Reed gripped me on the shoulder. “It was fun skating with you again today.”
I smiled. “Yeah, I almost forgot what it’s like to play with people you’re so in sync with.”
“You’re not clicking with your teammates?”
“It’s just different, I guess. We’re all still trying to find our rhythm, but we’ll get there.”
“You will.” Reed gave me a nod, his eyes filled with confidence.
As he walked away, Grayson knocked his arm against mine. “Time to step up,” he reminded me. “And try not to piss off Coach Foster too much.”
I scowled as my brother followed Reed to the car, but my expression softened when Paige came to give me a hug.
“Be nice to Mackenzie,” she whispered in my ear. “I like her.”
“Yeah, me too.” I coughed to clear my throat when I realized what I’d said. “I mean, uh—”Crap. “She…” Words. I just needed words. “I—”
“Don’t hurt yourself, Parker. It’s okay to like her.” She laughed as she skipped over to the truck with Max and my brothers.
I was left staring after her, wondering if I’d really just admitted that out loud. I hadn’t even been able to admit my feelings for Mackenzie to myself, but now that one small admission was staring me right in the face like a blinding set of headlights I couldn’t ignore.
Did I really like her? No, that couldn’t be right. I liked her hockey skills, and I liked the way she looked in yoga pants. That was it.
Reed honked twice as the truck pulled away, and the noise seemed to jerk me back to reality. I’d been so in my head, it felt like time had slipped away from me for a moment. My familywere all waving, but I wasn’t focused on my brother’s car.
“Where’s Mackenzie?” I muttered, looking around. Cammie snorted at my question, and I turned to her. “What?”
“You’ve barely taken your eyes off her all day, but didn’t see her leaving?”
“She left already?”
“Yeah, she said goodbye to everyone while you were staring into the void just now.”
I glanced at the street. The car she and Max had arrived in wasn’t parked out front anymore. She was gone. Without even a word to me.
“Come on, let’s get inside,” Mom said, waving us back toward the front door. “It’s freezing out here.”
But I wasn’t ready to go back inside just yet. I had too many questions that needed answering, but the most important one was: would this burning tension in my chest have gone away if we’d just kissed again? Shouldn’t these feelings be a distant memory by now?
I walked back to the house, grabbed my keys, and headed for my truck.
“Where are you going?” Cammie called.
“There’s something I need to do.”
“Don’t forget your boombox,” she said. “You’ll need one if you’re going to stand outside her window and confess your love!”
I ignored my sister as I climbed in my truck and started the engine. I didn’t need a boombox to get Mackenzie’s attention. I had another way.
Chapter 26Mackenzie
My house was oddly quiet when I got home. My dad was in his office, Tessa was asleep on the couch, and my sisters were already in bed for the night. It had been fun having Max back today and already I missed his comforting presence. He had been an especially welcome distraction given how my dad was still freezing me out.
I went straight up to my room, creeping silently past Dad’s office. I could hear game footage through the door. Knowing him, he’d be reviewing it for hours. Being around Parker’s family tonight had only brought my dad’s lack of encouragement into sharper focus. The way Amy had spoken to me… well, I would have given just about anything to have my dad show me even half that support.
As I entered my room, I released a sigh. I hated seeing my moving boxes piled in the corner. I wasn’t sure why I still hadn’t unpacked. It wasn’t like my dad was going to change his mind about Ransom. Maybe Max was right, and I was just waiting for this place to feel like home. And today, Ransom had felt a little more like a place I could belong. I pulled a box from the pile.
I’d barely cracked it open when there was a tapping sound at my window, quickly followed by another. Nerves churned softly beneath my skin as I crept over and peered into the front garden below. Parker was staring up at me.
