Page 168 of The Overtime Kiss

Her brow pinches. Her lips part, like she’s about to say something.

For a second, I seeeverythingflicker across her face—pain, hurt, disappointment.

But just as quickly, it vanishes. And she’s poised again.

The skater.

I want to grab her. Hold her. Tell her that we can figure it out.

But her dad thinks she’s screwing up. My kids put her on the spot. And she does not need another person adding to the shit she has to sort through.

She needs a job, steady and dependable. She needs to build her business. She needs to move on from the assholes in her life.

And I’ve given her zero fucking space to do that.

“Okay,” she says, even, toneless.

And the dead sound of her voice breaks my heart.

I press on, like I need to convince her. “You just got out of something serious. You shouldn’t want something serious right now.” I tap my chest—no, I stab it. “I’m nothing but serious. I’m a dad with two kids who travels half the time. You deserve to have fun, not be tied to a life like mine that you didn’t sign up for.”

She nods, crisp and businesslike. “Got it. I’m one hundred percent clear.” She pauses. “Do you want me to quit?”

What? “No! You’re an amazing nanny. I want you to keep your job.”

“That’s fair,” she says, her voice unreadable. Then, firmer, steadier, she adds, “It makes sense. We can pretend nothing happened.”

My chest caves in. But I’m the one who drove thebulldozer straight through us. “Yeah,” I say. “It’s the right thing to do.”

I don’t believe it. Not one bit. But that’s what I tell myself the rest of the night, because I have to do this—for her.

46

BUNNY HOPS

Sabrina

If I got through my un-marriage, I can handle this.

Wait—let me revise that.

I did survive not only being jilted, but running away, embarrassing myself in front of a hot hockey stud, getting fired, and being disowned. And after that, I lived in a garlic palace.

This heartbreak? It’s nothing.

This ache in my chest is easy.

This hollow feeling is cake.

I tell myself that the next day over and over when the kids are back at school and Tyler’s off doing…hockey things. Pumping iron. Grunting with the guys. Stalking around with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Whatever.

I go to Sunnyside Rink, say hi to Hank and Marla at the front, then meet Jasmine for a lesson. And holy hell, this girl is fire. Her loops and axels are next level.

“I can feel it, Jasmine. The way you want this,” I tell her. I never promise medals or glory. But Idowant to encourage passion.

“Thank you, Sabrina. I’ve got a plan. I know what I want,” she says, skating off the ice.

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