Page 22 of The Alternate Captain (Elite Hockey #3)

The entire morning throws my routine out of the window—but that’s on me, and the fact that I didn’t want to leave Kelly’s bed.

I ignored my alarm and, surprisingly, didn’t care at all. All I wanted to do was make her come again.

I was completely sated. And I was comfortable, even if her bedroom was fucking freezing.

When I finally dragged my ass away, I had a swim, followed by breakfast, then I met Ryan for coffee and a trip to the bookstore a short walk from our apartment building.

Which is where we are now, browsing the aisles for something he doesn’t know he needs until he sees it.

“How’re you feeling about tonight?” he asks, skimming through the books in the fantasy section.

“Couldn’t be more excited,” I say.

Ryan suppresses a laugh.

Dad texted me this morning to say they’d arrived, and they were settling into their hotel. He said he’d see me at seven on the dot at the restaurant. My guess is, he’ll be late .

“Liam’s going too,” Ryan says, reaching for a paperback. He turns it over and skims the blurb. “Apparently, your dad invited him personally.”

I let out a breath. “I’m sure that’ll delight Vicky.”

“I was going to ask you how that’s going from your angle, actually,” Ryan says, flicking through the pages of the novel in his hands.

“As expected, I guess. I’m not really sure what’s going on. I’m a little preoccupied if you must know.”

Ryan discards the book before selecting another.

“Sarah? I thought you blocked her?”

“Well, yeah, I did. But she’s been texting me from a different number. It’s probably time for me to get some new digits.”

“Or a restraining order,” Ryan says sympathetically.

My phone pings, and I slip it out of my pocket to glance at the screen. Kelly.

I can’t even help the smile that creeps across my face, which gives Ryan all the fuel he needs.

“I take it you had success at speed dating?” He wiggles his eyebrows at me.

Now my next move is crucial. Because Vicky knows that Kirsty and I matched, and she probably told either him or Jen. But I don’t want to lie to him, not really—I’ve been doing that enough already.

I keep my response casual. “I guess you could say that.”

“Well, I can’t wait to hear more about her. Or him, if that’s what you’re into.”

Maybe Vicky didn’t mention Kirsty after all.

“Where did you get that impression?”

“I didn’t. But it’s rude to assume.”

I roll my eyes and shove my phone back in my pocket as we move towards the literary fiction section. Ryan plucks a book from the top shelf and turns it over.

“I think Jen would like this,” he says, tossing it into his basket .

And it gets me thinking that maybe I should buy a book for Kelly; to show her I notice her. She’s got a stack of books on a shelf in her bedroom, and I think they’re mostly romance novels. I make a mental note to check next time I’m in her room.

“Speaking of Jenna, how’s the house hunting going?”

At the start of the season, Ryan moved in with Jenna, who happens to live in the same apartment as my sister. I know that Ryan and Jenna are looking for a more permanent place to live, which means either Vicky will be looking for a new housemate, or she’ll be looking to move out too.

“We’ve got a few viewings lined up. But I just can’t find ‘the one’, you know?”

I can’t say I really did know but I nod anyway. As far as I’m concerned, home is wherever my stuff is.

“Right, are you getting anything?” Ryan says, indicating that he’s ready to check out.

We pay and leave, and then we grab some coffee, carrying on the conversation about house buying before switching to hockey. Which is when my anxiety creeps in.

Dad coming to watch a game isn’t a new thing, but I always feel a heightened level of stress when I know he’s in the crowd. Every time I take to the ice, the nerves hit, and I’m desperate for my shift to go well. I’m desperate to impress him.

“What’s on your mind?” Ryan asks me after a few moments of silence.

“I feel like I should have tried harder. I feel like I should have done better.”

I can’t even look him in the eyes as I speak. Because when I do, all I see is the NHL superstar that I could have been.

“We’ve all got different parts to play, bud,” he says. “You’re killing it here. The guys love you. They respect you. And yeah, you need to be less serious at times, but you’re doing great.” He pauses for a moment and studies my expression. “What’s brought this on? ”

“We both know why my dad has invited Liam tonight. Hell—he probably would have called you if he had your number.”

“He did call me,” Ryan says. “I told him I’m busy.”

I raise an eyebrow at him.

“Date night with Jen. Nothing ever hinders date night. Sorry, bud, but not even your old man.” Ryan smiles.

“I respect that.”

“Now, let’s kick a ball for a bit. Get your mind on something else. Worry about tonight later.”

And that’s what we do.