Page 87 of Home Game

He gave a short laugh. “I have no idea. But I’m going to be selfish and ask you to please make me happy. Please pick out a coat.”

“You’re the least selfish person I know.”

He lifted a black ski jacket. “How about this one?”

I shook my head.

He lifted up a navy one. “This might look good on you.”

I eyeballed the pink jacket. Maybe I could pay him back? “I’ll let you buy me a coat if I put it on the list.”

“Deal.”

I pointed at the pink coat. “Then I pick that one.”

He paused and blinked. “It’s pink.”

I reached out and stroked the fur-lined hood. It reminded me of cotton candy. “I know.”

CHAPTER 19

RYAN

Three days later,Zoey and I walked into the arena for the Skate for Kids charity event. Her arm was officially out of the sling and she proudly wore her pink puffy jacket. In fact, she never seemed to want to take it off. Who knew punk rocker could rock pink as hard as Zoey, but she was and she looked adorable doing it.

I was carrying her skates I had forced her to let me buy.

“So how does this event work?” Zoey sounded nervous.

“Well, people can buy tickets to come skate with our team. All proceeds go to a children’s charity.” I signed her in for a visitor pass. “We skate with everyone and there is food and hot chocolate. It will be fun.”

She didn’t look convinced.

“Come on,” I put my arm around her shoulder. “You can show off that new jacket of yours.”

“Ryan!!” A high voice sounded through the corridor. Zoey gave a long-winded sigh.

“Bianca,” I watched as she rushed towards me. She looked polished with her cream dress coat and high heeled black pumps.

“I’ve been waiting for you. There are so many people we need you to meet. And the media is here.”

“Well, Zoey and I were just about to get on the ice.”

Bianca weaved her arm through mine. “Zoey will be fine, won’t you?”

Zoey stared straight ahead and avoided interacting with Bianca. Zoey didn’t talk to Bianca and Bianca didn’t talk to Zoey. It was an uncomfortable truce, but one I was willing to take.

“Okay, but just for a couple minutes.” I handed Zoey her skates. “Wait for me, okay?”

She nodded.

An hour passed before I could extract myself from the dozens of people that Bianca felt I needed to talk to. I put on my skates in the locker room and walked to the ice, looking forward to teaching Zoey to skate. She wasn’t on the bench. I looked out on the ice.

There she was. She looked as wobbly as a newborn baby deer in her pink puffy jacket. And she was laughing and looking up at Jensen. Who was fucking skating backward and holding both of her hands.

Something dark and ugly washed over me. I had this insane urge to skate over there and yank her away from his grasp.

“Ryan, Ryan!” A dozen kids surrounded me. “Ryan, will you skate with me?”

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