Page 64 of Chips & Checks
“What the fuck?” Viktor demands.
I’m frozen. I feel like I’ve stepped outside of my own body. Did that really just happen? Did Viktor see? Did Dad?
To my horror, my body freezes up. I know that it doesn’t make sense, but my immediate emotion is embarrassment. Or maybe humiliation, given the visceral intensity of my reaction. I don’t want anyone to see this, to see not only Chad’s casual confidence but also my trembling rabbit-reaction to his predatory grin.
Chad pushes up from the ice just as Bowen skates up from the side. I see that flash of a smile on Chad’s face again, and the angle of his stick. He manages to knock Bowen’s legs out from under him while making it look like an accident, but I know. And Chad knows I know.
Bowen goes down hard, face-planting onto the ice. I scramble to get to him, partly out of concern, partly because touching Bowen will somehow erase the tingling on the side of my ear where Chad’s fingers lingered for half a second when he touched my hair.
“Whoops,” Chad drawls. “Sorry, Murph, didn’t see you there.”
Bowen cups his hand around his bleeding nose and glares. Viktor stands there, eyes wide, mouth open, silent. He doesn’t move a muscle.
There’s a thump from the glass, and when I lift my head, I see a couple standing there, eyes fixed on Bowen. The woman’s mouthing something, though we’re too far away to hear. The guy is around Dad’s age, crazy-tall, with the fit limbs and slight paunch of a former athlete whose slowing metabolism is catching up with him. There’s silver in his hair, and crow’s feet around his eyes, but he looks familiar.
“Who’re they?” I ask under my breath. I’m pretty sure I already know the answer.
Bowen, still trying to staunch the bleeding in his nose, turns his head and moans. “Those are myparents.”
Camden chuckles. “Looks like Violet’s going to meet the parents.”
Viktor has always been drawn to drama like a moth to a flame, but for once, he ignores the low-hanging fruit in favor of watching Chad shuffle across the ice. “That’s cool, but I’m thinking Chad is about to meet his maker.”
I’m not ready to meet Bowen’s family. That’s a rule we’dbothlike to follow, thank you very much. Sure, Bowen has met my parents, but it’s different. It was forwork.He didn’t have to explain who we were to each other, because we’re coworkers.Duh.
But this is different, and it’s not a great time for me to do things like “be friendly” and “speak coherently.” Not after Bowen’s parents saw Chadtouch my face like I belong to him.
Dad, like Viktor, is glaring at Chad. As soon as I’m within earshot, he says, “Out of my way. I’m going to rip his limb off and beat him with it.”
Bowen snorts, and immediately regrets it, if his bout of choking is anything to go by. Dad starts to move forward, but Bowen’s father gets there first. He wraps his arms around my dad’s shoulders and squeezes. It looks like he’s holding Dad back, but then he rests his chin on top of Dad’s head and smiles. “Settle down, little buddy.”
Bowen’s mom is only a step behind her husband. “Remember, we’re being recorded.”
Dad’s eye twitches. “Bowen, tell me that’s your father behind me.”
Beside me, Bowen’s body trembles with laughter. “Yes, sir.”
Dad immediately relaxes. “I knew it. I’d recognize that huggle anywhere. How the hell are you, Declyn?”
Declyn Murphy steps back. Dad spins to face him, and they do the ritual chest-thump-back-slap routine that guys love to do. Bowen catches my eye, and we both shrug.
“I’m good,” Declyn says. “You?”
“Better now. Dammit. I was ready to go to war.” Dad shoots a death glare over his shoulder at Chad.
“I saw.” Decyln’s eyes turn to me. “And who’s this?”
Dad loops an arm around my shoulder. “Meet my daughter, Violet.”
“Wow, yourdaughter.” Bowen’s mom gives me an appraising look. “Violet.” Now it’s Bowen’s turn for the once-over. I don’t get the impression that she’s being critical of me. It’s more like she’s trying to decide if and how we fit together.
That’s just me projecting, though. Right?
Declyn high-fives my dad. “Holy wow! You have a family.”
“Yeah. Three kids. And do you still have your first love… Ginger?” Dad beams at Bowen’s mom.
She laughs at some in-joke I don’t know the punchline of.
