Page 47 of Ice Me Baby

Samantha laughs. “I’m not sure how you handle all of them.”

I shrug and watch Vicy and Taz rush toward the table that holds hundreds of fireworks. “I’ve been teaching kids how to skate for several years. It’s pretty similar to that.”

“So you’re saying they are like children,” Dannielle says with a laugh.

There’s an explosion in the distance, and the guys around me groan but rush in Taz and Vicy direction. I snort and reply, “No. They are much, much worse.”

Karen and Cheryl link arms with me, Dannielle and Samantha following behind as we slowly walk in the direction of the others. Cheryl leans in with a soft laugh and says, “I’m not sure I should have let Corin run off with the kids.”

My eyes widen when I see Corin, his twins in tow. They look about three, which I have to admit is an adorable stage. They walk next to their dad, each holding on to his pointer finger. He tugs his son along and veers to the left, which is where the other children and parents are. His little girl squeals in excitement as she tries to pull him to walk faster. “Seems he knew only trouble would be in the direction the others went.”

“Smart man,” she says with a chuckle. “Though, I’m sure the twins will cause him just as much trouble as Vicy and Taz.”

I laugh. “No argument there.”

The night quickly flies by as I enjoy my time with the team and their wives. I didn’t meet a single girlfriend for the other players, and when I asked, Perri sat on the ground in front of his wife and looked up with a smirk. “They don’t want puck bunnies anymore. Seems you’ve made them all want wifey material.”

I snort out a laugh. “Wifey material? I don’t think I’m much of an example of wifey material.”

He points to Vicy and Taz in the distance as he says, “Those two were the worst with puck bunnies. I haven’t seen the guysgive them the light of day once over the last few months.” He chuckles. “Though, that may have something to do with a certain single mother they met at the rink during one of your ice-skating classes.”

I sit up in my chair, interested in this new information. “They have eyes for one of the moms?”

He nods as he replies, “I think it’s the mom that you’ve been talking to. The one who will be your assistant for now, so she can take over when the season starts.”

I furrow my brows before the realization hits. “Daisy?”

He nods. “She’s the one with the little girl who always has pigtails, right?”

I nod with a grin. “Aspyn is the little girl's name. Daisy used to skate professionally until she got pregnant. She loves the ice, so I’m excited for her to take over for me. I know she’ll do a great job.”

Merc plops his daughter in Cheryl’s lap beside me and joins in on the conversation. “Didn’t she recently get divorced?”

I laugh. “How did you guys find out this information?”

Merc grins as he joins Perri on the ground with his son. “You do realize the moms there are full of gossip.”

I roll my eyes. “Well, if you must know, her and her husband have been separated for a few years now. But the divorce wasn’t finalized until a few months ago.” A bottle of beer is suddenly in front of my face, making me jerk back in surprise. Looking up, I find Mac hovering behind me, a smile on his face.

“Figured you were short on refreshments,” he says with a smirk.

“Thanks, Mac.” Our fingers brush as he hands it over with a wink, and I try to keep the butterflies from flying away with my stomach. Damn, I forgot about our bet.

Mac nods as he leans back onto his elbows between Cheryl and me. She arches a brow before looking between him and me.I must not have kept my blush at bay because she sends me a knowing smirk before miming that her lips are zipped.

My blush is made worse when Dean plops down in the grass between my legs. He looks around before asking, “What are we talking about?”

Perri grins when he sees the others closing in on us. As Taz and Vicy get closer, he says loudly, “We were talking about Daisy and her daughter.”

Vicy and Taz look up when the names are mentioned, somewhat startled. Fenni and Gilly smirk to themselves as they find spots near their wives. Tuck and Ozzy join the circle on the grass as Vicy and Taz ask in unison, “What about them?”

I can’t hold back my laugh when I see their eyes, hungry for information. “We were just talking about Daisy replacing me once the season starts.” Their shoulders drop, and I can’t help but give them a little hope. “I may have also mentioned that she may need some help with a few of the classes when I’m not available. You know how that group of kids can be.”

They share a look between them before giving me a hopeful look. “We can help,” they say at the same time again.

I nod. “Sure. I’ll mention it to her.”

They give each other a fist bump before joining the others on the grass. Bonfires are lit around us as the sun sets, and the show begins. I gaze above me as explosions of color spread through the sky. A finger slowly caresses my shoulder, and when I look, I find Mac staring at me instead of the sky.

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