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“Good timing.” Piper went down to the conference room.
A few minutes later, noise came from the locker room next door, nothing specific, but the rumble of shower pipes, the clatter of skates. Not fifteen minutes later, York, the tall player from Minnesota, came through from the locker room exit. She didn’t know him that well. He stopped and backed up a step.
Jeez, the purity initiatives hadn’t been that bad. Piper held up her palm so he’d wait and listen. “Can you ask Liam to give me a minute? I want to run something by him.”
Relief erased the wariness from York’s face, he opened the locker room door, and stuck his head in. “Liam.” His broad Minnesota accent rounded the vowels. “I don’t know what you did, but Piper needs to see you, right now.”
Terrific.
York left, and Piper didn’t bother to thank him.
After a few minutes, Liam came out followed by Mikah, both had damp hair and fresh clothes. Only Mikah made her heart beat harder.
Mikah took the seat beside her. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Piper kept her voice neutral. Sigh, she sounded like a friend, he must love that.
Liam looked around the room. “What’s up?”
Piper smiled supportively. “It’s about Bianca.”
Liam grimaced and plopped down into a chair. “You think we should get back together?”
What? No. Piper had spent zero time thinking about the couple. They had looked finished on Halloween, and she hadn’t been convinced they were together before that. Had she been a crappy friend not checking on him? “I want whatever is best for you.” There, that was supportive, like something her parents would say.
Kiernan and two other guys exited next. They also had that post-practice cleaned up look. Two left, but Kiernan took a seat and faced Piper. He jerked his thumb at Liam. “What’d he do? Use all the maple syrup?”
Liam ignored him. “I’m not a puck bunny kind of guy.” He tossed his phone onto the conference table. “And the women on that app expect me to have a certain income and spend loads on them. Do you know what a trip to the makeup counter costs?”
Yes, she did. Piper could not be down with whining millionaires. Her eyebrows rose, and she gave him a steadying look. “You do okay.”
Liam opened his palms. “I have a big family back home.”
Ah, she got that. Dude needed a real relationship who would support him and his generosity. She could make that happen. “I have some ideas to hook you up.”
Rookie came through and sat down. “What’s going on?”
A knock sounded from the hallway door. Perfect timing. Piper rose and went to the door. “Bianca wants to return Liam’s stuff. We thought as long as the guards are here, it could be good. Plus, he has his friends to help him carry the bags out to his truck.” Piper softened her smile. “That okay?”
Liam looked down, frowning. “The thing is, I like maple syrup.”
Mikah put his hand on his shoulder. “We know, bro.”
Not hearing any blatant “no’s,” Piper turned the knob and pulled.
Bianca wasn’t wheeling suitcases or a trolly. She came inside carrying a shaving kit and a wad of fabric. Bianca stared hard at Liam and tossed her long, dark hair over her shoulder. “We’ve been together four years.” She tossed a shaving kit onto the table, and the leather case slid down to the middle. “That’s all you left at my place. After four years, and there’s room to spare inside, I checked.”
Kiernan whistled.
Bianca turned and gave Piper a woman-to-woman look. “Don’t date a guy who can’t commit.” She paused and then tossed the wad of fabric over her shoulder like she would have a bridal bouquet. A pair of man’s boxers landed on the tabletop. The hole in the waistband made the elastic pucker as if pleading with Bianca to stay.
CHAPTER 19
Bianca left.
That had gone okay. Piper kept her expression neutral.
Rookie stared at the tabletop boxers. “Why are they holey?”
