabs my hands resting on the wall in front of her.

“Why won’t you put on your skates?” I ignore her question and jump over the wall to help her. “Did you forget how?”

“No.” She huffs and takes her shoes off as I loosen the laces on her black and white hockey skates. “I’m trying to have a conversation with you.”

“You can do that while getting your skates on, but my answer isn’t going to change.” I straddle the bench next to her and lift her foot over my knee.

She quickly pulls it away. “Say yes and then I’ll put my skates on.”

“Willa, the doctor said you can go on the ice. I’m surprised you’re not spinning circles around me already.” I don’t get why she hasn’t gone out yet.

She misses being on skates. I see it on her face and she says it every chance she gets, but here she is refusing to put them on her feet.

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