Page 7 of Icebreaker

"The way he looks at me…yeah, serious steam."

"That's quite an impression he's made."

I chuckled softly. "This year's understatement. Now, I'm not sure I can sleep. He's skating around in my head. You know, part of it is I thought he felt something, too."

Maggie spoke in a soft, understanding voice. "Oh, Quinn. I know it's so easy to get swept up when you first meet, particularly those larger-than-life characters. Be careful, okay? He's older than you? He might have a lot of baggage along with that."

I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face. "Yeah, and you're right. There was something in the news about a relationship a few years back. Damn, I should just focus on hockey and forget about all of this, right?"

"I'm not ready to say that."Maggie validated my wild thoughts. "Feelings are feelings. Maybe he is something special. Just make sure you protect your heart from things that blow up too fast, okay? Get to know him better as a teammate and friend first. You don't need to rush."

I nodded slowly. "Right. I don't want to get ahead of myself, even if I get the gut feeling I'm on the edge of something big."

"Enjoy that part, little brother. That rush is a wonderful thing."

"Yeah."I breathed out. "I'll do my best."

"Good. And…speaking of life-changing, are you ready for the season? How do you feel about it?"

I groaned and flopped back hard against the couch cushions. "Feel? Like I might puke any minute."

Maggie laughed. "That sounds normal. Just remember that this is your destiny. You've worked hard and made it to the top. Trust everything you've learned and trust yourself."

I smiled from ear to ear. "Thanks. I needed to hear that."

"Anytime. I'm your big sister and your biggest fan."She yawned. "Okay, I better let you get some sleep. You've got another big day tomorrow."

"Huge."I swallowed a yawn of my own. "Love you, Mags."

"Love you, too, Quinn. All the best…always."

After I hung up, a smile lingered on my face. It was late, but having a sister like mine meant so much.

I looked around at the room full of half-unpacked boxes. The walls were still bare. My loft wasn't much yet, but it was a good start. It was like a blank canvas waiting for me to paint my masterpiece.

Lying back on the couch, I closed my eyes and let the day's bright spots replay behind my eyelids like a highlight reel. I heard the sound of skates carving grooves into the ice and the thump of a puck hitting the back of the net. Then, there was the electric jolt of Axel's hand in mine.

I touched the calluses on my palm and remembered the rough warmth of Axel's hand in mine. What surprises lay behind his grumpy exterior? What kind of dreams and passions pushed him forward?

I couldn't wait to hear more, but for now, it was time to close my eyes and sleep. Tomorrow was a new day, full of new challenges and possibilities.

Chapter three

Axel

Iwoke on game day with a scowl already cemented into place. I was confident that the lines on my face were permanent from constant frowns.

The city itself crackled with anticipation of the Portland Lumberjacks' first official game. The almost constant noise was as jarring to me as the early morning alarm that snatched away blissful sleep.

Despite aspiring to amateur foodie status, my culinary skills were always spotty at best, particularly first thing in the morning. The day of the game was no different.

I kicked the stove into gear to fry up some eggs. Unfortunately, a TV story about restoring salmon runs distracted me. Soon, theeggs sizzled into a pathetic state, edges unappealingly brown and crunchy.

"Damn it." I poked at the ruined eggs with a spatula. My phone's ring interrupted my desperate attempt to salvage reasonable parts of the eggs.

When I poked the button on my cell, my father's resonant voice blasted out of the speaker. "Axel, it's a big day ahead! I hope you woke up with a smile." His voice, both volume and cheer, broke through my grumpiness and even coaxed a weak smile from me.

"A smile? More like a painful wince. It's too early for cheerful chit-chat, and I massacred my fried eggs." I glowered at the skillet.

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