Page 123 of Offside Rules

"Yes, please."

She pours me a glass while I settle my plate on my knees. Behind the sectional, two children are arguing about whether their blanket fort needs another entrance.

"If it collapses again, you’re rebuilding it yourselves," Isla tells them.

"We know!"

"She says that, but she’ll be back there fixing it in ten minutes," Peyton tells me.

"I heard you," Isla says.

"I know. I’m sitting right here."

Ellie laughs around a bite of dip, and I turn toward the screen as the puck drops.

Wolf starts the game beside Hunter. I’ve watched that pairing enough to know where to look when the camera follows the puck, but it’s still strange how quickly I find him.

Three weeks ago, I would’ve found him just as quickly. Usually to complain about whatever he’d done to earn two minutes in the box.

Tonight, I’m hoping he makes it through the game without someone driving his bad shoulder into the boards.

Natalia leans toward me. "Luka said Wolf’s been looking at his phone every five minutes since they left."

"He has other people to talk to."

"Of course." She reaches for her glass. "Probably his agent sending pictures of himself wearing Wolf’s hoodie."

"Right well, their relationship is a little unorthodox, to say the least."

Natalia laughs at my attempt to deflect the fact that the locker room all knows about us.

I glance down at the black fabric across my lap.

Ellie is smiling into her wine.

On the television, Wolf gets the puck away from a forward and sends it along the boards to Hunter. Peyton leans forward as Hunter carries it out, and I find myself doing the same.

The pass reaches Aleksi, but his shot goes wide.