Page 72 of Sleepless Nights and Hockey Fights

I smile. “Let me think about the goalie thing. I’m saving up for braces, but not for fake teeth just yet.”

Bobby skates up and comes to a stop, throwing snow at the boards before propping his hands on the door to the ice. “What are you two talking about? Forns’s new tattoo? I told him not to get my name inked over his heart, but he said he had to live his truth.”

“What is wrong with you?” I laugh and shake his arm. He catches my hand and brings it to his lips with a sexy smirk. What a ham.

“I’m assuming lead poisoning as a child,” Chloe responds. “If only we’d known not to drink out of the garden hose as kids.”

Bobby releases my hand and turns to Chloe. “Uh, first of all, I am in excellent health—nay,perfecthealth. And second, how did you not know not to drink out of the garden hose as a kid? There were warning labels all over the place?”

Chloe and I look at each other. “No there weren’t,” we say in unison.

“I’m pretty sure I drank more water from the hose than the tap as a kid,” I say with a grin.

Banks Bennet approaches from behind us. “Yo, Roadie. Kaitlyn is looking for you.”

“Hey, Benny,” Bobby greets his teammate with a chin lift. “Did you drink out of the garden hose when you were a kid?”

Banks considers the question for maybe a nanosecond. “Of course. Everybody did. Except these two kids down the street whose parents were scientists.” He rubs his chin between a thumb and forefinger and smiles his movie-star smile. “Probably should have given that a little thought.”

Bobby frowns, propping his hands on his hips and scanning the entire rink as if looking for an assist. He opens his mouth to respond and then shuts it again before finally exhaling and settling on a quiet, “Never mind.”

Chloe rolls her eyes. “It took him this long to realize we’re all elder Millennials and he’s a Gen Z-er,” she says with a laugh.

Banks joins her, but I can only blink as her comment registers in my brain.

Bobby throws his hands up. “I’m a Millennial too! Well, depending on what chart you look at.” he protests.

But my head is starting to spin because I just realized my child and my boyfriend are from the same generation. What madness is this?

“I’m surprised you haven’t brushed up more on Gen X since that’s your preferred dating pool, Rhodes,” Banks jokes.

I notice Chloe kick his shin.

“Ow!” Banks bends over to rub his leg.

“You looking for a fight, Benny?” Bobby postures with his arms out, but his tone is joking. “I was gonna save it for the Titans but I’m ready if you wanna go.”

My mind continues to whirl as I take in the action around me in what feels like a blurred alternate reality. Bobby isknownfor dating older women? I mean, I know that dating app was for younger men and older women, but I didn’t realize he has an actualreputationfor it. I just assumed he didn’t like to concernhimself with age. Not that he’s had a parade of geriatric women just like me.

Am I . . . a joke to people?

Kaitlyn sweeps into the circle, a fussing Mei in her arms. “Bobby, I need a word about a new charity for you since your breast obsession ruined the last one,” she says over the baby’s intensifying whimpering.

“Hand her over.” Bobby thrusts his arms over the closed rink door toward Kaitlyn. “Let Uncle Bobby have a crack at it.”

Kaitlyn hands Mei over, blanket and all. “Oh, thank god.”

I blink a few more times and refocus, pasting a good-natured smile on my lips even though I feel like crying. Or screaming.

Bobby skates backward from the door, cradling the baby in his arms and making faces at her. As soon as his skates start moving, she stops fussing.

“Aha!” Kaitlyn says. “Skating calms her down this week! Hot Shot, we’re moving into the practice facility.” She pats Banks on the chest.

We all turn to watch Bobby continue skating and talking to Mei. Something cracks in my chest when his head pops up and his mouth spreads in a huge smile, both dimples on display. “She smiled at me! For real this time! Not just farts.”

“Aww,” Chloe gushes. “Okay, my turn!”

“What do you say we slip away and take a nap?” Kaitlyn asks Banks. “They’ve got it under control here.”

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