CHAPTER SEVEN

PAIGE

“I don’t know which is worse…”

“You and my brother, huh?” A young woman bumps into my side as she joins me on the bleachers facing the ice. The game started five minutes ago, and Levi took off with his friends around the same time, leaving me alone in a sea of fans.

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry, I’m Brooke, Ryan’s sister.” She offers her hand for a friendly shake.

“Oh, hi… Paige Hornby. The team captain, #37, is my little brother.” She probably already knows all of this since she’s the one who approached me, but my brain is racing to figure out what she might want.

To vet me for her brother?

To see if I’m a gold digger since he’s one of the heirs to a billionaire’s fortune?

“It’s nice to finally meet you. I wanted to introduce myself at the last game but didn’t want to overstep. Ryan said things were still new between the two of you. I think he was worried I’d scare you off.” She rolls her eyes. “ Brothers. And you’ve got twice the testosterone to deal with!”

I chuckle. “Yep, two younger brothers are definitely a handful.”

“I don’t know which is worse, one older, overprotective brother or trying to wrangle two little ones.”

“Let’s call it a tie,” I say, relaxing in the wake of her lighthearted humor. Maybe this isn’t an inquisition. She’s curious about me—for good reason—and wants to chat. No ulterior motives. Just doing her due diligence as a good sister.

It’s the same thing I would do for Gage or Levi.

“How about we commiserate over our lots in life with soft pretzels and slushies?” she asks, gesturing toward the concessions stand on the other side of the arena.

My stomach rumbles to remind me that lunch was cut short today when an irate parent called about a student’s missing work. I spent the entire time explaining how their child may have completed their worksheets, but they were never actually turned in, while my poor pasta primavera sat untouched.

“I think I like you,” I joke, following her down the concrete steps to the ground floor. A whistle blows on the ice as a penalty is called against the opposing team.

“Power play time. Hopefully, we can take advantage of it.”

Brooke and I split our attention between the game and dodging people on our way to the food stand. The line is blessedly short considering how early it still is, so it’s not long before our hands are full of sugar and carbs.

After returning to our seats, we fall into easy conversation, landing on the subject of books. She shares about the romance novel she’s currently writing, and I marvel at how well our families mesh. Gage and Levi think Ryan hung the moon, while I can easily see Brooke and I becoming good friends.

It’s encouraging yet surreal.

Who would have thought I’d have so much in common with a retired hockey player? From the caretaker role to our siblings to a similar playful competitive spirit evidenced in our game of HORSE on ice.

Ryan and I fit together—a match against all odds.

And while our relationship is only a few weeks old, I feel like it's the real deal.

A sense that fills me with hope for a ‘happily ever after’ kind of future.