Page 115 of False Start

twenty-five

“I’ve gota surprise for you ladies today,” Priest said as he faced us on the track, skates on, fully padded, a helmet hanging from his fingers.

So the man planned to pull out all the stops to distract me and knock me off my game with all of his man goods on the track now too?

Bring it.

Our last practice before we flew to Philly for the exhibition. I thought that meant we’d go hard, him hammering us with everything we learned from start to finish, but the smile on his face, the familiar audience he’d gathered outside the track told a different story.

We were in for fun today.

He’d lined one side of the track with chairs. Lana and Zach kept their heads together as she pointed at the setup, likely explaining the game. Milton and Gerald fawned over Lilith as she rubbed her growing belly. She had more color in her cheeks now, her face a bit rounder, her hair a glossy sheet over her shoulder. She radiated motherhood from the inside out, a huge change from how I’d found her the week before, which helped explain Priest’s newfound playful mood. The more he worried about Lilith, the more we all suffered.

But totally in a good way.

Patti whispered to a woman I’d never seen before and if I had to take a guess from the wistful look on Patti’s face followed by her spirited laugh, she’d started pulling out some of her favorite stories from her days as Pinup Patti.

Even Scooter came out which meant he’d closed The Shipwreck for this.

No pressure or anything.

If the man was going to close his restaurant for a special occasion, we better be on our A-game and ready to deliver.

“Today it’s boys versus girls,” Priest said, sticking his fingers in his mouth to let out a sharp whistle.

Music kicked out of the sound system Priest set up along the far wall. The beat filled the air, not loud enough to make it hard for us to hear, but hella loud enough to kick up our heart rate and give us a thirst for some good ol’ ass kicking.

The door to the office—yeah, that office—flew open and Jackson came skating out first in full gear followed by three big-ass dudes I didn’t recognize.

All in padding.

All strapping on helmets.

All adept at skating.

Smooth moves and confidence, they glided up and hopped onto the track.

This was gonna be good.

“I know we’re supposed to play against them and all, but damn—I kind of just want to eat them,” Rory said with an appreciative gleam in her eye. “You think any of them are single?”

“Focus. We’re not dating here,” I warned as I totally appreciated the guys towering over us as they skated past.

“Says the one of us riding the coach like a hobby horse,” Sean added.

I glanced around, looking for Eve, gauging her reaction, and even she smiled.

Thank fuck.

“You bet your sweet ass I am. And guys, he’s a shower and a grower. In case you were wondering.”

“Leave it to a coach as hot as Priest to have a hidden collection of man candy on skates,” Marty said.

A bunch of us let out a collective sigh when they skated up behind Priest and flanked him—hands folded behind their backs, feet shoulder width apart.

That kind of male showing, smooth skin, corded muscles, and tattoos should be fucking illegal in these quantities in a small town like Galloway Bay.

“Anyone else want to take bets on whether or not they’re military?” Eve asked. “I always thought I was a little more gay than bi, but this wall of muscle is making me rethink my position.”

---