Page 98 of Rebel Secrets
“St.David, Pennsylvania.Where I live now.”
She mock-shuddered as she snapped her lipstick closed and stuck it back in her tiny bag.“Sounds horrid.Maybe I’ll take a shot at him, anyway.”
Then she walked out.
After I used the facilities, washed my hands and reapplied my makeup, I looked at my reflection in the mirror.
Oh hell, no, she would not take her shot.
He was mine.
I headed back to the dance floor, saw Meredith standing with Rebel.She looked sexy and flirty, and he looked like he wished the floor would swallow.
Meredith didn’t stand a chance.
My gaze connected with his across the room, and his eyes lit up.He straightened a little and, when I started across the floor, he barely looked at Meredith as he said something and started walking toward me.
We met on the dance floor, the band mid-song.We came together like we’d been dancing together for years, and not just a couple of times.
“That’s a viper.Thanks for saving me.”
I threw back my head and laughed, drawing the attention of a few of the couples around us.Not one of them mattered more than him.
“I don’t think you would’ve had any trouble brushing her off.You do grumpy so well.”
“And yet here you are, in my arms.”
“I am.”
Come on, Rebel.Don’t let me down.
It took him a couple of seconds, but he finally said, “Is this really where you want to be?”
Moment of truth.“Do you want me here?”
“Isn’t it obvious?I want you, Erin.And I’ll still want you when we get back to St.David.”
“And when you leave?”
He went silent for a couple of seconds, and my heart began to squeeze painfully.
Then he reached up to cup my cheek with one hand.He’d never done anything like this in public, and it gave me hope.
“I had to spend some time away from St.David to realize that what I want is there.My family.My home.My friends.You.”
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.“But you never liked me.What changed?”
“It wasn’t you I didn’t like.I was looking for something I couldn’t find.I kept telling myself it wasn’t there.And when I got the call from the Redtails, I thought, okay, this is it.This is what I’ve been looking for.”
“Validation.”
He shrugged.“Maybe.Or just the chance to prove to myself that I could do something more.Be something more.Rowdy and Rain were always going to run the team when Pop retired.I knew that.And I didn’t think I wanted that.I just wanted to play.Then I got it in my head that I had to prove that hockey was all I needed.That contract with the Redtails… I wanted it.I did.But that’s not home to me.Those guys…they’re great, but they’re not Bonesaw and Kat and Denny and Kookoo and Cudgel.They’re not the guys I’ve grown up with and played with for years.”
I smiled.“They could be your guys, if you gave them a chance.”
“A quarter of them have already signed with another team.Another quarter’ll be gone before midseason.That’s not how I want to spend my career, moving from team to team.I know what I want.”
“And what’s that?”
