Page 33 of Rowdy Hearts

It was both absurd and weirdly compelling. I’d never seen anything like it, and I worked with actors, who were some of the most ridiculously superstitious people on the planet. If theypicked up their coffee mug the wrong way or their hairbrush was on the wrong side of the makeup table, it’d send them into a panic spiral.

I really hadn’t known what to expect, but it hadn’t been this serious, almost religious experience. By the time Denny tossed a handful of jockstraps into the fire—except for the one he was supposed to wear tonight, I assumed—the entire team looked stoked. Completely committed. And they all looked at Rowdy to lead them.

Rowdy no longer had a smile, his expression completely serious. And compelling. And way too damn handsome.

Swallowing hard, I tried not to fidget in my seat. Raffi was too perceptive. Or maybe she really could read minds. I definitely didn’t want Rowdy’s mother to read mine right now because it was filled with x-rated visions of her son.

“All right, boys, let’s skate a few laps, loosen up and go over the game plan for tonight.”

Another whoop went up and the circle broke apart as the guys skated around the perimeter of the ice. Someone I assumed was from the ice crew took the burning tub away. The spectators began to talk amongst themselves.

And Rowdy skated over to the entrance onto the ice, where there was no glass, looked directly at me and crooked his finger.

If it’d been any other man, I would’ve given him a different finger and ignored him. I couldn’t ignore Rowdy. Didn’t want to ignore him.

“I think I’m being summoned.” I turned to give Raffi a look that I hoped conveyed my amusement and not the heat coursing through me.

“Can I come, too?”

Krista’s question kicked me back to reality. Nothing was going to happen here. Nothing could happen. We were only going to be here a few days. I had too many responsibilities at home, first and foremost…Krista.

“Of cou?—”

“Krista, honey,” Raffi said, “why don’t you come with me to help decorate the family suite?”

“What’s a family sweet? Is there candy?”

Krista’s attention immediately turned to her new best friend. I couldn’t blame her. Raffi was the cool mom my mom would never be. My mom was too driven, too hardened by a rough early life and too bitter about what she didn’t have that she thought she deserved.

Raffi laughed and took Krista’s hand. “Thereiscandy. Why don’t you come with me, and I’ll show you. I really could use your help.”

Raffi looked at me and winked as Krista glanced at Rowdy before deciding candy trumped hockey player and taking Raffi’s outstretched hand.

“Tell Rowdy I’ll see him later,” Krista said with a look that made me bite back a smile. Krista’s natural sass was finally rising back to the top. Where it should be.

For years, I’d been the good girl. The one who followed the rules and gave a hundred-and-ten percent of myself to everything. Who let my mother dictate my life because it was best for the family. Not always best for me.

I vowed not to let that happen to my daughter.

“I’ll be sure to do that,” I said. “Be good for Raffi.”

“No need to worry about that.” Raffi laughed. “I raised four ruffians. Krista is definitely not a ruffian.”

“But I wanna be a Ruffy Ann, too.”

I snorted and Krista looked at me with wide eyes.

“You can be whatever you want to be, honey. I just want you to be a good girl for Miss Raffi, okay?”

“I can do that.”

I laughed even harder when I realized Krista had mimicked me perfectly. I said that exact phrase at least five-hundred times a day when I was working and, since I worked at homewith Krista most of the day, she’d obviously picked it up from me.

“All right, sweetheart.” I directed my next words to Raffi. “Thank you. I can’t?—”

“Stop right there.” Raffi held up the hand that wasn’t holding Krista’s. “No need to say anything else. Honestly, Krista’s been the bright spot in my day. There aren’t enough little ones in my life right now, so thank you for letting me borrow her.”

Raffi sounded so honestly grateful, I didn’t know what to say. Krista’s own grandmother loved her but never treated her like a precious gift.

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