“You did say you thought our guys clocks are ticking. Does that mean you and Jett have news?” Carly asked.
“No,” Pepper said. “However, Jett has started talking babies with me and I think it’s all because of Colleen and Margotand now Carly being pregnant. Are you sure Brand hasn’t let anything slip to the guys?”
“Do you think that means Donnie is going to want to get in on the action?” Simone asked, looking horrified.
“Well, Will and I have a plan, and I am sticking to it,” Jules said. “No matter who turns up preggers next.”
“Maybe I should move away from you all or I might be next,” Harley said, pretending to rise and move.
The women laughed.
“Are you even seeing anyone to be worried?” Simone asked.
Harley smiled and tilted her head. “For a few months, but you can’t tell Reilly.”
“Why?” Jules asked.
“Because my guy and he don’t see eye to eye on a few things,” Harley explained.
“Ouch, which has to be rough, being twins and keeping secrets,” Simone said.
“It’s harder that you know,” Harley said. “I’m always afraid he’ll sense I’m holding something back whenever we’re together.”
“Who is it?” Margot leaned forward.
“Harley doesn’t have to tell us that,” Colleen said. “Unless she wants to.”
“I’d rather not. I don’t want to risk Reilly overhearing it from someone before we tell him,” Harley said.
“Does he really not like your guy that much?” Carly asked.
“Afraid so, and that’s the problem but I really like him,” Harley admitted. “I knew they didn’t get along when I went out with him the first time. I just never imagined I’d want to keep seeing him.”
“Are things getting serious?” Concern replaced Margot’s curious expression.
Harley nodded. “I think they are.”
“Then you’re going to have to find a way to break the news to Reilly,” Carly said.
“I just hope when I do it won’t cause of rift between us. We’re all we have now that our grandmother and our parents have passed.”
A sharp whistle blew, drawing their attention down to the ice and the guys started skating in unison as they warmed up passing the puck back and forth between partners. Fifteen minutes later the other team came on the ice and began warming up in similar fashion before both teams took half the court and finished warming up.
But then two right wings and a defender got into a scuffle on Reilly’s team and Harley stood up when she caught the jersey numbers of the guys fighting. It was Reilly and Scottie Dugan – her boyfriend. She didn’t know who the third guy was or why he was in the scuffle.
“Oh no, this isn’t good,” she murmured unsure what to do. She didn’t want to see either of them hurt, but it wasn’t like she could run out on the rink and break them apart.
She watched, her breath catching in her throat while, silently praying the coach or some of the other team members would break up the fight.
Another whistle shrilled and the coach skated toward them as it looked like Brand and Will McLeod were trying to finally wrestle Reilly and Scottie apart.
In a matter of seconds, Reilly went down on the ice at Scottie’s feet and the next second she watched in disbelief as Brand and Will skated Scottie away.
Harley blinked, unsure she had seen correctly, but it looked as if the ice where Reilly fell was turning red. Surely not. He was wearing his protective gear underneath his uniform all the way up to his helmet. There was no way there would be blood on the ice. She hurried to the steps at the break in the seats ignoring thefrantic calls from Jules and Carly in her haste and reached the penalty box in no time. She rushed down the rink trying to find a break in the stanchions so she could cross, but there wasn’t one.
Breathing labored, all she could do was watch from the sideline as the coach and the trainer worked with her twin brother’s motionless body. The red she had seen before became clearer now. The ice was covered in blood, and she thought she saw Reilly’s neck guard a few inches away. Had it been cut somehow when he fell by one of the other skates? Or had they removed it to work with him?
Fifteen feet away, Brand and Will were arguing with Scottie as he tried to break free of their hold and skate to Reilly. She thought she heard him call out, “Is he hurt?”
