Page 46 of Rainbow Kisses

“Just fucking don’t. I’m trying my damnedest not to combust every time you’re around. But it’s fucking hard. And yeah, I know the reason you’re here. And…” he took a deep breath, “I’m working on getting over my shit with you. My therapist told me you’re a trigger I could never deal with because you weren’t around. I didn’t want to fucking deal with you. And I still don’t. But I’m not that much of an asshole to not know that that little girl needs a safe space right now and this is it. So I’m going to put my shit away and deal with you being here. But we’re not friends. Not anymore. And I’m not sure we can ever be.”

Those words dug into my gut and made them twist until I thought I wouldn’t be able to breathe. He sounded so final. In the back of my mind, I’d hoped,believed, we could clear this shit out between us. But once again, I’d been mistaken about what that shit had been.

So I didn’t say anything, because I didn’t want to make it worse.

Except, “I’m sorry. Jesus, Reb, I’m sorry, and I know it’s not enough?—”

“It isn’t.” Reb shook his head and took a deep breath. “At least, not now. We just need to steer clear of each other off the ice. And don’t insert yourself into my sister’s life and then think you’re just gonna say ‘see you’ and leave at the end of the season or whenever you don’t need us anymore. Ice is all yours.”

He turned his back on me and skated to the open gate to the locker room.

And I shot pucks at an empty net until my shoulders ached.

TWELVE

Rain

“Hey,Erin! I got some hungry, sleep-deprived kids here who want sugar!”

Herding the kids through the back door of Crack One Open and into the kitchen, I made sure the door was shut tightly. I’d promised to fix that for Erin for months, but the season had started and, well… “Chaos Reigned” wasn’t the Devils’ motto for nothing.

Erin popped her head through the swinging door to the café, and I could tell by the look on her face that she was more than a little happy to see me.

“Oh, thank god. I thought I was going to have to close. Can you please grab those trays and bring them out here? Game mornings are always insane, and Davi called off sick, and Mary’s car wouldn’t start so she’s going to be late.”

Then she disappeared back into the front room, the tail of her thick braid the last thing I saw before the door flapped closed.

Maddy looked at me like a deer in the headlights. Krista had already disappeared through the door into the café. She’dbecome a fixture here and knew her way around. Maddy, of course, had no idea that Erin ran on caffeine and sugar and this place hung together by a very thin thread that any little deviation in routine could break. Apparently that thread had been snipped sometime this morning.

The kitchen looked like it’d been caught between two ravening packs of dogs. Sugar and flour coated every surface. The scent of cinnamon hung heavy in the air and the scent of warm yeasty rolls made my stomach rumble.

But first things first.

“Maddy, can you grab that tray over there? I’ll take these two. Sorry, I know you didn’t sign up to work for your breakfast, but I promise it will be worth it.”

Without a word, Maddy grabbed the tray I’d pointed to, loaded with cinnamon rolls, while I picked up the two holding donuts and spinach-cheese croissants. And opened the door to a mob scene.

Since we’d come in the back, I hadn’t realized how utterly chaotic the café was. Most of the opposing team loafed around at tables, drinking coffee and shoving various pastries in their mouths. Several people, who I recognized as the other team’s booster club, huddled in a group near the door, while the line at the register wound all the way around the room.

Erin looked more than a little frazzled, her usually perfect braid nearly undone while she took orders from multiple people at the same time.

Right.

“Maddy, hon, put that tray on the counter for me. I need to…” I sighed. I didn’t know what I needed to do first. Even for me, this was a mountain to climb.

“I can take that bucket with the dirty dishes into the back.” Maddy shrugged. “If you want.”

I wanted to hug her, but I was pretty sure she wouldn’t appreciate that. “You are a lifesaver. Thank you.”

Without another word, Maddy grabbed the bin and took it into the kitchen, leaving room for me to put the other trays down before I started combining trays in the display counter.

The next half hour flew by in a rush of fulfilling orders for Erin, who ran the register. Maddy, bless her, took several bins of dirty dishes back to the kitchen and filled the utensil trays and napkin holders a few times, while Krista entertained the line with her bubbly personality.

When the last of the line had finally been dealt with, and there were only a few people left at the tables, Erin threw her arms around my shoulders and squealed just a little. Then she turned to Maddy and, before I could say anything, gave the girl a quick squeeze.

“Oh my god,thank youso much.” Erin’s fair complexion was flushed and her hair had escaped most of her braid. “I think my head would’ve exploded if you hadn’t walked in when you did. It’s like everyone decided they needed a cinnamon roll and coffee this morning. Maddy, you and Krista take whatever you want and have a seat. I’m going to make you two some of my special hot chocolate.”

While Krista whooped and made a beeline for the scones, Maddy grabbed a cinnamon roll and sat with Krista at one of the tables that was relatively clean.

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