Page 170 of Skate the Line

Ellie beams and runs over to Emory. She taps him on the leg. and he looks down at her with a look of annoyance that we all know isn’t real. That’s their bit. He acts annoyed with her, and she softens him. It’s cute. “Will you take us for ice cream to celebrate the win?”

“Do the lip thing!” Scottie shouts from beside me.

Emory flicks his gaze to his wife, and she smiles.

Sure enough, Ellie plops her bottom lip out, and Emory rolls his eyes. “You think you deserve ice cream?” he asks her.

She thinks for a second.

Despite her father being a millionaire, she isn’t spoiled like some of the children I’ve met over the few years of nannying.

“No,” she says. “But I think you deserve it.”

Emory smiles, which is sort of rare. Just like it is with her dad.

“How can you say no to that?!” Scottie exclaims.

I laugh.

Emory shakes his head. “I can’t.” He looks at me. “Ice cream?”

I look at Rhodes's truck keys in my hands. How do I get these to him and let him know that we’re going for ice cream without passing by the cameras?

“Do you want to take her since I have Rhodes’s keys?” I ask. “I drove his truck, and he wanted us to wait for him after the game. I’m sure he’s fine with you taking Ellie for ice cream, and then by the time you are done, we should be back at the house?”

He nods. “Solid plan.”

“Are you okay with that?” I ask Ellie, making sure she’s comfortable with going with Scottie and Emory without me. I’m certain she is, since she’s pretty comfortable with them.

She nods excitedly, and I place a quick kiss on her head.

“Let’s go through the back, munchkin.” Emory kneels, and Ellie climbs onto his back for a piggyback ride.

I turn to Scottie. “Do you need a booster seat?”

A smile overtakes her face, and she shakes her head. “Emory bought one for Ellie a while back. It stays in his car.”

“That’s…so cute.” And surprising.

These grumpy hockey players have a hidden soft spot, and it goes by the name of Ellie.

Scottie’s cheeks ripen with a blush. “It is cute.” She leans in and gives me a quick hug. “I’ll see you in a few! If you go through those doors, they should let you wait for Rhodes.”

I follow her instructions but still plan to steer clear so I don’t end up front and center on the sports channel by accident. I could go out to Rhodes’s truck and wait, but I’m on edge. The thought of being alone in a dark parking lot makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

The security guard lets me through, recognizing me right away. I follow the sounds of reporters and the clicking of cameras. As soon as I hear his voice, my stomach fills with butterflies.

Great.

That's a terrible sign.

“Tell us about your driven focus lately. You’ve been noted to be quicker, more alert, and more precise with your passing and scoring.” The woman reporter pauses with a giggle. “Obviously.”

My face scrunches when they come into view. Her hand is on his shoulder, and annoyance cuts right through me. Since when do they touch the players?

Since when do I get jealous?

Rhodes glances to her hand, and she quickly removes it.

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