Page 33 of Defensive Zone

Chapter 7

“Bananas and Nutella are my favorites,” Connor said as they all sat around the kitchen table devouring the crepes Gabi had made.

They reminded Max of home, and he wouldn’t tell a soul, but they were better than his mom’s. Fluffy perfection.

“Ew. Chocolate and bananas do not mix,” Amelia said. “I like the ham and cheese or strawberries and Nutella.”

“Me too,” Max said, grabbing another one and loading it up with strawberries and cream. He drizzled Nutella on it. He had to leave for a quick morning skate in twenty minutes, but he wasn’t going to pass up crepes. Especially after he’d teased Gabi so much about it.

She’d nearly given him a heart attack when he’d heard the confetti gun go off, and then he’d watched her start to slip off the counter. Normally, he had a clearer head in a potential crisis, but seeing her start to fall freaked him out.

At least he’d stepped up in time to catch her. She’d felt so fucking good in his arms that he’d zoned out and missed the beginning of her scolding him. He’d been tempted to keep holding her against his chest, but he knew he had to step back.

And then she’d ripped into him about the confetti.

And the banter that followed? Who knew banter could be such a turn-on?

Maybe only with her.

Damn. Was he turning into a cliché? Only with her. He couldn’t count how many times one of his teammates had said that about their girlfriends and fiancées.

Not that that was what was happening with him and Gabi. Yeah, he was attracted to her, but it was probably mostly due to how much he enjoyed teasing her.

Yeah. That was definitely it.

“Save some of that for the rest of us.” Ava’s voice cut through his insane musings.

Thank god for that.

“What?” he asked, looking down at his plate. He couldn’t even see the crepe anymore, there was so much whipped cream. “Whoops. Was thinking about practice, I guess.”

Ava laughed. “Don’t think they’d recommend a diet with this much sugar.”

“We won’t tell them,” he said, turning to look at the kids. He needed to refocus. “We won’t tell them, right?”

Amelia giggled. “Of course not.”

“Only if we can go to tonight’s game,” Connor said.

“Aren’t you a little con artist,” Gabi said, laughing.

He loved her laugh.

“We aren’t going to the game tonight. It’s too late and you don’t want to be a zombie for family skate tomorrow, right?” Ava asked.

“A zombie,” Amelia said with a giggle.

“Fine. But next game, can we go?” Connor asked.

“We’ll see,” Ava said.

“I’m excited to skate tomorrow. Uncle Max, you’ll hold my hand, right? I’m still wobbly,” Amelia said.

He grinned at his niece. “Of course I will, but you’re already a pretty good skater, Lia.”

“I know I don’t fall as much as Connor, but I still fall,” she said, her tone serious, and he bit back a laugh.

“It’s okay. We all fall,” he said. “Even me.”

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