Page 95 of Rowdy Hearts

Her brows rose as she stared up at me. “But are you really?

Taking the few steps to close the distance between us, she wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me. Tight. Like she wanted to squeeze the bad mood out of me. With a sigh, I hugged her back, dropping a kiss on her head and ruffling her hair, because I knew she hated it.

“I love you, too, big brother,” she muttered into my practice sweater. “But you’re a big damn idiot if you don’t track her down and tell her how you feel.”

Sighing, I let my head fall back so I was looking at the ceiling. “Rain?—”

“She ain’t wrong, man.”

My eyes closed. “Jesus Christ.”

Kane had somehow managed to creep up on me, the first of my teammates to even attempt to talk to me today. My face had scared them all off, I guess. Probably the smart choice becausemy first instinct was to tell Kane to go fuck himself. I managed to keep my mouth shut, but only barely.

“Just hear me out, man. Then you can tell me to fuck off. I ain’t seen you happy like you were with her in years. Man, she literally fell into your lap. If that ain’t fate giving you a massive slap upside the head, I don’t know what is.”

“Kane—”

“As much as I hate to admit it,” Rebel added his two cents, “I think she really liked you. No idea why, but if you don’t figure your shit out, she’s not gonna wait. Hell, I wouldn’t wait for you.”

I heard a rumble of voices behind me and turned to find the entire team gathered behind Kane and Rebel.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” I scowled at them all. “When did everyone become so damn interested in my fucking love life?”

The guys exchanged looks with each other like I was speaking another language.

Finally, Reid, looked at me with those puppy-dog eyes. “’Cause you’re our captain.”

The other guys shrugged and nodded, like it was the most natural thing in the world. And like I was delusional if I didn’t know what they were talking about.

Well, shit, what the hell was I supposed to say to that?

“Look, I appreciate your concern, but…”

But what? They weren’t wrong.

Rain took a step back, crossed her arms over her chest and smirked up at me, like she’d won. I don’t know what the hell she thought she’d won, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to ask.

“Look, I planned to text her later and ask how’s she’s doing.”

“You should probably call,” goalie Kaden Felix chimed in, shoving a hand through his mop of brown hair and pushing it off his face. “Girls—uh,” he flashed Rain a look when she glared at him, “women like when you call them. You know, make an effort.”

Like a bunch of robots, all the other guys nodded their heads like they knew what they were talking about.

“How the hell would you—would any of you know what women like, considering most of you aren’t even in a relationship with one. Only KooKoo’s got an actual girlfriend, and she’s not even in the country.”

Pontus “KooKoo” Kokkenen grinned like a loon. “She is coming for visit in two weeks. Just got notice.”

“Aw, KooKoo, that’s great.” Rain skirted around me to give the brawny forward a hug. “I can’t wait to meet her. She seems like such a sweetheart online.”

“She is amazing. Smart and funny and?—”

“So why’s she with you?” Rebel snarked, earning him a smack from Rain on the chest and one from Kane on the back of his head.

Just when I thought maybe I’d been let off the hook, Kane just couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“So when you gonna call her?”

Fuck me.“When I’m damn good and ready? Now are we gonna practice or not?”

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