Page 54 of Pucking Forbidden

Julian: How about a distraction? Want to meet me at the rink? It'll take me about an hour to get there. I'm running errands down that way.

I don’t even have to think about it. The thought of sitting alone in this apartment for another sixty minutes, letting my dad’s disapproval echo in my head, makes me feel claustrophobic.

Hadley: Yes!! See you there.

I toss the phone down and scramble off the couch. Changing into a pair of thick leggings and a cozy, oversized sweater, I grab my skate bag from the closet and head out the door.

Leaving the apartment early means I’ll probably beat him there by a solid thirty minutes, but I don't care. Getting out, driving, and being around the ice is exactly what I need right now. I can just lace up, get a head start on clearing my head, and then, when he gets there, I can tell him everything.

CHAPTER NINETEEN: PERCEPTIONS

HADLEY

The arena is quiet when I get there. I make my way down the back hallways toward the rink, my skates slung over my shoulder. Just as I’m about to reach the rink’s doors, a voice rings out behind me.

“Hadley?”

I look back to see my grandfather coming toward me, his face lighting up.

“Hey, Grandpa,” I reply. He pulls me into a bear hug, his big arms engulfing me.

“There’s my girl,” he murmurs warmly, squeezing me once before letting go. “What brings you in?”

“Just needed some skating time,” I reply.

He gives a sharp nod.

“Good,” he grunts, gesturing toward the ice with a gloved hand. “Better than sitting around that apartment all day. Go on, then. Get out there before I put you to work and make you scrub the bleachers.”

I grin up at him, knowing he’s joking, and he returns my gaze with his own soft one and a chuckle. “Thanks, Gramps.”

Turning, I continue forward, pushing the door open, but when I step into the rink area, I stop. It’s not so empty after all.

There’s someone on the ice. I don’t recognize him. New to the team, maybe? I drift closer to the boards, resting my arms along the top rail as I watch him finish another pass. He slows when he catches sight of me, coasting the last few feet before turning cleanly and gliding over. When he gets closer, I get a better look at his face. He’s pretty attractive, with his light brown hair and bright hazel eyes. He’s tall, but not as tall as Julian, and more leanly muscled than my big guy. It looks like he broke his nose at some point in his life, which pushes him across the line into rugged and less pretty boy.

“Hey,” he calls out. “You’re Hadley, right? Coach’s granddaughter?”

My brows lift in surprise. “You know who I am?”

He laughs under his breath, one hand hooking over the top of the boards as he leans in. “Yeah. I’ve seen you pop in and out of your grandpa’s office a few times.”

“Oh.” Strangely enough, I feel a little self-conscious at the thought of him noticing me like that. “I see.”

He studies me for a half-second, then swings himself over the boards in one smooth motion, landing beside me with a soft thud.

“Figured I’d introduce myself properly,” he says, offering a hand for me to shake. “I’m Theo. I just joined the team, which is still wild to say since I’ve been dreaming of being a Night Hawk since I was a kid.”

I take his hand with a small smile. “Hadley.”

“Nice to officially meet you.”

He grins as he lets go. It’s so casual and familiar, it throws me off for a second, but not in a bad way. He looks down, his gaze dropping to the scuffed leather of my skates before tracking back up to my face. He’s wearing a blue Night Hawks track jacket and thick hockey gloves, but no helmet. He's leaning heavily on his stick.

“You skating or just supervising?” he asks.

I laugh and decide to tease him a bit. “Definitely supervising.”

“Damn,” he chuckles. “Here I was hoping for a little company.”