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Authors: Katie Kenyhercz
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who make their livings on the ice can’t manage to chill out?”
He grinned. “Well said. I don’t know if this outing will improve my next game, but it improved my mood tonight.”
She raised her arms above her head and wiggled her fingers. “Score.”
“You are the cutest thing in the world. Literally. Someone should call Guinness.”
Lori stuck her tongue out at him and lowered her arms to her sides, but the smile she fought told the real story.
“Seriously. Thank you for this. If you hadn’t made me come out, I’d be pounding the heavy bag back home, drowning in self-doubt.”
“
Made
you. That’s flattering.”
“As my confidence coach, that’s your job. Mine is to help you land that axel with my mere presence.”
She scrunched her face at him and pulled the milkshake to her side of the table. But she was still smiling.
Chapter Twelve
Monday, October 13th
It’s a surprise.
No matter how many times she asked where he was taking her, that was the answer. And he was having way too much fun saying it, too. After their burgers Friday night, he’d tried to con her into today’s stress break. At the time, she’d turned him down. Then Saturday’s show happened, with Bradley’s octopus hands and Francesca’s wall of hostility. Suddenly the stress break wasn’t just an excuse to see Dylan again.
Lori settled back in the passenger seat of his SUV and studied him from the corner of her eye. His slightly shaggy brown hair raised the question of whether he rolled out of bed ten minutes ago or spent ten minutes in the bathroom styling it to look un-styled. Either way, he was adorable. Damn him.
She picked up the end of her ponytail and twirled it around her finger. “I’m feeling guilty.” The admission came without prompting or permission. That was a habit around him. Whether or not that was a good thing, it
felt
good. No one else would understand. They’d judge. And she had enough judges in her life.
“About what?” His gaze was on the road, but a good portion of his focus was on her. The concern in his voice and quick glance said she had his attention.
“I got a bye in Regionals this month. That means because I placed high in last season’s Nationals, I don’t have to compete until this season’s. I can skip Sectionals too, if I want. And I can rationalize it by saying I don’t want to risk injury. That might be true, but it also feels like an excuse. Like I’m really skipping them because I’m scared I can’t land that jump.”
Using his left hand to steer, he picked up hers with his right and squeezed. “You told me the first day I met you that you
can
land that jump. It’s what you’re known for. And I saw you land it at least once.”
The warmth from his hand seeped into her and spread through her whole body. Goose bumps. Were they a real emotional response? Her only previous experience with them was on the ice with bare arms. And the sexiest thing about it was his seemingly never-ending patience. A few times, he’d skated around the “What are we?” conversation, and he’d let her slide right out of it without pressure of disappointment. He appeared happy just to spend time with her. No game. It was refreshing. And terrifying.
Before she could form a sentence, he pulled into a parking lot for … Sky Zone. An indoor trampoline park. “
What
?
”
She laughed. “How do you find this stuff?”
He took the keys from the ignition and unbuckled with his trademark humble smile. “Swear I haven’t been to these places with other girls. Just teammates. Something you might not know about hockey players—no matter how old, we are big kids at heart.”
She followed him around the SUV to the front doors of the building, skipping to keep up with his gait, and trying to ignore the pang of envy in her gut. What was it like to have people you trained with actually like you and want to hang outside the rink? People who wanted to have fun with you, not at your expense? It didn’t
He grinned. “Well said. I don’t know if this outing will improve my next game, but it improved my mood tonight.”
She raised her arms above her head and wiggled her fingers. “Score.”
“You are the cutest thing in the world. Literally. Someone should call Guinness.”
Lori stuck her tongue out at him and lowered her arms to her sides, but the smile she fought told the real story.
“Seriously. Thank you for this. If you hadn’t made me come out, I’d be pounding the heavy bag back home, drowning in self-doubt.”
“
Made
you. That’s flattering.”
“As my confidence coach, that’s your job. Mine is to help you land that axel with my mere presence.”
She scrunched her face at him and pulled the milkshake to her side of the table. But she was still smiling.
Chapter Twelve
Monday, October 13th
It’s a surprise.
No matter how many times she asked where he was taking her, that was the answer. And he was having way too much fun saying it, too. After their burgers Friday night, he’d tried to con her into today’s stress break. At the time, she’d turned him down. Then Saturday’s show happened, with Bradley’s octopus hands and Francesca’s wall of hostility. Suddenly the stress break wasn’t just an excuse to see Dylan again.
Lori settled back in the passenger seat of his SUV and studied him from the corner of her eye. His slightly shaggy brown hair raised the question of whether he rolled out of bed ten minutes ago or spent ten minutes in the bathroom styling it to look un-styled. Either way, he was adorable. Damn him.
She picked up the end of her ponytail and twirled it around her finger. “I’m feeling guilty.” The admission came without prompting or permission. That was a habit around him. Whether or not that was a good thing, it
felt
good. No one else would understand. They’d judge. And she had enough judges in her life.
“About what?” His gaze was on the road, but a good portion of his focus was on her. The concern in his voice and quick glance said she had his attention.
“I got a bye in Regionals this month. That means because I placed high in last season’s Nationals, I don’t have to compete until this season’s. I can skip Sectionals too, if I want. And I can rationalize it by saying I don’t want to risk injury. That might be true, but it also feels like an excuse. Like I’m really skipping them because I’m scared I can’t land that jump.”
Using his left hand to steer, he picked up hers with his right and squeezed. “You told me the first day I met you that you
can
land that jump. It’s what you’re known for. And I saw you land it at least once.”
The warmth from his hand seeped into her and spread through her whole body. Goose bumps. Were they a real emotional response? Her only previous experience with them was on the ice with bare arms. And the sexiest thing about it was his seemingly never-ending patience. A few times, he’d skated around the “What are we?” conversation, and he’d let her slide right out of it without pressure of disappointment. He appeared happy just to spend time with her. No game. It was refreshing. And terrifying.
Before she could form a sentence, he pulled into a parking lot for … Sky Zone. An indoor trampoline park. “
What
?
”
She laughed. “How do you find this stuff?”
He took the keys from the ignition and unbuckled with his trademark humble smile. “Swear I haven’t been to these places with other girls. Just teammates. Something you might not know about hockey players—no matter how old, we are big kids at heart.”
She followed him around the SUV to the front doors of the building, skipping to keep up with his gait, and trying to ignore the pang of envy in her gut. What was it like to have people you trained with actually like you and want to hang outside the rink? People who wanted to have fun with you, not at your expense? It didn’t
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