Page 75 of Melt the Ice

“We’ve got this man, it’s going to work out,” Sammy says as he sits across from me at the card table. We agreed that Lettie would stay at Abby and Tate’s house, and he and his old roommate Zeke will be there for added protection. But the dread building in my gut makes me want to say screw it and run back to the ranch so I can see she’s safe for myself.

I nod, desperate for something to distract me from the endless what-if scenarios. “Oh! Sing-along with Lucas. We need a superhero group theme song. Like the ninja turtles or something.” Sammy claps his hands together as Wilder and Reed look ready to throw him off the plane.

“A theme song?” Our captain asks with the raise of his eyebrow. “What are we, five?”

Samuels flops back into the seat, “Think about it, we could be the next Marvel Squad. Hockey stick slinging vigilantes."

My hand flies to my mouth as I try to smother a laugh. Wilder doesn’t hold back, though, nor do Andrews or Wilson. “We’re like the hockey sextuplets,” Sammy says as he folds his arms behind his head.

Andrews coughs into his balled fist, “Did you just say sextuplets?”

“Yeah, that’s what it’s called when you’re pregnant with six babies at the same time,” he deadpans.

The back of the plane breaks out in laughter. “Ahh, is that what we are? Band of brothers, born of the same womb?” Wilson snickers.

Sammy’s hands fly through the air before he leans his forearms against the table. “You assholes are missing the point. This is prime real estate for a theme song.” He looks at me, “Come on, you know you want to make one up.”

Folding my arms over my chest, I try to come up with something, but my mind is too heavy to be creative right now.

“Oh! We could be the ice guardians!” He cuts in. “Come on! Help me out here.”

“You’re off your freaking rocker.” Reed chuckles from his seat.

Defeated, Sammy juts his lip out. “Boooo! You spoilsports.”

My phone lights up seconds before they close the door.

Scarlett: Settled in Abby’s guest room. I’m good, please focus on the game. I love you, Goldie. See you when you get home.

Lucas: I love you, miss you already.

Scarlett: Back at ya.

My nerves settle a bit, enough for us to pull out the cards. All of us in need of a distraction, Wilder and I for the women we’ve left at home, the other three, well, you can tell their minds are racing. Quiet in a way that isn’t normal for us.

It’s comforting to think that maybe they’re just as worried about the ranch and our friends at home. But at the same time, it isn’t their burden to carry. But they chose to carry it with us, to spread the weight so it's not overwhelming for any single person.

The flight to Tennessee is just under two hours, and we’ve played more rounds of spoons than I can count. A game that's as mindless as it is intense. I’m convinced we don’t even pay attention to the cards we have. We just wait for someone to pull a spoon before we all jump in like animals.

“Clean up your mess, boys, leave nothing behind.” Coach Stevens hollers from the front, his typical speech before we deplane.

Elliott: One of his meetings today just so happened to be with someone he’s trying to silence. Monitoring all communication. Will keep you updated.

Lucas: Got it. Thanks for the update.

“It’s begun, my friends.” Turning my phone to them as we climb onto the bus. Sammy rubs his hands together, clearly still feeling like a superhero, while Reed forcefully exhales, and Wilder gives me a tight nod.

It’s going to be impossible to sleep tonight, but we still have a job to do. One that requires focus, so for now, we’ve got to trust in Tate, Zeke, and Dex to do what we can’t while we do what we can to get back home in one piece. The last time one of us lost focus during a game, Wilder took a nasty hit from behind and was out for months while he rehabbed his rotator cuff.

Once we make it to the hotel, I figure everyone will go their separate ways, but they somehow all end up in our room. “Wilder, buddy, can you stop pacing?” I ask as I watch him take his what must be twentieth lap around the room at this point.

His shoulders raise to his ears, then drop as he exhales, “I’m sorry. I know they’re okay, but I don’t like knowing we’re poking the bear and we’re not home to protect them.”

Reed leans back into the couch on the other side of the room, “You know good and well that even if Dex and Collin weren’t involved, your brother would never let anything happen to them.”

Tate may be a grumpy asshole to most, but he’s the gooeyest cinnamon roll for Abby. He’s also hella protective, like, step-in-front-of-a-bullet protective. My concern is that Scarlett’s way worse on that front. At the first hint of them being in danger, she’ll flee. Drawing her dad, or whoever is there with ill intent, away from the safety of our friends.

Hannah: Can you calm my husband down? I can feel him stressing from here.