Rushing the Goal (Assassins #8)(12)

When he noticed she was still watching him, he cleared his throat free of emotion and tried to smile. “Sorry, having a moment.”

“Are you sure you want to help me?”

He really smiled that time, reassuringly. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry. Just thinking about something.”

“What?” she asked with all the curiosity of a child.

A child he didn’t have anymore.

Swallowing hard around the lump in his throat, he said, “My daughter.”

Angie smiled. “Aw, she doesn’t play?”

“No, she doesn’t,” he said, his heart pounding in his chest. He’d like to think that she was in heaven. That there was a big rink in the clouds where she would play and she was happy with Ava. God, he hoped they were happy. “But, okay, let’s do this.”

Pushing thoughts of Leary away—not an easy feat—Benji reached for Angie’s skates as she took off her jacket. He then started tying them up, and together they got her ready quickly. She was funny and animated, but he knew she was nervous. He’d hoped to ease those worries, but it was hard when he was battling his own demons in his head. He still tried, though, and he knew that meant something. That little Angie, his new friend, was important to him. Not sure why, but she was, and he was going to do right by the little girl.

He was the replacement and all.

Before putting on her helmet, Benji noticed her stick wasn’t taped up. Reaching into his pocket for his roll of tape he had brought to retape his own stick, he grinned up at Angie. “All right, first things first—”

“You’re the realest?”

His grin grew at her quick thinking, and he couldn’t help but laugh. Nodding, he met her sweet, sassy gaze. She looked so much like her mother it was scary. They were two little twins, and of course, that made him curious about her father. Where was he? Why wasn’t he here? Benji wouldn’t have missed this for the world if he’d had the chance.

“All right, Iggy,” he teased and she laughed happily, but then he paused. “How do you even know that song?”

She grinned. “My uncle Jace and me used to sing it all the time. He moved to Florida with my aunt Avery and my cousin Ashlyn. We miss them sooooooo much!”

“I bet.”

“And then my uncle Jude and aunt Claire are in California and Vegas, but they have a house here and spent the whole summer here. I got to swim in their pool every day!”

“I bet that was a lot of fun.”

“Oh my God, it was! You should come.”

“It’s a date next summer,” he said with a wink and she grinned. “Okay, now your stick,” he said, and she directed her attention to what he was doing as he taped it very carefully. It was a little too careful for a kid’s stick, but he wanted it to be perfect. He wanted her to be confident, and if he was going to be Jayden’s replacement, he was going to be the best damn replacement in the world.

He had to impress Angie…and maybe her mom too.

He wasn’t sure why, though. That chick practically had signs hanging off her blinking brightly that she was more than unavailable. Yet something made him want to tear down the signs, take that face of hers in his hands, and kiss the stuffing out of her. She had the right lips, the bottom one bigger than the top, all cushiony looking, and those eyes… Man, he had never seen such green depths in his life. Her lashes were dark, her hair even darker, and she was gorgeous. She was like a cat. Angry, but he bet he could make her purr.

What in the…? God, he was a loser.

“Wow, that looks hard,” Angie said, apprehension in her voice.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’ll practice.”

He hadn’t meant to call her that, but thankfully, she beamed up at him as he tore the tape and then handed her the stick. “How’s that feel?”

She stood up on her skates and tested the stick like a pro. Or better yet, like a little girl who was trained by three older, hockey-playing uncles. Benji knew all about the Sinclairs. Hell, he was sure everyone did. They had legacy written all over them—all strong, all fast, and all pretty badass. All drafted first, and it was the first time that had happened to three brothers. The NHL boasted about the three, and if they weren’t so damn good, Benji would call bullshit. But they were good. Really good.

But still, it bothered him that Lucy Sinclair had been lost in all the hoopla of her brothers. He hadn’t even known she existed until today.

Too bad.

He thought she should be the shining star.

“It’s good,” she said and Benji nodded at her form.

“Looks good, Sinclair.”

“Hart.”

His brows rose. Duh, Lucy must be married. “Sorry?”

“My last name is Hart. It’s my dad’s name.”

He nodded. “Oh, my bad. Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine. I usually don’t care. Everyone else is a Sinclair in my family, and my uncles call me ‘Sinclair’ because they hate my dad. But I told Mom I want my jersey to have my dad’s name, so hopefully, he’ll come to my games.” She seemed unsure and that pissed Benji off.

“I’m sure he will.”

She shrugged. “He doesn’t want me to play. He thinks I should dance like my sister.”