Page 22 of Taming You

The minute I see Matt, I grab the hot coffee he extends to me and take a large sip, relishing the taste of it. I finish almost half of it before putting it on the bleachers to take Jayden from him.

“Didn’t sleep well?” he asks.

“Nope, and I’m not sure just one sugary drink is going to do it this morning.”

“I’m sorry,” he says and runs his fingers through his hair. “If I had anyone else I could ask, I would.”

“What about Gi?” I ask, because quite frankly, I don’t want to keep meeting him here at the ass crack of dawn.

“Nope. She’s living with my parents right now.”

I nod. As much as I don’t want to be here right now, I have to admit what he’s doing is nice for these kids and I’m not going to leave them all in the lurch.

“I’d offer you an energy drink, but I know you can’t stand the stuff,” he says, and I make a face. That crap is disgusting. I don’t know how he drinks the stuff.

“Well, you might as well get out there,” I say, settling on the bleachers and pulling my Kindle out of my purse.

“Thanks, Zo.”

“Yeah,” I say waving my hand, dismissing him.

When he comes out with the kids, my mind can’t seem to stay focused on my book. It keeps turning to Matt and watching him with the kids. I’m startled when Dean sits next to me. I offer him a small smile, unsure what I should do. Should I start a conversation? Try to read my book?

Thankfully, he answers that question by asking, “So, you’re helping Coach Carter out again?”

I rub my hand over a sleeping Jayden’s back and smile. “Yeah. This boy’s pretty easygoing, so it’s not too bad. The early morning kind of sucks, but at least I can try to get some reading in,” I say, shaking my Kindle.

He nods, and his eyes dart towards Matt. “So, how did he manage to convince you to come out here this early to watch his kid?”

I sense jealousy in his question, like he’s not sure why I’d help Matt out.

“He’s a friend. Plus, he’s promised to make sure I get my sugar in the morning.”

He pinches his brows. “Sugar? In the morning?”

I nod. “Yup. Caffeine doesn’t seem to do it for me, only sugar.”

I feel the judgement radiating off him, but push it to the side. Maybe he’s right and sugar in the morning isn’t the most normal thing.

“Your son looks pretty good out there,” I say, wanting to move the conversation along.

That perks him up a bit. “Yeah, he’s one of the best on the team. He gets it from his dad.”

I side-eye him, but he doesn’t seem to see it.What an odd way to brag about yourself.“Oh, you played?”

“Yeah, best centre on my university team until I tore my ACL.”

“That sucks, I’m sorry.”

“It is what it is, just wasn’t meant to be. I was able to focus on my studies, and now I have my own business management firm. I guess it’s for the best.” His words come out in a humble brag that just isn’t doing it for me.

“So, where did you go to school?” I ask.

“Harbour View.”

From what I remember when I was doing my research years ago for university, Harbour View was a decent school, nothing great, but they also didn’t suck. I do remember Matt and Josh both said they’d never attend the school for hockey when they had teams trying to recruit them in high school. That has me wondering just how good of a player Dean could have been.

Matt’s whistle pulls my attention back to the ice. He gathers the kids and talks to them before dismissing them and sending them off the ice. Matt’s eyes are locked on me as he makes his way off the ice.

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