Page 4 of Pinch

“Maverick!” Gigi’s voice is loud and cross. “We didn’t discuss this first!”

“You’re one to talk.” I’m still cross about our surprise foster-dog. “If this new dog barfs in my bed like the last one?—”

“You’re going to love her,” Gigi interrupts me.

Our cousin waves over a big guy with shaggy brown hair,then holds out a red Solo cup to him as he hustles up to give Mav a bro-hug.

“That’s my man!” Maverick is still yelling, pointing at the guy whose back is turned.

The lady is on the bullhorn again, giving us all the ten-second warning.

Doing my best to shake off this buzz, I roll my shoulders back and adjust my posture. The float does a sharp lurch forward, and I wobble on my heels, jerking hard on the strap.

“Whoa…” It’s a low yell, and Gina grabs my hand.

“Are you okay?”

“Yo, Princess, Maid Marian, over here!” Mav is yelling, and now his arm is looped around the new teammate’s shoulders. “I present to you Gavin Knight of the dynamite, unstoppable Gav and Mav hockey duo!”

The tall fellow lifts his square chin, and ice-blue eyes blink up to mine. When they clash, cold water surges through my bloodstream followed quickly by fire.

He’s standing there, all six-foot-two, broad shoulders, rounded biceps, square jaw with that dimple right in the middle of his cheek. Full lips part over straight white teeth, and my stomach dips.

I’m frozen as my mind tumbles back to my college days in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, my roommate Karen crying her eyes out on the sofa because the man she loved, the man she trusted, her first college boyfriend, was sleeping with every girl in the Tri-Delta sorority house.

I don’t know when he started going by Gavin, butLaneKnight is the most notorious playboy I’ve ever met. He has the body of a god and the heart of a villain.

“No!” My voice is sharp, and I release the strap, taking a step in the direction of my cousin. “Not him!”

I guess purple drink makes me think I’m going to do something right here in the middle of a parade in my dress, crown, and three-inch heels.

The float starts to roll, and the words morph into a scream as I throw white and black roses into the air.

Spanky lunges forward, dragging Gina with him, as if he’ll rescue me, but it’s too late. Nothing is going to stop me as I fly through the air.

Nothing except the rock-hard chest of the world’s biggest jerk, who I vowed to my college roommate I’d never speak to again.

With anoof!I land, Cinderella-style in his arms.

He has the nerve to catch me.

“Well, hello, Hayden.” His chin dips, and he grins at me like the player he is. “Nice of you to drop in. I hear we’re going to be roommates.”

“Put me down.” I struggle to get out of his strong arms.

He doesn’t let me go. Instead, his eyes narrow. “I guess that’s your funny way of saying thank you for saving your life.”

“You didn’t save my life. You only broke my fall.” I push his chest, and he relents. “Like you break everything.”

I said the last part under my breath, but I can tell he heard me by the way his jaw tightens.

I’m all set to walk away and take my place on the float again, when my heel catches in the hem of my gown, and with a loud rip, the bottom of my skirt disappears along with my appearance in the LA Champions official Welcome Back Parade.

2

Gavin

Yesterday…