Page 13 of Defensive Zone

Then she’d watched him grin on the jumbotron, and those damn foreign flutters had started up.

This was not going the way it should. He was Max—annoying older brother of her best friend, stupid and irritating, and just, ugh.

Apparently, the rest of her body wasn’t on board with the thoughts in her head because, again, flutters.

She. Did. Not. Flutter.

She never had before. Sure, she’d dated and had one long-term relationship in college, but they’d just been okay. People who fell head over heels tended to get hurt in the process, so what was the point?

Not that she was falling for Max.

Oh. Definitely not.

Yes, maybe he was great with the kids, but the man couldn’t be serious for a minute and she had no interest in someone like that.

She pushed those irritating thoughts out of her head and turned to Ava. “Do you need anything? I’m going to grab a water,” she said, making sure to not jostle Connor as he slept.

“I want a cookie,” Amelia said.

Ava laughed. “Maybe you’ve had enough cookies, baby.”

“Popcorn?” the little girl asked, tilting her head at her mother.

“How about water? I think your belly is full of snacks already,” Gabi said.

“Fine.” Amelia pouted before she pushed off of her chair and moved toward the railing, to make sure she wasn’t missing a thing on the ice below.

“I’ll be back,” Gabi said, heading toward the refreshments. The family suite had everything anyone could need: loads of food, games to occupy the kids, comfy seating, and TVs in two corners for people to watch the game if they weren’t in the seats near the railing that overlooked the ice.

For the most part, everyone had been welcoming and nice. There were a few women that Gabi would’ve classified as puck bunnies with their overly done makeup and constricting Strikers gear, but there were only a few of them and they stuck together. Did bunnies travel in packs?

Okay. That was harsh.

“Hi. Gabi, right?” a woman asked while Gabi was grabbing three bottles of water from a cooler.

“Hi. Yes.”

The woman smiled. “I’m Rylie, Bugsy’s daughter and Nessie’s girlfriend.”

“What?”

Rylie laughed. “Sorry. The coach’s daughter and Desmond Lachley’s girlfriend. Really, only Baz calls him Nessie. The man has nicknames for everyone.”

“Of course he does,” Gabi muttered.

“Must’ve been fun growing up with him. He’s crazy but totally loveable.”

“Are we talking about the same person? Crazy, yes. Loveable, debatable,” she said before she could stop herself.

“I guess he’s an acquired taste for some, but we love him here,” Rylie said, and Gabi felt a twinge of guilt. These were Max’s friends. She should try harder not to show how much he irritated her.

“So, does it get awkward? Coach’s daughter dating a player?” She paused. “Sorry. That’s none of my business.”

Rylie kept smiling. “It’s a little weird at times, but so worth it. How’s it going tonight? This is your first game here, right? I know Max just asked for family passes for you guys a few days ago.”

“Um. It’s fun. The kids love it and so does Ava.”

“Not a hockey fan, are you?” she asked.

---