Page 6 of Ice Darling
And I don’t particularly care to find out.
I note that Cordelia is nowhere to be found and return my gaze to the table, only to notice the sponsor eyeing me. She offers a sneaky smile and tips her head in my direction.
My heart stops beating.
Looking around for Cordelia was a severe miscalculation on my part. When Sasha asked about her daughter, it wasn’t out of concern for her whereabouts.
It was a trap.
“It’s okay, dear.” Sasha pats my shoulder like I’m Gordie when she’s about to take a flu shot. “Cordelia loves her bike and tends to lose track of time when she’s riding. She’ll be here eventually.”
I force a smile.Oh boy.“Ma’am, I need to clear something up. Your daughter and I aren’t?—”
At that moment, the Tipsy Tuna’s front door slams open.
My attention is drawn to the woman who struts inside. And I’m not the only one who’s got eyes on her. Theilan, our youngest on the team, makes a low whistle. Watson, our goalie, says something that sounds like “Mama Mia.”
It’s kind of hard to miss her, given the thick leather jacket, pasted-on black jeans showing every womanly curve, and the sharp black hair cut bluntly to just above her shoulders.
Cordelia’s eyes catch on mine and widen as she assesses me sitting next to her mother.
I remember those soft brown eyes filled with unspoken pleas for help, and a part of me withers with guilt.
She’s the one in the wrong. Not you.
I made the right choice stepping away from her charade. My daughter is my number one priority, and I’m not going to bring a woman into her life on a whim, even if that whim is beautiful with raven hair, a stunning face, and eyes so big and bright, she could play the human version of Bambi.
With all the live-action remakes Hollywood is pumping out, I wouldn’t be surprised if she got a call soon.
I’m so focused on her beauty that I miss the scowl crossing her face at the sight of me. She yanks her motorcycle gloves off while stalking toward the table like she’s gearing up to throw a punch at my face.
“Delia!” Sasha scoots a chair over. “Sit here.” The older woman pulls out a seat next to me.
Her daughter looks pointedly at the chair, nose turned up and mouth a perfect upside-down U, and then she takes the seat beside Max. It’s not a better option, though, since Max is directly across from me which puts her directly in my line of sight.
“What took you so long?” Sasha asks, pushing a bottle of hand sanitizer at her daughter. “I went ahead and ordered the baby back ribs and fries.”
“I don’t eat red meat, Mom,” Cordelia says stiffly, a furrow in her brow. It’s a simple enough statement, but it’s delivered so sternly that I wince.
“Oh. Oh, right, it was…” Sasha seems dazed. She inhales shakily before saying, “You’re the one who ate fish.”
Cordelia’s chin tilts down, and she stares a hole in the table.
The air gets silent and chilly. Our table is about three individual four-seaters pulled together, but it suddenly feels like we can’t all fit.
Max booms out an awkward laugh. “Fish? That’s about the only meat theydon’thave anymore.”
“It’s called ‘The Tipsy Tuna’ and they don’t serve fish?” Sasha exclaims, forcing a smile.
“Believe it or not, there’s been a fish shortage around here,” Max says with a shake of his head. “Climate change and all.”
“It’s fine. I’m not that hungry anyway. I’ll just drink something,” Cordelia mutters. She pulls the menu toward herself, but her hands are shaking so badly that she sends the menu skittering to the floor instead.
“I’ve got it,” Max says, reaching down. “But I don’t think drinks are on this menu.”
Sasha stares at her daughter, worrying her bottom lip. “Yes, I think the drinks menu came separately. Let me find that for you.”
“It’s okay,” Cordelia clips. “I’ll just have water.”
