Ouch.
Looked like the kid had her mind made up to dislike Neve. But yesterday she’d been different.
Another gondola came around. This time they were the only ones there to ride.
“Want a wool blanket?” one of the lifties said.
Tor shook his head. Olive said, “No,” right as Neve said, “Sure, thanks.”
Once they’d gotten in, the liftie shut the door. They sat on the bench opposite. Neve smoothed the blanket over her lap. “Well, well, well. This is cozy.”
No response.
Good lord, she was trying her best. It wasn’t like she had a lot of experience talking to small people. Tor stared out the window into the darkening sky as the gondola lurched upward.
“My aunt said you should never take one of the blankets,” Olive said. “She said people get up to who knows what in here, and—”
“Olive.” Tor’s growl was soft but effective.
“Ew. Good to know.” Neve slid off the blanket with a grimace. “It doesn’t sound very hygienic when you put it like that.” She drummed her fingers on her thighs. Tor doubled down on the outside staring, but she called bullshit. It was dark enough now that all he could see was his own face reflected back.
“Hey. So can I clear the air? What’s going on?” She forced a thin laugh. “I don’t mean to sound paranoid, but I feel like I was caught streaking a graveyard or something. What’s going on?”
Olive glanced to Tor. His jaw stiffened. Familiar muscles bunched and released. She knew them. They used to be her friends. The reminder that she could bug the heck out of him no matter how cool and calm he wanted to appear. But that was not what she was going for now.
“Tor...”
“I showed him the article you wrote,” Olive said accusingly. “Some jerk from my school posted it on my Facebook page. ‘Five Worst Coaches in the NHL’ by Neve Angel. Ring a bell?”
Busted.“I can explain, or at least try to.”
“You’re Neve Angel, right?”
“That’s enough,” Tor said finally, relenting and turning around to join the conversation.
“I’m sorry,” Neve said bluntly. “I was mad when I wrote it. You had just said... you know... some unkind things in the parking lot that day and I wanted payback. I promise that I didn’t mean it.”
“I know,” he said simply.
That was unexpected. “You do?”
“I figured that part out right after Olive told me. I did the math, and after our conversation from this morning, I figured where you got the inspiration.”
“I don’t understand.” Olive glanced between them.
“I have to admit, I’m with her,” Neve said. “You haven’t been speaking to me since we left The Adeline.”
“You aren’t even mad?” Olive looked disgusted. “She was a jerk to you.”
“No,” he told his daughter. “I decided that I’m not and here’s why. Because I’m not always perfect either. And sometimes Neve and I, well, we’ve done unkind things to each other. And neither of us is proud of that fact.”
Olive gave a dramatic groan. “Why are grown-ups so confusing?”
Neve shrugged. “When I was younger, I thought once you hit twenty, things made sense. I hate to let you in on a secret, but I’m thirty, and I still don’t feel all that wise.”
Olive crossed her arms, even as a ghost of a smile haunted her tight-pressed lips. “That sounds pretty terrifying.”
“I know. But I do mean what I say. You dad isn’t a bad coach. He’s amazing. And today, when I thought I was going to be trampled into a moose patty, he talked me through it. He saved me.”
