Page 147 of Cold As Ice

Austin: I have five more minutes before Coach confiscates my phone.

Madison: Good luck!

Austin: I’d take a good luck kiss right about now…

Heat bloomed in my cheeks, and I suppressed a smile. I didn’t want to make it easy for Austin, and I still didn’t even know if I was willing to risk my heart on him. But I couldn’t deny that I liked this side of him.

Playful. Persistent.

Real.

It didn’t feel like a gimmick or some joke to him. Maybe that was more than he deserved.

Only time would tell.

For now, I had a hockey game to enjoy and memories to make with my daughter.

* * *

“Did you like the game, Princess Immy?” Rory asked.

She’d been so good with Imogen all night, it made me a little emotional, watching how easily they accepted her.

“I did, especially whens they started beating the craps—”

“Imogen Grace,” I gasped. “I know you know we don’t say that word.”

“Sorry, Mommy.”

“Want to pick ice cream?” Harper asked her and Scottie and they nodded, following her out of the booth, my daughter slightly more enthused than the teenager.

The hockey game had been a big success with all the kids soaking up the atmosphere and cheering on their local team. Imogen loved every second, a huge grin on her face the entire time.

Once the rest of the kids were safely returned to their parents, Harper and Rory invited us to get some post-game dinner, so we’d headed across the street to the diner.

“So what’s going on with you and Austin?” Rory asked the second the kids were out of earshot. I hesitated and she quickly recovered. “Crap, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just, I don’t think I’ve ever seen my brother this way before.”

I let out a strained laugh. “Surely, there’s been a long line of girls—”

“There hasn’t. He was casually seeing a girl before… and you probably don’t want to know that. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. It would be nice to have a little more insight into his life. We didn’t exactly get to all the important bits.”

“Did he tell you about our parents?” I nodded, and she continued. “Then you know we didn’t have the best childhood. Austin has carried a lot of that around with him. Still does. Our mom is… Well, she can be a cruel, vindictive woman. I think she broke something inside him, Madison. Something that I didn’t think would ever heal… until you came along.”

“Rory.” My breath caught.

“I know, this is weird, and I’m being intense. I don’t mean to be. I just think you should have all the facts before you make any decisions about whether or not to give him another chance.”

I liked Rory.

It was impossible not to.

She was so different from Austin. Warm and open and accepting. It made me wonder just how bad Austin’s childhood had been for them to turn out so vastly different.

“I know what you’re thinking, you’re wondering how we can possibly be related.” She smiled.

“It’s like you read my mind.”

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