Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 86878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
As they make their way off the ice, I realize the rink is mostly empty except for the Wildcats players who volunteered for the clinic.
Just as I step onto the rubber mats, a small hand slips into mine. Kia looks up at me with those big blue eyes. “Can I come with you? The boys’ locker room smells bad.”
The question catches me off guard, and I glance at Hayes, unsure how to respond.
He shrugs, clearly amused by the situation. “If it’s okay with Coach Ava, it’s fine with me.”
I look down at her again. “I mean... yeah, sure.”
“Yay!” she chirps before pulling me toward the girls’ locker room.
A grin simmers around the corners of Hayes’s mouth as we walk away. “I’ll grab her bag,” he calls after us.
A minute later, he hands me a pink hockey bag that’s bigger than she is. It could probably fit her and one of her brothers inside. I chuckle at the thought as I lead her into the locker room.
There are only a few other girls left, all pink-cheeked and sweaty, slowly peeling off their gear. Kia chatters nonstop as I help remove her helmet, then work on unlacing her skates.
“Are you friends with my brother?” she asks, her tone curious but innocent.
I hesitate, my fingers pausing on her skates. “Umm… yes?”
She doesn’t seem to notice the uncertainty in my answer, and keeps talking, completely unaware. “I miss him when he’s at college. I wish he lived at our house.”
“I bet that’s hard. Does he visit a lot?”
“Yup! Sometimes Mama brings us to his games, and we get to yell his name really loud.” She cups her hands around her mouth and shouts, “Hayes!”
When her voice echoes off the concrete walls of the locker room, I laugh. This girl is way too cute. “I bet he can hear you all the way from the ice.”
“He says he can.” There’s a brief pause and then her voice drops. “Guess what?” She doesn’t give me time to respond before blurting, “He’s gonna play in the NHL next year.”
I raise an eyebrow. “So I’ve heard.”
“And when he does, we’ll have lots and lots of money,” she whispers, as if this is a big secret she’s sharing with me. “He promised I can have a puppy.”
I pause, digesting her words.
“Hayes gives Mama money so we can skate,” she adds quietly, her voice growing solemn.
The innocence in her tone is heartbreaking. She says it so simply, but there’s a heaviness behind her words that makes my chest tighten. This is the first time I’ve gotten a glimpse into the weight Hayes carries, the responsibility that must rest on his shoulders.
I clear my throat, wanting to shift the mood. “Sounds like he’s a pretty great big brother.”
Her face brightens again as she bounces on the bench. “He’s the best!”
As we finish packing up her gear, I can’t help but mentally replay everything she said. It paints a different picture of Hayes than the one I had before. Less cocky center for the Western Wildcats and more protective older brother, willing to do whatever it takes for his family.
We head out to the lobby where Hayes and his brothers are waiting. The minute they spot us, Kia runs to him, her small hand clutching his tightly.
“Who’s hungry?” he asks.
“Me!” they all shout in unison.
I take a step back, raising my hand in a wave. “Well, have fun—”
“Can Coach Ava come?” Kia interrupts, her eyes wide and hopeful.
I pause, startled by the unexpected question. I glance from her to Hayes, shaking my head. “Oh, no. I don’t want to intrude—”
“Please?” Kia pouts, her expression tugging at my heartstrings, making it impossible to say no. This little girl already knows how to wrap people around her finger.
Hayes smirks, clearly enjoying my discomfort. His laughter is barely contained. “You’re welcome to join us, if you’re up for it.”
With a sigh, I check my watch. “I guess I can go.”
“Yay!” Kia hops around, her energy boundless despite the hours spent on the ice.
As we head toward the exit, Hayes falls into step beside me. His siblings run ahead, eager to hit the arcade area near the concession stand.
I give him a sideways glance as my lips twitch with amusement. “You realize your sister is going to be a handful, right?”
He snorts. “What do you mean going to be?”
As much as I hate to admit it, for the first time since I met Hayes, I see him in a different light. Maybe he’s not just an arrogant hockey player who always seems to have a smirk on his face. Maybe, just maybe, he’s a guy who has a lot more going on beneath the surface.
And maybe that makes him someone worth getting to know.
12
Hayes
The drive to Harvey’s Eats and Treats is a quick fifteen minutes from the arena, but with Ava sitting next to me in the passenger seat, it feels like a longer stretch of time. She offered to take her own car, but Kia—God bless her—begged Ava to ride with us. There was no way she could say no to those big blue eyes, and I wasn’t about to let her off the hook.