Page 53 of Almost Ours
Nina, however, was not as subtle. She leaned against the back of the couch, arms crossed, giving Shane a once-over.
“Oh great,” she said dryly. “It’s you.”
Shane gave her a lazy grin. “Nice to see you too, sweetheart.”
Nina rolled her eyes. “Just so we’re clear, this is not a reenactment of last weekend. I was nursing that hangover for days.”
Harper snorted. “You say that like it was anyone’s fault but your own.”
Nina ignored her, keeping her gaze on Shane, daring him to challenge her. He just smirked, clearly enjoying the reaction he got out of her.
Before Nina could fire off another comeback, the sound of running footsteps pounded down the stairs. Connor and Liam burst into the room, practically vibrating with excitement.
“We’re going to the pond!” Connor grinned, waving his hockey stick.
Both boys were fully geared up–well, almost. They had their skates, helmets, gloves, and sticks. They were missing one key piece, though.
“Jackets,” Harper reminded them.
Connor groaned. “But we’re just gonna–”
“Jackets,” she repeated, giving him a pointed look.
Liam sighed dramatically but didn’t argue, heading toward the coat rack. Connor followed suit, grumbling under his breath about how jackets weren’t necessary.
“They’ll just slow us down,” he muttered.
Shane raised a brow. “Yeah, well, hypothermia’s even slower, kid.”
That earned a reluctant chuckle from both boys as they tugged on their coats.
“We’re just gonna get our gear on down at the pond,” Liam said, zipping up his jacket.
Harper narrowed her eyes. “That’s fine, but you wait before stepping on the ice, understood?”
Connor huffed. “Yeah, yeah, we know.”
“I mean it,” Harper pressed. “You don’t go on until one of us gets down there to check it.”
Liam nodded. “Got it.”
Harper watched them for a moment longer, as if deciding whether or not to believe them, then sighed. “Alright, go get ready. We’ll be down in a bit.”
The boys bolted for the door, sticks clattering against the floor as they ran outside.
From the doorway, I watched them race down the snowy path toward the pond. Connor’s fire-red jacket was easy to spot against the white landscape, a blur of colour as he tried to keep pace with Liam, who was already waving his stick in some imaginary victory. Their breath puffed in the frigid air, little clouds that vanished almost as fast as they made them. Skates clanked against their sticks, laughter echoing over the frozen yard.
Shane smirked. “You really think they’re gonna wait?”
Harper exhaled, rubbing her temples. “They better.”
Nina snorted, flopping onto the couch and stretching her legs out in front of her. “Five bucks says they step on the ice the second they hit the pond.”
I shook my head. “Not taking that bet. We all know they will.”
Shane chuckled, nudging me with his elbow. “I’ll bet you were the same way when you were their age. Probably worse.”
“Right,” Nina drawled, rolling her eyes. “Please. Remember when you tried to impress the older kids by skating full speed across old Miller’s pond with your eyes closed?”
