Page 60 of Heartless As Puck

As he continued, it became obvious that he was pairing together people who either didn’t get along or didn’t often work together. I crossed my arms as I watched Assistant Coach Willets hand out lengths of rope for them to tie their legs together. I couldn’t decide if Coach Dunn’s plan was brilliant or bound to end in disaster.

I knew Austin didn’t like Delacrue, but I also knew that, provided Delacrue did his part, they wouldn’t have any problems. Austin could look past his personal feelings to focus on achieving the goal. I wasn’t sure if Drew and Matt could do the same.

The pairs lined up facing the access road and when Coach Dunn whistled, they took off.

Austin and Delacrue moved awkwardly at first but got into a rhythm reasonably quickly, since they were a similar height. On the other hand, it took less than ten steps for Drew to stumble and for him and Matt to crash to the ground.

Drew swore and started to curse, but then visibly paused, inhaled slowly, and offered Matt his hand. Matt stared at it as if the hand were a viper but then took it, and together, they scrambled to their feet. Arms around each other, they lumbered awkwardly forward before finding a pace that worked for them.

I raised my eyebrow. “That was unexpected.”

“But good,” Maribel said. “Coach Dunn is losing his patience.”

I couldn’t help but agree.

The first pair to return was Young and Gadot—hardly surprising, considering they were both known for being fast on the ice. Austin and Delacrue were third, and Matt and Drew were, to everyone’s surprise, not last. Coach Dunn smiled to himself as they arrived back, but he hid it before acknowledging either one of them.

Several hours later, we gathered around a fire pit to keep warm before dinner. The coaches had left us to our own devices, perhaps to give the players the illusion of freedom.

“Here. Have a blanket.”

I cocked my head, caught off guard when Drew thrust a woolen blanket at me.

“It’s cold out,” he said gruffly as I took it. “Even with the fire.”

My heart softened, and I laid the blanket over my lap. “Thank you, Drew.”

He grunted and his cheeks flushed a little as he dropped into a chair on the opposite side of the fire pit.

Austin snuggled close. “If any more of my teammates flirt with you, we might have a problem.”

I giggled. “He wasn’t flirting. He was just being nice.”

“Drew is never ‘nice.’”

“Yes, he is, but you guys all fall for that grumpy, sweary act of his, so you don’t notice.”

Before Austin could reply, Jesse spoke loudly enough for us all to hear. “I challenge you all to a s’more-off.”

The campfire crackled and sent a plume of smoke into the air.

Rasmussen whooped. “You’re on. I am the s’more king.”

I breathed in the smoky scent and smiled. I loved campfires, but I hadn’t been camping in years. A wave of nostalgia washed over me, reminding me of the trips I’d taken with my parents and brother as a child. We used to toast marshmallows and argue about who did it best. Dad always loved his marshmallows to be burnt to a crisp on the outside, whereas the rest of us preferred different levels of gold and brown.

A pang of loneliness stirred in my gut. I missed them. I was proud of myself for forging my own path, but sometimes, it would be nice to be wrapped up in a mom hug and forget the need to be an adult for a little while.

Drew scoffed. “As if any of you could beat me.”

Beside me, Austin reached for a marshmallow, skewered it, and held it over the fire, rotating the skewer as each side became a golden brown. When it was done, he sandwiched it in a s’more and held it out to me. I moved to take it from him, but he shook his head and touched it to my lips.

My breath caught. Was he trying to hand feed me?

My lips parted, and he eased the s’more between them. I bit it and moaned as the gooey marshmallow and chocolate coated my tongue. His eyes darkened and his gaze held mine. Tension crackled between us.

“Have some more,” he rasped, his tongue darting out to wet his lips.

I opened my mouth again and let him feed it to me. His fingers brushed my skin and heat shot through me. I couldn’t look away from him as I accepted the treat and sucked on the tips of his fingers before he eased them away. He tasted of sugar and man.