Page 8

eight

Wyatt

Electricity crackles through every inch of my body after the game. I landed a goal and two assists; I was on fucking fire . After a lackluster training camp, I finally feel like I’m settling in—with the team, with my line, with my life .

It’s because Elsy was in the stands. I’m sure of it. Now I’ll have to figure out how to get her here for every game.

After speeding through my cool-down, I hurry the reporters through the post-game media circus. Agitation and adrenaline war in my bloodstream as I finally take my shower. I dress in my game-day suit and head for the long hallway, where we can meet up with friends and family. I told Elsy to meet me here and left her name with the admin. Still, a part of me is worried that she won’t. And then I’m confused because why should I care if she doesn’t show up?

Walking into the hall with Henry on my heels, I find Elsy talking to Chuck Gallagher. She’s wearing a Grizzlies sweatshirt with—are those signatures? Did the entire fucking Grizzlies team sign her jacket? Oh, no, that won’t do at all.

“Eleanor,” I greet, giving her a nod, then turn a wary eye to my opponent. “Gallagher.”

“Whitney.” He nods back. “Good game.”

“Yeah, you too.”

When he offers his hand, I shake it.

“I was just inviting Elsy for a drink,” he says, almost self-consciously. “You want to join us?” He looks behind me to where Henry’s lingering, obviously eavesdropping, without forcing his way into the conversation. “Is this some kind of situation you three are keeping under wraps?”

Elsy makes a face. “Ew. Gross. No.”

My stomach twists at her blatant dismissal. I would never want to share her with anyone, much less Henry. Besides, we’re not together. She can hardly stand to look at me. “Yeah, no. But if you want to grab a drink, the team’s getting together at the pub.”

Henry steps in. “I’d love for you to join us, Elsy.” His voice is as smooth as crushed velvet—and not in a good way. It’s almost sleazy, coming from him. I haven’t seen him like that before.

She shudders. “Yeah, I’m going to need you to stop talking now,” she tells him, and he frowns.

“You need a ride?” I ask her.

“I’m going to take an Uber,” she says with a pinched look on her face. “Chuck, you want to ride with me?”

“I’ll drive you,” I say before he can open his mouth.

He gives me a flat look.

“Both of you,” I mumble. “C’mon. My car’s this way.”

Henry doesn’t bother to hide his laugh. “See you there.”

The parking garage is attached to the arena, and the valet attendants have brought around all the players’ cars for us. I open the door and Elsy slips past me into the front seat with a murmured thanks .

Gallagher lingers outside the car. “What’s the deal here?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not trying to make a play on her,” he deadpans. “She’s friends with my sister.”

“Well, she’s friends with my sister, too.” So there .

He crosses his arms over his chest, unimpressed. “So you’re pissing all over her?”

“I don’t kink shame, but I’m not into water sports, dude.”

Gallagher rolls his eyes. “Seriously, Whitney. I’m not into her.”

Automatically, my hackles go up. “Why not? She’s fucking hot.”

I’d have to be blind not to see that.

“Just not my type.” He shrugs. “All I want to do is check in on her so Viv doesn’t rip my head off. That’s all this is.”

Our conversation cut off by Elsy rolling down the window.

“Are you two going to gossip all day, or can we get going?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” I tease, and she scowls as she rolls the window back up.

“Oh. So it’s like that,” Gallagher says with a knowing grin.

“Like what?”

“You have a thing for her.”

My mouth drops open. “What?”

He laughs. “Yeah. You’re totally into her.” He ducks into the back seat.

As I round the car, I wonder if that’s true. No. It can’t be. Just because we hooked up all those years ago doesn’t mean I want to do it again.

Except… I kind of do. She’s hot as fuck. She’s bigger than she was thirteen years ago, but I happen to like her curves. I like a woman with some meat on her bones.

But it doesn’t mean I’m into her. She’s prickly. I don’t want to be stabbed in the kidney—or anywhere else, for that matter. If I have feelings…

No. I don’t have feelings for her. That’s ridiculous.

As I slide into the driver’s seat, I’m treated to the subtle floral scent of her perfume. Jasmine, I think. Normally, perfume makes me sneeze, but something about the light wisp of her scent makes my pulse throb.

Elsy’s already buckled in, so I reach over and turn the A/C up high for her. She’s clutching a plastic airsick bag.

“Already nauseous?”

“Around you? Always,” she mutters, looking out the window.

Gallagher stifles a snicker.

The guys are already seated when we arrive. A few of the other Dragons players have joined in, too. Henry has commandeered a small table for four next to the group, and it’s there that Elsy goes, so I amble after her.

I feel awkward and uncoordinated without my skates. Off-kilter. Like I’m missing a limb.

She takes the seat across from Henry, and I slide in beside her. She’s not a small woman, so our thighs touch on the sticky booth material, and it sends my stomach on a roller coaster.

I must be hungry. That’s it.

Tina, the waitress usually assigned to our section, beelines over to us. She’s good at keeping the fans away from us and letting us relax after a game.

