Page 101 of Puck to the Heart
Tinging the frigid air with a steam cloud hanging between us, the breath he blew out sounded halfway between a sigh and a groan. “I’m… getting there.”
“I believe in you enough for the both of us.” My hands slid to the back of his neck, scraping my nails through the short hair there.
“You know, Barnes, I believe you do.”
Then he lowered his mouth to mine. The fruity flavor of wine mingled with the smoky burn of his whisky when his tongue slid against mine, tangling into an intoxicating blend for my already inhibited mind. When my fingers ground into the muscles of his back, he slid his hands in my hair, holding me in place as he kissed me. Hard. One hand remained fisted in my hair while the other slid down my back, reaching down to cup my?—
“Wilder, get your ass in here!” A voice yelled. “We’re toasting to the captain!”
Summer
“The name is kind ofsilly, don’t you think?”
Cradling the phone between my jaw and shoulder, I leaned all my weight on the tiny suitcase to compress the damn thing. “KIST? I mean… it’s simple, but I think that’s a good thing.” Finally, the damn suitcase zipped.
“You don’t think Kids in Stem Tracks is too, I don’t know, on the nose?”
“Again, I think that’s the point, Barnes. Let them know what they’re getting into. Or maybe ‘Kids in Stem Studies’. Lean into the rock aspect. Imagine the t-shirts.”
“That might work.” She sounded contemplative, and I bit back a laugh.
“I was joking.”
“Right. We’ll workshop the name.” Sometimes, I forgot how single-minded she was when it came to things she cared about. “I need to go prep for the meeting. Good luck! Or is break a leg more appropriate here?”
“Never tell an athlete to break a bone.” Every muscle tensed up, a full-body shudder giving me chills. I tapped my fingers three times and glanced around for salt to throw over my shoulder. Superstitions might be pointless, but if it worked, I wasn’t questioning it.
“Shit, sorry. Umm. Good luck, then.”
“Thanks. You, too.”
“I’m so nervous.” It echoed in her voice, showing the tension in her throat and around her eyes. If I were there, I’d press my thumbs into the knots forming in her shoulders and kiss the crease between her brows. But this meeting came at the worst possible time.
“Don’t be, Barnes. You’re going to crush it like a linebacker.”
“Areyoumixing sports metaphors?”
“No, I just play another sport. There’s a difference.”
“Sure. I gotta go. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” No matter how many times she said it, I still needed to hear her say it. Never got tired of it.
Making sure I gathered up my notes, I shoved them in a backpack and dragged my suitcase to the door. Today was the final day of an athletic leadership workshop Coach Olson arranged for me to attend. It’d been kind of cool, meeting people in other sports and learning new strategies. Throughout, I’d texted my cousin, Ethan, asking for advice and snarkily commenting on the other sports.
Hockey and baseball were far superior. Obviously.
And curling. I was fascinated with curling.
I’d even received a brand deal, the first I’d gotten in the years since the photo incident. Captain Ash Wilder was a lot more palatable than Asher the Basher. A tinge of grief for all the lost time I might’ve had if I’d gotten over myself washed through me, but I let it go.
I was herenow.
And I wouldn’t have Olivia if I hadn’t made it through the rough patches. And I was grateful,sograteful. For her, for how far we’d come together.
The next season was looking up, and I was actually excited to apply the things I’d learned in the workshop. Who the fuck was I, and what had I done with Ash Wilder?
I slept horriblywhile Ash was gone, but it was so much worse while I was on tenterhooks leading up to the meeting for KIST. The name was still questionable, but it got the point across until the students voted on something better.
