“It’s just dino nugs and mac and cheese and thawed broccoli. Nothing special.”
His hand rested on the rolled down window and I rested my hand on top of his. “I don’t have to cook it, so it’s special.”
I wasn’t kidding. I felt like most women probably do when they receive fancy jewelry. I couldn’t care less about jewelry, but taking something off my very full plate? It was work enough to remember to feed myself amidst all the chaos. And here, without much ceremony or need for applause, Jack just gave me what I needed.
But while I felt like I was being treated like a princess, Jack truly didn’t see how special it was. I thought maybe we’d have some warm fuzzy moment here, but he just tapped the car. “Drive safe.”
He turned to round up Jace and Harper and closed the garage door as we pulled away.
SIX
JACK
OCTOBER
“Dig in!”I shouted. “That should have been a wrister!”
Hudson Romelski, my closest friend and teammate, chuckled next to me. “It’s not that serious.”
“Look, by her age, I was already playing competitively.”
Rome tipped his head to the side and blinked slowly. “I’m sure you were.”
I shook my head and sniffed, a constant habit when I was near the ice. The cold made my nose into a faucet.
Romelski and I stood on the goal line with our team’s captain, Dylan Sorrento. There was only the one goal line since the other half of the ice was occupied by the Learn to Skate team. Jace was skating there with some degree of success. I didn’t expect much since he was only three and just starting.
This rink was nicer than the one I played in at their age. It was sponsored by our team, the L.A. Princes, and we practiced on the same ice. The walls were still scuffed, but the bleachers were newer and the paint outside the rink was fresh.
“Way to go, Thompson!” Rome called right as his son wiped out, hissing through his teeth as he waited for him to pickhimself up. “I’m just happy if he doesn’t hurt himself during practice.”
Our firstborns were the same age, which worked out well. We got to become dads at the same time, though I’m a good four years his senior. Rome’s just easy. He always had my back on the ice, he didn’t fuck up much so I had no reason to be mad at him, and he was an all-around good dude without being annoying about it.
So now, his son Thompson and Harper were on the same hockey team, along with Sorrento’s daughter Alice. We got to be overbearing hockey dads together.
Or maybe I was the overbearing one. They were their same level-headed selves.
We stood on the goal line with our arms crossed, and I kept my hat pulled low so I didn’t draw too much attention to myself. Sorrento and Rome are friendlier than I am and didn’t make attempts to hide, so they were basically exposing me just by being with me. I had to do what I could to avoid talking to some starry-eyed fan or since the divorce, a hockey mom on the prowl. Not that I’m above it, but I didn’t want anybody chirping Harp or Jace because I bagged their mom. They needed to focus on the sport.
Though I had to even call myself out on that one. Mara was one of those hockey moms.
“Yeah, well, Harp’s on thin ice a little bit. Not with me, but she and her friend cut a girl’s hair in class.”
Rome’s mouth dropped open and he guffawed. “Savage. Where’d she get that idea?”
“I just told her to do what she needed to do—AY! Harp! Eyes up! Marco was open!” I sighed and resisted the urge to spit since I wasn’t on the ice. “Yeah, I need to talk to their coach. Aspen out there is her best friend, and he was shooting absolute pissmissiles in my garage. I think he’s ready to graduate from Learn to Play.”
“And he’s five?” Rome asked, leaning in and clapping as the kids bumbled our way. “Let’s go, let’s go!”
“PASS, Aspen!” I yelled. Whether he heard me, I’m not sure, but he passed it to Harper, and my little girl netted it.
My throat hurt from the shout I let out. “That’s my girl, Harper! Way to go, Aspen!”
I looked over my shoulder to see Mara sitting up higher in the bleachers, standing and clapping for the kids with Hazel clutching her leg. I caught her eye and gave her a smile and a wave. I gave a bigger wave to Hazel, who looked at me like I was mysterious.
“Since when do you smile at hockey practice?” Sorrento asked, following my line of sight.
Rome got a nasty grin. “Who are we smiling at, Leroy?”
