go.”
“Maybe, but you won’t know unless you ask.”
“Dude, she doesn’t want us. Give it a break.” He bit his lip, waving Skylar to him. “Get your stuff ready.” His eyes shot back to me, filling with anger. “Besides, I have to work off the damages.”
“I need a new goalie, and you need something to do after school to keep your behind out of trouble.” This kid wasn’t going to get off that easy; not with me. He had skill, and the heart to match it. But the anger was still crawling over his skin at what his life was at this point. I had to try.
“I know what it costs to play. She’s not going to pay for this, so screw off. When I’m done working, I’m done working.” Instead of the rage peering out in those dark brown doe eyes, I could tell he wanted to play just as bad as he wanted to trust that Keri wanted to keep them. But, for the years I was sure he was lied to and tossed around, he didn’t want to get his hopes up just to be shipped off to the next home.
“But you like playing—” Sky’s cheeks darkened as she looked at her brother, wanting to say more, but his glare at her caused her to back down.
“You need to get it out of your head that this is going to work out. These people don’t give a shit about us. Now, let’s go.” He grabbed her hand and walked her across the ice. She stayed close to him as he gathered up the gear at the bench. When he had gone into the locker room, she had stayed right by the door, waiting faithfully and unwearyingly.
Stepping into the box, I watched the woman wearing a blue blouse and a black skirt that went to her knees making her way down the hall and into the arena. Her hair was up in a twist and the scarf was tied around her neck. With her keys tight in her fist, she went to the left but stopped. Turning, she came to the right, following the bleachers toward the team benches. The worry was spread over her face as she chewed her bottom lip while searching for Skylar.
Leaning against the wall, I folded my arms across my chest and waited for her to notice me standing there. My chest tightened as her shoulders tensed and her steps froze just as those gun metal gray eyes found me in the background. The crimson sank into her cheeks as the frost covered her eyes. Yup. She still remembered what I said to her the last time we spoke. She wasn’t going to give them up. Not without a fight. And the gravitational pull of my interest in her just increased.
“I want your kids.” Way wrong thing to say, Coach . And I didn’t mean it like how it came out, but I couldn’t take it back. I just wanted to draw the kids into something they both could do to keep them from ruining their lives.
Her fist tightened more over her small set of keys, and the blasting rage shot through her so fast that it made me want to back up. I didn’t, though. I wanted to see just how serious she was. And she was serious. Her jaw was locked tightly together as the fierce growl came out of her. “You mess with those kids and I will cut off every limb on your body, including your favorite appendage.”
“Let me guess, color you raged .” Damn. That wasn’t supposed to come out either, but to me, she was overreacting just a little.
“Screw you. You are not having anything to do with them.” The tears filmed over her eyes as she stepped back. Her hands were shaking, and I could damn near see her heart beating out of her chest. “You want to take them, it will be over my dead body. Do you understand me?”
“There doesn’t happen to be a calm color in there, or maybe a sensible one?” Enough teasing before I really sent her over the edge and landed myself into another cold shower before going anywhere. What was it with her and her damn anger that turned me on so much? It was like a drug that I was beginning to crave, to need, to desire to have in my life. “I just wanted to talk to you about maybe seeing if Jordan would want to play, and while Skylar is here, she can help
“Maybe, but you won’t know unless you ask.”
“Dude, she doesn’t want us. Give it a break.” He bit his lip, waving Skylar to him. “Get your stuff ready.” His eyes shot back to me, filling with anger. “Besides, I have to work off the damages.”
“I need a new goalie, and you need something to do after school to keep your behind out of trouble.” This kid wasn’t going to get off that easy; not with me. He had skill, and the heart to match it. But the anger was still crawling over his skin at what his life was at this point. I had to try.
“I know what it costs to play. She’s not going to pay for this, so screw off. When I’m done working, I’m done working.” Instead of the rage peering out in those dark brown doe eyes, I could tell he wanted to play just as bad as he wanted to trust that Keri wanted to keep them. But, for the years I was sure he was lied to and tossed around, he didn’t want to get his hopes up just to be shipped off to the next home.
“But you like playing—” Sky’s cheeks darkened as she looked at her brother, wanting to say more, but his glare at her caused her to back down.
“You need to get it out of your head that this is going to work out. These people don’t give a shit about us. Now, let’s go.” He grabbed her hand and walked her across the ice. She stayed close to him as he gathered up the gear at the bench. When he had gone into the locker room, she had stayed right by the door, waiting faithfully and unwearyingly.
Stepping into the box, I watched the woman wearing a blue blouse and a black skirt that went to her knees making her way down the hall and into the arena. Her hair was up in a twist and the scarf was tied around her neck. With her keys tight in her fist, she went to the left but stopped. Turning, she came to the right, following the bleachers toward the team benches. The worry was spread over her face as she chewed her bottom lip while searching for Skylar.
Leaning against the wall, I folded my arms across my chest and waited for her to notice me standing there. My chest tightened as her shoulders tensed and her steps froze just as those gun metal gray eyes found me in the background. The crimson sank into her cheeks as the frost covered her eyes. Yup. She still remembered what I said to her the last time we spoke. She wasn’t going to give them up. Not without a fight. And the gravitational pull of my interest in her just increased.
“I want your kids.” Way wrong thing to say, Coach . And I didn’t mean it like how it came out, but I couldn’t take it back. I just wanted to draw the kids into something they both could do to keep them from ruining their lives.
Her fist tightened more over her small set of keys, and the blasting rage shot through her so fast that it made me want to back up. I didn’t, though. I wanted to see just how serious she was. And she was serious. Her jaw was locked tightly together as the fierce growl came out of her. “You mess with those kids and I will cut off every limb on your body, including your favorite appendage.”
“Let me guess, color you raged .” Damn. That wasn’t supposed to come out either, but to me, she was overreacting just a little.
“Screw you. You are not having anything to do with them.” The tears filmed over her eyes as she stepped back. Her hands were shaking, and I could damn near see her heart beating out of her chest. “You want to take them, it will be over my dead body. Do you understand me?”
“There doesn’t happen to be a calm color in there, or maybe a sensible one?” Enough teasing before I really sent her over the edge and landed myself into another cold shower before going anywhere. What was it with her and her damn anger that turned me on so much? It was like a drug that I was beginning to crave, to need, to desire to have in my life. “I just wanted to talk to you about maybe seeing if Jordan would want to play, and while Skylar is here, she can help
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