Page 180 of Ice Princess

“It’s okay, Delia. Really.” My gaze moves to the bulky shoulders of the hockey players crouched behind the tree. “They’re harmless.”

“Why are they stalking you then?”

“You could say they’re… my babysitters.”

Perplexity knits her eyebrows together.

April walks closer to the tree and whistles. “Theilan, Watson. Get over here. You’re scaring the newbie!”

The bulky young athletes scramble into the open.

Theilan sheepishly waves. “Hey, ladies.”

April ushers them closer to our ‘garage’. “If you’re sticking around, make yourselves useful and help me pry something off. My high-strength wrench is still trapped at the garage and I’m having a hard time without my tools.”

“On it!” Theilan saunters toward us and throws Delia a wink. “Hey.”

Watson rolls his T-shirt sleeves up, eyes on Delia. “Hey, if you need help after we get through with April, we can…”

Suddenly, there’s a loudpop.

April raises a valve high. “Oops. Looks like I got it myself. Thanks anyway, boys.”

Theilan immediately pins all his attention on Delia. “Great. So back to you and me…”

“April, I’ve finished with the Chevy. I’ll take a look at the Nissan next,” Delia says in a bored tone. She walks right past the boys and gets back to work.

I snort at their disappointed expressions. “Don’t you guys have practice today?”

“Max is meeting a sponsor at the arena. They wanted a tour of the stadium so he ended practice early and kicked us out,” Theilan explains.

Watson frowns. “How’d you know it was us today?”

“Um…” I wrap two wires together, “your heads were sticking out from the tree. But honestly, I noticed you guys since yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” Watson’s jaw drops.

Theilan mumbles to him, “I told you we should’ve followed her on our bikes instead.” To me, the young hockey player says, “Anyway, do you know why Gunner has us watching you and your mom?”

I stop working. “You’re watching my mom too?”

“Uh… no?”

“Theilan,” I say in a warning tone.

Watson shoves Theilan in the back. “We gotta go.”

“Yeah, we have a… thing.”

“Later, Rebel.”

“Watson! Theilan!” I yell, taking a few steps forward.

Watson backpedals faster than I can run facing forward.

“Hey, don’t tell Gunner you found out about us, ‘kay? Thanks!” Theilan yells over his shoulder as he runs off like an Olympic sprinter.

I’m left in stunned silence.

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