Page 24 of Losing an Edge
He gave me a look that said I was the biggest fucking idiot in the world. “Are you trying to start a relationship with Cadence, or what? Because it sure as hell seems like you are. And I can promise you, she thinks you are. So are you?”
Seemed like a trick question. “Yes?”
“Then get your fucking ass up to the owner’s box and talk to her before you go home.” He took off ahead of me, his long legs not showing any of the exhaustion I felt after tonight’s game. “Fucking dumb ass,” I heard him say under his breath. He stopped halfway down the hall and spun around to face me. “I swear to God, 501, I hate every second of this. But I refuse to hold your fucking hand through it. You’re not a toddler. Figure it out. And if you fuck this up, if you hurt her, I will rip every digit from your hands and feet, along with a few other choice appendages, and let my son feed you to the alligators like he wants to do.” Then he stormed off again.
So now Jonny was encouraging me in regard to his sister, not trying to murder me for even breathing in her vicinity? I’d assumed there had been some sort of miscommunication when Jonny had texted me about meeting Cadence at the rink that day, but now I wasn’t so sure. I was starting to think there must be something in the Johnson family’s genes to make them impossible to figure out.
Sara might have had something to do with it. That was the only thing that made sense, as far as I could tell. Different gene pool. She didn’t confuse me. Sara was as direct as they came.
I followed Jonny’s retreating form up to the owner’s box again. This time, Cadence was hanging out with both Katie and her younger sister, Dani Weber, but as soon as I came through the door, she turned to me and flashed a gorgeous smile in my direction. Harry was up here, grinning and winking at Dani from across the room. She gave him a coy expression in return. I shook my head, trying to clear away the fog that came from Harry and Dani Weber flirting with each other, and headed toward those girls.
I didn’t make it far, though.
“Levi!” Sophie Calhoun, Bergy’s youngest stepdaughter, leaped up from her seat and gave me the biggest, tightest bear hug ever. That was par for the course when it came to Sophie. She was a twelve-year-old with Down syndrome. And she had a massive crush on me. The first time I met her, she’d raced through the concourse and hugged me, exactly like this, and immediately asked me to marry her. She ran at me so hard that time, I’d had to brace myself to prevent being tackled to the ground. That was a little over a year ago.
Her older sisters had crushes on me, too, so I was always careful around those girls. Not that I thought either Bergy or their mother would let them pull a fast one on me, but I couldn’t be too careful. The Babcock boys—we were all fully aware of the effects our dimples had on young girls. I was always on my guard once the giggles started.
Sophie was different, though. She was sweet as could be, and not a danger to me in the least.
It was a Friday night. No school tomorrow. That was the only reason Paige would have brought her girls to the game. I should’ve thought of that before. I would have been up here in a heartbeat to see Sophie if I’d realized they were here.
Since I knew it would earn me one of her infectious laughs, I picked her up and spun her around a few times. She cackled with glee. For a few moments, the rest of the room disappeared. That was the power this little girl had over me.
When I set her on her feet again, I planted a kiss on the top of her head. “Hey, Sophie Bug. I’ve missed you.”
“That was a nice pass, Levi.” She had a death grip on my hand, but she was grinning from ear to ear. “I’m gonna be just like you.”
“It’s so like you to ignore all the times I messed up out there.”
“You never mess up. You’re the best.”
As far as she was concerned, no one would ever be better at anything than me. If only I could see the world through her eyes someday. She never failed to give me a boost of confidence, though, and Lord knew I needed it tonight.
“Have you met my friend Cadence?” I asked her. This part might be tricky, especially since I hoped Cadence would someday become a hell of a lot more than just my friend. The last thing in the world I wanted to do was stomp on Sophie’s tender feelings. But if I introduced Sophie to the idea that Cadence was a friend, first, she could potentially come to accept it when the relationship progressed further. That was my hope, at least.
Sophie shook her head.
“Come on. I’ll introduce you.” I kept a tight grip on her hand and led her to where Cadence, Katie, and Dani were huddled together. “Cadence, I want you to meet a special friend of mine. This is Sophie Calhoun.”
Cadence’s grin hadn’t dimmed in the least. She held out a hand for Sophie to shake. Sophie had never been one for formality, though. Instead, she released her grip on me and wrapped both arms around Cadence in the same kind of bear hug she’d given me.
“I love you, Cadence,” Sophie said.
Cadence raised a brow in my direction, but she took it in stride. “Well, I guess I love you, too.”
“I know.” Simple acceptance of the fact that she was loved—exactly what I would expect from Sophie. After a minute, she let go of Cadence and took a step back toward me. She grabbed hold of my hand and held on tight. “I’m gonna marry Levi.”
I winked. “Unless someone steals her away from me before she’s old enough. But Sophie, is it all right if Cadence and I are friends?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I love her, too.”
“I know you do. You love everybody.”
Sophie grinned again. “You can have girlfriends. But I’m your best girlfriend.”
“You know it, Sophie Bug.” I pinched her nose and got another giggle.
“Bergy said I can try to skate tomorrow without my sled.”