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He lowered his gaze which intensified as he studied my face. “You look fine.”
Everything in my head was telling me to go back to his truck and leave when a teenager with a cane bounded over to us wearing yellow mittens and a yellow stocking hat.
Her ponytail swished as she landed right beside me. “Hey, Ransom. Who’s your friend?”
I felt instantly at ease, my earlier anxiety gone. “Oh, hi.”
Ransom cleared his throat. “Hey, Molls. This is Phoebe. Be nice.”
Molly looked offended. “I’m always nice!”
“Not when you’re helping us on the ice,” he grumbled.
I snickered. “You’re a coach?”
He grunted. “She’s a fucking drill sergeant.”
I rubbed Ransom’s back. “He hasn’t eaten yet, so he’s still a little growly.” I stuck my hand out. “Nice to meet you, Molly.”
Molly shook it. “I’m the ass-kicker and outside-the-box thinker the team needs to help them win a few games this year.” Then she leaned into me like we were old friends. “You know, some days I come here two or three times.”
I felt my eyes widen. “Really? How did you get that kind of hook-up?”
She snickered and lifted her chin proudly. “I know the chef. And I get bacon anytime I want it.”
I smiled at her. “Well, you have a lovely figure and a beautiful complexion, so clearly everything you’re doing is right. You could sell your secrets for millions.”
She scrunched up her nose. “No one should go through what I went through to look like this.” She lifted one of her delicate shoulders I envied. “I had cancer.”
I gasped. “Wait, what?”
“Twice,” she said nodding. “Chemo and radiation, surgery, and a bone marrow transplant so now I’m on meds my whole life so I don’t reject it. Fun stuff.”
I scoffed. “That fucking sucks!” I realized I shouted that, then clasped my hand over my mouth.
Molly fell into a fit of giggles while another man walked over to us with a scowl.
Ransom took a step between us. “Cool it, Sarcone. We all know Molls isn’t offended.”
When Molly’s giggles were a little more contained, she looked up at the man. “Sam, you’ve gotta meet Phoebe. She’s awesome!”
Sam held his hand out to me and I took it, covering it with both of my hands. “Sorry, we got off to a rough start, Sam, but I’m not a danger to children or adults. Really to anyone but large rodents and flies. But I like bees. Go bees!” Internally, I rolled my eyes at myself. Could I be more awkward?
He chuckled and shook my hands. “It’s okay. Molls here has a potty mouth on her, but it’s only allowed on the ice.”
I looked down at her cane. “You skate?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m back to skating when I coach the Raptors and the Cavaliers.”
I held a hand to my heart. “You coach these brutes? How do you get them to listen?”
Molly had a secret smile tugging at her lips. “Oh, I’ll never tell.”
The line moved and then it was our turn to order. Molly and Sam seemed to wait for us, so I focused my attention on all the good options. But before I could say a word, Ransom ordered one of everything.
I tugged on his arm. “Wait!”
Ransom spun around. “What?”
