Page 10 of Caught from Behind

“Damn,” I whisper, locking the door behind him. “Just…damn.”

I finish up the bare minimum of prep I need to do for the next day then grab my jacket and purse. It’s thick, heavy enough that Knox likes to give me shit about it. But I haven’t spent as much time in the mountains as my brother, so my blood isn’t as thick. I need the extra layers—even if I look like a giant marshmallow.

Grinning, I’m just reaching the door when I hear the knock, see that my bestie is standing on the other side.

Frowning, I flick the lock, push the door open. “Nova, are you ok?—?”

But I bite back the rest of my question when I see what she’s wearing.

A Sierra jersey.

The game—the first home game after the team’s short road trip.

The game I agreed to go to.

The same game that Lake and Knox fought about providing us tickets for—snarking back and forth about who could get us the best ones (and no surprise, captain Lake Jordan and my friend’s grumpy hockey beau won out on that particular battle with the on-the-glass seats).

The game…I don’t want to go to.

No.

A scorching kiss I swear that I can still feel.

No.

The word as cold as Riggs’s eyes.

No.

His hands pushing me back into my own seat.

No.

My embarrassment at his refusal slicing through me.

No—

Bile rises up in my throat because…God, no.

I can’t face Riggs. Not right now.

“Are we getting food at the arena?” Nova asks, bustling inside. “Or in town?” She’s excited, bouncing on her toes, her cheeks high with color. “I would prefer the arena because I brought my camera and want to get some shots of the guys during warm-ups.”

Nova is a photographer, namely of nature and landscapes, but since she’s decided to lay down roots in Tahoe, she’s expanded her skills.

Expanded them all the way to sexy hockey players, apparently.

Thinking of exactly how sexy Riggs is, I bite back a groan and try to cobble together a response to get out of this. “I’m actually kind of?—”

She takes my arm. “You’re not going to flake on me, right?” Her fingers tighten. “You remember how many strings that Lake pulled for these tickets, right?”

Guilt boils up in my belly.

Still, I might have ignored it if not for her adding, “And I haven’t seen enough of you lately. You’ve been working so much and I…” Her voice grows quiet, fading until it’s barely audible. “I miss my friend.”

Damn.

I know how hard it is for her to say that.

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