“Who’s Jenna?” Mike asked.
"GCBN?” Sean raised an eyebrow.
Country ran a hand through his damp hair and exhaled. He went about organizing his gear so he wouldn’t have to make eye contact. "I did see Jenna. I didn’t know she worked there. John Allen asked me to make an appearance on Hockey Evening.”
A chorus of whoops and questions he couldn’t keep track of erupted around him.
“Did they find you from your TikToks?”
“This Saturday?”
“Does Polk know?”
“Who the hell is Jenna?”
Country held up his hands. “It’s not that deep. I’m doing intermittent segments with Glen Kessler. They’re still using the regional broadcasts. And Jenna is a girl I used to know?—”
“Used to know?” Ryan laughed, still brandishing his phone like a compass. “This guy dated Jenna for almost four years. Hasn’t seen her since she came back to cow town.”
“Ryan.” Country shook his head, shoved his pads into his bag, and reached for his skates.
“Hey, I’m not the one that texted. Melissa’s asking about you.”
“Asking what?” He asked too quickly, and Ryan grinned.
“About the game. About you and Jenna.”
His mouth went dry. “What did you say?”
Ryan didn’t answer, just looked down at his screen and started to type. Country dropped his bag and barely beat Curtis for the prime spot peering over Ryan’s shoulder.
Chapter Eight
Jenna lowered herself into the near-scalding water and held her breath as the heat soaked into her frigid toes.
“Too hot?” Anne dropped her towel and laid it over a metal chair next to the hot tub, then took the corner seat across from her.
“No, perfect. My feet are just freezing.”
Tina tiptoed across the frozen deck in her bikini and hopped in next to her. Rhonda stripped off her joggers and sweatshirt, then reached into a travel cooler. “I have strawberry and peach-infused water to keep us hydrated. Orders please?”
Anne raised her hand. “Strawberry.”
“Not my fave. Peach please,” Jenna said.
“She’s allergic to strawberries,” Anne explained as she took the glass bottle from Rhonda’s outstretched hand. Jenna rolled her eyes.
“I didn’t know that was possible. Just strawberries?” Rhonda handed her the peach.
Jenna set it next to her wine. “And latex.”
Rhonda grimaced. “Inconvenient.”
“Not really. My body doesn’t want to get pregnant anyway.”
Rhonda frowned. “Do we need to have a safe sex talk? Condoms aren’t just for birth control?—”
Jenna laughed. “I’m aware! I was kidding. There are non-latex condoms out there.” That comment was classic Rhonda. While Jenna loved Anne, Tina, and Melissa, she loved them even more for making friends with Rhonda before she moved back to Calgary.
