Page 36 of The Parent Playbook
I manage a half-smile, watching the practice continue. The idea of making a comeback, of reclaiming a part of myself that I thought I’d left behind on the ice—it’s tempting, more than I want to admit. It’s also terrifying.
Is there really a place for me out there anymore?
CHAPTER 15
ANGEL
ONE WEEK LATER
Do not panic. Do not panic.
Just because a crowd of journalists and Mr. Fancy Pants, Zach Hart himself, are all coming to Happy Horizons today is no reason for me to?—
“Angel?”
“GAH!”
Panic.
Scotty raises his hands like I’m about to read him his rights. “I’m here to report that the fence is almost like new.” Scotty wipes sweat from his brow with a grin that shows he’s all too pleased with himself. This past week he has been indispensable. There’s no chance I could have gotten everything ready without him.
I sigh and lean against the porch railing, clipboard in hand, trying to make sense of a checklist that’s more coffee stains than text.
“Hey, look around,” he says. “It’s all happening.”
The ranch is swarming like a kicked anthill. Volunteers dash about, dragging decorations and equipment into place and giving the barn a last-minute paint touch-up. It’s bedlam, thekind you can only appreciate if you’re either very optimistic or completely out of your mind.
Pretty sure I’m the latter.
“This fence is as good as a hat trick!” Scotty shouts to me on the porch.
“You know, before you showed up, the most I knew about hockey was that it’s basically yard work on ice,” I say as I scratchFix fence post that has been dead for ten yearsoff the list.
“And now you’re practically a pro, right? Since you’ve got the lingo, you should try out for the Ice Breakers. We could use someone with your command of a to do list.”
“Oh, ha-ha. Watch it, or I’ll make you explain icing to me again,” I retort. It’s weird, this easy banter we’ve fallen into, like stepping into a pair of comfortable shoes I forgot I owned.
Over the past week, Scotty’s become a staple around here, fixing more than fences. There’s an easiness to him that fills up spaces I didn’t know were empty. Lily and Andy are thick as thieves. They’ve taken to each other like ducks to water, conspiring in corners, and thankfully they set up chairs under the oak tree for the visit of Zach Hart and his media entourage.
It’s finally happening—Zach Hart and his team of Ice Breakers are bringing the spotlight right to our muddy, well-loved doorstep.
“I never thought I’d see the day when my little project would get this kind of attention,” I admit, the words carrying a weight I hadn’t seen coming. “Or that I’d ever discuss defensive plays over breakfast. But that’s what I’m going to need with these hawks of journalists.”
Scotty steps closer to me, his boots clacking on the porch steps. “You’ve built something amazing here, Angel. Today’s about letting the rest of the world see it. Plus, you’re a natural in front of a camera—pretend it’s me testing you again about the offside rule.”
“Heaven help us all if it comes to that,” I say as the sound of gravel crunching announces the first news van. Taking a deepbreath, I straighten up and tuck a stray hair behind my ear. “Showtime, huh?”
Scotty nods, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “You’ve got this. And hey, I’m right here if you need to throw something at someone who understands icing.”
Zach Hart strides onto Happy Horizons with the air of a man used to commanding attention, his following of cameras and reporters scattering across the grounds. It’s downright bizarre to hear them, chatter about opening shots and the hum of recording equipment, nothing like our daily rustic scene.
“Angelica Davis,” Zach Hart—I feel like I always have to call him by his full name—stretches out his hand and shakes mine. He tilts his head to the side. “I like a firm grip on an entrepreneur. Thank you for letting us stop by.”
“Letting you stop by? You’re practically a godsend around here.”Nice opening.“I mean, thank you so much for coming. Sir.”
“Sir?” He laughs from somewhere deep. “Please. I wish I could do half of what you’ve done here. Now let’s show it off to the world.”
For a big-headed billionaire, there’s something awfully authentic about him.
