Page 48 of Skate the Line

I smile softly and relax even more.

Eighteen

RHODES

“She’s moving in?”

I move my skates off to the side and start lacing my shoes. “Well, she sort of already has. I’m picking up new furniture today.”

I don’t explainwhyI practically forced my new, young, agonizingly attractive nanny to move into my house, because I’d rather not face the jokes that would follow. It’s true that I felt sort of protective over her, but she and Ellie have hit it off, and she’s the first nanny that I’ve ever been able to trust for more than a day.

Of course I don’t want anything to happen to her.

She’s making my life a whole lot easier….until the recent memory of her stripping my jersey slips in, but I’m able to block the thoughts.

Shemakes my life easier.

Those thoughts do not.

Emory snorts. “Well, that was fast.”

I scoff. “Says the guy who married some woman he didn’t even know.”

He rolls his eyes. “It all worked out. Plus, you love Scottie.”

Kane inserts himself to the conversation. “Wealllove Scottie.” His shit-eating grin pulls Emory from his seated position. Kane rushes off with his laughter following.

Kane isn’t immature. He’s simply acting his age.

I’m just the grumpy old veteran of the team who apparently needs to lighten up—at least, according to Malaki and some of the younger players.

Even Sunny had mentioned something along those lines too.

She didn’t come right out and say it, but I made a simple joke, and it completely silenced her.

I sigh loudly when Malaki comes up beside me. “What do you want, Young?”

“I was just going to ask if you needed some help getting the new furniture in the house?”

I grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder. I eye him suspiciously. “You want to help haul heavy boxes of furniture up two sets of stairs?”

He shrugs. “I have nothing else to do.”

I narrow my gaze. I see rightthrough his helpful gesture.

Malaki is curious. The entire team is. Word has spread after the last game where Kane purposefully pissed me off, per usual, by mentioning my new nanny and howhotshe was to the entire fucking team.

If we hadn’t won, giving my mood an uplift, I probably would have strangled him.

Nonetheless, I do need help carrying the boxes.

“Fine, but if you make some comment about fucking my nanny…”

Malaki pretends to be offended. “I wouldn’t do that.”

Half the team laughs.

Matthew steps forward and says he’ll help too, since his fiancée is out of town. I thank him and head out the locker room where I find Emory out of breath from chasing Kane.

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