Page 56 of Score Her Heart

“Oh! I think we have the same publisher. Petite, dark-hair?”

Lacey nodded. “Yup, that’s D.”

I chewed on my lip until the recognition dawned on me. She wrote cute YA romances about hockey. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure we’ve met before. Noah’s a bit younger than her, huh?”

Lacey nodded. “Even before those two got together, she always worried about Noah. I’m not sure why she’s not here today.” The younger girl had a guilty look on her face. “I may have actually scared her off.”

“How so?” I asked.

She grimaced. “I don’t think she knew that Noah was already in love with her, and I might have spilled the beans on that.”

I cringed but squeezed her hand in support. I hadn’t met Noah yet, but Riley had kind of mentioned something similar to me. He even told me he had goaded the kid into asking her out by telling him if Noah didn’t, he would. Riley was just trying to push him, though; he wasn’t interested in Dinah.

The play was still stopped on the ice, so I turned my attention back to what was going on in front of us. It was scary when a player got injured. Especially when they weren’t getting up off the ice. You never wanted to see a guy get hurt, even if you hated his guts.

TJ Desjardins and the team doctor were trying to get the kid up. Eventually, his six-foot-two frame lifted off the ice, and the doctor held a towel to the side of his face, which was now bleeding. My eyes flicked to Riley on the ice, looking like he was having some words with one of the Pittsburgh Miners. By words, of course, I meant it looked like he was about to drop the gloves. Riley didn’t fight much, but I think as one of the older players on this team, he felt like it was his duty to protect his boys.

He must have felt my gaze on him because he looked up and saw me giving him a warning look and mouthing, “Don’t,” from the other side of the glass.

He winked and blew me a kiss. To which I rolled my eyes.

“Aw! You guys are so cute!” Lacey squealed.

I chewed my lip in worry while I watched Noah get taken down the tunnel. I would have been losing my mind if that was Riley, so maybe it was a good thing that Dinah wasn’t here to see her man like that. Especially when he never returned to the ice.

Noah getting taken out of the game must have rallied up the rest of the boys because, after the second period, they were out for blood. TJ Desjardins, in particular, was ready to go; I saw the chirps coming out of his mouth when he was on the ice. Riley was trying to be safe and not trying to take too many penalties but was getting in the corners and protecting the net as much as possible. I loved watching that big man play the game he loved, and seeing him do it in person again made my heart soar with pride. Watching him be successful at the sport he loved made my soul do a little dance. I was so proud of my best friend for all he had accomplished. When the Bulldogs won the game, I was practically beaming.

“Are you going to come to Noah and TJ’s place tonight?” Lacey asked.

I nodded.

She squeezed my hand. “You know, us WAGs aren’t all scary.”

I smiled at the younger girl. “Thanks, Lace.”

“If it makes you feel better, none of us like Stephanie.”

I smiled at her. As petty as it was, it did make me feel a little better.

Chapter Eighteen

RILEY

“Are you sure you want to come with me to Noah and TJ’s? We could have a night in,” I suggested to Fi when I got home after my game.

I had actually been surprised last night when she sent in her book and said she was going to come to the game and then later to TJ and Noah’s place with me. I was also secretly really glad because I had heard from G that Stephanie was trying to start drama with her at the game, and Fi was so cool and collected about it. Metzy’s girl Lacey ended up hanging with her all night, and that made me happy. Lacey was a great girl and smart like Fi.

I was also happy Fi was at the game tonight because we actually had a win! Mostly because Noah got taken out of the game early when he took a puck to the face, so we all fought to win the game for him. And, of course, the big goof’s first question was if he blocked the shot or not. Sometimes us hockey players could be a bit thick.

Fi stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, applying dark lipstick on her lips. I felt my pants tighten at it. Damn, did my wife look hot.

“I already put lipstick on; we’re going,” she replied with a stern look on her face.

The lipstick was good because it kept me from pulling her into my arms and spending the night in bed with her. Not that I didn’t want to, the tent in my pants definitely wanted that, but after our talk the other day, I didn’t want her to think I only married her for the great sex. Although it occurred to me that keeping her at arm's length might not be the best. There had to be a reason she had been reading that very steamy romance novel the other night. I was hoping she would make a move on me again, but so far, it was like we were each holding out for each other.

I wanted this marriage to be a real partnership, a real relationship, but it still felt like she was holding it in her head as a business relationship. We were just roommates who had fucked a couple times and now chastely shared a bed. I didn’t know what to do about it.

I watched her part her lips and then rub them together; my mouth went dry at seeing her do that. Once satisfied, she flicked off the light and walked out of the bathroom. She was still wearing the Philadelphia Bulldogs jersey with my name on the back. Something dug into my heart at that...like her wearing my jersey meant she was finally mine. She might be wearing her wedding ring, but it didn’t feel like she was mine yet. Not by a long shot.