Page 126 of Skate the Line

I shoot him a vexed look, and he snorts.

An exasperated sigh leaves me as I turn toward Ellie. “It was good.” I lean in close. “Would you like a piece of cake?”

She quickly nods, little pieces of hair flying out of her braid.

I hop to my feet with a quiet laugh. I move around the kitchen as if Rhodes isn’t staring at me like he has something else to say.

“Just good?” he asks.

“Hmm?” I say.

It’s hard not to look at him, but I focus on cutting the piece of cake like it’s for the Pope instead of a five-year-old.

“Yum!” Ellie squeals excitedly when I slide the plate in front of her. I swipe my finger over the icing and pop it into my mouth while she digs in.

I take a seat and finally give Rhodes my attention. His jaw flickers while he focuses on my finger inside my mouth.

It was an innocent action, and I thought nothing of it, but with the fiery glint in his eye, I could see how it would come off as something other than that.Whoopsie.

Rhodes exhales. “I thought your birthday celebration deserved an…Emmy.”

My eye twitches.

It did. It really did.

But there is no way I’m letting him win this.

I shrug. “I’ve had better.”

Ellie’s fork clanks to her empty plate, but neither Rhodes nor I look at it.

“That cake deserves an Emmy!” She pauses. “Wait. What’s an Emmy?”

My lips beg to curve.

Rhodes’s twitch.

Then we both laugh.

Thank god for Ellie.

“It’s an award for the best of the best,” Rhodes explains, placing his cup and her plate in the sink. I can’t help but admire his backside as he does the two dishes. If he’s home, he makes it a point to beat me to the dishes.

“I’ve got a game tomorrow night,” he states, mid-wash.

“I saw it in the calendar.” It’s an away game, which means Ellie and I will be on our own.

“Can we go?” Ellie has so much hope riding on the question that it’s kind of sad.

He shakes his head. “It’s a school night, and it’s a few hours away.”

“So.” Ellie crosses her arm and pouts. That bottom lip of hers slips out, so I quickly swoop in and save the day.

“You have to go to school, silly.” I nudge her shoulder with mine. “But maybe I’ll have a surprise for you afterward.”

She gives me a side-eye. “A surprise?”

I nod. “You’ll love it.”

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