Page 24 of Ice Princess

“Then you heard wrong.” I skate past him, focusing on collecting the pucks.

Chance’s skates shred ice as he speeds in front of me and smacks my back joyfully. “How’d you do it, man?”

“Do what?”

“Keep you and Rebel a secret. April wasblindsidedwhen she read the texts in the neighborhood group chat.”

“Then that’s between her and Rebel.”

“But I took up for you. I told her I knew you had feelings for Rebel.”

I look up quickly, my eyebrows bunching in question.

Chance helps me gather the pucks. “I think it was a few weeks ago? Back when I was leaving Lucky Falls and I asked your permission to hire a lawyer to investigate your uncle…” Chance stops and looks over his shoulder at me, checking my face.

I give him a subtle nod.

After I heard what Uncle Stewart did to April, I understood why Chance was outraged. A part of me is glad that someone else is making a move to put him in check.

Uncle Stewart is a bad apple in our family, but he’s still family. I learned at a young age that, when it comes to our family’s secrets, my hands are tied.

“Anyway,” Chance clears his throat, “I saw the way you looked at Rebel when she came in to The Tipsy Tuna.”

Balancing my hands on the top of the hockey stick, I grumble, “How did I look at her?”

“You were staring at every move she made. And you even smiled when she walked in.”

“I smiled?” I stick a finger in my chest. “Idid?”

“Your entire face kind of…” Chance pauses in thought. “I don’t know how to explain. You… melted.”

I laugh out loud.

Chance smirks. “What’s so funny?”

“You need to get your eyes checked.” Skating briskly, I gather the rest of the pucks and send them skittering back to the neutral zone. “I’m telling you this because Rebel will probably tell April anyway.”

“What?” Chance holds his breath. “Did I misunderstand something?”

“Big time. Rebel and I aren’t really dating.” I shake my head.

“What?” Chance’s voice reverberates through the entire arena.

“We’re just pretending to so she can join the Lady Luck Society.”

“The Luckywhatnow?”

I roll my eyes. “It’s a community service group… the point is, we’re not really together. She hates me and that goes both ways.” I stick my finger in his face. “So don’t go around saying things like ‘I melt’ around her.”

Chance blinks a couple times, processing what I just told him.

At that moment, the door to the arena bangs open and the rest of the team march in. Loud laughter and conversation immediately liven up the air.

I tuck my chin against my chest to hide my growing smile. While I love my family, the Kinsey name is a heavy chain around my neck. Sometimes, it’s difficult to tell if anyone seesmewhen they look at me.

But when I started playing hockey with the Lucky Strikers, it felt like I’d found home. We were connected by our obsession with hockey and our desire to win. I was finally a part of something due to my own merit. It’s one of the reasons I was so affected when Chance took my captain spot on the team.

“There he is! The man of the hour!” Theilan hoists his hockey stick in the air like a trophy.

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