Page 36 of The Last Inch Of Ice
“Thank you. He’d be flattered to hear that. He already thinks very highly of himself.”
She laughs. “As he should! A cat with standards is a cat with character.”
“Ba—” Rykov starts, his voice strained.
“You boys play together, yes?” She looks between them. “Good. Nazar needs friends. He’s too serious. Always frowning.”
“I don’t always frown,” he protests.
“Yes, you do. Even now, you’re frowning.” She reaches up and pokes his forehead through the glass. “See? Lines. You’ll get wrinkles.”
Kai is trying very hard not to laugh. Rykov looks like he’s about to have an aneurysm, his jaw clenched so tight you can see the muscle jumping.
“Your grandson is actually quite cheerful,” Kai says, his voice dripping with innocence. “He was just telling the team a very funny joke on the plane earlier. About emergency exits. Everyone laughed.”
“Really?” She looks pleased. “Good! He should joke more. Life is too short to be serious all the time.”
“I completely agree.” Kai leans against the boards, settling in. “You know, Mrs. Rykov, I’ve been trying to get Nazar to lighten up for weeks now. Maybe you could give me some tips?”
“Call me Halina, please. Mrs. Rykov makes me sound old.” She considers this. “You could try feeding him. Food makes everyone happy. Do you cook?”
“I make excellent reservations.”
She laughs again, delighted. “A man who knows his limitations. Smart.”
Rykov is now staring at Kai with an expression that promises violence. Kai has never enjoyed anything more in his life.
“Ba, we need to get back to warm-ups,” Rykov says through gritted teeth.
“Oh, yes, yes. I’m keeping you.” She pats the glass affectionately. “Play well,synku. And you too, Kaisyn. Take care of each other, yes?”
“Absolutely,” Kai says sincerely. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t frown too much.”
As they skate away, Rykov grabs Kai’s arm hard enough to hurt. “What the fuck was that?”
“What? I was being polite to your grandmother. She’s delightful.” Kai can’t keep the grin off his face. “She was right, by the way. You do frown too much. It’s bad for your skin.”
“I’m going to kill you.”
“Not in front of your grandmother. She’d be disappointed.”
Rykov looks like he’s seriously reconsidering this policy. His grip tightens. “Stay away from her.”
“Why? She likes me. We bonded over our mutual appreciation for noble cats and the importance of not taking life too seriously.”
“Callahan—”
“Plus, she thinks you need friends. I’m just being a good teammate.” Kai’s grin widens. “Maybe I should visit. Bring Bonifazio. I bet she’d love to meet him.”
The look on Rykov’s face is worth every risk. He’s practically vibrating with suppressed rage, his dark eyes promisingretribution while simultaneously knowing he can’t do anything about it because they’re surrounded by teammates and fans and his grandmother is watching.
“You’re enjoying this,” Rykov accuses.
“Immensely,” Kai confirms. “Your grandmother is wonderful. You should have introduced us sooner.”
“Over my dead body.”
“Too late. We’re already friends. She said to take care of each other.” Kai skates backward, still grinning. “I take my promises to grandmothers very seriously, Rykov. I’ll be checking in on you. Making sure you’re eating enough. Not frowning too much.”
