An hour later, I'm standing in front of my bathroom mirror, changing into yet another shirt. This is ridiculous. It's just dinner with Brett and his teammates. Oh yeah, and Harper.
By the time I park outside Primavera's, I've talked myself through a dozen scenarios of how this evening could go wrong.
Brett spots me the moment I walk in, waving from a corner table. He's sitting with Jack and Tyler, two guys I've known for years through hockey circles. Both solid players, both notorious for their charm with women.
“Cole.” Brett stands to give me the hockey player greeting. A firm handshake and a quick back slap. “You remember Jack and Tyler.”
“Of course. Good to see you guys.” I shake hands with both men.
“So, three weeks,” Jack says with a grin as I take the empty chair. “Renegades versus Commanders. You ready to get your ass kicked?”
“In your dreams,” I shoot back. “We've been waiting all summer for that matchup. I heard you guys made some new defensive pairings?”
“Wouldn't you like to know,” Brett laughs. “Nice try, but we're not giving away any secrets.”
“Like you have any secrets worth knowing,” I counter. “Your power play was garbage last season.”
“Ouch.” Tyler clutches his chest dramatically. “That hurts, Cole. But wait until you see what we've been working on.”
“Three weeks and we'll find out,” I say. “Hope you've been practicing your golf swing, because that's what you'll be doing after we're done with you.”
Brett grins. “Big talk from a team that missed the playoffs last year.”
The friendly trash talk continues, but I can’t get into it enough to relax. I’m tense from the constant awareness that Harper could walk through that door at any moment.
And then she does.
She appears in the restaurant entrance, scanning the room until she spots our table. She's wearing dark jeans and a cream-colored sweater with her hair loose around her shoulders. She looks absolutely stunning.
She weaves through the tables, a smile on her face, but when her eyes meet mine, shock draws itself on her face. She covers it quickly, but I saw it. She wasn't expecting me to be here.
“There's my favorite sister,” Brett says, standing to hug her.
“Your only sister,” Harper grumbles with a laugh.
“Harper Hayes,” Jack says, standing with a wide smile. “Still the most beautiful Hayes sibling.”
“Still the biggest flatterer in New York,” Harper responds, but she's smiling as she accepts his hug.
Tyler is on his feet too, waiting for his turn. “How long has it been?”
“Too long,” Harper says.
Is she flirting?
I watch this reunion with growing irritation. The easy familiarity between Harper and these men, the way they touch her so casually, and the obvious affection in their voices pisses me off.
Like me, they’ve probably known her for years, but now they're seeing her as a woman, and they're not trying to hide their appreciation.
“Sit next to me,” Jack says, pulling out the chair beside him. “I want to hear all about this big contract Brett's been bragging about.”
Harper settles into the seat, directly across from me.
“So you're planning events for the Renegades now?” Jack asks, leaning closer than necessary. “That's incredible.”
The conversation flows around me, but I can barely concentrate. I'm too focused on watching Harper interact with Jack and Tyler, seeing how they compete for her attention, how she responds to their compliments.
She seems to be enjoying it, laughing at their jokes, touching Tyler's arm when he tells a story about their junior hockey days. Each casual touch sends a spike of possessiveness through me.
