OCTOBER | COLUMBUS, OHIO
“Jeanine?”
A woman with shoulder-length, gleaming black hair and gorgeous blue eyes turned toward me with a smile. “Hey! Violet? Do you go by Violet?”
“Yep! Or Vi is fine.”
“You can call me Jeannie or J too. My name is flexible.”
“Just like you,” sang the redhead next to Jeanine. She leaned forward to greet me with a genuine smile. “Hey, I’m Mara. Jack Leroy’s wife.”
I waved, tucked my skirt under my butt, and sat. I opted to not wear Colton’s college jersey, a decision I was regretting at that moment. Luckily we weren’t right on the ice. While it was cold in the arena, it was still acting like summer outside. October in Columbus is apparently quite unpredictable. It was supposed to be cold again the next day.
But it was warmer than Boston or any other place I’d ever lived, so I wasn’t complaining.
“I’m glad you saw me first. Colton’s description was just ‘she’s beautiful,’ which, while true, is unhelpful.” She squintedat me. “But now that I see you, I remember you from Guy’s wedding. You were a bridesmaid, right?”
I blushed. Obviously, Colton had said things about me to people in his life, but I didn’t anticipate him telling people I was beautiful. “Yes! Kitty is one of my best friends. She says hi, by the way. She sent me a picture of you from her wedding so I could find you.”
“Ah! I miss her,” Jeanine said. “Haven’t seen them since last December when I went on the Rusties road trip.”
I took in my surroundings. “Been a long time since I’ve been to one of these. Probably college.”
“Lucky,” Jeanine snorted. “Mara and I live by the ice between our kids and our husbands.”
“Yeah, and Jeanine is crazy enough to read hockey romance books when she’s not at the rink,” Mara added.
“Don’t knock it till you try it,” Jeanine said, skimming her hair over one shoulder. “Those things are addictive.”
Since we all sat in a row, I leaned forward to make sure Mara could hear me. “You should give us a rec to initiate us.”
Jeanine gasped and her eyes lit up. “You read romance?”
“Um,” heat rushed my face, “he probably doesn’t want me to say anything, but Colt and I are reading some together.”
Why was I being so honest with these women? I guess I figured if Colton liked them, they were probably good people. Although, that had certainly backfired in the past. I stuffed down that uncomfortable thought.
Mara’s jaw fell open. “Wait, is this why Jack asked if I wanted to read romance?”
Jeanine grimaced. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but Dylan told me. He caught Colt reading one of my favorites on the plane. The lobster trapper one.”
“That one was so good!” I said, just shy of an overzealous squeal.
“No fair! I want to have girl fun!” Mara whined.
“Then let’s do one together,” Jeanine said. “A group buddy read. I do them with my best friend from the Princes WAGs group all the time. We just read this great goalie one?—”
“No goalies.”
It fell out of my mouth so fast, ripping silence across the three of us.
“Right? They’re so weird,” Mara said, dismissing the thought with a wave of her hand and easing the tense air. “Do you have any about a single mom marrying a single dad and then dominating him?”
Jeanine cracked up. “Mara, that’s your story, dear.”
Their chatter continued, but I was already retreating into myself. I was stuck back at the place where I demanded we not read a goalie story. Could they see through me? Had Colton told them that? The guys? Did everyone know how messed up I was, and that’s why Mara and Jeanine were being so nice to me?
“Ope. I think somebody’s trying to get your attention,” Jeanine said, nudging me with her elbow.
