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CHAPTER 1
AURORA
“You can do this, Aurora Vivienne Hart. You will freaking do this.”
You have good sense and a sweet temper, and I am sure you have a grateful heart that could never receive kindness without hoping to return it.
Inhaling a deep, calming breath, I repeated the quote over and over as I hitched the bag up my shoulder and climbed the three steps up to my brother’s house.
It was a warm August day, the streets of Lakeshore—a small coastal town in Ohio—bustling with students returning from their summer break. I’d only been here once before when I visited my brother Austin last year. He’d had a rare weekend off hockey and taken some time out from his busy, important life to show me the sights of the place he now called home. It was the perfect blend of college campus and seaside resort, the stunning views of Lake Erie one of its definite selling points. But I never visited again.
Until now.
A shuddering breath rolled through me as I gave myself one final pep talk and rang the doorbell. Austin was expecting me, but butterflies still swarmed my stomach as I tugged restlessly at my favorite oversized plot twist t-shirt.
I paused, caught like a deer in the headlights at the sound of heavy footsteps beyond the door, the rattle of the lock. It swung open, revealing my big brother in all his six-foot-two bulked-up hockey player glory.
“Rory, you made it.” He pulled me into his arms, hugging the crap out of me.
“Hey, Austin,” I chuckled, melting into his familiar embrace. Things might have been weird between us over the last few years, but he was still my big brother. That bond never truly died.
At least, I hoped it didn’t.
“God, it’s good to see you.” He held me at arm’s length. “Let me get a good look at you.”
“Austin,” I groaned, rolling my eyes as he studied me the way he’d used to when we were kids.
Don’t look too closely. Please, for the love of God, don’t look too closely.
“You look tired.”
“I’m fine.” The well-rehearsed lie rolled off my tongue. “Are you going to invite me in, or will we stand on the porch all day?”
“Come on. The guys aren’t home yet, so we have the place to ourselves.”
Relief flooded me.
Much like my brother, Austin’s hockey friends were a lot to handle. At least from the one time I’d met some of them, I’d concluded they were.
But I guess it came with the territory.
Lakeshore U was a hockey college, and the Lakers were treated like celebrities around campus. Girls and guys alike all wanted a piece of the five-time Frozen Four finalists.
“Let me give you the tour,” he said, taking my bag. “Okay, we’ve got the living room.” He pointed to the first door, and I poked my head inside.
“I love what you’ve done with the place.” Humor laced my words as I scanned the hockey paraphernalia hanging off every available expanse of wall space. I was hardly surprised at the cyan and indigo Lakers jersey hanging in the center with a pair of sticks, gloves, and they even had—
“Puck coasters, really?”
“What?” He shrugged. “Con found them at the dollar store.”
“Of course he did.” I suppressed a laugh. “So long as I don’t have to sleep in a shrine to the Lakers, I’m good.”
No way did I want to spend my nights burrowed underneath a gaudy Lakers blanket.
“You won’t. We keep that bedroom empty for… uh…”
“I swear to God, Austin, if you say hookups, I’m going to turn around and walk right out.”
