Page 66 of Stay
Well, women.
Probably my age.
My wide gaze slices to his. “What is this?” Stupid question because it’s obvious this is a girls’ college-level hockey team. “Why did you bring me here?”
I don’t know why I’m beginning to panic, but I am. My chest feels achy and my head light. The only thing that stops me from racing out of the rink is Cole, who still has my fingers tightly held in his grip.
His easy smile collapses as he searches my expression.
Before he’s able to say anything, a girl flies across the ice and skids to a stop, spraying ice in a perfect arc. Her breathing is labored as she unlatches the door and steps outside.
With a quick tug of her gloves, she pulls them off before unbuckling the helmet and yanking it off her head. Her long blonde hair is secured at the back of her neck in a low ponytail. There’s something familiar about her, but I’m not sure I actually know her.
With her gaze focused on me, she holds out her hand. “Hi, I’m Sammy. Cole’s told me a lot about you.”
The smile I give her is forced. “Hi,” I say nervously, “Cassidy.”
Even though it’s tempting to tell her that Cole has told me nothing about her, I remain silent. I feel awkward and out of place as I gesture to the players skating through drills.
“What team is this?”
Her gaze flicks toward Cole before returning to mine. “He didn’t tell you?”
I shake my head. “No.”
Nope. Cole definitely didn’t tell me anything.
I can’t decide if I’m pissed off that he put me in such an uncomfortable position or not.
“This is Western’s women’s intramural hockey team.” She shrugs. “Nothing fancy but it’s a lot of fun. We’ve got a good bunch of girls, and practice three times a week. Cole thought you might want to check it out since you used to play.”
I don’t know what to say. My heart pounds painfully as I watch a couple of girls fly across the ice. It takes a moment to realize that Cole and Sammy are waiting for a response. I clear my throat, not wanting either to notice how affected I am by the offer.
“Um, yeah. I’d like that. Isn’t the team set for the year?”
“Nah. Intramurals are pretty loose, and we can always use another body out on the ice.”
She tilts her head, looking me up and down. “Forward or defense?”
“Forward, center,” I reply with just a hint of pride in my voice.
“Excellent.” She flashes me a grin before turning to Cole and kissing his cheek. “Thanks.”
As he meets her gaze, a genuine smile lifts his lips. That’s all it takes for a little pang of sadness to pierce my heart. I blink, surprised by their familiarity. And then Sammy is opening the heavy metal door and jumping back onto the ice before skating toward the team. All of the girls gather around her.
Cole’s expression turns somber as he nods toward them. “You better get out there.”
I glance at the ice. A few of the girls stare back with curiosity. “I haven’t skated with a team in a long time.” My voice dips as I reveal my worst fear. “What if I make a fool out of myself?”
His face softens. “We just skated last week, and you were great. Hardly rusty at all. Even with taking some time off, you’re probably better than half the girls out there.”
I nip my lower lip before glancing at the ice with a mixture of longing and fear. “I don’t want to embarrass myself.” The thought of these girls judging me—and ultimately finding me lacking—is almost debilitating.
Just like the Dartmouth team.
Once upon a time, hockey had been my passion. It was the one thing I’d excelled at. I don’t know if that’s the case any longer.
“Hey.” His sharp voice pulls my attention back to him as he reaches out and takes a hold of my hand. “I promise, you’ll be great. I wouldn’t have asked Sammy to let you skate with them if I didn’t think you were ready for this.” He squeezes my fingers. “You know that, right?”
