Page 18 of Rainbow Kisses

Rain walked by my side, strangely subdued and silent the entire time it took to get to my truck. We both got in and gotseated, and I just sat there for a second, wondering what the hell had just happened.

“Wow, so that was…interesting,” Rain said, staring out the front window. “I had no idea that would be so intense. I don’t even think I need my coffee this morning.”

“Good thing I’m going to practice later,” I responded. “I feel like I need to do penance or something.”

We turned and looked at each other, shaking our heads, and finally Rain started to smile, which made me smile.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “That was more like an interrogation than an interview. I mean, I guess they need to be sure about who’s taking care of their kids, but damn, I thought he was going to ask for a vial of your blood to be sure you are who you said you are.”

“I know, right? But hey, he seemed genuinely interested in Maddy, so that’s a plus.”

“I didn’t realize we—you’d be talking to the assistant principal. I’ve only met him a few times at games, but damn, he’s scary. I wouldn’t want to get on his bad side.”

Still shaking my head, I pulled my gaze away from the beautiful woman in my passenger seat and got the engine started. Maddy and I had met Rain in the front of the school about an hour ago. She’d walked over from the arena to meet us, because she’d said she wanted to get her steps in.

But now I was in an enclosed space with a woman I had dreamed about last night, with Maddy’s claim that I couldn’t lie worth a damn running through my head. All of that jumbled together with the look on Maddy’s face when I’d left her alone in a strange school in a strange town where she knew exactly no one, and I felt my chest constricting until I thought it would crack.

“She’ll be fine.”

Rain’s voice wrapped around me like my favorite flannel shirt, warm and comforting. And fucking arousing. My hands reflexively gripped the steering wheel before I caught myself and relaxed them.

“I know. She’s tough.” I sighed. “Maybe a little too much.”

“Give her time to settle in. Let the town grow on her. Of course, Mrs. Travers might give her a level of tough to aspire to.”

Mrs. Travers owned the garage apartment Rain thought we should rent. And because there weren’t a lot of other options in town, that’s where we were headed next. The team took care of housing, so I didn’t have to worry about being able to pay the rent, just if the place was a good fit for us.

And right now, pretty much anything would be better than living in a hotel. Maddy needed a place that felt like a home. Where she could have her own room. Where we could make dinner instead of eat takeout.

Rain gave me directions to Mrs. Travers’s house, which was in the residential area a couple of blocks off Main Street, and when we pulled into the driveway, I knew just from looking at the garage that this would work. The main house was a small stone Cape, which looked like it could use a little sprucing up. But the garage, which sat at the end of the driveway, looked newer and in great shape.

It looked more like a small house than a garage, with what looked like a full second floor. You could tell where the garage door had been replaced with a regular door and a full window, but otherwise, it checked every square for what I thought living in a small town should be.

“Is something wrong?”

Rain’s hesitancy made me slide her a glance as I shook my head. “No. It looks…perfect.”

Shit, maybe I shouldn’t have said that out loud. This could still fall through. I hadn’t met Mrs. Travers yet, and from whatRain had said, she was a tough nut. And I hadn’t seen the inside. It could be a complete mess. But I had a feeling it wasn’t. Rain wouldn’t steer me wrong.

Rain’s bright smile made me feel like I’d just skated sprints, but I smiled back and got out of the truck. Didn’t want the moment to get awkward, and knowing me, it would get awkward fast.

Before I could make it to the front door, the door on the side of the house opened and a woman walked out, the cane in her hand looking spindly compared to the woman herself.

“Well, you must be the hockey player,” she practically yelled. “Got that look. Rainbow, you here?”

I heard the car door slam before Rain said, “Yes, Mrs. Travers. I’m here.”

Mrs. Travers had to be nearly six feet tall and probably weighed more than a few of the guys on the team. And I didn’t mean she was overweight. No, she was solid. I’d been expecting someone frail and elderly. This woman looked like she could bench two hundred pounds.

“You know I can’t see so well or hear so well, so come closer.”

I obeyed without hesitation because I’d been raised to respect my elders. Even so, Rain beat me to her.

“Mrs. Travers, this is Brian Fiskers. I told you he’d like to rent the?—”

“Yes, yes. He wants to rent the garage for the season.” Mrs. Travers turned toward me and squinted. “I was told you had a teenager.”

“She’s twelve, but yes, ma’am, my niece is living with me. She’s in school now.”

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