Kaden skated down to Luc’s end of the ice and got settled in net. Dom took over the other end.
They lined up against the boards and took turns shooting at Kaden, alternating using one-timers and wrist shots. Luc had his back to the screaming girls and could hear their faint calls. Flashing them a small smile and giving them a few glances, he fulfilled his duty for the day.
On his turn, he took a hard wrist shot at Kaden. It rang off the metal pipes and he heard Kaden snicker from under his mask.
“Maybe next time, Rock-Star!” Kaden poked at him.
More than anything, Luc wanted to get a shot past Kaden, just one. It’d be fun to wipe that smirk off Kaden’s face. But time after time, Luc’s shots were stopped.
Kaden was doing his normal shit, mouthing off in the goal, chirping at the guys, and any chance he got, making googly eyes at his wife, who was sitting outside the rink but behind the net, in the café.
Just to annoy Kaden, Luc took an extra lap around the net, right along the glass. He looked long enough to catch Alison O’Conner’s attention and give her a head nod and grin.
She waved with a friendly smile and quickly went back to her food. Even though Alison wasn’t paying any attention to him, Luc continued to smile in that direction only to irk Kaden. Maybe O’Conner would think that Luc was flirting with his wife. It’d be funny to get him all riled up. But a brunette who was sitting with Alison was what caught his eye instead. He didn’t see a rut in the ice before his skate hit it, and had to catch himself before he fell or anyone noticed.
“You okay there, Marcella?” Coach Walker sarcastically called out.
Luc answered with only a nod, doing his best not to draw any unwanted attention to himself.
“Skate much, pretty boy?” Kaden called.
“Luc might need those learn-to-skate lessons for little tykes that Tyler provides,” Sal joked.
“I don’t know. Marcella might be a little old for those,” Tyler hollered.
But Luc wasn’t concentrating on anything they were saying. All he could see every time he rounded the net was that gorgeous brunette with the big brown eyes. Who is she? And how can I meet her?
CHAPTER TWO
Kassie
Kassie O’Conner carried her lunch tray from the café counter at the Renegades practice facility to the table where sister-in-law Ali was already seated. She took a moment to look out through the wall of glass separating them from the rink. Her brother, Kaden, skated laps with the team. He and Dom trailed behind the other guys, all of their goalie gear weighing them down. It was almost amusing. She knew from experience that his gear was heavy. Kaden had let her try it all on one time.
The men all wore blank practice jerseys, no numbers on the back, just on their helmets. She could recognize some of the guys by sight, but some of the younger ones she still wasn’t familiar with. They didn’t really hang out with Kaden and Ali. The men she knew from her brother’s group of friends were easy to spot, and some nodded as they noticed her; others had their minds on hockey. But one of the younger guys kept his eye on her every time he skated by. Maybe she was imagining it.
Kassie sat down at the table and turned her attention to her lunch and Ali. She grabbed a pocket mirror from her purse and pulled her long hair back into a ponytail. Somehow Ali had convinced her to come to the Renegades morning practice with her. Kassie wasn’t a big fan of hanging out around the team. Her brother knew she supported him, and she went to a ton of the games. But the stands at the practices were filled with bunnies. And she couldn’t stand puck bunnies.
Being the sister of a hockey player, Kassie had spent time around guys like these since she and Kaden were very young. She knew, even back then, that most of them had issues staying faithful. The temptations of bunnies were too much for most of them. Add in the instant fame they received on becoming a high school hockey player. It went right to their heads.
Kassie went back on her rule once and was burned. Chalking it up to a learning experience, after that dating disaster, she made up her mind—no more jocks. Which was why, at a very young age, she swore off all athletes. No one was happier to hear that than her brother, Kaden. After all, guys had their silly code that they didn’t date the other’s sister. And her dating rule made things much easier on him.
Once she moved to Pittsburgh, she’d been busy with school, so there hadn’t been much time to go to the practices, anyway. That gave her an easy excuse. For the last year, she’d been working on her Medical Assistant degree. Part of that time was spent in school in Canada, and part participating in an online college course in Pittsburgh. She preferred the online classes, and because Kaden made sure she didn’t have to work while going to school, she finished her course twice as fast.
She hated when Kaden tried to take care of her financially, but as far as she was concerned, it was this one time only. She was able to put all her time into her schooling so she could earn a degree, then start working and taking care of herself and their mom without Kaden’s generosity. He had a wife and child to provide for now, and they should be his main focus.
Ali took a bite of her salad and shook her head. “Girl, I can’t stand that you tossed your hair up in a ponytail, have zero makeup on, and are wearing a Renegades hoodie with leggings, and you look amazing. Like, seriously, you could do a magazine shoot right now. If I throw my hair up in a ponytail and put on a hoodie, with this baby pouch that I’m still carrying around, I look like I’m homeless or something.”
“Oh, please. You’re talking nonsense, Ali! And I always wear makeup.” It was true that she hadn’t put much effort into her appearance this morning. She wasn’t here to impress anyone. Plus, it was her day off, so today’s outfit was comfortable over fashionable.
“Oh yeah? What? Eyeliner and a little under-eye concealer? Please tell me you at least have lip gloss on. Because if your lips look that good naked, I’m done even trying. I mean, whose lips look like that naturally? Damn, girl. How do you not have a boyfriend?”
Ali was being overdramatic. Her hormones were obviously still wonky from having the baby. And as far as Kassie knew, Ali was still adjusting to being a mommy. For that matter, so was Kaleb. Kaden had told her that the baby had his nights and days mixed up. He was a good baby; he was just learning how to be a baby.
Who says naked lips, anyway? And why is she looking at my lips?
Kassie held in a laugh as she answered, trying to be aware of Ali’s tender post-pregnancy feelings. “I always wear eyeliner. But, um, I don’t really need concealer.” Kassie ducked, protecting her head as if Ali was going to throw something at her.