Page 81 of The Christmas You Crash

“It’s not usually like that,” Mira tells her friend with a pat on her hand.

Isla nods. “I know.” She turns to me. “Next time, tell us when you’re coming. We’ll sit with you.”

Warmth fills my chest. Ryder gives my shoulder a squeeze, like he somehow knows exactly what I’m thinking and feeling. How much the easy acceptance they’ve offered means to me. I’ve been so busy with my master’s program that I mistook busyness for happiness. But I’ve missed having friends around me. Missed sharing nights like this with people who get me and like me.

I need to plan a trip to visit Rachel soon. She’s my person, and I miss the hell out of her.

“Okay,” I relent. “Next time, I promise to give you ladies a heads-up.”

Mira pulls her phone out of her purse and hands it to me. “Put your number in.”

I do, and a moment later, my phone buzzes with an incoming text.

Hockey Honeys

Mira

Isla, this is Lexi’s number. Lexi, store our numbers in your phone.

Grinning, I cock an eyebrow as I look up at Mira. “Hockey Honeys?”

“I like alliteration,” is her reply. “And I couldn’t come up with anything better on the fly.”

“I like it.” Isla giggles. “It’s lame but perfect.”

My phone buzzes again. This time, it’s a gif with some bees wearing makeup. I store the number with Isla’s information, then add Mira’s. The three of us laugh.

“Hope you don’t mind ongoing and ridiculous text threads,” Mira says.

I shake my head, snuggling into Ryder’s side. “Not at all. I can’t wait.”

The night goes by in a blur of drinks and laughter. Ryder can’t keep his hands off me, though we’re both careful to make sure no one snaps any photos of us together. The last thing I need is a picture of us kissing to show up on some hockey fan site. The other guys help shield us from unwanted attention as well, and I am so thankful. It allows me to relax and enjoy my boyfriend and the friendships developing with the people around this table.

Ryder tugs me out of the booth at the end of the night because I can’t seem to keep my eyes open any longer. As we say our goodbyes, the only thing that would make this night better is if we didn’t have to keep our relationship a secret.

Not for the first time, resentment for my father curdles in my belly. But then Ryder kisses me before clicking my seat belt into place, and that resentment is replaced by contentment.

This may be more complicated than I’d like, but Ryder Hanson is worth every inconvenience and subterfuge.

thirty-nine

RYDER

“How doyou know you’ve found the one?” I ask the guys as we get ready for an away game against the Boston Renegades. Despite the energetic chatter of the locker room, Maddox, Griffin, Logan, and Sebastian give me their full attention.

“The one?” Logan narrows his eyes. “You’ve been dating Hot Cross Buns for how long?”

“Dude.” I shake my head.

“Apologies,” he says with a smirk. “HCB.”

Although I agreed to that stupid code name, right now, when he’s using it to tease me, it’s pissing me off. Noticing my annoyance, Logan grins wider. “And to answer your question, we’ve been dating just over a month now.”

And we’ve spent every possible minute together. It’s been much more difficult to carve out time now that I’m back on the ice, and Lexi’s course load isn’t anything to scoff at. My woman works hard. So, I show up with coffee or lunch whenever I can to surprise her between classes and steal some moments together.

We’re playing the first of a five-game away streak tonight, and even the thought of being away from Lexi for that long has me tense and agitated.

“Dude.” Logan shakes his head as he pulls his jersey on. “What’s the rush?”

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