“He said there may be new evidence. And they have a couple of suspects.” Liam’s voice is so low I have to strain to hear him. “We may need to look at another lineup.”
I clench my hand into a fist. “Those lineups haven’t done us any good so far.”
“I still think we’re going to find him,” Max says, his eyes haunted. “I’ve always thought that. Maybe this is the time.”
Maybe. Or maybe we’re going down another dead end.
* * *
Practice feels like another game. Between Liam’s news and what happened with Winter last night, I’m amped.
I score on a breakaway, flicking the puck into the net like the goalie’s not even there. Wyatt’s a great goalie—he’s been an all-star the last three years, and he rips off his mask and stares at me. I reach past him to grab the puck, trying not to make eye contact.
But he punches my shoulder. “Hey. Storm. Everything all right?”
I toss the puck toward center ice. “Yeah. Fine.”
Wyatt’s nearly-black eyes assess me. “A woman, huh?”
I give a short laugh. “Among other things.”
“Huh.” He looks at me a moment longer before pulling his mask over his face. “Next time, don’t go for my head. I get enough of that in real games.”
“You two done screwing around?” Liam shouts from the midline. “Let’s go!”
I nod at Wyatt. “Sorry, man.”
I take his warning to heart and dial back my aggressiveness for the rest of practice. But, that doesn’t stop me from scoring another two goals. Today was supposed to be a light scrimmage, and eventually, Coach tells me to sit on the bench.
“Save it,” he snaps. “You looked good out there last night, Storm. We’ve got a road trip coming up this week. I don’t want you leaving this newfound energy on the practice ice.”
I won’t. But as soon as practice is over, thoughts of Winter pervade my mind.
When I’m showering and changing in the locker room. When I decline Murph and Dean’s invitation to grab dinner. When I hop into my truck and pull out of the parking lot.
And as I walk up the front steps of my house and see Winter napping on the porch with Theo on her lap, my heart feels far more involved than I’m comfortable with.
Winter and I can’t be anything more than friends. We can’t.
That’s what I tell myself as I drop my bag quietly on the floor.
She opens her eyes. “Hi, Hunt.”
“Hey.” I bend over and brush a stray hair off of her cheek.
“How was practice? And your brothers?” She sits up and adds with a smile, “They bugged you about us, didn’t they?”
“Of course they did,” I say. “But don’t worry. I shut them up and told them nothing.”
“Thank you.”
We stare at each other for a beat.
“Look…” she says.
“Do you…” I start.
We both laugh, and I shake my head. “You go first.”
