“Don’t worry,” I assured him. “He was only naked because I stole his clothes.”
Max raised an eyebrow as though he needed a little more information. “Did he deserve it?”
“Definitely,” I replied. “Not that it seemed to bother Parker all that much.”
“Parker?” Max asked. “As in, Parker Darling?” He nodded toward the front doors. “Your naked friend is Reed and Grayson’s brother?”
“Uh, yeah.” I shrugged. “Though I wouldn’t call him my friend.”
“You know I play with his brothers at Ryker, right?”
“Yeah, I’m aware. It’s all anyone talks about around here. It’s almost like being a college hockey star is a big deal or something.” I nudged him playfully, and he lifted his eyes to the ceiling.
“Well, they were my ride here,” he explained. “This should make for an interesting journey back to Ryker. Remind me again why you stole Parker’s clothes?”
“If you knew him, you wouldn’t need to ask.”
He gave me an expectant look, waiting for me to elaborate, but I folded my arms and stayed silent.
“Fine, keep your secrets,” he eventually said, laughing again. “It’s good to see you, Kenz.”
“You too.” I smiled back at him. “Does Dad know you’re here?”
“Not yet. It was a kind of a last-minute thing. Reed and Grayson decided to drive back and asked if I wanted a ride. We were late, though. Missed the first period.”
“I think Dad would have preferred you to miss the entire game.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t great. He won’t be happy.”
“WhenisDad happy?”
“True.” Max stole the soda from my hand and took a sip before passing it back to me. “So, what’s Ransom like? How was your first week at school?”
He was the only person in our family to ask like he actually wanted to hear my answer. It wasn’t that my parents didn’t care, but Tessa was busy with my little sisters, and my dad had his new job to focus on. I just wasn’t their top priority. “School was fine.”
“Wow, interesting. You’ve really painted a picture for me.”
I probably should have resented my brother. He was the superstar hockey-playing child my dad had always dreamed of having. I would have done just about anything to trade places with Max, but no matter how jealous I was of him, it was impossible to dislike him. He was the best person I knew. Being closer to him was the one positive thing about our move to Ransom.
“Come on, Kenzie,” he continued. “You’ve been here less than a week and you’re already stealing a boy’s clothes. You must have a little more to share thanfine.”
Max had always been persistent, so I knew I was going to have to give him something. “I guess school’s been a bit of an adjustment, but I’ve made a couple of friends and I’m not too far behind with classes. I’m just finding my feet still.”
His expression softened. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m still finding my feet at Ryker too.”
“I find that hard to believe.” My brother could fit in anywhere. He got voted prom king at his girlfriend’s school last year—he didn’t even go there.
“Seriously,” he replied. “The expectations are so high, and it feels like they’re trying to kill us with practice and games. It’s going to be tough keeping up with schoolwork on top of that, and I’m still getting to know everyone.”
“So, things are fine for you too then?” I replied.
“Pretty much,” he agreed with a grin.
My brother stiffened as he caught sight of something over my shoulder. I turned to see my dad walking toward us. Dad’s face was stoic and unreadable. When he wasn’t pleased with the way his team had played, you could always count on him either being visibly angry or repressing his emotions altogether. I guessed tonight it was the latter.
Tessa and my sisters were all delighted to see Max when we arrived back at the house. My stepmom pulled him in for a warm hug while Daisy and Skye eagerly introduced him to their dolls and stuffed toys.
“It’s lucky I made extra pasta,” Tessa said as she led Max into the living room. “Are you hungry?”
