Page 10 of Slap Shots & Sweethearts

Nate puts a hand on Lou's shoulder. "Lou calm down."

Lou whirls as he looks at his friends. "Did one of you send this to mess with me? No one messes with my sister!"

"Really?" Matt stares at him, his voice as hard as Lou's. "If I sent Hannah flowers they'd be better than lover boy's over there."

My breath catches and my imagination goes wild. Did Matt send flowers to someone today?

"Hey!" Dan protests. "These were the best the flower shop had."

"Yeah." Nate joins in. "Everyone knows Hannah's a gem, and they'd be an idiot to upset you."

Tiffany walks over to inspect the scene Lou has caused. "All this fuss over those ugly things?"

I frown.

Lou ignores her and turns back to me. "Who sent these?"

My phone buzzes.

Lou grabs my phone out of my hand as it buzzes again. He knows my passcode and types it in.

"Lou give that back." I reach for my phone.

His expression grows darker. "Speed dating. Really?"

Tiffany’s laugh causes a wave of embarrassment to wash over me like the ice bucket challenge. Matt ushers everyone but Lou and I out of my office and closes the door so we'll have a little bit of privacy.

My voice is quiet and small as I tell my brother, "I'm not going by myself."

His anger falls away, as he looks at me with concern. "You know that's not safe."

"Maria and Charlotte will be with me."

He looks away as he thinks.

A moment passes, then two without either of us saying a thing.

"Lou."

"Hannah."

I snatch my phone back from him. "You really need to grow up. I'm not twelve."

"You're still my little sister."

"By a few minutes, and I'm convinced you cheated."

My familiar barb lands.

He shakes his head, a small smile of amusement makes an appearance for the first time since he'd picked up the flowers. "That's not how that works."

"You don't even have the lady parts to make a baby and I say it is."

"Whatever. What time is speed dating?"

I throw my hands up in the air. "You don't need to know."

"I've been looking for someone to settle down with."

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