Page 34 of Cole

This wasn’t what he needed right then. His focus needed to be on the upcoming season, not on trying to juggle burgeoning feelings for a woman who was very different from the ones he usually spent time with.

He needed to get back to LA and get their communications back to text messages with the odd video chat thrown in. Once he was in the swing of training and games, he wouldn’t have as much time to spend thinking about or talking to Annie.

Distance would give him the ability to keep things at a friendship level. Maybe once the season was over and his decision was made about his future, he could consider a deeper relationship.

Provided Annie was experiencing similar feelings.

Cole glanced back at her again, his heart skipping a beat when her gaze met his. Her smile held so much genuine joy, and it wrapped around him, making him smile in return.

Yeah… maybe he was in more trouble than he’d thought.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Annie stared at her dad across the large island in the kitchen of the main house. He and Elizabeth had come home unexpectedly the previous day. It sounded like Elizabeth was home for the foreseeable future, but she didn’t know how long her dad would be there. As he stood there with a stern expression on her face, she kind of hoped he was leaving sooner rather than later.

He might have been in his late sixties, but her dad was still an imposing figure. He had a head full of silver hair, and his face, though more wrinkled in recent years, continued to sport a firm jaw and an aquiline nose. Annie imagined that this was what her older brother would look like in another thirty years.

Her dad wasn’t someone who smiled much or offered a lot of physical affection, but Annie never doubted that he loved her. Which was why he wasn’t happy with her.

“You’re making it more difficult for Dawn, Andrew, and the others to protect you and Benji.”

“But we agreed that Benji could have more flexibility.” Annie gripped her hands together on the counter. “We’ve made sure that they are aware of what’s going on, and we’ve worked with them to make sure we’re still safe.”

“You’ve gone into the ice skating rink at the resort without any of the security personnel.”

“I was armed, and they were close by.”

Her dad sighed. “I need to know that you are both safe.”

“We are, Dad.”

Annie didn’t like to stress her dad over the security issues, especially because she understood his motivation. However, Benji needed to be able to live his life as a teenager.

He actually wanted to be out and about in a way that Annie never had wanted at that age. She would do anything for him to have as normal a life as was possible in their situation.

“We’re not small children anymore, Dad,” Annie reminded him. “We appreciate that you’re concerned for our safety, but we also need to live our lives. Did you really want to bring children into this world, only for them not to be able to live their lives to the fullest?”

Her dad frowned as he leaned forward over the counter. “Are you unhappy, Annalisa?”

Annie rounded the island and went to where her dad stood. He turned, his face a mask of concern. She wrapped her arms around him, and there was no hesitation in his return embrace. He held her tight, then released her so she could step back.

She smiled up at him. “I’m happy, Daddy. Don’t worry about me.”

“Idoworry about you. How could I not?”

“I’m okay with how things are, but Benji needs something more. His interests are going to take him farther than mine have taken me. He’s going to want the same freedom that Julian has.”

Her dad sighed as he turned away. “Then he needs to start taking the self-defense and weapon practice seriously. I need to know he can take care of himself. And you, if necessary.”

“I’ll tell him,” Annie said.

Benji didn’t really like the self-defense classes that Jude set up for them. And he wasn’t a fan of guns. Annie wasn’tnecessarily either, but she also wanted to know that she could take care of herself should the need arise.

“And now I need to talk to you about something else.”

Annie frowned. “What’s that?”

“Cole Halverson.”

---