Page 59 of The Playmaker
“You were a couple grades above me in high school. I’d seen you around, but we never officially met,” I say, and hold my hand out to her, noting how her features and hair had changed over the years. “I wasn’t sure you knew who I was.”
She stares at my hand for a moment, and I shift awkwardly from foot to foot. Um, is she not going to exchange a handshake? Is she upset to find me here with her brother?
She shoves my hand away and brings me in for a hug.
“I course I know who you are. Your brother was Cason. Everyone knew who you were.” After a big hug, she glares at her brother. “Look at that Cole, I didn’t go all barbaric just because you have a girlfriend.”
“I’m not his girlfriend,” I say quickly. “He’s just helping me with a problem.”
Tabby laughs. “Yeah, I bet he is,” she says with a wink.
“It’s true, I am helping her, and yes, we’re sleeping together,” Cole says, deadpan, and my gaze darts to his to find him looking at me, gauging my reaction, his body tense, his muscles frozen in place.
I blink at his words, at how he laid it all out on the line like that. But why would he do that? This was supposed to be a secret. Then again, he has a bond with his sister, and the two probably keep no secrets. I just hope she doesn’t think I’m some puck bunny who sleeps with all the players.
“No shit, captain obvious,” Tabby says, and when she loops her arm through mine, it’s my turn to freeze. She gives me a tug to set me in motion. “Come on, Nina.” I relax as she drags me across the wide expanse of the room, and as I follow along, I feel an instant connection with Cole’s twin. “Let’s go raid the fridge, I’m starving.”
She practically skips to the kitchen, leaving her boyfriend and my…friend…to talk.
My friend?
Yeah, Cole and I have become friends over the last week. A little laugh catches in my throat. I guess I’ve worked out a lot of the anger through sex.
She reaches for the fridge, and casts a glance my way. “So, you and my brother, huh?”
“It’s just a temporary thing.” For some reason, I feel the need to explain. “You see, I’m writing a hockey romance…” Her eyes go wide and my words fall off.
“You write romance, now?” I nod. “Ohmigod, that is so cool!”
“You’re a lawyer. That’s cool.”
She frowns. “It’s not so cool. Hey listen, I wanted to tell you I was sorry about your accident.”
Her words catch me by surprise, and my head rears back “How did you know about that?”
“Cole told me.” She frowns. “He called me after it happened. He was a mess.”
My heart trips up. My injury was so important to him, he called his sister? He was a mess? “Really?”
“Yeah. I really am sorry. He said you were an amazing skater. He told me you were his Pretty BallerNina. Cute name.”
Why do I suddenly not hate it anymore?
“You know, if it weren’t for you and Cason growing up….” As her words trail, her body stiffens, and I can’t help but think how similar she and Cole are in their mannerisms and body language. “I’m just happy to see him so happy.” She plasters on a smile. “So tell me about your books. I want to download them,” she says, shifting gears so fast, it catches me by surprise, even though it shouldn’t. Cole does the same thing.
But what was she going to say? What if it weren’t for me and Cason growing up
? What was she getting at?
As she stares at me, waiting for an answer, my brains snaps back. “Cole has them all in paperback.” I gesture with a nod. “In the library.”
Her jaw drops. “Cole reads your books?”
“Apparently.”
She shuts the fridge and looks at me—really looks at me. A small smile quirks her lips, like she knows something I don’t. She opens her mouth, but shuts it when Cole and Jack saunter into the room.
“What is all this, Cole?” she asks, and pulls the fridge open again and looks over the fresh produce and meats. “Since when did you start cooking?”