“Have I lost them forever?” I ask her.
She shakes her head. “I don’t think so. Especially because you’re going to help this hockey team be great.”
Right. No pressure at all.
And I probably shouldn’t care too much about this tiny town and its people that I don’t even know. Especially when I’m not going to be here for long. A lot of my teammates would tell me that I’m already overthinking this. I’m going to come and play hockey, to the best of my ability. But that’s what I always do. It’s not fully on me if this team fails or succeeds.
Probably.
CHAPTER 9
NORA
You needto start dating me tonight. Right now. I’m at Perks and Rec…I guess the Rec part?... with the team.
My stomach does a very obvious swoopy-flippy thing when I read the message from Alex.
I’d waited around, stalling over my dinner with the girls, but they all eventually had to get going, and even though I was there until well after eight, Alex hadn’t shown up.
I knew eventually he would. His apartment was upstairs, after all, but I’d finally walked over to City Hall to get some work done.
Now he was texting me. To come date him at the bar.
Well, if he insists.
“Nora!”
“Hi, honey!”
“Hi, Nora!”
I smile and greet everyone calling out to me as I cross the coffee shop. I wave at my cousin Violet, who is behind the bar.
I find Alex immediately upon stepping from the coffee shop into the bar.
He’s sitting at a long table with the rest of the hockey players.
And he’s scowling. Darkly.
Great.
The players’ table is just inside the arched doorway that separates the two sides of Perks and Rec. He’s sitting with Beckett, Josh, Lawson, Quinn, and Wes. He has the binder full of rules and activity ideas open in front of him. They’ve got mugs and glasses in varying states of emptiness. I appreciate them all coming out with him and text Violet that I’m covering the tab.
It’s already covered,she responds.
By who?
Astrid.
Ah. That makes sense. I give her another wave across the room to let her know I got the message.
I should have expected that. Just like I should’ve expected Alex’s scowls once he opened the binder.
Alex Olsen is a professional hockey player. A very, very good professional hockey player.
Revelers hockey is going to be a huge change for him.
If I had to choose the people I wanted taking him through the rules and set up, Lawson Landry would not be at the table. Lawson thinks this is all ridiculous.
