“Okay, thank you,” she says, nodding her head as she closes out of the computer programs and locks the screen. “I just don’t want you to feel like I’m taking advantage of your help.”
“I would never.”
I appreciate her offer, but I don’t need her help. She’s going to be busy enough with the store and the last thing I need to do is add more to her plate. The rink is the last thing I want her worrying about. Harrison and I can handle whatever needs done.
“Do you have any plans this weekend?”
Willow rises from her seat after she finishes her coffee and pushes in her chair “My friend Mia is at her lake house, so we’re going to go get dinner and drinks tonight.”
“She’s the one that’s dating Caleb Ford, right? The Archer's captain?”
“Yeah,” she nods. “He’s home for the weekend and told her to go have a night to herself.”
Caleb and I have always been on the opposing sides of the ice, but I know him through a few guys who played for the Archers. He’s a quiet guy, keeps to himself, and has only ever been nice. I wonder how he’s doing, although I don’t ask Willow.
“Do you know where you guys are going?”
She cracks a smile as she lifts an eyebrow. “Why? Are you going to come and be creepy there?”
“Depends,” I say with a wink as I walk over to the trash can with her. “Do you want me to?”
Willow stops beside me, lifting her shoulder with a hint of mischief in her eyes. “I mean, if for some reason you end up there, I won’t tell you to leave.”
My heart stutters inside my chest before breaking into a gallop. “Where are you guys planning on going?”
A smirk tugs on her lips as she leaves her dirty dishes on top of the trash can and turns back to face me. She adjusts her bag on her shoulder, pausing as she looks back at me. “We haven’t decided. I suppose if you want to run into me, you’ll find us one way or another.”
“And how am I going to do that if you don’t tell me?”
“There aren’t many places to go around here,” she says softly, but there’s an underlying tone mixing in her words. A tone I’ve never heard from her before, but it has my undivided attention. “You’re a smart man, Jace. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
A ghost of a smile dances across her lips as she turns back around and heads out of the coffee shop, leaving me standing by the door. Through the window, I track her as she gets into her car and pulls away.
I should just let her go have the night with her friend.
I should respect the boundaries of her being my best friend’s little sister.
Sucking in a deep breath, I shake my head to myself as I head to a table to wait for Harrison.
Not a chance in hell…
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
WILLOW
“Did your parents name you after a tree?”
I furrow my eyebrows and tip my chin at my best friend, wondering where the heck that question came from. She lifts her drink, sucking on her straw as she finishes off the cocktail. “What?”
“You know, like a willow tree,” she half slurs as she sets her glass down harder than I think she expected to. Closing one eye, I squint at her as I drunkenly replay her question in my head.
“I don’t know.” I scratch my eyebrow. “I never asked them.”
“Hm,” she hums, scanning the area behind the bar for the bartender. “Names are so weird.”
A chuckle escapes me as I look down at the empty glass in front of me. Mia and I are three drinks deep and I know if I don’t stop drinking now, I’m going to regret it in the morning.
She drove to their lake house earlier today and I met up with her there. We went to a restaurant at the lake first and then made our way to the local dive bar in the Hollow.
