Page 25 of Almost Ours
Just say it.
They were all still standing there, waiting.
“Harper,” I finally offered, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“We’ve been watching Connor,” Vanessa said, adjusting her scarf. “He’s got some serious talent.”
“Such a strong stride,” Heather added, sipping from her coffee cup. “Second practice and already making moves.”
“Thanks,” I said, smiling despite myself. “He really loves it.”
“So,” Kelly began, looping her arm through mine like we were old friends. “Where’d you move here from? We’ve been dying to know.”
“Uh, just a little ways south,” I replied vaguely.
They all exchanged looks, clearly intrigued but trying to appear polite. I could practically see the mental notes they were taking for later discussion.
“They’ve been dying to talk to you,” Nina said dryly, finally speaking up. “I’ve been shielding you from them.”
Miranda gasped dramatically. “Nina! We’re harmless.”
“You’re relentless,” Nina corrected, lifting her cup to her lips. “Which is different.”
“Oh, come on,” Rachel said. “We’re not that bad.”
Nina gave me a sideways look.
“Anyways,” Miranda continued, clearly unbothered, “just know we’ve got your back. New moms don’t stay new for long. If you need anything–rides, hand-me-down gear, wine–we’re your girls.”
“Thank you,” I said, genuinely touched. “That’s really nice.”
“And,” Kelly added, leaning in, “if you ever want to liven up the games, just ask for one of our special lattes.”
“Special lattes?” I asked, raising a brow.
“Baileys, Kahlua, you name it,” Heather said with a wink. “You’ll need it for some of these tournaments. Trust me.”
Nina muttered under her breath, “You’ll also need it to deal with Shane if you’re around him too long.”
Rachel’s head snapped up, eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Shane?Our Shane? What did he do?”
Nina waved her off, her smile tight. “Oh, nothing. Just being his usual charming self.”
The moms erupted into laughter, but I could tell Nina was only half joking.
“Well, Harper,” Miranda said, giving my arm a gentle squeeze, “we should get going. We will see you next practice, though, and get you set up in our group chat!”
They all said their goodbyes and soon as they were out of sight, Nina turned to me, smirking. “Welcome to the wild world of Brookhaven hockey moms. They’re… something, huh?”
“They seem… nice.” I said, hesitantly.
Nina barked out a laugh. “Nice, sure. Also overwhelming, nosy, and borderline chaotic… You’ll get used to them.”
“Will I?” I muttered, half to myself, as I glanced toward the dressing room.
Connor came bursting out, his hair still damp and sticking up in every direction, cheeks flushed with excitement. His grin was wide enough to light up the entire rink as he sprinted toward me.
“Mom! Did you see me out there?” he exclaimed, nearly tripping over his untied shoelaces in the rush.
