Page 20 of Rainbow Kisses

Like I’d lost a limb. “Yeah, but I think I needed a break to realize how much I missed it.”

“So you haven’t skated since you left last season?”

“No, but I’m pretty sure I remember how.”

Her quiet huff of laughter made my gut twist. “You always were good on skates.”

“Yep, since I was a kid. Growing up in a small town with an ancient ice rink as the only entertainment, and parents who think the busier you are, the less time you have to get into trouble, kinda seals your fate.”

“Does your sister skate too?”

“She can, but she had other distractions by the time she hit high school. I loved hockey. She loved to party. We didn’t have a lot in common as kids.”

“So she’s always had a…an issue with alcohol?”

“Yeah. She was twenty when she had Maddy. My parents didn’t kick her out or anything. Linny just didn’t want to follow their rules and moved out with Maddy’s dad. They were okay for a year, maybe. And then it all fell apart. The guy skipped out on them, and Linny worked a lot of shit jobs, collected assistance and lived on food stamps for years. It was always a struggle for her, but she was stubborn. Maddy never went without food or clothes. She loves Maddy. I’ve never doubted that. But Lin always had just enough money for alcohol. What I’ve learned about alcoholism is that people can fully function while being alcoholics. But it always catches up to them.”

“I’m glad she’s getting help.”

“Yeah, me too. I just hope it sticks this time.”

“So this isn’t the first time she’s been in rehab?”

I thought back to the three other stints in different facilities, and the promises that this time it was going to be better.

“No, but this is the first time she’s done inpatient.”

“That’s gotta be tough on Maddy.”

“Yeah, it has been.”

Since we weren’t that far from the arena, we were already pulling into the parking lot. There were only a few cars in the lot, but I recognized her tan Subaru Outback, decked out with Devils hockey stickers and magnets. Her car served as a mobile billboard for the team. She probably had the backseat packed with promotional material, ready to hand out in a flash.

She’d always been the team’s most devoted fan.

As I parked next to her car and shut off the engine, I stared at the service entrance, a familiar feeling settling over me.

“Brian?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m glad you’re back. I just…wanted you to know.”

I turned and caught her lopsided smile, which made me feel even more warm and fuzzy. And hot and bothered.

“I’m glad to be back.”

It felt like home.

SIX

Rain

“Hey,Rainy Day. Can you stop by after work? There’s something I want to run by you.”

I had picked up the call without looking at the screen, but the second I heard the woman’s voice on the other end, I started to smile.

“Oh no,” I teased Erin Wright. “You didn’t blow up your kitchen again, did you?”

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