Page 14 of Hutch (Minnesota Raptors #2)

Hutch

Yesterday did not go as planned. I was going to go upstairs and eat dinner with her, but she made it clear she’d had enough and just wanted to escape.

Jenny told me Daisy had a really bad headache and asked to keep the noise down.

If I had known, I’d have gone to Taco Bell and brought back a load of tacos.

Considering how she feels about takeout though, she might not have eaten it.

Her food was delicious. It tasted like we were in an actual Mexican restaurant.

I don’t think there was anything left to put away, aside from the dirty dishes we cleaned.

Collin hoarded the last of the chicken and the spicy ranch sauce, bringing it back to the house and daring anyone to touch his food.

I’m hoping she’s in class today and not passed out from a headache I helped make worse.

I wish she would have told me. Sighing, I open the doors to the building and look around.

Several of the girls giggle and wave. I ignore them completely and look for the only girl I want to see.

She might be inside already. Coach kept us late and I’m barely here in time so I hurry inside.

She’s sitting up front in her regular seat.

She has no open seats around her and I let out a growl, forced to take my regular one.

Collin almost plows me over while I glower at the dickheads on either side of her.

“Dude.”

“Sorry,” I mutter and sit down.

“Should we go muscle them out of the way?”

“She’d get up and move if we did.”

“Damn.”

The professor comes in and everyone settles down to take notes and try their best not to fall asleep.

It is the longest hour ever, especially when she sneezes so hard, it basically shakes her entire body.

The room is quiet and sleepy, so of course everyone hears and looks at her.

She sinks deeper into her chair and I want to shout at them to mind their own fucking business.

Instead of wandering on out of the room and giving me a minute with Daisy, Collin follows me down to where she’s packing up her things.

“How you feeling, Red?” he asks before I can. I give him a baleful look and he only grins. Bastard.

She glances up and then back to what she’s doing. “Better, thank you.”

“I just came down to say your cooking was almost as good as my abuela’s . I haven’t eaten that good in a while.”

She stands, book bag in hand and smiles. “I’m glad. Nothing better than your grandma’s cooking.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” He winks. “You want a place to just cook, you come over to the hockey house and we’ll buy you whatever ingredients you want.”

“Shit, Ellio’s mother was in over the weekend and stocked the place with groceries. There’s anything you’d want to use there now.”

She glances at me and then away. I don’t like it.

“Well, I’ll get out of your hair. I got a lab I have to get to you. See you later, Red!”

She frowns. “I’m not sure I like the nickname.”

“If he didn’t like you, you wouldn’t have a nickname.” I fall into step beside of her as she moves to leave. “ Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah, the cough has let up and I hardly sneeze. Just a headache really.”

“You should have told me you had a headache and I never would have asked you to cook. I’d have gotten Taco Bell or something.”

“I didn’t mind or I would have said something.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have a psych class.”

Different building than I’m in and in the other direction.

“Come on, I’ll walk with you.”

“I don’t need anyone to walk me to class.”

“I know that. I just want to.”

“And if I rather you not?” She stops when we get out of the building.

“Then I won’t, but I wish you’d let me.”

She stares at me for a full minute and then nods. “Hurry up or we’ll be late.”

Again, I have the urge to fist bump the air, but that would be the wrong move. She’s very hesitant to let me get close. Not sure why, but I plan on getting to the bottom of that sooner rather than later. But for now, I’m content to take all the little victories I can get with this girl.

“Do you like coffee?”

She stops walking again and stares. “That is a very random question.”

I shrug. Can’t get to know her unless I ask them. “I’ve never seen you drink it so I was curious.”

“Do you like coffee?” she asks.

“I don’t function in the mornings without it, but I only drink it in the mornings. I’m not an all day coffee drinker.”

“No, I don’t drink coffee. Well, I do drink the pumpkin spice latte when Starbucks has it. The thing is I don’t like pumpkin pie or pumpkin rolls, but I like the coffee. I’m weird like that.”

“I can eat my weight in pumpkin pie. My mom always makes one for Thanksgiving. Best thing ever. If you like the PSL’s try the coffee shop in the food court here on campus. They make one that people swear is better than Starbucks and it’s not as pricey.”

“Hmm.” She starts walking again and I fall into step beside of her.

“Thanks for getting me medicine and food over the weekend.”

The words are said low and if I hadn’t been right beside of her, I might not have heard her.

“You’re welcome, but no thanks needed. I’m the reason you were sick in the first place.”

“How can you spend so much time in the rink? Don’t you get cold? I mean you guys have to sweat a lot, so I’d think you’d be half frozen when the adrenaline wears off.”

“I’ve been on skates since I was three. I’m used to the cold.”

“So you’re Elsa?”

I groan. “My little cousin made me watch that movie a hundred times when it came out.”

“How old was she?”

“Four. I was her babysitter one summer.”

“You don’t train in the summers?”

“We have downtime during the summer, but we basically all work out even during the off season.”

“Then how did you babysit?”

“I woke up at four to get my workout in and took care of her the rest of the day.”

“That was sweet of you.”

I shrug. “It’s what family does. Annie is a cute kid and she likes my cooking, so we’re bros for life.”

“You can’t cook.”

“Exactly. That’s why we’re bros for life.”

She laughs. “My brother is like that. He and I looked after the neighbor kids during the summer when their mom had to work and she couldn’t afford a sitter. I was on duty while he was at football practice and he took over when I went to work.”

“He a big college football star now?”

“No. He joined the Navy right out of high school. He’s overseas. I don’t know where, but he calls me when he can.”

“That has to suck not knowing where he is.”

“All the time, but he feels like he’s doing important work and I won’t let my fear hold him back.”

“It’s a good outlook to have even if it sucks ass.”

She nods and comes to a stop. “This is me. Your class near here?”

“Ah, no. It’s on the other side of campus.”

“What?” she shrieks, not caring that dozens of people turn to look at us. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“Because I wanted to walk you to class. I can be late. My professor doesn’t pay attention to who comes in at what time.”

That’s not necessarily true. If she sees me come in late, I’ll get the riot act, but if she doesn’t, then I’m kosher.

“That’s not the point,” she says hotly.

I arch a brow. “You would rather I didn’t walk you to class?”

“Yes if you’re going to get into trouble!”

She’s cute.

I reach out and tweak her nose. “I’m not going to get in trouble unless you keep yelling at me. The faster I can sprint across campus, the least likely I’ll get in trouble.”

Mortified, she gasps and takes a step back. “Go!”

Laughing, I turn and sprit across campus, feeling lighter than I have in a very long time.