I’m on my feet, clapping and hollering. I look over at Angie and Jerry, beaming proudly as they watch their son.
“First goal one minute into the game,” Jerry says with a huge grin. “That’s impressive.”
Angie turns to me, her smile knowing. “I think it’s because of you.”
I shake my head, brushing her off.
“I’m serious,” Angie says, gently bumping my shoulder. “We’ve seen our son play tons of times. He never plays as well as he does when you’re in the stands watching him.”
Tingles spread up my tummy and chest. Could she be right?
I shake my head, despite the hopeful feeling blooming inside of me. “Blake’s an incredible player. He’s always amazing on the ice,” I say.
Blake and his teammates break apart and skate over to center ice to get ready for face-off. When he catches eyes with me, he grins. Then he winks at me.
Those tingles race across my entire body.
His mom chuckles as she looks over at me. “Oh, Briar, honey. It’s you. No question.”
I bite back a giddy smile.
“You should wear his jersey one of these times when you watch him play. That’ll really drive him wild.”
For a few seconds, I imagine what that would be like.
I’m in the stands wearing Blake’s jersey. He looks up from the ice and sees me—he sees me wearing his name and his number on my back.
Heat flashes in his gaze, and his mouth curves up in a smile that leaves me breathless…
I shove that little fantasy out of my head. I can’t wear his jersey. That’s a decidedly girlfriend thing to do. And I’m not his girlfriend.
A tiny pang of disappointment hits me. I don’t know why. I don’t want to be in a relationship right now. I don’t want to be anyone’s girlfriend.
I ignore that disappointed feeling and refocus on the game. Things are good between Blake and me, and that’s because we’re taking it slow. We’re not putting pressure on each other. We’re not labeling anything. We’re just friends having fun, nothing more.
But what I can’t ignore? How fun it was to fantasize for a moment that I was his girlfriend.
Chapter 33
Blake
Iwalk out of the rink and see my parents standing outside with Briar.
My dad claps my shoulder. “Incredible game tonight, son. You played great.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“You were amazing, honey.”
“Thanks, Mom. Glad we pulled off a win for you guys and the rest of the parents watching us play tonight.”
“We’re so proud of you,” she says.
Briar beams at me. “You were on fire tonight.”
I grin. “Thanks.”
I think back to seeing her cheering for me in the stands when I scored the first goal of the game.
