Page 48

Andie and Noah enter the box just then, and Noah’s face lights up when he sees me. It’s enough to completely shatter what’s left of that lockbox around my heart. I fight the urge to run to them when Andie smiles at me, tugging at my tie again instead.

Tom turns to see what I’m looking at and I don’t miss the curious glint in his eyes.

Noah strides over to where we’re standing, his eyes are huge… like two brown pucks resting below his eyebrows. “Hey, Coach… I can’t believe you hooked us up with these tickets.” He’s wearing the same worn-out jersey he had on when me and the guys were helping with Andie’s gym.

I reach out and mess up his shaggy, dark hair. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tom shift on his feet, watching us with interest.

Andie ambles over to join us, looking as delicious as ever. Her bubble gum scent fills the space between us, making my mouth water. She does a quick intake of my person from top to bottom. She seems pleased with what she sees, just like I hoped.

“I feel underdressed.” Andie rubs her hands over her legging-clad thighs like her palms are sweaty. Her black leggings show off to those powerful legs of hers. She paired the leggings with bright white sneakers, and a denim jacket over a white tee. She’s an absolute vision.

“You look fine,” I say, not feeling comfortable complimenting her in front of Noah. Or Tom. Oh, right… Tom is still beside me. “Andie, Noah, this is the team’s general manager, Tom Parker.”

Tom steps forward and shakes both of their hands. “Great meeting you both.” He looks down at Noah. “So Noah, I’m assuming you’re one of Mitch’s youth hockey kids?”

“Yeah,” he says dryly. “He was a real pain at first, but he’s getting better.”

I roll my eyes but Tom bursts into laughter. “I like this kid,” he says.

I gesture to the two bar stools in front of us, there’s a present for Noah on one and a present for Andie on the other. It’s easy to distinguish one from the other because Andie’s is in a pink, sparkly gift bag and Noah’s is in an Eagle’s gift bag.

“You knew it was my birthday?” Noah asks, barely able to contain his excitement.

“Of course. Go open your present,” I tell him, crossing my arms and leaning against the bar to watch.

He doesn’t waste any time, leaping toward the D.C. Eagle’s bag that I found at the arena’s gift shop. He tosses the tissue paper to the floor, and Andie laughs. Noah gasps when he pulls out a jersey. It’s new and pristine, making the one he’s wearing look even older. He flips it over to look at the back and grins when he sees my last name on it. He gasps again, even louder, when he notices it’s signed by the entire team.

“This is sick,” he whisper-yells, like he’s trying so hard to play it cool.

I stifle a laugh and Tom snickers behind me. “You like it?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

“Like it?” His face changes and he looks down at the jersey, then at the bar stool that has a direct view of the ice below. “This is the best present I’ve ever gotten.”

His eyes get that shiny glint to them as if he’s holding back tears and Andie places a hand on his shoulder. He shrugs out of her grasp and clears his throat, sticking his hand back inside the bag. He pulls out an Eagles tumbler, and a baseball cap with Remy’s number on it.

“Thanks, Mitch.” He smiles up at me before focusing on his sister. “Open yours, Andie!”

Andie grins, showing off that little dimple. Then she glances at me, her smile faltering. She looks unsure and a little annoyed. Her look says, why did you get me a present, and is it something awful?

Slowly, she picks up the pink bag, her eyebrows raise when she discovers how heavy it is. She glares at me, cautiously removing the tissue paper like a live snake is going to pop out of the bag and bite her. When she pulls her hand back out, she laughs and holds up her very own jersey. This one also has Anderson on the back, because I’d die before I saw this woman wear anyone’s jersey but mine.

It is signed by the entire team like Noah’s, but that’s where I draw the line.

She smiles at me, looking relieved, then reaches in for the other item in the bag, along with a note. “You have got to be kidding me.” Her head falls back and she releases a booming laugh. When her head pops back up, she holds the yellow book in front of her for all of us to see. “Hockey For Dummies?”

Tom looks between the three of us again. “I’m assuming there’s a story here?”

Andie grabs the thick book in both hands and whacks my shoulder with it. Chuckling under my breath, I instinctively bring my hands up to protect myself, grabbing the book until my hands are covering hers. The skin-to-skin contact jolts something in both of us and our eyes snap to meet the other’s gaze.

I’ve heard people talk about electricity between themselves and another person, an electric current. But until now, I’d never experienced it. I think I’ve spent my entire life in the dark, until Andie stomped her way in and lit up my entire world.

She slides her hands out from underneath mine and steps away from me in one smooth move. Andie exhales a forced laugh as she reaches for the note that was attached to the book and has now fallen to the floor.

She looks it over for a second and then reads it out loud, “Andie, your hockey knowledge needs some work. Do the world a favor and read up. There’s a whole section in here about Wayne Gretzky. Sincerely, Bruce, Colby, and Ford Remington (AKA the current team captain of the D.C. Eagles).”

Popping a hip out, she rests a hand on it. Her signature pose.

“I hate you guys,” she tells me, but there’s no mirth to her tone.