Chapter 1

ONE

Anders

The annual pre-hockey season Lauderdale Knights beach party has become infamous.

It’s usually in early September, assuming we can stay ahead of the tricky South Florida weather, and it’s always a huge blowout. The team, along with coaches and support staff, all make an appearance, and last year’s shenanigans went late into the night.

I’ve just gotten back from my yearly trip home to Stockholm, so I’m still readjusting to the heat and humidity. It had been sixty degrees when I left Sweden. Today it’s already ninety-two and still going up.

I glance up at the cloudless sky suspiciously—it rains almost every day here in the summer. Even if it’s just for five minutes. Hopefully, that’s all it will be today since it’s only noon and the party is just getting started.

I plunk my beach bag and lounge chair down near a tree and set up the umbrella. With my light hair and fair skin, I’ll need a break from the sun over the course of the day. No matter how much sunscreen I use, I burn.

It’s my Swedish blood, I guess.

Once the chair is ready, I head back to my Corvette to get the three cases of water that are my donation to the day’s festivities. There are already coolers set up near a group of picnic tables, and I drop the water down beside them, looking at our head trainer, Dani Petrov.

“These okay here?” I ask her.

She nods. “Sure. Thanks. Can you open one case and put it in there?” She points to an open cooler filled with ice.

“You got it.” I do as asked, and we make small talk for a minute before one of her kids demands her attention.

It’s still early. Most of the team isn’t here, and the ones who are, are helping to set up. There’s a volleyball net, beanbag toss, and frisbees, along with balls and water floatation tubes of all kinds.

As I’m helping, I can’t help but notice a woman off to the side. She’s in a lounge chair under a tree, big floppy hat on her head, with a book open in front of her. She seems oblivious to everything going on, and I look around, wondering who she’s with.

Our head coach, Anatoli Petrov, has arrived with his wife and four kids, so there’s a lot of commotion as everyone calls out to him. Yet the woman under the tree glances up, takes in the situation, and then simply goes back to her book looking completely uninterested.

Who the hell is she?

I know the guys that are here, and they’re all taken.

Jude LeBlance is with his wife Chloe.

Vaughn Elliott and his wife Juliet.

Wolf Bodilsen with his wife Scarlett and their daughter Naomi.

No one that’s here is single enough to have brought a date none of us know.

I pause, thoughtfully.

My buddy Johan said his sister might be coming to town.

Could this be her?

I’ve seen pictures of Hana and even with a hat and sunglasses, I don’t think this is her. But it could be prudent to find out since I’ve had a running joke with Johan about dating his sister. Hana lives in Slovakia, so that’s probably never going to happen, but it’s still fun to mess with him. And she really is beautiful.

“Hi.” I sink down on the sand next to the woman.

She glances up and smiles shyly. “Hello.”

She’s definitely not Hana, but she’s pretty.

“Not a fan of the beach or the chaos?” I ask.

She chuckles. “I love the beach. Less so any chaos, but that’s all right. I have a book and water.” She motions to an insulated tumbler beside her. “That’s all I need.”

“I didn’t think to bring a water bottle to keep it cold,” I admit, looking at the tumbler enviously. Any bottled water I drink over the course of the day will start getting warm as soon as I pull it from the cooler.

“I never leave home without it,” she says.

“Smart lady.” I pause. “I’m Anders.”

“Claudia.”

Okay, that tells me nothing.

Suddenly a frisbee comes flying out of nowhere, heading straight for Claudia’s face. Before she can react, I lift a hand, catching it in mid-air, inches before it smacks her.

“Oh!” She sits up straighter, startled.

“Sorry!” Coach’s oldest son, Alex, comes running over to us.

“Be careful, buddy,” I gently admonish him.

“Alex!” Toli yells to his son. “Over there! Away from people.” He points toward the shore.

“Sorry!” Alex repeats as he runs in that direction.

“Thank you,” Claudia says, lifting her sunglasses and giving me the first full look at her face.

Jesus, she’s gorgeous.

Big, blue eyes.

High cheekbones.

Full, beautiful lips that are perfect for kissing.

Who the hell is she?

“You’re welcome,” I say instead of asking the question on my mind.

