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And everything to do with who she is.

"You were great with them today."

She shrugs. "Kids are easier than adults. They don’t fake things. They just... are."

I nod.

Then I say, without thinking, "You’d be a great mom someday."

She blinks.

And for a moment, I want to take it back. Too soon, too heavy.

But she doesn’t freak out.

She just looks at me, really looks, like she’s seeing something in me she hadn’t let herself see before.

Then she says, softly, "You’d be a good dad."

That hits harder than anything.

I clear my throat. "Guess we’d make a solid team."

Her lips quirk. "Dangerous combo."

"Unstoppable," I grin.

And just like that, we’re back to easy and light. To whatever this thing is we’re building.

I don’t know where it’s going.

But today made me want to find out even more.

Every damn messy, cupcake-frosted, glitter-covered step of the way.

Chapter eighteen

Mandy

It’s been months of late-night study breaks that turn into make-out sessions I pretend not to crave.

He hasn’t pushed for more, but he doesn’t have to. Nate’s always there, waiting in the wings, like temptation with a six-pack and patience.

And I’ve been holding the line. Mostly.

Because no matter how badly I want to give in, my sister’s voice is always in my head, reminding me he’s off-limits, reminding me what happens when you blur lines you can’t take back.

And he’s still a hockey player. And we all know about hockey players.

There’s a knock at my door.

“Who is it?”

"Pack a bag, Little Fields. You’ve just been drafted for a bye-week getaway."

I open the door, eyebrows already raised. Nate’s standing there in jeans, a plain black tee that hugs him like sin, and that cocky smile that should come with a warning label.

"Drafted? Is that what we’re calling kidnapping now?"