Page 154 of The Puck Stops Here

‘No, he’s just rolled into town, acting like he’s never been away. I have no idea how long he’ll stick around for, or what he’s doing here, but if you want to see him, now’s your chance. I doubt he’ll be leaving that bar any time soon.’

‘If he’s only just appeared, surely he’ll stick around a bit?’

‘No idea, but I don’t fancy swinging by to ask him his plans for the next twenty-four hours.’

‘No, no, of course not. I wouldn’t expect you to.’

‘He might be rolling through to the city for the game but I’m not sure that’s the setting you want for this conversation. Or if you’ll even spot him in the crowd.’

Her friend was right. She’d dug up enough pictures of him to know what he looked like, but there would be almost 20,000 hockey fans milling about come tomorrow. He’d be a needle in a haystack.

She eased the door ajar and looked at Blake. Could she go?

Leave a note saying she had to work, and she’d see him tomorrow.

Should she wake him up and tell him?

And risk him talking you out of it?

Which he would do. She was sure of it.

Or worse, he’d insist on accompanying her and that was the last thing he needed. To come face to face with his father the night before a game.

No, she couldn’t let that happen either.

This was work. And Blake was… she didn’t want to think about what Blake was just yet. She was still reeling from what she’d glimpsed in his face, what she’d felt.

She closed her eyes like it could somehow shut it all out and took a sanitising breath.

Getting their father’s side to the past was important. There were many sides to a story, a rule she worked by and one she should have stuck to in her personal life, too. Before raining hell on Chase. Before launching an attack on Aiden.

The twins’ father, however… the personal tried to overrule the professional and this time she wasn’t letting it.

‘I’m on my way.’

* * *

Waking up to a note didn’t fit with Blake’s plans…

Plans that centred around room service and Astrid. Not necessarily in that order.

He checked the note again as he called for the elevator.

Need to work, I’ll see you tomorrow,

Sweet dreams, pussycat ;-)

Pussycat! Who did she think she was calling ‘pussycat’? And what did she mean tomorrow? Surely, she was staying with him, or vice versa. He didn’t care which room so long as she was in it.

The elevator pinged open on her floor and he stepped out, shoving the note in his jeans pocket as he went.

‘Hey Blake.’ Harry came out of the room across the hall. ‘If you’re looking for Astrid, you just missed her.’

Blake paused mid-rap on her door. ‘I did?’

‘Yeah, she was hurrying into a cab when I got back from my run.’ Harry pulled a hoody over his head, mumbling against the fabric. ‘I figured you twins had scared her off.’

A cab? What kind of work involved getting a cab? They’d already taken her around their old haunts. The only thing left was Ashbury Falls and it would be a cold day in hell before they ventured there.

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