“Hey, sugar,” she says, cocking her hip. “What can I get you?”

“Water, please,” I request. “Elizabeth, you drinking?”

“Around you? Always,” she mutters again.

My blood rushes south at the annoyance on her face, my pulse throbbing. Fuck, her petulant quips get me going like nothing else.

“Tito’s and Sprite, please, too,” I tell Tina. “She wants a cheeseburger, no tomato or ketchup, with a side of barbecue sauce, please.”

Elsy glares at me. “I’m perfectly capable of ordering for myself.”

“I know.” I turn back to Tina. “Same for me, but I’m good with ketchup.”

“Burger sounds good,” Chuck says. “I’ll have the same.”

Henry nods. “Yeah, same here.”

Elsy elbows me directly under my rib cage. “Move over. You’re taking up too much space.”

In response, I move closer to her until our thighs are plastered together from hip to knee.

Her eyes narrow as she aims a lethal glare my way.

Heart racing, I grin back at her, unrepentant.

She picks up her fork, her hand curling around the utensil like it’s a spear. Or maybe a shiv. I wouldn’t put it past her to stab me in the junk with the tines. Hurriedly, I scoot away to give her some breathing room, and she puts the fork back down.

“So your name is Elizabeth?” Henry asks her. “Like, your real name.”

She scowls at me, when he’s the one who asked the question, and I lift my eyebrows at her.

“My name is Elsy,” she says evenly.

“But he called you Elizabeth.”

“He has problems with his memory,” she snaps. “He knows I don’t like it and does it anyway.”

My entire body tenses. Is that what she thinks is happening?

“I thought you liked it,” I whisper. “It’s our little game.”

“No, Wyatt,” Elsy says, a hint of steel in her voice. “I’ve never once liked it. In fact, I seem to remember telling you not to call me those names. Multiple times.”

“I thought it was—it was a game. Like the way you…”

She shakes her head. “It’s not a game to me.”

Swallowing, I meet her eyes. “Okay. I won’t do it anymore. Elsy.”

“Thank you.” She crosses her arms over her chest, drawing my eyes down again. It takes everything in me to focus on her face.

“So,” Henry shouts, clearly ready to change the subject. “You’re friends with Mitchell in New Orleans, and clearly you know a Dragon, and you’re wearing a signed Grizzlies jacket. Who the hell are you?”

Elsy shrugs. “I’m just a girl from Ohio.”

“At least you didn’t go to Ohio State,” I mutter.

Having attended Michigan for three and a half semesters, I still take the greatest rivalry in sports seriously. It’s in my blood. My dad was a Michigan man, my sister took the lacrosse team to the national championship twice in her four years, and I loved my time playing hockey there. It’s not my mom’s fault she went to Nebraska on a cheer scholarship and couldn’t be like the rest of us.

Gallagher shakes his head. “She’s friends with my sister. I promised Viv I’d keep an eye out for her.”

“And I told you , I’m fine,” Elsy says, turning her glare on him. “Viv, Bex, and all the rest of them don’t need to worry about me.” She sighs. “At least you don’t play Boston for another few weeks. The last thing I need is Al and Jake getting all aflutter.”

My eyebrows dart up. “Who?”

“Al is my future brother-in-law,” Gallagher says with a laugh. “His brother is dating my sister.”

“That doesn’t make him your brother-in-law,” Henry says. “He’s your sister’s brother-in-law.”

Gallagher shrugs. “He’s family.”

“He’s an overprotective golden retriever with the brains of an orange cat,” Elsy mutters. “Nice guy, but kind of dumb.”

“Sounds like most hockey players, then,” Henry says.

“No. Not in my experience.” She glares at me again. “He’s actually a good guy.”

Because in her estimation, I’m not.

“My brother just got traded to Boston last summer,” Henry says. “Maybe you know him. Sebastian Henry? He’s the goaltender.”

Elsy nods slowly. “He’s part of the tandem with Jake, who’s dating my friend Rachel. I’ve met Seb’s girlfriend, Audrey. Isn’t she related to the coach?”

“His daughter, yeah.” Henry grins. “Aren’t they sickening?”

“Kind of,” she admits.

“So you’re, like, in with the hockey teams,” he says. “What brings you to Austin? And would you like to adopt another hockey team?”

Her small smile dies, her eyes belying her pain. “No.”

I don’t know all the details, only that she was asked to leave the Boston Symphony after a confrontation with her ex. Bex was cagey on the details, insisting it wasn’t her place to tell me. Somehow, I don’t think Elsy will spill her deepest, darkest secrets to me anytime soon.

“No?” Gallagher grins at her. “You want to move to Colorado?”

“Definitely not,” Elsy says. “I came to Austin because I had to leave Boston, but now that I’ve unpacked, I’m not moving anywhere anytime soon. And no,” she says to Henry, “I don’t want anything to do with the hockey scene here. I have no ties to this team. That’s the way it’s going to stay.”