Page 118 of Almost Ours
I tried not to laugh, my lips twitching as she approached. “Everything okay?” I asked, casually sliding my hands into my pockets.
“Just fine,” she said, though a faint blush crept up her neck. She stopped in front of me, her eyes sparkling with a mix of irritation and amusement.
“Nice work,” I said with a grin, tilting my head toward the now-flustered coach.
Her mouth curved up in a small, satisfied smile. “He had it coming.”
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the smile tugging at her lips. “Don’t start.”
“What? I’m just telling the truth.” I leaned in slightly, brushing my hand lightly against her arm. “And for the record, you handled that way better than I would’ve.”
She glanced up at me, her blush deepening. “Thanks for not storming over.”
“Almost did,” I admitted, a little sheepishly. “I can’t stand that guy. Matt. He’s such a dick. But I knew you had it covered.”
Our eyes met, and for a moment, the noise of the arena faded into the background. She shifted closer, her shoulder brushing against mine.
“It was a good game today,” I said softly, more to keep her talking than anything else.
She nodded, her gaze drifting to the ice. “Yeah, it was.”
The air between us felt charged, the kind of quiet that wasn’t awkward but full of something unspoken. Her shoulder stillbrushed against mine, neither of us moving away. I wanted to reach for her, to close the last bit of space between us, but now wasn’t the moment.
Before I could decide, she turned back to me, her lips parting slightly like she was about to say something–
Then the dressing room door flew open.
Connor burst out, his gear still half on, interrupting whatever might have come next. “Mom! Did you see that goal I got?”
Harper turned to him, her voice warm. “I saw it, bud. You were amazing.”
“Highlight reel material,” I added, ruffling his hair.
Connor beamed, practically vibrating with excitement, before darting back into the dressing room. Harper turned back to me, her expression softer now.
“Thanks for looking out for him,” she said quietly, her voice laced with something I couldn’t quite place.
“Always,” I replied, my voice low and steady.
Just then, TK’s mom, Julie, approached us, her coat draped over her arm and a warm smile lighting up her face. “Harper, Ryan, hi! I just wanted to let you know I’m hosting a celebratory sleepover for the team at my place tonight. The kids are already talking about it. Connor’s invited of course, if that works for you.”
Harper’s face lit up. “Oh, that’s so sweet of you, Julie. Connor would love that. Thank you!”
“Great! Just drop him off whenever. We’ve got pizza, movies, and a ton of energy to burn.”
Harper let out a soft chuckle. “You’re seriously brave. That many ten-year-old boys under one roof?” She shook her head in mock horror. “You got a game plan for surviving that chaos?”
Julie laughed. “Oh, absolutely. Step one: load them up on pizza. Step two: let them burn it off wrestling in the basement. Step three: pretend I don’t hear it.”
Harper grinned. “Genius. I’ll have to remember that next time Connor has friends over.”
Julie winked. “Or just send him to my place and save yourself the headache.”
Harper chuckled. “Deal.”
With a final wave, Julie disappeared into the crowd, and Harper turned back to me, her expression soft. “Looks like I’m officially kid-free tonight.”
