Page 18 of Spring Break with a Slap Shot

"Everyone," I announce with more confidence than I feel, "this is Harmony. Harmony, this is everyone." I gesture broadly with my free hand. "Welcome to our little hockey family."

Jayden bounces up first—literal bounces, like she's got springs in her shoes—and hugs Harmony. "It’s great to see you again!"

"Dakota hasn’t stopped talking about you," Ryder cuts in from his spot by the fire. "Three days of 'Harmony this' and 'Miss Green Eyes that.' We were about to stage an intervention."

"He’s exaggerating," I tell Harmony, who's clearly enjoying my discomfort. "You already know the tall, quiet one with the Viking look is Kaleb. The broody one who thinks he's funny is Ryder.The one with the guitar is Asher. And you've met Jayden, who has no filter."

"And you met me too at the game the other night," a voice calls from the other side of the fire. Elle waves, curled up next to Asher. "I'm with the musical one."

"Nice to meet all of you," Harmony says, comfortable in a way I didn't expect. "Dakota's told me almost nothing about you."

That gets a round of laughter. I guide her to an empty space on one of the logs where a couple of blankets are spread out. The fire crackles between us and the others.

"Beer?" Kaleb offers, already reaching into a cooler.

"I'm good with water," Harmony replies. "I don’t want to have a hangover my last day here tomorrow."

"Right," Asher nods. "Dakota mentioned you're heading back to Oklahoma soon?"

"Norman," she confirms. "Work waits for no weathergirl."

"Meteorologist," I correct automatically, having been schooled on the difference three times already.

"You remembered." She smiles.

Ryder launches into a story about an away game last season in Toronto, where I apparently blocked a shot with my face instead of my stick. "Blood everywhere," he says, hands gesturing wildly. "Ref had to stop the game to scrape Lucky's DNA off the ice."

"It wasn't that bad," I protest.

"You needed seventeen stitches," Kaleb reminds me.

"Seventeen stitches isn't bad?" Harmony asks, looking genuinely concerned.

"Hockey standards," Jayden explains, nestled into Ryder's side. "These guys are basically walking scars at this point."

As the conversation flows, I lean closer to Harmony, pointing out little details about my friends that you don't get from first impressions.

"See how Kaleb keeps scanning the beach? Former military dad. He's always looking for threats that aren't there," I whisper. "And Asher only plays songs in minor keys when he's thinking about his parents. They died when he was a kid."

"That's sad," she murmurs.

"He's got a good support system," I say, watching Elle lean in to kiss Asher's cheek. "And Ryder pretends to hate everything, but watch how he looks at Jayden when he thinks no one's watching."

On cue, Ryder's scowl softens as Jayden laughs at something Elle said. It's brief, but it's there.

"They're a family," Harmony observes.

"Yeah," I nod. "They're my family too."

The night deepens around us. Elle shares stories about readings she's done as a phone psychic, Jayden complains about rude customers at the Sand Dunes, and Asher strums quiet melodies of the best of the oldies. Harmony fits in seamlessly, asking questions, laughing at the right moments, offering stories of her own about storm chasing and weather patterns that somehow don't bore anyone.

I watch her instead of the fire, studying the way her hands move when she talks, how her eyes crinkle when she smiles.

A tap on my shoulder pulls me from my thoughts. Kaleb nods toward the water's edge, and I follow him, excusing myself from Harmony's side.

"What's up?" I ask when we're out of earshot.

"Man, I've never seen you act so damn smooth—with a girl you barely know," he says, crossing his arms. "Usually you're all swagger, bad pick-up lines, and one-and-done by the end of the night."

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