Page 47 of Heartless As Puck

He grimaced. “Oh.”

I studied his face for a moment, noting the slight downturn of his mouth and the irritation in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “Nothing major. They broke the news about me being captain of the team today. Most took it well, but Delacrue made a few shitty comments.”

Delacrue, the fourth line center and a bruiser of a man, was one of the few players left on the team who’d been friendly with Taggert. It made sense that he’d resent whoever replaced him.

I winced. “Sorry, that must have sucked. Don’t take it to heart, though. The team has been through a lot of change lately, but they listened to you at Rinkside, and I’m sure they’ll listen to you again when it matters.”

“I hope so.”

“Aww!”

I flinched, and Austin did too. We both spun around to find Hazel standing behind us, her chin resting on her palm and hearts in her eyes.

“You two are so cute together.” She grinned at each of us and then breezed past me and hugged Austin. “Hey, big brother.”

“Hi, Haze.” He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed gently.

My heart melted a little bit. In day-to-day life, it was easy to forget what a big softie Austin was when it came to his baby sister. She was nearly ten years younger than his thirty-two—an accidental baby—and he’d given her all the affection she’d never received from their dad.

Swoon.

He glanced between us. “I’m going to put my gear away. Where should I find you?”

“In the kitchen,” Hazel said.

I reached for his bag, eager for an excuse to escape the inquisition. “I can do that.”

“But you’re cooking dinner,” Hazel pointed out.

Austin smirked. “I’ve got it.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. He might just find himself nursing a stomped-upon foot if he didn’t help take some of Hazel’s attention off me soon.

As if reading my mind, he murmured, “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

I jerked my head stiffly and marched back to the kitchen.

Hazel danced along behind me, far more graceful than I’d ever be. “You know, I think you’re exactly what Austin needs.”

I paused just inside the kitchen door and squeezed my eyes shut briefly. “Why’s that?”

She rounded the kitchen counter and went to the breakfast bar, where she sat and sipped on her tea. “I was worried you two might both be too serious to fit well together. He’s so focused on his career and you’re quiet, and I thought you might be too much intensity wrapped up in one package, but I’m realizing now that Austin has never had someone who’s solidly on his side before, except for me.”

I blinked at her, startled by the comment. “What do you mean?”

She pulled a face. “Dad put a lot of pressure on him and made him work harder than any kid should have to. No matter how well Austin did, Dad could always find something he needed to improve. He’d never just tell him he’d done a good job.”

“That’s rough.”

“Yeah.” She pulled a face. “Mom was always busy with me, and he had friends, but they were surface-level. He deserved more.”

“He has Gus now,” I offered, my thoughts whirling. I’d never thought of Austin as being particularly isolated before, but that had been an oversight.

“Gus.” Hazel rolled her eyes. “He’s paid to care, and he’s always going to prioritize Austin’s career over his happiness.”

“I was paid to care too,” I pointed out.