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“Can’t complain. Work’s keeping me busy as usual.”
I drop my bag to the tile floor near the table and unzip my black puffy jacket. Ford, Madden, and Riggs give me chin lifts in greeting. They’ve always been nice, treating me more like a sister than anything else.
Wolf shoots me a smirk.
He’s always been friendly, but there’s something about him that seems almost dangerous. Because of that, I’ve always been cautious where he’s concerned. He’s kind of like a lion lounging on a sunny rock, biding his time. It lulls you into a false sense of security before he leaps and rips your jugular out.
Or maybe I’m letting my imagination run wild. What I do know is that the guy is a force to be reckoned with on the ice. He’s one of the best goalies playing Division I hockey. Like Ryder, he entered the draft during his sophomore year in college and was picked up by Milwaukee. Once he graduates, he’ll sign his contract and play professionally.
“Hey, little McKinnon,” Colby says with a smile. One flick of his baby blues and girls drop their panties, no questions asked.
I can’t help but flash him a smile. It’s tempting to pinch his dimpled cheeks. “You realize that I’m the older sibling, right?”
“I meant in stature,” he shoots back easily.
Well, he’s got me there. Next to these guys, I’m a pipsqueak.
All of them say goodbye to my parents before taking off. Heads swivel as they saunter through the Union.
I pull out a chair and take a seat. “Where’s Mav? Isn’t he meeting up with us for lunch?”
Mom searches the crowded space before pointing toward the entrance. “Speak of the devil, he just walked in.”
The guys all knock fists with Maverick on the way past before he hugs Mom and settles next to me. Since our parents arrived earlier, they grabbed a few sandwiches, two soups, and a couple salads along with drinks.
Mom glances around the Union before meeting Dad’s gaze. “It doesn’t seem like all that long ago when we were at college, does it?”
“Tell that to my joints,” Dad grumbles. “Some days I wake up and it feels like I’m eighty.”
Mom’s lips quirk. “I know, but still…sometimes it feels like yesterday.”
His eyes soften before he reaches out and squeezes her slender hand. “You look the same as you did then.”
She snorts before smiling. “Nice try.”
“I’m serious. You’re just as beautiful as the day we met.”
When they lean in for a kiss, Mav makes a few gagging noises. “If you two start going at it, I’m leaving.”
A smile simmers around Dad’s lips. “How do you think you and your sister got here?”
“Jesus…” Mav mutters. “Are you trying to make me lose my appetite?”
Mom chuckles before passing out the sandwiches and giving us all a choice of soup or salad. Our parents opt for the salads and Mav and I grab the containers of soup. The bowl is still steaming when I lift the spoon to my lips.
They try to stop by campus once a month to have lunch or take us out to dinner. During hockey season, it’s easier to grab something in the afternoon between classes rather than work around Mav’s practice and game schedule.
“How’s it going with the new coach?” Dad asks.
Mav jerks his shoulders. “The guy was a real hardass when he first came in, but now that we’re a month into the season, he’s beginning to mellow.”
Dad nods before musing, “I played against Reed Philips in college and when he was in Chicago. He was one hell of a player back in the day.”
“Did they have helmets way back then, old man?” Mav asks, lips twitching.
“Hardy har har. You’re hilarious.”
He smirks. “I try.”
