Page 38 of Risking the Pucking Defense

“Are you always this down to business?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. I’m just…me, I guess.”

My back straightens when she narrows her eyes.

“What?” I ask, terrified she’s about to dive into the past.

“Nothing. I was wondering if you’d go dress shopping with me.”

I frown, really not expecting that.

“Dress shopping?”

“Yeah. Rett was telling me about the masquerade ball in a few weeks, and…I don’t have anything, so I wondered…”

“If I’d go shopping with you,” I finish for her.

“Yeah,” she agrees.

“Why?” I hate being so skeptical, but it comes naturally after being screwed over so many times.

“Why not?”

“You could go with Sienna, or Casey, or Freya, or⁠—”

“You?”

“Hmm.”

“Hailee…I know you’ve been avoiding this…me, but⁠—”

“I haven’t. I’ve been busy.”

Bea quirks a brow.

“Our pasts don’t define us, Hailee. We’ve all been through things. I just suspect that we may have some similar experiences. We don’t need to talk about them. We don’t have to address anything about the past. But as far as I can see, out futures are intertwined now, and…well, I think we could be friends.”

“Friends.” I don’t mean to say that word out loud, but I do.

“Yeah. So, what do you say. Tacos and dress shopping?”

My eyes widen in horror. “We can’t dress shop after tacos. My food baby will probably rival your real one.”

Bea laughs, and it feels good. Really good.

“No, that’s a disaster waiting to happen. Sunday morning after a light breakfast?”

I smile at her across the table. “That sounds…perfect.”

11

HAYDEN

“This is an intervention,” Killer states the second I open my front door. He shoves past me, inviting himself inside, quickly followed by Rett, Handsy, Linc, and Kodie.

“Uh…sure. Come in. I wasn’t busy or anything,” I mutter, watching them all make themselves at home in my tiny apartment.

If I didn’t already know it was ridiculously small, then I would now seeing four hockey players inside.