Page 71 of Jesse and the Ice Princess
She pushed him away with a smirk. "Liar."
"Me?" Roman lifted a brow and moved in on Jesse, smacking a kiss against his cheek before Jesse could jump out of the way. Roman shot Charlotte a wink. "See?"
Jesse wiped his cheek. "Dude, you slobbered me."
"Go get dressed for the game." He eyed them once more. "Oh, and I picked up your brothers.”
"What about Dad and Cass?”
He read the answer in Roman's face. His friend tried. He'd known Cassie as long as he'd known Jesse. They were even friends as kids.
Jesse pushed away the disappointment at not having his dad or sister there because once he was out on that ice, it would all fade away.
"Charlotte," her dad called. "Can you come here?"
Jesse nudged her forward. "I'll see you out there."
She offered him a smile that would last him the entire night.
As he pushed into the locker room with Roman at his side, a cheer wound through the room.
"Did no one think I'd make it in time?" He shook his head with a laugh. "You guys have so much faith in me." As he stepped up to his locker where his gear was laid out already for him, he noticed the silence surrounding him. The team continued to stare at him, waiting.
He turned to them, a smile curving his lips. "She's here."
This time, the cheering grew in volume, overcoming everything else. Roman clapped him on the back. "Think Charlie knows she's part of this team yet?"
"She will."
"She can't get rid of us now. She has to—gasp—be friends with us."
He laughed. "Something tells me she'll survive being seen with you."
He changed into his gear, slipping the pads over his head before tugging on his jersey. Putting a hand over the Hurricanes logo, he smiled. This was his final season with the team, maybe his last year playing organized hockey. That was what all the people who gave them grief for losing didn't understand. Win or lose, they didn't regret being part of something bigger than themselves.
Coach poked his head in. "Everyone decent?"
"We're dressed, if that's what you mean." Roman laughed. "But decent..."
Coach pushed open the door, and Jesse stopped breathing. He'd seen Charlotte in her expensive sweaters at school, her skin-tight skating dresses... but as she stood in front of them in full pads and his team's jersey, his heart stuttered.
Roman bumped his shoulder. "Breathe, dude."
"She's incredible."
He expected some kind of sarcastic remark from Roman. It would have been very like him. Instead, his friend gave him a real, genuine smile.
Charlotte approached him, her eyes on her skates. "I feel silly."
He put a finger under her chin and tilted it up. "You don't look silly." She'd removed the rhinestones from her hair and wiped away the makeup, making her appear just as herself.
"My legs feel like Jello," she whispered. "How am I supposed to get through this game? I'm going to make a giant fool of myself."
"No." He brushed a few loose strands of hair back. "You're going to make fools of the rest of us."
She finally smiled at that.
"All right, boys." Coach paused. "And girl." He shook his head as if he couldn't believe he'd just said that. "That team out there has come into our rink pinpointing us as an easy win. Who's ready to prove them wrong?"
