Page 47 of A Winter's Wedding

“As far as I see it, we’re evenly matched, and I don’t mean by our hockey skills. But look, I have Grant, Jenny has Cam, America has Leo, Vivian, you have Paul. Carol? You can take on Pa. And Poppy, do you think you can take John out?”

“It would be my pleasure,” Poppy said with a smirk and squinted eyes that should have terrified any man. “What do you have in mind?”

“Well, this might sound controversial, but bear with me.” Thandie leaned in and giggled her words. “I say we use what the good lord gave us and distract them as much as possible from their goal. Then, if you see an opening, any shot, you take it.”

“Oh, I got this,” Jenny said. “Cam can’t take his eyes off me lately. This will be a breeze. Just a little hair flip, and smoldering eyes and he won’t know which way he’s heading.”

“To the bedroom, probably,” Carol joked.

“Carol!” America scolded.

“What?” She looked as innocent as a jackal. “I know things.”

“So, we all know what to do?” Thandie said and put her hand in the center of the space between them. “On three, ladies?”

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

Chapter26

“Do you hear all that feminine energy over there, men?” Leo said and gathered his friends into a huddle. “I think these women mean to win tonight. And are we gonna let them?”

“NO!” they shouted back and patted each other on the backs like winners.

Leo waited for their attention to fall back on him. “Alright, who’s played hockey before?” Grant raised his hand, and Cam waved his palm up and down like he was unsure. “I vote Grant as team captain.”

“I should be upfront and tell you I haven’t played since I was eight years old,” Grant said.

“And I haven’t played any since college, and I only played with some friends in a frozen over parking lot,” Cam said.

“Okay, so we probably can’t win on merit, but…” Grant shook his head. “What if we just use what we’ve got and make the girls forget about the game so much that we can sneak a shot in every now and again. Simple. Distract, score, and win. We get the pot of money. They get to clean up horse sh?—”

“Grant Goldie, I don’t believe my ears,” Pa scolded him with a single look. “You want us to win under dishonest circumstances?”

“Yes,” Grant said with no hesitation. “Are you all in?”

“I’ll take America,” Leo said.

“I bet you will,” Cam joked. “I obviously have Jenny, and none of you better come near her.” He pointed a finger towards each of the other guys while making eye contact.

“I’ll take Carol,” Pa said and slapped Paul on the back. “You got Vi.”

“That leaves you, John,” Grant said. “You get the city girl.”

“You sure I can’t take on Thandie?” John pleaded with his hands in prayer. “Poppy already has it out for me tonight.”

“Thandie’s all mine,” Grant said, and his brows raised in three pulses.

“To be young again,” Paul lamented. “Who’s gonna faceoff?”

“Leo and America, of course,” Cam said. “Now, let’s out-do their sorry attempt at intimidating us and shout like the highlanders we are.”

“But we’re not,” John laughed nervously.

“That’s not the point, brother. Let’s give it what we’ve got,” Leo said and counted to three.

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