Page 22 of Of Pucking Course

I rest my hands on my hips, panting as I catch my breath. “God, that sucked.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Sam grinning.

“You did great,” he says.

I let out an exhausted laugh. “You’re too nice, Sam.”

“I’m not. You said you haven’t run in years. You just ran almost two miles, Dakota. That’s awesome.”

I smile at his sweetness. “Thanks.”

I lift the hem of my tank top and wipe the sweat off my face. “You totally could have walked beside me for most of that run.”

He shakes his head. “I promised you that I’d run with you. So I’m going to run with you.”

I bump my shoulder against his arm. “Such a nice guy.”

He chuckles. When we make it to the end of the track, Sam holds up his massive hand for a high-five. I smack his palm.

“First run in the books. Hell yeah,” he says.

I smack his hand. “Technically, it was a run-walk.”

He waves his hand. “Semantics.”

I burst out laughing. We hop in his car and he drives us to his place.

I glance out the window, admiring how the early morning sunshine paints the houses and trees in a warm golden glow. I roll down the window and breathe in the smell of grass andflowers.

“I’ve never been someone who enjoys working out early in the morning. But I kind of get it now,” I say.

“So, should we make this a thing? Early morning runs every day?” Sam quirks an eyebrow.

I chuckle and shake my head. “No way can I do this every single day. You can’t either, especially not during the season and this close to the playoffs. You should be prioritizing your training and recovery.”

“Oh, right. I forgot that I play hockey for a living,” he jokes. I chuckle.

“How about two times a week?” I say.

He glances over at me. “Works for me.”

“Thanks for being my running buddy,” I say.

“Of course. It’s nice to do something different. I’m always on the ice or in the workout room.”

Sam’s phone, which is set up on the dashboard, rings.

“It’s my mom. I should take this.”

“Yeah, of course,” I say.

He taps his screen. “Hi, Mom.”

“Good morning, honey! Sorry to bother you this early, but I need your help with the remote.”

Sam chuckles. “Sure, what is it?”

“Well, whenever I turn it on, the screen is all static. And when I try to change the channel, nothing happens.”

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