“Anders!” Wolf calls to me. “Come help me with this, will you?”

“On my way!” I lumber to my feet. “See you later?”

“I’ll be right here.”

We exchange a look I can’t quite decipher but Wolf needs me, so I head over to where he’s unloading some kind of portable grill. “What the hell is this?” I demand.

“It’s a grill,” he says, arching one dark brow. “Don’t they have grills in Sweden?”

“Fuck off,” I say, laughing. “I’ve just never seen such a big one that’s portable.”

“Yeah, with as much time as we spend on the beach, we decided having something like this is worthwhile.”

We carry the clunky apparatus over to where a few other grills have been set up, and then walk back to get the accompanying pieces and propane cannisters.

“Hey,” I say quietly. “Don’t look now, but do you know who the woman in the hat is, under the tree?”

He picks up both propane cannisters and then surreptitiously glances in the direction I indicated. He frowns and then shakes his head.

“No idea. I didn’t see her arrive and I don’t see anyone here that’s single.”

“That’s what I thought. Her name’s Claudia, but I didn’t get any further than that before Alex tried to take us both out with his frisbee.”

He chuckles. “Well, make sure you find out before you start hitting on someone’s new girlfriend or sister or something.”

“For sure.”

I don’t talk to Claudia again for a while because I’m caught up in helping everyone unload their cars and set up their chairs, tents, and umbrellas. More than half the team is married with kids, so it quickly becomes as chaotic as I’d predicted. It’s fun, though, with lots of conversation, banter, and laughter.

Except, through it all, Claudia doesn’t join in, and I feel a little bad for her.

Why isn’t anyone talking to her? She can’t just be someone who wandered into our private party by accident. Someone had to have invited her, yet no one I’ve asked knows who she is.

However, the quest to find out gives me an excuse to talk to her some more.

“Hey.” I sink down next to her again. “Whatcha reading?”

“Oh, um, it’s a coding book.”

“A what?”

She wrinkles her nose, lifting one shoulder in a small shrug. “I’m a computer nerd. I read books about computer coding for fun. I know, it’s awful. But I can’t seem to help myself.”

“It’s not awful ,” I say with a laugh. “But we’re at the beach. It’s a beautiful day. And it’s a team party. Wouldn’t it be more fun to socialize?”

She hesitates. “Like I said—science nerd. Socializing and parties aren’t really my thing.”

“How about the water? Is that your thing? Want to go for a swim?”

She slowly rests her book on her thighs and lifts her eyes to mine.

“Er, no. Not really.”

“You sure?” I cock my head. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

“I don’t…” She’s so hesitant I’m beginning to wonder if she’s here with a date. Maybe they just didn’t come together and he’s late? I should probably find out before I continue trying to flirt with her.

I finally decide to be blunt, looking around. “Are you here with one of the guys? If so, I apologize if I’ve crossed a line...”

“Oh.” Now she looks startled. “No. I’m not here with a date . My friend is?—”

“Claudia!” Someone calls out her name and she turns, a huge smile breaking out on her face.

And Christ, it transforms her so much it leaves me breathless.

“Hana!” She jumps to her feet and runs across the sand, the two women throwing their arms around each other and hugging tightly. Like they haven’t seen each other for a long time.

Hana .

She’s friends with Hana?

Johan’s sister Hana?

The same Hana that I’ve jokingly said I’m going to marry.

I know that’s who it is because Johan and his fiancée Sloane are standing there, watching Hana and Claudia hug.

And they’re still hugging, rocking back and forth.

“…so long,” Claudia is saying as I approach.

“I’ve missed you so much!” Hana says as they pull apart and then start hugging all over again.

Johan catches my eye and grins. “Hey. I see you’ve met Hana’s friend Claudia.”

“Anders has been keeping me company,” Claudia says, giving me another breathtaking smile.

“I see that.” Johan walks over and tugs Hana forward. “And this is my sister, Hana. Whom I know you’ve been dying to meet.”

Shit.

I had no idea Hana would be here today, and I wish Johan had given me a head’s up.

“Hi. I’m Hana.” The gorgeous brunette approaches me with an impish grin and an outstretched hand. “I understand we’re to be married?”