Page 40 of Double Pucked

Nope. No way. Not gonna let her doubt herself. “Your ex was a world-class asshole. He never deserved you, and you got the hell out the second you learned the truth. That takes guts. Hell, it takes serious ovaries, and you have them, Trina,” I say, giving her a pep talk she didn’t ask for but that I feel compelled to give. “And you take care of this awesome dog and look out for him and hold down a cool job. All while dealing with the aftermath of a shitty breakup. That’s a lot.”

And so is a breakup, so I add, “It’s not easy dealing with the end of a relationship. My ex was a piece of work too, and sometimes you just need to take it easy and not expect too much of yourself. Know what I mean?”

She takes a beat, then nods. “Thanks for saying that. Cassie got on my case earlier this evening, so I think I needed to hear something nice.”

“If you ever need a pep talk, I’m your guy. It takes time to get over someone—even the jerks. I mean, I wasn’t in love with my ex. Romance wasn’t my jam to start with, but still, the whole experience soured me on romance even more,” I admit.

She shoots me a sad smile. “You and me both.”

We knock fists in relationship solidarity, but that’s not the solidarity I truly want.

I’m dying to know what she thinks about another night, but I’ve already decided to wait for Ryker. Instead, I jump over to an easier convo—the auction for the jerseys and gear Trina bought for her ex. I had the jersey signed by my teammates today, and Ryker did the same with his jacket, so we made plans to auction them off online this week, then give the money to her favorite rescue—the place where she got Nacho from.

When we reach my home, I unlock the door and head inside. Ryker’s stretched out on the couch, phone in hand, brow furrowed, earbuds in.

And he looks…freshly showered.

Damn, he really wants to impress her. Plus, holy shit, do I smell hummus and olives and baba ganoush and falafels and lemon herb chicken?

“Did you get food?” I ask once he takes out the earbuds.

Ryker nods. “I picked up takeout on my way back. Didn’t know what you liked, Trina, so I got a little of everything.”

Well, how about that. “Look at you, showing me up with my guest,” I tease, but is there a tiny bit of irritation coming through in my tone?

Maybe there is.

“You offered her a place to stay. I just got dinner,” he says lightly. Then he adds, “And I found a bakery still open that served pound cake. It’s in the fridge.”

With an excited gasp, Trina’s eyes grow wide, and she’s staring at Ryker like he’s hung the moon.

Out of nowhere, a dragon thrashes around in my chest.

I breathe out hard, but my lungs feel like they’re sucking in a hot plume of fire. And I don’t know what to do about it, so I grumble out, “Need to return a call real quick.”

I head to my bedroom and shut the door.

Or really, I slam it.

14

A SECRET NERD

Ryker

After Trina toes off her shoes, she makes her way over to the couch with her dog by her side, and I watch her every move, cataloging her. She wears little flare jeans that show off some ankle, then a crop top that reveals a sliver of belly, and a short sweatshirt.

It’s a fantastic tease, and I want to peel all those clothes off her. But it’s the way she looks at me from behind those red glasses that makes my heart thump faster.

“Pound cake. Seriously. You’re my hero,” she says.

My chest warms. “Just wanted to help. No big deal,” I say, evenly. Not gonna let on how much I like those words—you’re my hero.

She joins me on the couch, patting the cushion. Nacho jumps up, then snuggles next to her. “Chase said he could sit on the furniture,” she explains.

“I wasn’t going to rat out Nacho. I’m also not surprised one bit that Chase gave him couch privileges,” I say, then reach across her to pet the dog’s head. I’m not a huge animal person but Trina clearly is.

“What are you listening to?” she asks, glancing down at my phone.

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