Page 19 of Ice Contact

“Oh my God, Maggie,reign it in,” I say through gritted teeth, glancing around the bar as my cheeks heat. “We’re in a public place. Isinghere. But…yes…” I look down at my shoes, hardly believing I’m saying this out loud at Walt’s. “There was tongue.”

“I fuckingknewit! Oh my God, this is the most fantastic thing since pumpkin spice lattes came back.”

“What’s all the fuss about, you two troublemakers?” Johnny teases, stepping toward us with an arched brow and wiping down the bar with a towel.

“Cayden dumped Liv at the Riders game last night!”

“No shit?” Johnny says with a wrinkled brow. “You okay, Liv?”

I know he’s never been a fan of Cayden, but the way this sweet old man looks out for me gives me the warm fuzzies. “Yeah, Johnny, I’m good.”

“She’sgoodbecause she made out with the new Riders player afterward.”

“MAGGIE!” I smack her arm, mortified she announced that.

“What? Johnny should know all the facts,” she says, giving him a wink as she chugs the rest of her drink.

I take a sip of my own drink, trying to hide the pleased smile on my face.These two are going to be the death of me.I give up trying to mask my joy.At least my death will be a fun one.

“I do enjoy it when youspill the tea,as you kids call it these days,” Johnny says as he reaches under the bar and pulls out a small bottle of champagne, practically slamming it down in front of me.

“Johnny…what is this?” I ask, extremely confused.

“I’ve been saving this for the day you finally got that no-good fool out of your life. Sorry it ended the way it did, sweetheart, but you’ll be better for it in the end.”

“Alright, what’s all the commotion about?” Walt says, approaching Johnny and cuddling up next to him. “Does that bottle mean what I think it does?” He glances between the champagne, Johnny, and my shocked face, a dazzling smile overtaking his. “You and Cayden finally over, Liv?”

I sigh, leaning my elbows on the bar and dropping my face in my hands in sheer embarrassment. “Yes,” I groan, “We’re done.”

“Well, hot damn! This calls for a celebration.” He knocks his knuckles on the bar, playfully nudging Johnny. “Round of drinks on the house, folks!” Walt calls out as the bar patrons cheer, none of them having any clue why they’re getting a free drink.

“Hell yeah, Walt!” Maggie says raising her glass and tipping it towards him.

“Jeezus, waseveryonewaiting for this to happen?” I gape, my eyes skating between my friends. “Why did no one say anything to me?”

Walt puts his arm around Johnny’s shoulder and gives me a sweet, sorrowful look. “You can’t see it from the inside, honey. We were just hoping, one day, you’d realize you were worth a hell of a lot more. We want you to be happy, and we could tell you weren’t.”

My heart melts, their kindness and understanding more than I could ever ask for. These two are so sweet. Everyone knows they’ve been together forever, but for some reason, they don’t make a big deal about it. Yet, I see their love for each other in the most mundane actions. The way they smile at each other from across the bar. The way Johnny always has a shot of whisky ready for Walt before they close every night, or Walt restocking low bottles before Johnny even realizes. The fact that they want me to have the same kind of love they share makes my heart swell. They created this safe space for me and everyone else in this town, and that’s why this bar is such a treasure.

There’s no other place like Walt’s.

“Well, I appreciate all of your kindness. I don’t know what I’d do without you and this place,” I say as Walt reaches his hand across the bar to give mine a little squeeze.

Johnny leans over, making a show of looking around the bar before talking to me in a quiet voice. “Now…tell me about this hockey player you weresmoochingwith. I assume it was the one here at my bar a few weeks ago?”

My eyes widen as he winks, and I give him an evil look for him keeping this information from me. “What the heck, Johnny? Youknewwho he was?”

“Listen, missy, I’ve been a hockey fan since before you were born, and I watch the sports channels religiously when I’m not here. Trust me to know when a Rider sits at my bar. I knew that was Hayes Larson the minute he walked in.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” I ask, half not wanting to know the answer.

“Sweetheart, sometimes it’s better to figure things out on your own. Plus, I wasn’t about to out the newest athlete in town to a bunch of drunk fools.”

Maggie slams her hand down on the bar, pulling Johnny’s attention to her. “Well, if another hot-as-fuck hockey player comes in here, Johnny, would you please point them out? I could use the help,” she says with an overly dramatic sigh, draping her body across the entire bar. “I can only be so patient.” She keeps her face squished against the wood, her words mumbled as she looks to me. “Back to you and your love life, Liv.”

“In case you forgot, I currently don’t have a love life.”Or do I?

“Oh yes. You. Do.You’reshowing the new player for the Riders around town next weekend,andyou two have already played tonsil hockey. This hasmajorpotential, girlfriend, and I’m going to live vicariously through you until I find my own super rich hockey player.” Maggie looks at her phone as a text comes through, jolting up in her seat. “Shit, I gotta go. Sunday dinner at my parents’ house tonight where their lawyer asses will passively-aggressively lecture me about my poor career choices. Jesus, take the wheel.”

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