I scrub a hand over my jaw, watching her tuck a stray hair behind her ear before helping Aubrey unlace her skates. Her laugh carries over the boards, soft and familiar, and something in my chest fractures all over again.
It’s been five years, and I’m still off my game. One look from her could bring all my defenses crashing down.
Aubrey needs me steady. Predictable. The one constant she can trust.
And if that means keeping my heart locked down—if that means watching Oakley Kate love my sister without letting her anywhere near me—then so be it.
She already broke me once. I can’t afford to risk her doing it again.
I can handle hits on the ice, broken bones, or torn tendons. Hell, I’ve taken pucks to the face and played the next shift. Butthis? Watching her ease back into my life like the missing piece she’s always been? That’s the kind of pain I can’t tape up or ice down.
A shout echoes across the rink, and I drag my gaze from Kates back to Thorn as he calls out a new drill. I nod like I’m listening, but all I can think about is the sound of Oakley’s soft voice and the way Aubrey clings to her like she’s finally found home.
That word—home—hurts more than it should. Home used to be an equal mix of the ice and wherever Oakley Kate was. Now, I skate and protect Aubrey as best I can, but it doesn’t feel the same. Somewhere along the way, I forgot what it feels like to just belong.
Thorn elbows me lightly. “Quit brooding and go see your girls before you scare the whole damn team with that look.”
I snort, pushing off the wall. “Yeah, because nothing says intimidating like Disney music and a nine-year-old running drills.”
He smirks. “You’re not fooling anyone, Harrison. You’re wrapped around both their fingers and you know it.”
He’s right. I’d probably even say it out loud if I didn’t think it’d bite me in the ass. I shove my hands into my pockets and head back toward the bench, every step heavier than the last.
Oakley looks up when I reach them, her smile soft but guarded. Aubrey is nearly shaking with excitement, and damn it if this isn’t exactly what I’ve been missing.
“All right, Bug,” I say, reaching for Aubrey’s hand. “Let’s hit the showers before you start running the team for real.”
She giggles, swinging our joined hands, and Oakley watches us with that quiet expression that undoes me every damn time.
Yeah, if only any of this was simple.
Chapter 13
Oakley Kate
Face-planting at the bottom of an escalator minutes after quitting my job of the last five years? I can handle the embarrassment.
Coming face-to-face with the man whose heart I stomped on all those years ago after we’ve mostly been virtual acquaintances? I haven’t totally bombed that…I don’t think.
But being told that I’ll need to have my leg sliced open to insert pins into it and will be laid up for several weeks to months?
I may or may not be handling the news well.
Okay, I am actively avoiding thoughts of the discussion from my ortho appointment. Nothing positive was said. In fact, the way he explained it, I am not expected to return to my usual fitness routine for at least a year, if ever. Yeah. Not okay with me, which is why I’m currently drowning my sorrows in a strongly carbonated Sprite with extra ice chips at the local sports bar.
The urge to text Silas for the name of their specialist is strong enough that my fingers keep tapping against my phone screen, but I don’t need anything from him.
Man, I am just full of lying bullshit today.
The pretty blonde behind the counter, Kelly, has been the daytime bartender at Stumps since before I ever started coming here. She’s the quiet type, natural beauty instead of a face full of makeup, and genuinely cares about her regulars. When she stops in front of me, sliding a fresh glass of the good stuff onto my coaster, I laugh softly.
“That obvious, huh?”
She shrugs. “Eh. The way you’re staring at the highlight reel but haven’t realized it’s looped twice since you sat down was one clue, but your request for Sprite from the tap is always a giveaway.” She continues to clean behind the bar but glances up at me when I stay quiet and resume staring through the TV.
“You want some fries or something, love?”
“No thanks, Kelly. Just contemplating.”
