Read Online Just In Time: An Alaskan Nights Novel by Addison Fox - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Addison Fox
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slash over expressive eyes.
Served her right. She could say whatever she wanted, but he wasn’t alone in that damn hallway last night. She responded to his kiss like she remembered all the ways they were good together.
Damn good together.
They were prevented from extending the argument by the arrival of their waitress bearing coffee. Roman ordered the omelet he’d planned on—the years of strength training had drilled too much discipline into him to act on the pancake impulse.
“Myrtle’s got the whole town excited that you’re coaching the kids.” Mick eyed him over the rim of his coffee cup.
“It should be fun. I want to keep up my workouts in the off season, and their enthusiasm will be the extra kick in my old ass.”
“The coach ran out near the end of the season. Jack and I didn’t even have to fly him, he just packed his few bags and hopped on the train.”
“Asshole,” Roman muttered as he doctored his coffee. Three spoonfuls of sugar and about as much milk.
Avery had always teased him about how he put more stuff in his coffee than what was already in the mug. Annoyed that he’d think of their shared past over a damn cup of coffee, he attempted to get his mind back in their booth.
“He was that. No one in town liked him, so other than disappointing the kids, no one was sorry he left.” Avery reached for the sugar after he set it down and doctored her own coffee. Although she didn’t layer up with a heavy dosing of cream, he saw that age hadn’t diminished her love of sugar.
And just like that, Memory Lane decided it wasn’t quite done kicking his ass.
He remembered kissing her, that sweet coffee fresh on her tongue as they skated out on the river that ran along the edge of town. He’d used a debris-free quarter-mile stretch of river for his skating practice and she always found a way to cheer him on, pushing him to work harder.
To skate harder.
To sweat and toil and ache for what he wanted, even though it meant all that work would take him away from her.
It had taken him a long time to understand how selfless she’d truly been, pushing him all along.
The image of hot kisses on the cold river faded and Roman tried to focus back in on their discussion. “How long was he here?”
“Less than a season. Claimed the winter was longer than he expected it to be.”
“Where did you guys find him?”
“California.” Avery snorted. “He thought he had the balls to handle Alaska.”
“Clearly he missed the mark,” Roman said.
“Or we did.”
“Oh come on,” Avery needled Mick. “You had your doubts from the day you flew him up here from Anchorage.”
“I didn’t say anything, though. He was already hired. What good would it do to bad-mouth the guy?”
“It might have saved Trina a big dose of heartache.”
“She still playing the field?” Roman keyed in on that, a long-forgotten memory of Trina and the going-away “present” she attempted to bestow upon him the night before he left an image he’d prefer to forget.
“Sadly, yes.” Avery’s tone held a distinct note of sympathy, and Roman had to admit it was probably better he’d kept Trina’s offer of a going-away present a secret.
“Add to it he wasn’t from around here and you had her perfect target. Unlike you”—she swatted him on the elbow as their waitress placed three heaping plates on their table—“who denied her from giving you a proper send-off.”
“You knew about that?”
“How do you think I knew to show up at the exact proper moment? She’d spread it around to anyone who would listen, including my friends, that she was going after you before you left.”
“And you never told me?”
“What was the point? If I’d thought you were going to do anything about it, I’d have cut your balls off with the blunt end of your hockey stick.”
Mick winced along with Roman’s own audible “Ouch.”
“I can’t believe you knew and didn’t say anything.”
“I knew.” Avery grinned, the
Served her right. She could say whatever she wanted, but he wasn’t alone in that damn hallway last night. She responded to his kiss like she remembered all the ways they were good together.
Damn good together.
They were prevented from extending the argument by the arrival of their waitress bearing coffee. Roman ordered the omelet he’d planned on—the years of strength training had drilled too much discipline into him to act on the pancake impulse.
“Myrtle’s got the whole town excited that you’re coaching the kids.” Mick eyed him over the rim of his coffee cup.
“It should be fun. I want to keep up my workouts in the off season, and their enthusiasm will be the extra kick in my old ass.”
“The coach ran out near the end of the season. Jack and I didn’t even have to fly him, he just packed his few bags and hopped on the train.”
“Asshole,” Roman muttered as he doctored his coffee. Three spoonfuls of sugar and about as much milk.
Avery had always teased him about how he put more stuff in his coffee than what was already in the mug. Annoyed that he’d think of their shared past over a damn cup of coffee, he attempted to get his mind back in their booth.
“He was that. No one in town liked him, so other than disappointing the kids, no one was sorry he left.” Avery reached for the sugar after he set it down and doctored her own coffee. Although she didn’t layer up with a heavy dosing of cream, he saw that age hadn’t diminished her love of sugar.
And just like that, Memory Lane decided it wasn’t quite done kicking his ass.
He remembered kissing her, that sweet coffee fresh on her tongue as they skated out on the river that ran along the edge of town. He’d used a debris-free quarter-mile stretch of river for his skating practice and she always found a way to cheer him on, pushing him to work harder.
To skate harder.
To sweat and toil and ache for what he wanted, even though it meant all that work would take him away from her.
It had taken him a long time to understand how selfless she’d truly been, pushing him all along.
The image of hot kisses on the cold river faded and Roman tried to focus back in on their discussion. “How long was he here?”
“Less than a season. Claimed the winter was longer than he expected it to be.”
“Where did you guys find him?”
“California.” Avery snorted. “He thought he had the balls to handle Alaska.”
“Clearly he missed the mark,” Roman said.
“Or we did.”
“Oh come on,” Avery needled Mick. “You had your doubts from the day you flew him up here from Anchorage.”
“I didn’t say anything, though. He was already hired. What good would it do to bad-mouth the guy?”
“It might have saved Trina a big dose of heartache.”
“She still playing the field?” Roman keyed in on that, a long-forgotten memory of Trina and the going-away “present” she attempted to bestow upon him the night before he left an image he’d prefer to forget.
“Sadly, yes.” Avery’s tone held a distinct note of sympathy, and Roman had to admit it was probably better he’d kept Trina’s offer of a going-away present a secret.
“Add to it he wasn’t from around here and you had her perfect target. Unlike you”—she swatted him on the elbow as their waitress placed three heaping plates on their table—“who denied her from giving you a proper send-off.”
“You knew about that?”
“How do you think I knew to show up at the exact proper moment? She’d spread it around to anyone who would listen, including my friends, that she was going after you before you left.”
“And you never told me?”
“What was the point? If I’d thought you were going to do anything about it, I’d have cut your balls off with the blunt end of your hockey stick.”
Mick winced along with Roman’s own audible “Ouch.”
“I can’t believe you knew and didn’t say anything.”
“I knew.” Avery grinned, the
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