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I closed my eyes and waited for my breath to release from the back of my throat. Maybe if I couldn’t see Brody, he wouldn’t see me either. It was a toddler’s reasoning, but right now, I was happy to subscribe to the theory.

In a cruel twist of fate, the chatter of voices around me lessened, and I opened my eyes. Almost all the Tit Peepers had moved away to the statue of Jerico Tuft. I still stood behind the bush, a bright turquoise beacon amongst the green and brown of downtown Tuft Swallow.

I had to move. Step out into the street. Rejoin the huddle of tit-fans and resume my covert operation. But I risked being spotted out in the open. I had my hair in my signature braids, and nobody else in town wore glittery Converse. No. I’d have to hold my binoculars back up to my face and channel Clark Kent. Nobody ever recognized he was Superman when he wore his glasses.

Three deep breaths later, I swallowed, took a leap of faith, and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Straight into Brody’s chest.

After a little wobble and a yelp, I pulled my binoculars away and lowered them as if popping out of bushes was the sort of thing I did all the time.

One side of his mouth curved, and his eyes ranged over me and my jacket. “What are you doing?”

A burn crept over my face.“Oh, you know, casually spying on you and your new lover”probably didn’t have the breezy, non-stalker-ish tone I was aiming for.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “Nothing!”

Brody’s gaze roamed over the turquoise jacket I wore, resting on the Tit Peepers logo currently emblazoned across my right boob. His eyes narrowed a touch before his mouth cracked into a full grin. “I’ll be honest, I really didn’t have you down as being into tits.”

My blood simmered. “No? I suppose that’s more your thing.”

He pulled air in through his cheeks, holding it there for a second, looking like a hamster that’d overindulged at the buffet table.

“Ouch. I know you like the Tuft Swallow way of life, but do you do this often? Stand around behind bushes, blinding innocent bystanders, I mean?”

It remained to be seen just how innocent Brody’s “by-standing” coffee date had been. Still, I had to stay calm andmaintain my innocent facade. If not, he’d know how pitiful and desperate I was to keep tabs on him. “Yes. I join the gang most weeks. It’s fascinating, really. One learns so much with a pair of binoculars in one’s hand.” Had he noticed the edge in my voice?

Brody’s brows rose, but before he could speak, Mrs. Woodcock appeared at his side.

“Brody! How lovely to see you again! Have you come to join us? This is Rowena’s first time, too.”

My soul withered in my chest as a slow, mocking grin grew on Brody’s mouth. He turned his eyes on me.

“Most weeks, huh?” A thick heat crawled up my body. He’d well and truly busted me for lying.

Brody folded his arms across his chest, addressing Mrs. Woodcock. “I thought I might give bird watching a go. Tell me, do I get to wear one of your jackets if I join?”

She giggled like a schoolgirl and clutched her clipboard to her chest. “I’m not sure we’ll have a jacket big enough for your shoulders.”

“For his ego, more like,” I said under my breath.

At my words, Brody’s eyes flared for just a moment. “I’m happy to tag along,” he said, sending his high-beam smile Mrs. Woodcock’s way. “I can hold Ro’s binoculars when she’s not peeping on anyone.”

I tightened my eyes. Despite my interest in Brody’s coffee date, the last thing I wanted was him tagging along and teasing me for lying. Searching for Tufted Tits hadn’t been on my to-do list, and even the prospect of hanging out with one of the NHL’s hottest stars couldn’t persuade me. Quite the opposite.

Mercifully, one of the out-of-town bird watchers called Mrs. Woodcock over. With a cheery wave, she granted me a stay of execution. I turned to face my tormentor, heart in my mouth.

“Please. I don’t think we should spend much time together. Not after… well, the other night.”

Brody sucked on his bottom lip and wedged his hands into his pockets. He looked down at his feet and kicked a pebble into the gutter like a disgruntled schoolboy.

My chest pulled. He looked so dejected, but I had to think of myself. Surely, he could see that giving each other a wide berth made sense. Self-preservation was the order of the day. We should keep our interactions strictly on a coach and player level. If I had to spend a morning wandering around the woods with Brody, even a trail of breadcrumbs couldn’t lead my heart safely back home in one piece.

His brow furrowed. “I’ll be honest, Ro. I don’t know if I can pretend the other night didn’t happen.” His voice was hushed, and he searched my face for a reaction. Reassurance, perhaps.

I clamped my jaw tight, unsure what would come out if I opened my mouth.

After the longest beat, he nodded and shrugged. “But I get it. I’ll stay away.”