Rush: The Season (Austin Arrows Book 1)(26)

So, with determination on my side, I pull on all my gear and head out to the ice.



After a half hour, taking shot after shot from two forwards who volunteered, making save after save, I’m drenched and sore. Coach interrupts our shootout, announcing we’ll be doing a scrimmage before we call it a day. That’s all good and fine because I don’t plan to leave for a while, but before that can happen, I need a break. As more of the team comes out, I make my way to the bench, finding a water bottle. After chucking my gloves and pulling off my mask, I drench my head in an attempt to cool off, glancing into the empty bleachers.

I snatch a Gatorade bottle and pause, holding the thing halfway to my mouth.

Is that…?

“Hey, Kingston!”

I look over to see Ellie’s daughter bounding down the steps toward me, her backpack slung over her back, short hair bobbing around her face. Which means that’s definitely Ellie talking to Spencer, just as I thought.

“Hey, kiddo.” I make my way off the ice to the hall that leads to the locker rooms so I can talk to her. She maneuvers through the seats to the railing that separates the fans from the team. When she gets close enough, I offer up my fist for her to bump, which she does with a huge grin. “What’s up? Why’re you down here?”

“Uncle Optimus wants to talk to Mom,” Bianca says, referring to her uncle as she always has. “I don’t know what he wants, but Mom said it was important. She said it had to do with Operation Scale Mount Rushmore. I don’t know what that means.”

Scale, huh? I wonder briefly if Ellie means that the way it sounds. I damn sure won’t mind if she scales me. I grin to myself, then remember there’s a twelve-year-old kid standing only a few feet away. I shouldn’t be thinking about Ellie climbing my body while Ellie’s daughter is anywhere in the vicinity. There’s probably a law against that or something.

“I didn’t know your mom was a climber,” I tease.

Bianca cocks her head and purses her lips, dropping her backpack into a seat. “I’m pretty sure they were talking about you.”

Okay, so this kid picks up on way too much.

“When she was on the phone with him, I heard Optimus say she needs to talk to Amber, whoever that is. And that she should also go shopping for a dress or something. Mom didn’t seem too happy about that. I think that’s why we’re here.”

I frown. A dress? What the hell could they possibly be talking about?

“Oh, my gosh! Is that...? It is!” Bianca peers out at the ice, drawing my attention to the net at the opposite end.

I chuckle and pretend not to notice that she’s taken a keen interest in Josh Locke. It doesn’t surprise me one bit. Bianca has been infatuated with hockey since she was a munchkin. Seems she might’ve developed a real live crush on one of my teammates. Not that I want her to confirm that. I want to believe that I will always be her favorite goalie, even if that is no longer the case.

While Bianca watches the action on the ice, I stand there, remembering I have to get back out there soon.

“Did you know my mom and her friends call you the goalie god?”

I pause in the process of downing more Gatorade, casting a sideways glance at Bianca. “Is that right?”

“Yep.”

Interesting. I want to ask who came up with the name, but I don’t dare. It’s one thing to flirt with Ellie, something else entirely to question her daughter. The last thing I need is for Bianca to tell either Ellie or Spencer that I’ve been snooping for details.

The goalie god.

I like that.

“She was telling Noelle that she even tweeted about it one night.”

Good to know. I make a mental note to check her out on Twitter.

“Please tell me you’re not filling my kid’s head full of more hockey stats.”

Bianca turns, and I look up behind her to see Ellie walking toward us, a gorgeous grin on her succulent mouth.

I stand up straight, swiping my hand over my disheveled hair, hoping I look relatively decent. Packed inside all this gear, I’m sweating profusely, and I can’t imagine how bad I smell. When I’m out there on the ice, I’m immune to it. Others, not so much.

“Of course not,” I lie, grinning. “I’m pretty sure she knows more than me at this point.”

Bianca snorts. “I’ve always known more than you.”

I reach through the bars, trying to grab Bianca’s ankles. She dances out of the way, laughing.

“I thought you were going to start on your homework,” Ellie says to Bianca, pulling the kid against her in a one-armed bear hug.

The two of them look so much alike. Both have golden-brown hair, though Bianca’s is a tad darker. The same with their eyes. Ellie’s are jade green, Bianca’s closer to emerald. Soon to be thirteen, Bianca is almost as tall as her mother, which she likes to complain about. Apparently, five foot six is not an appropriate height for a soon-to-be teenage girl. Being that I’m six three, I’m quite fond of Ellie’s height.

As for why Bianca doesn’t like it, I don’t know. Admittedly, I don’t know the first thing about preteen girls, or teenagers, for that matter. Well, other than what I’ve learned being so close to Ellie and Bianca due to my friendship with Spencer.

Bianca pulls away, laughing. “I am. In a minute. Hey! Where’d you get that sucker?”