Page 115 of Almost Ours
How does he manage to look this goodallthe time? I wondered, shaking my head at myself.
“Ryan!” Connor called, running up to him.
Ryan’s face lit up with a warm smile, the kind that made my chest tighten. He straightened, tucking the clipboard under his arm. “Hey superstar. Ready to tear it up out there today?”
Connor nodded eagerly. “I’m gonna score ten goals!”
Ryan chuckled. “Ten, huh? Okay, I’ll hold you to that. Remember–passes count too, alright?”
“Alright,” Connor agreed, fist-bumping him.
I approached, trying to act casual, though my pulse was doing its usual flip-flop whenever Ryan was nearby. I couldn’t stop thinking about how his kisses still lingered on my lips and how easily he’d slipped into this little world of ours.
“You’ve got this bud,” I said, patting Connor’s back. “Go kick some butt.”
Connor flashed a grin before disappearing into the change room.
“That kid's confidence is off the charts,” Ryan said, watching the door close behind him.
“Wonder where he gets that from,” I replied, meeting Ryan’s eyes with a smirk.
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re saying it's not from you?”
“Please, I’m as humble as they come.”
Ryan laughed, a sound that made my pulse quicken. “Sure you are.”
I rolled my eyes, but before I could think of a comeback, Ryan closed the space between us, his hand brushing against mine before linking our fingers together. My heart flipped as he leaned down, brushing his lips against my temple in a way that was soft and full of promise.
“You look amazing,” he murmured, his voice low. “But then again, you always do.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I couldn’t help but smile. “You’re not so bad yourself, Coach.”
Before the moment could escalate, Nina appeared at my side, nearly startling me. Her sharp intake of breath made me jump slightly.
“Hey guys,” Nina said, slipping her hands into the pockets of her jacket as she approached. Her eyes flicked to Ryan, then back to me with a smirk I recognized far too well. It was herI know exactly what’s going on here, and I’m not letting it slidesmirk.
“Nina,” I warned under my breath, trying to telepathically tell her to drop it.
Ryan smirked, but it was me Nina focused on, her excitement bubbling over.
“Don’t even try to deny it Harper. You’ve got that look.”
“What look?” I asked, feigning innocence as I reluctantly stepped away from Ryan.
“The ‘I’m totally smitten and secretly making out with my kids hockey coach before the game’ look,” she replied, crossing her arms.
Ryan coughed, clearly trying not to laugh. “I should probably get back to the dressing room,” he said, giving my hand one last squeeze before letting go.
“Yeah, you do that,” Nina teased, stepping in to steer me toward the stands.
We made our way up the bleachers, the metal steps clanging beneath our boots. The faint scent of popcorn and coffee from the concession stand drifted through the arena, mixing with the cold tang of the ice. The boards clapped as pucks ricocheted off them and the chatter of parents filled the space.
When we reached our seats halfway up, Nina tossed a folded blanket onto the cold metal bench before plopping down beside me, still grinning like she’d just won a bet.
“You’re impossible,” I muttered, tugging my coat tighter and adjusting the blanket under me as I sat, focusing on the rink instead of her smug expression.
“Mmhmm,” she hummed, clearly not planning to drop it anytime soon.
