Page 19 of The Enemy Face Off

Amiel: "No and no. I'm still dealing with the mess my ex left me with. That's not to say I'd mind if someone looked at me the way Bear looks at Summer. It's nice to be wanted, you know?"

Hannah: "It is. And you will find someone, Amiel. When the time is right and when you're ready."

Amiel: "Thanks. How are you feeling about Italy? Excited?"

Hannah: "Oh, my goodness. Sooo excited."

Summer: "What are you going to do over there?"

Hannah: "Not sure yet. I'm going to try and keep my hot girl summer vibe going and not make too many plans, because for the first time in my life, I don't have to."

Me: "That sounds great. A little scary, but great."

Hannah: "It is a little scary, I'll admit. But I'm not alone. I've got Culver, and he's rented a gorgeous chateau in Positano."

Evie: "Where is that?"

Hannah: "Southern Italy. It's a picturesque small town right on the ocean."

Me: "Sounds a little like the Italian version of Comfort Bay."

Hannah: "Huh. You know what? I never thought of it like that, but you're right."

Amiel: "Is that why you chose it?"

Hannah: "No. Culver has family there. That was the reason. I might do an art class, and he might take cooking lessons, but again, nothing is set in stone."

Me: "Live your best life, girl. No one deserves it more than you do."

Hannah: "Oh, believe me, I intend to."

This circle hasn't returned to me yet, and I intend to keep it that way for as long as I can.

Me: "And how come you're looking so happy, Evie?"

Evie: "Uh, because I'm caffeinated."

Me: "I don't mean right now, but in general. You've been bummed ever since the season started and Fraser hit the road again."

Evie: "He has a few days off, so he's back."

I let that sink in.

Me: "So…Wait. If Fraser has time off, then the whole team has time off, right?"

Evie: "Correct."

Me: "So, uh, what's Milo doing on the break?"

Evie: "How would I know?"

Me: "It's a hockey question, and you know hockey."

Evie: "No. It's a hockeyplayerquestion, and there's only one hockey player I'm interested in."

Me: "Right. Of course."

Aware that the girls are looking at me and no doubt thinkingthings, I need to move on and move on quickly.