Page 90 of The Playmaker

“Want to enlighten me?”

My stomach coils tight, my heart aching for the young boy who lost his mother, had no one to protect him. “He’s leaving me before I can leave him.”

“And if you’re wrong?”

“If I’m right…”

Her eyes lock on mine. “Is he worth fighting for?”

My heart jumps in my chest. “Absolutely.”

“Then you need to talk to him, smack some sense into his head. Give him another concussion if you have to.”

Hope and excitement welling up inside me, I laugh, and jump from the sofa. I’m in the same frayed jean shorts and tank top that I wore that first day Cole and I watched hockey together. “Should I change?”

“No, you look hot.”

“But I thought you said I looked like hell in these.”

“Yeah, I know.” Her grin is evil when she adds, “There isn’t a guy in a hundred-mile radius that isn’t going to notice you, Nina.”

“If only my brother would stop beating them up.”

“What?”

“All these years I thought guys didn’t like me, overlooked me, only to find out they were afraid of Cason and the beating he’d give them if they so much as looked at me the wrong way.”

“Ohmigod, that brother of yours. Maybe I need to knock him into the boards.” She has a strange look on her face as she jumps off the sofa, and I’m left with the impression that knocking my brother into the boards holds all kinds of sexual innuendo, but that can’t be right, because those two have never really liked each other. She goes to the kitchen and grabs a bottle of champagne. “Come on, let’s get ready for the game.”

“Champagne?”

“Yeah, I always drink champagne after my team wins.”

“I didn’t know that.”

She puts the bottle into her big purse. “That’s because you never come with me.”

“I was at the first playoff game.”

“You were in no mood for champagne then,” she says and usher me outside.

An hour later, Jess and I are settling into our seats and game two of seven is about to begin. The lights dim and the players all come onto the ice. I zero in on Cole, and note the way he’s checking the stands.

Is he looking for me?

My heart gives a little leap at that thought and before I know it, the game is underway. Beside me, Jess is enthralled, and cursing up a storm at the opposing team. Good God, how are we friends? By the time the second period is over, and my team— Wait, when did I start thinking of the Settle Storms as my team? No idea, but my team is up by a score of one, thanks to a fantastic play made by Cole. And of course, like he once said, he couldn’t have done it alone. He has a team behind him.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” I say to Jess, as I wiggle uncomfortably in my chair.

“You can’t.” She grabs my hand tight and hold me in my seat.

“But I have to go.”

“I don’t want you to leave your seat.”

I crinkle my nose. “Why not?”

“Just…third period is about to start.”

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