Page 69 of Skate the Line

“Did he tell you that?” I ask.

“No, she did after I left her bed.”

Something hot slashes at my back with his joke.

He tries to escape before I can do anything, but too bad for him, I’m one of the fastest skaters in the league. With a flick of my wrist, my stick flings forward, and I trip him.

He falls to the ground with a thud and stares at me with anger.

Ellie’s short strides catch our attention. She stops beside Kane and traps her puck against the icy floor. “Daddy, two minutes in the box for tripping!”

Kane snickers, and I roll my eyes.

Ellie’s eyebrows disappear beneath her fallen hair and helmet. “You heard me!” she shouts.

I hide a grin and turn. I slump down into the sin bin and watch her play hockey with Kane. He makes her giggle, but it hardly takes away my irritation. A few seconds later, Emory climbs onto the ice and gets in the net.

He and Kane must be running some drills.

Or maybe Emory is making Kane work off his hangover, which is good because I was ready to make him work off his comment about Sunny.

It doesn’t sit right after learning why she’s in Chicago to begin with.

“Come on, Ellie.” I stand from the penalty box after a full two minutes. “Let’s let Kane practice. He needs it.”

“No, I don’t,” he argues before winding backward and sending a puck directly into Emory’s glove.

“Yes, you do,” Emory adds from behind his mask.

I nod goodbye to Emory and take off with Ellie.

It takes us no time to get changed and back into the car with a bag full of Blue Devils merch.

“Sunny is going to love these!” Ellie beams with excitement with her hand clutched around the bag.

I grin and turn up theTangledsoundtrack. She bobs her head with the music and sings her little heart out. I’d love nothing more than to stick a fork in my ears, but as long as she’s happy, I can’t really complain.

Since Sunny started as her nanny, I’ve noticed a change in Ellie. I’m not sure if it’s the consistency of having the same nanny for once, or if it’s because of Sunny herself.

Her sunshine rubs off on Ellie.

It rubs off on me too. Though, I won’t admit it.

I grip the steering wheel tighter with the memory of last night. Sunny’s radiant smile was replaced with vulnerability and shame as she sat on her bed with her hands in her lap, explaining her reaction to the hospital.

I think back to the other night when she wore my jersey.

She fuckingflinched.

My stomach tightens with disgust. I quietly curse in Russian and hope Ellie doesn’t hear.

After climbing from the truck with Ellie’s hand in mine, I spot Marco on the porch.

Does Sunny need a ride somewhere?

I could have taken her.

My steps seize.

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