Liam raised a hand in surrender. “Okay, enough. I meant what I said. I’ll see you tomorrow at the rink, and make sure you have a tux for Saturday’s formal fundraiser. Coach said its non-negosh.”
“Did you just saynegoshinstead of negotiate?” Quentin asked, his tone laced with disgust.
“Sure did, Hawthorne.”
“This guy,” Quentin mumbled. “Great on the ice, but off the ice I want to punch him just once.”
I snorted. Liam was a good dude. I just had a hard time not picturing him and Jordan flirting at the hotel pool. “He’s alright. Come on, let’s head back.”
Quentin and I dressed and hopped in my truck for the short drive to the house. The cold seemed worse. It could’ve been the wind or an incoming storm or something, but it was freezing even with the heat blasting.
“Damn,” Quentin hissed. “Logan texted me. We’re under a winter advisory warning for the next twenty-four hours. Possibly ten inches of snow, negative temperatures.”
“They always say that though.”
“Heard, but check this out.” He showed me the radar on his phone, and it was straight green and white from Illinois all the way to Oklahoma. “We’re getting hit.”
On cue, his phone rang, and Logan’s cheerful voice was loud enough for me to listen.
“Hey, so my dad is coming to pick us up,” she said. “He has a generator and a ton of food, so we’ll be better waiting out the storm there. Have you seen Jordan? She won’t answer her phone.”
“Just got outta practice, baby, so I haven’t seen her. When is your dad arriving?”
“Thirty minutes. I’m throwing my stuff in a bag. I can start on yours too?”
“That’d be great. I don’t mess with snowstorms.” Quentin shivered. “Preston and I will get a hold of her.”
“Thanks, Q. See you soon!”
“We gotta find Jordan to bring her to the Hart’s house.”
I chewed my lip, scanning my brain on all the places Jordan could be. She was in charge of the hockey fundraiser event in two days, so she’d be at the library or student union with her other classmates in charge. “I could drop you off and swing by the library.”
“Might be faster to walk there.” Quentin squinted out the window. “It just looks cold as shit. I’ll be thankful to play for any NHL team but maybe one in the south?”
I laughed right as I pulled into the driveway. “I don’t mind the cold, actually. I prefer it.”
“Well, you’re fucking weird, Preston.”
We quickly grabbed our bags and went inside, the tips of myhair freezing from the short distance. I shook out my hair while Logan stood in the hallway with worried eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Her phone died or something, and I’m freaking out. I don’t see her location. She’s never done this before! What if something happened? There’s a blizzard coming!” Logan’s voice broke as Quentin pulled her into his arms.
“Hey, she’s definitely gotten lost in her work, and her phone died. She probably thought she had a charger in her bag and it was too late when she realized.” I placated Logan despite my heart racing with worry. “I’m checking the library and her favorite café. You two go with your dad, and I’ll head there once I find her.”
“Are you…sure?” Logan swallowed. “I should help.”
“No. Preston will find her.” Quentin stared at his phone, sighing. “We have two hours before the snow starts. It won’t get dangerous until tonight. Plenty of time.”
“You share your location with her, yeah?” I asked.
Logan nodded. “It says last known location was near the library an hour ago.”
That could be any number of cafes. I moved to our closet and threw on two hats, a pair of gloves, and put another scarf on. “I’ll head there now. Everyone leave your phones on and charged, please.”
“Agreed. Keep us posted, Charming.”
The cold air whipped at my face as I marched down the road, my phone in my gloveless hand trembling from more than just the chill. My stomach knotted as I fired off a text.
