Page 34 of Rebel Bride
Chapter Eleven
Hatch
* * *
Not long after we got home, I had a call from my dad, he of the barrier-busting swimmers.
“Hey, Hatchling, how’s it going?”
“Fine, fine.”
“So, we’re not going to talk about what happened at the church yesterday?”
I inhaled. “Bit of a shit show.”
“Didn’t see you after. Or before.”
“Wanted to get on the road to Saugatuck before I got sucked into the drama. How’s everyone?”
My dad talked about the latest thing that my four-and-a-half-year-old sister Tilly was obsessed with (fig jam) and the latest thing that my twenty-one year old brother Conor was obsessed with (trying to nail a puck in the tree hole of the big oak in the backyard).
“I stopped by Novel Grounds for coffee this morning. Gem was asking about your retirement, then Baz at the yacht club had plenty to say.”
He sighed. I felt for him, having to deal with all this speculation about his career. Working with him, side by side, over the last year had been both amazing and intimidating. This was the Theo Kershaw we were talking about, a legend in the game. I hated thinking that it would be better for me if he retired, that I could finally get out from under his shadow.
“Have you given any more thought to that?”
“I think of practically nothing else. I’m guessing you’re sick of hearing about it.”
“Nah.”
My dad chuckled. “It’s good for you to get away from all the drama, family, hockey, and otherwise. So what’s the latest on Carter and Summer?”
“You’re worse than the twins. Is this why you’re calling? Looking for gossip?”
“Of course it is! Your mother’s been at me to get the scoop, not to mention Aurora. I know you’re not that close to Carter, but I figured you’d know something. I always liked Summer, too.”
“Based on what? You barely know her.”
“Wouldn’t say that. As a Rebels-cough-legend-cough, I spent a fair bit of time in the front office in my role as honorary GM, coach, and team psychologist. I had plenty of chats with Summer and she always struck me as a total sweetheart. Guess we never know what’s going on beneath the surface.”
The truth of that struck me hard. I’d made up my mind about Summer quickly, and now I had no clue what her game was. Just because she had ditched Carter didn’t mean she was suddenly a good person, though. She was hiding something. I just didn’t know what.
“Carter said she changed her mind. Well, I didn’t talk to him directly, but the guys texted to say he seems to think it’s just a glitch in the matrix. That they’ll sort it out eventually.”
Though judging from Summer’s reaction to talking to him this morning, Dash was playing a different game with her.
My father hummed. “That’s a big hurdle to climb. But hey, maybe this means you can finally take your shot.”
“Uh, meaning?”
“I was always surprised you didn’t make a play for her. I remember when she came on the scene, the first time you met her at the Rebels holiday party a few years back.”
Unfortunately, my dad had the recall of an elephant. I braced myself for a blow-by-blow account of this fateful meeting, but first I argued my case.
“Dash brought her as his date and they’ve been together ever since.”
“Not all the time. Believe me, I’ve listened to his whining every time they split up and happened to bear witness to all the times he found some bunny to help him get over her. Then a month later, they were back on the hamster wheel of love. Not exactly inspiring.”
