He set his mug down. “Perfect. You need anything?”
Chris shook his head. “Heading to Pips for lunch if you’re feeling fancy.”
Ryan stuck out his foot and pulled up his pant leg to reveal pink socks. “I had a good feeling when I got dressed this morning.”
Chris laughed. “I’ll get Morton and Sask to come along.”
Ryan scoffed. “If it’s not a date, I’m out.” He waved as Chris walked down the hall and returned to his spreadsheet, but his head had travelled far from remediation efforts.
He picked up his phone and swiped to his messages, tapping on Aelin’s contact.
Hey, dinner’s over, but we’re thinking about stopping by the music festival. Okay to be out a bit longer?
He looked at his response, remembering what he’d wanted to type instead.Hell, no.Offering to watch Bailey while she wentout was the right thing to do, but he didn’t like it. He’d paced around the house all night finding things to clean and fix, and it still hadn’t eased the straight-out-of-the-dryer feeling in his chest.
Getting that real-time update and then watching her sip her tea across the counter had been the reason he’d gone to the rink first thing on Canada Day. Amaya was with her grandparents at the Crossfield parade, so Sean, Tyler, André, and Suraj had all met him for a line-scraper practice. By the time he left, he’d felt a bit more in control of himself.
Only to have to sit and watch Aelin on his daughter’s tablet for an hour and pretend he wasn’t paying attention every time she reached up and tucked hair behind her ear or laughed at whoever the hell she was talking with.Guy from the music festival?
Then there was that morning. The scent of her still lingered on his shirt, and each time he caught a whiff, he needed another minute before he could stand up and walk out from behind his desk.
Okay.He leaned back in his chair, linking his hands behind his head. He’d known he was attracted to her from the start, which was why he’d implemented his plan to keep a distance. He’d mostly succeeded in that, and now that he was in camp, it would be easier, wouldn’t it?
She’d be dropping Amaya off at the rink, so he’d only see her one-on-one in the morning. He could stay on the street. Wave from the car.
Even as he said it, his body revolted. But what was the alternative? Keep getting closer to her, and then what? He couldn’t do anything about it. He wouldn’t cheat on Kara. Having friendships with women wasn’t a big deal, but based on how tight his pants were, he didn’t anticipate his body cooperating in this situation.
Ryan reached for the photo of him, Kara, and Amaya that saton his desk. He ran his finger over the ridges of the frame, then slid it back into place and turned back to his spreadsheet.
_____
The drive to the Carpenter’s Ice Centre was a blur, not because he was zoned out, but because he sped like a banshee. He pulled into the parking lot, grabbed his gear, and jogged to the entrance.
Inside, the rink was already buzzing with activity. Parents and kids milled about, their voices echoing off the cinder block walls. The smell of ice and rubber mats sent him straight back to practices as a kid, no matter how many times he’d set foot there as an adult.
He made his way to the Gold rink and waved at Country, already in his gear standing at the benches behind the boards with a clipboard.
"Hey, bud. Sorry I'm late.” Ryan headed for the locker room.
"You’ve got plenty of time to get suited."
It was true, but since he’d been the one to spearhead this project, he didn’t want to be the one dragging down the ship.
Tyler and Boyd were in the locker room, lacing up their skates.
Tyler looked up. "Ready to bust some asses?"
"Busting all the asses. Let's make them puke."
Boyd laughed and stood. "Is Amaya coming tonight?"
Ryan nodded. "I can't tell if she's excited or not."
"She's been on skates since she was three. I'm sure she'll be fine," Tyler said.
Ryan dropped his bag on the bench and started stripping down. "She's just . . . I don't know . . . turning more girly all of a sudden."
Tyler grabbed his helmet off the bench. "Hasn't she always been like that?"
