Page 70 of Icy Pucking Play

"They're here!" Natalia's voice carries across the yard. "Sophie! Did you bring your math notes? Dad said you would!"

"Subtle," Evan mutters. "Really subtle."

I laugh and get out of the truck, before being immediately tackled by an excited nine-year-old.

"You came! Grandma made pasta and garlic bread and…"

"Let her breathe, squirt." Julia appears on the porch, grinning. "Though I have to say, the math thing really sealed the deal with Mom."

"Jules…" Evan warns.

"What? I'm just saying, if you wanted to keep this quiet, maybe don't let Natalia spend an hour telling Grandma about the pretty lady who makes math fun."

I feel my face heat. "I just use hockey examples…"

"And color-coding," Natalia adds. "And sometimes we calculate save percentages!"

"Sometimes?" Evan raises an eyebrow.

"When we're not calculating shot trajectories..."

Julia's laughter follows us inside, where the smell of marinara and garlic instantly makes my mouth water.

"Sophie!" Mrs. Daniels emerges from the kitchen, wiping her hands on an apron. "Finally! I've heard so much about you!"

She's smaller than I expected, but I see where Evan gets his eyes. They're the same piercing blue as his, though hers are warm where his tend toward icy.

"Thank you for having me," I manage. "Your garden is beautiful."

"Oh, you like gardens?" She lights up. "I've been trying to get Evan interested for years, but…”

"Mom." Evan's hand finds the small of my back. "Let her at least get in the door."

"Right, right." She waves us toward the living room. "Go. sit. Dinner's almost ready. Mr. Daniels is just...Robert! Come meet Sophie!"

Not three seconds pass before Mr. Daniels marches into the kitchen, eyes darting around.

Evan's father is exactly what I expected—tall, stoic, with that same quiet intensity his son has. He shakes my hand firmly, studying me with eyes that miss nothing.

"So," he says after a moment, "you're the one teaching my granddaughter advanced mathematics."

"Just...using hockey to make it relatable."

"Mmhmm." But I catch the slight upturn of his lips. "And how's that working out?"

"Show him!" Natalia tugs my hand. "Show him the problem we did about probability and save percentages!"

"After dinner," Mrs. Daniels calls from the kitchen. "Sophie, come help me with the salad. I want to hear all about this feature you're writing."

Evan tenses slightly beside me.

"Mom…"

"What? I'm just making conversation." She hands me a bowl of greens. "Though I have to say, your last article about youth hockey was lovely. Very touching."

I blink. "You read my articles?"

"Of course! Ever since Evan mentioned you several months ago."

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