Page 7 of Pucking Off-Sides With My Brother's Best Friend

“Yeah, it’s actually pretty cool. I get to capture all the action and share the team’s journey coming from the bottom up with the fans. I mean, it’s not often you get a major league hockey team that pops up in the middle of the Florida panhandle… it’s epic! Like being part of something bigger, you know?”

I nod, understanding that all too well. It’s why I’m here, isn’t it? To be part of something bigger. To prove myself.

“I don’t know, I get all that, but it sounds like Jax roped you into this mess,” I say, smirking. Jax is a little short on words, apparently,”. He shrugs, grinning.

“Must have slipped my mind.” I sigh. It probably did slip his mind. Jax is great at keeping secrets, mostly because he forgets half of what you tell him minutes later. “But yeah, Aurora manages the team’s social media. It’s a family affair now that I’ve got you here too.”

Aurora looks at me for a moment before her lips part, and she lets out the softest giggle, “Seems so. I guess he’s more devious than we give him credit for.”

“Nah,” I reply, pushing Jax towards the locker rooms. “He couldn’t remember a plan long enough to execute it.

As Aurora’s laughter follows us down the hall, I feel a rise in me that I’m not ready to explore. It’s dangerous. A feeling that I’vespent years building walls to protect, keeping everyone at arm’s length. It’s easier that way. Safer. Especially after that night with Aurora. We both agreed it was a one-time thing, a mistake.

I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I’ve got a career to focus on, a team to prove myself to. I can’t afford distractions, no matter how tempting they might be in green sweaters and jeans that hug all the right curves.

But as we reach the locker room, I can’t help but glance back. Aurora’s still standing there, her eyes meeting mine, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

Fuck, I’m in trouble.

And judging by the look on her face, so is she.

The question is, what are we going to do about it?

Chapter four

Aurora

Inever thought I’dbe here, managing social media for a professional hockey team. It’s not the career I always dreamed of as a little girl, but life has a funny way of redirecting our paths.

Not even six months ago, I was planning a wedding. Now, I’m planning Twitter campaigns.

Talk about a plot twist.

Jax going pro has definitely given me more of an appreciation for the sport. And although It’s not where I expected to be, as I fiddle with my camera strap and make my way to the rink, I feel a little flutter of excitement. Who knows? Maybe this whole unexpected hockey adventure is exactly the curve ball I needed.

Working for the same team Jax plays on isn’t my first choice, but I have to admit it comes with some nice perks. Everyone in the office knows we’re related, but thankfully, for the most part, they’re all professional.

I haven’t had anyone coming up asking for his number, which is a pleasant surprise. At my last job, I kept it quiet about him until someone dug far enough back in Jax’s social media and found a picture of me. You would have thought I was public enemy number one when they thought I was a girlfriend. When people realized I was his sister it became another type of annoyance, something I thoroughly enjoy on days when I don’t need to capture live footage of the team.

The workdays can be long and stressful. I’ve finished two weeks of postings in order to get them submitted for review. I enjoy watching hockey as much as the next girl, but it’s annoying having to go from summer dress and flip-flops to sweaters and jeans every time I enter the building.

But my job does have perks, one of which I’m enjoying now as I take my work home with me to do from the comfort of my bed instead of crammed in my little cubicle.

Just as I’m walking through the front door, my cell rings, and I hurry in.

“Hi Mom,” I say as I drop my keys in the dish. “You’re early today. I just got home.”

“Oh good, I caught you before you saw it.”

I frown as I walk through the living room and turn down the hallway to my room. “Saw what?”

She hesitates, and I try not to let the tendrils of concern wrap around me. Mom is just as dramatic as Katarina sometimes, and she likes to deliver news, no matter how mundane, as if it were the most intense piece of information she’s ever come across.

“So, you haven’t gone on social media today? Not at all?”

“Mom, I’ve been working all day until now. I’ve spent most of my time hidden behind a camera, not scouring the internet. Just tell me what’s going on.”

I hear her sigh over the line, and I prepare myself to have to feign interest until she gets out whatever new morsel of gossip has her in a tizzy.

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