Page 14 of One Little Chance
“Well?” Jeremy gave my arm a light squeeze.
“Uh, yeah, totally,” I said mindlessly, taking in Jordan’s expression, our eyes locking for a moment before he looked away. Tight jaw, steely eyes. I knew that look. It was the same one he had back when we were sixteen and my lab partner, Ben, wrote me a note confessing his longtime crush.
Jordan was jealous. A thrill shot through my spine. I didn’t want him feeling bad, but maybe, just maybe, in some way, I still affected him like he did me.
“Well, I’ve got to say, I know your brother sure is happy to have you home. He was pumped to put this skate meet-up together for you to make sure you’re happy enough here so youdon’t run off again.” Jeremy was laughing like it was ridiculous of him, but it tugged on my heartstrings.
“I’m not running off anywhere,” I said, glancing sideways at him. “You can tell him I said that.”
“I’ll tell him. You can, too,” Jeremy said, then slid us to a stop by the rink exit. “I don’t know about you, but I am freezing. Want me to grab us some hot chocolate or coffee?”
Jordan was steps away from us in line. He shot a backward glance our way. My stomach swooped in a way it hadn’t in forever.It felt good.
“Coffee sounds great,” I said.
“I’ll leave you here.” Jeremy helped me off the ice and onto a bench on the sidelines. “But I promise I’ll be right back.” He meant it jokingly, but my eyes were on Jordan. I saw him shake his head.
“If I fall and break something while you’re gone, it’s on you,” I teased, making Jeremy laugh as he shuffled in his skates into the waiting line.
I started to unstrap my skates while Jordan moved to the side of the stand to wait for his order to be made. Discreetly, I glanced around the rink to see if I could spot who was with him.
“Hey, Soph, how do you like your coffee?” Jeremy called from his spot at the register, over the sound of squealing kids and giggling teenagers.
“Um.” I tried to think for a moment.
“She likes a medium, hot, with a splash of cream and cinnamon drizzled on top,” Jordan said his voice low like this was a reflex he didn’t want but couldn’t help. His gaze met mine as he added, “A big splash of cream, actually.”
Jeremy let his eyes follow from Jordan to me. He knew our history. He’d witnessed it firsthand at birthday parties and football games over the years. He raised a brow to me in question.
I nodded, my mouth dry. “He’s right. That’s exactly how I like it.”
Jeremy turned and repeated the order to the barista. I stood up, walking a few steps closer to the stand, closer to Jordan.
“You remember?” My voice was quiet as falling snow.
Jordan looked at me with half a smile and sad eyes. “Used to be more important to me that I got your order right than my own.”
“Used to be,” I said. I remembered that feeling deep in my bones. A frosty breeze blew my hair across my eyes.
He looked down at his feet. “Used to be.”
Chapter 8
FEBRUARY 2ND, 2023
Sweet River Elementary Teacher Chat
Diane
Hey guys, I’m here and grabbed us a bench for whoever can make it to the game tonight! It’s the third row.
also there’s a discount on popcorn for the staff—make sure to show your badge
Caroline
It’s Mr. Ritchie’s son who’s in charge tonight and he has a heavy hand with the butter, so you’ll wanna grab some
One of my favorite things about living in a small town in Texas was the high school sports games. The crowds were loud and full, the snacks were relished more than any five-star dining situation, gossip was made and shared in the span of a few hours, and you never knew who you might run into.
