Page 1 of Pucking With My Head

Chapter 1

Beth

Every bone in my body ached.

It had been one of those never-ending days, and I was completely exhausted. The ice rink may have been one of my favorite places, but after a day of teaching classes and the early morning shift at the coffee shop on campus, on top of taking every spare moment to finish classwork, I was totally run-down.

Sighing, I circled the rink, gliding along on my skates, letting my mind go blissfully quiet for a few minutes. The rink was empty, it was late, and I only had one private class left before I could go back to my dorm and collapse for the night.

Just one more year, and I would be free. After graduation, I would be able to work one job instead of two, and there would be no more exams. Though there would be plenty of spreadsheets. I was studying to become a financial planner and bookkeeper, so they were a necessary evil.

Every day, I reminded myself that my current level of stress was only temporary. As soon as I finished college, I’d rent a small apartment and live my life however the hell I wanted.

Maybe I would get a cat.

“Bethany!” A sweet child’s voice shouting from the other end of the rink pulled me out of my daydream.

Skidding to a halt, I twisted to look at the entryway to the rink.

Joey Noble was hands down one of my favorite students. At seven, almost eight years old, she was tall for her age and wore a pink leggings-and-sweater set with her little white ice skates, her dirty-blonde hair tied up in a haphazard bow.

“Hey!” I greeted her warmly as I skated over to the entrance. A wave of bubble gum hit my nose as she neared. The sweet, childhood scent immediately put a smile on my face.

“We match!” she declared excitedly, gesturing to my pink jacket.

“We do!” I agreed with an enthusiastic nod. “I wish I had cool pink leggings like yours, though.” I pouted.

Joey’s face broke out into a huge smile. “Daddy G got them for me!”

“Well, he has good taste.” I nodded seriously before looking behind her.

Gideon Noble stood a few feet behind her, watching us interact with a controlled, almost blank facial expression.

Wearing a fitted black coat that appeared tailored to his body and a tartan scarf, he looked downright edible. His hair was dark, brushed back, and there were several gray strands peppered throughout. It didn’t matter that he was probably a decade older than me. Just the sight of him made my insides tingle in a way I was determined to ignore.

“H-hello, Mr. Noble,” I greeted him with a wave. I had to raise my voice because he was so far back.

“How many times do I have to ask you to call me Gideon?” he asked with a smile, shaking his head.

I shrugged. “Fine. Hello,Gideon.”

The use of his first name felt so personal…

I had no idea what was going on between us, but it had been going on for a while. He and the other members of his pack had been bringing Joey for skating lessons with me for almost two years. She had started in the under-six class and then moved on to private lessons.

A few months ago, I’d swallowed my pride and asked him for legal help. I had expected him to give me the card of a cheaper lawyer. What I hadn’t expected was for him to insist on being my legal counsel, even when I informed him it was for my friend Kennedy.

Ever since then, I had been hyperaware of him. The way he cared so sweetly for Joey, the growly tone when he asked if I was okay.

“Can we work on the spins today?” Joey asked excitedly as she took a step onto the ice.

I pursed my lips, as though I had to think hard about it. “I think we can do that!” I said, pleased at the way her face lit up.

“I’ll leave you ladies to it. I’ll be in my usual spot,” Gideon said, nodding to the small café that looked out over the ice. On the weeks he brought Joey to her lesson, he would take his laptop and sit so he could also watch Joey. It was sweet that, despite how much her fathers worked, they always made time for what Joey wanted.

I personally tried to forget that he was watching me, but my body was keenly aware of it.

“Okay, then, how about we get started?” I asked the beaming child as he walked away.

---