Page 58 of Icebound Hearts
“Did you see how fast we were going, Ms. Violet?” he asks.
She crouches down to tap the tip of his nose. “I sure did! You were as fast as lightning.”
He launches into a story about how he helped a few of the other kids practice their skating, and while they’re distracted with that, I glance over at the guy who was hitting on her. He rises from his seat, but when he starts to walk away, I follow after him, catching up to him a few yards away—far enough that Violet won’t be able to hear us.
“Hey,” I say, and he turns to look at me.
“Oh, hey, man.” He smiles. “Nice work out there on the ice, it was a great practice. I’m a big Aces fan.”
“Thanks.” I hold out my hand. “I think you have something that doesn’t belong to you.”
“I… what?” His brows pinch together.
“Her number,” I tell him quietly but firmly. “It’s not for you.”
He blinks, looking taken aback and a bit intimidated. I feel fucking insane, but I don’t back down, keeping my hand extended until he reaches into his back pocket and digs out the piece of paper Violet gave him.
I crumple it up in my hand, give him a curt nod, and then turn and head back toward her and Jake.
“Can I go back out on the ice again?” Jake asks as I approach. “Just for a little while?”
“Sure,” I say, and he scrambles back out onto the rink to rejoin the other kids skating around.
“He’s a natural,” Violet observes as we stand side by side, watching him. “Just like his dad.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, I think I put his first pair of skates on him when he was about a year old.”
“Then I guess he’s had plenty of practice.” She purses her lips, tilting her head to one side. “Maybe I should’ve gotten a pair of skates and joined you. I’m really not great at it, but he looks like he’s having a blast.” She laughs softly. “And if I’d been out there, I could’ve avoided giving a fake number to a stranger.”
My gaze snaps to her. “Fakenumber?”
She makes a face. “Yeah. I mean, I know I said we should both give dating a try again, and I really will! But that guy was just a little overbearing and not my type, so when he asked for my number, I just made one up.”
A laugh bursts out of me, a flood of relief shooting through my chest. She didn’t give him her number. She isn’t interested in him.
Violet puts a hand to her face, shooting me an embarrassed grin as she peers through her fingers. “Is that bad?”
“No, heartbreaker.” I shake my head, smiling back at her. “It’s not bad. Not at all.”
Her grin widens, and the sight of it makes my heart skip a beat in my chest.
God, I’m so fucked.
Chapter 18
Violet
A few days later, Sawyer is off at another away game. At just after eight o’clock, Jake springs into bed and makes room for me, patting the mattress next to him.
“Story time!” he says excitedly, his hair still wet from his bath.
I did promise to read him a bedtime story, so I guess he’s holding me to it—not that I mind.
“Okay.” I sit down beside him, and he cuddles up into my arms, resting his head on my chest. “What will it be tonight?”
“Tell me a new story!”
We’ve made short work of all the books that Jake has since I got here, so I don’t blame him for wanting something fresh, but I don’t really know where to start.