Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
I flush from head to toe, and all he does is grin.
“I think Coach Cook likes you.”
A startled sound leaves my lips as I whip my gaze to her. “What?”
“Coach Cook is into you. All he does is stare and smile at you. Like, all the time,” she says, laughter tingeing her words. “I’ve known him my whole life, and I think I’ve seen him smile four times before you got here. Now, it’s all he does. But it’s a weird smile, like all sneaky. It’s gross.”
I rather think it’s hot, but my preference is way different from a fourteen-year-old’s. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We’re friends, old partners.”
She sets me with a very serious look. “He wants to Netflix and chill, Coach, or hockey game and chill, or whatever you old people do.”
I feign hurt. “Whoa, I’m not old.”
She shrugs. “He is!”
“We’re the same age!”
Her face scrunches up at that. “You look really good, which is why he wants to smash.”
“For the love of God, what are they teaching you at this public school?”
She snorts. “It’s not the school, it’s the kids, and everyone is looking for a sneaky link.”
Sneaky link? The hell? “Not you, though.”
A look of pure incredulousness covers Skyye’s sweet face. “No way. I’ve got goals, and they don’t include getting pregnant and stuck in Thistlebrook.”
I pat her shoulder. “That’s my girl.”
She sends me a proud grin. “But for real, he’s into you.”
I look over, watching as Dean holds an old plank in his hand while Jett hammers the nails down so that no one pokes themselves when they are transferring them. Jett gives Dean a dark look and then mutters something that only has Dean grinning from ear to ear, reminding me of Skyye.
“I don’t know.”
“I do,” she sings, skating toward the harness. “And I think you like him.”
I cock a brow. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” she says confidently. “Because just like him, you keep staring at him like there is nothing else going on in this world than whatever he is doing.”
My heart swells in my chest as my face blooms with heat. I’m so good at hiding what I’m feeling, but she saw that. I’m unable to think of a response, and she flashes me a wide, knowing grin before we set her up on the harness again.
Once more, I feel his gaze on me.
After I have her strapped in, I smile at her before I look over my shoulder to find him watching me again. His eyes are dark, his lips curved just a bit at each side. He has a board above his head, mid-step, like he caught a glance and couldn’t look away. His gaze is like my favorite blanket, and I want to stay snuggled up with him. I give him a little smirk that only makes his smile grow more as I move to where I can safely use the pulley system for Skyye.
Unlike last time, he hasn’t put space between us. It’s been a week since we lay on the ice together, and while I still feel the need to devour the man, I have refrained. I want to talk to him first, tell him what is wrong with me. The problem is, I like how he treats me, and I don’t want it to stop. I’ve never been the center of someone’s world, and that’s how Jett makes me feel. I don’t even think he’s trying, yet the littlest things make my heart soar.
Jett has gone with me to the schools and talked to students and faculty. He went with me to businesses on Second and then on Third Street. Of course, since I had him with me, everyone was all for talking to us. We had a lot of good leads and set up meetings. It bummed me that they didn’t want to work with me alone, but I don’t care as long as we get the money to fund what I want to do. The whole time we were meeting with everyone, his hand stayed on my lower back. He even hooked his finger with mine, and I didn’t miss the looks we earned or even the gossip. Kitty had called me right as I was walking in the door to tell me that Ms. Hely saw me cuddled up with Jett all over town.
Crazy folks, but maybe we did look cozy.
He sure makes me feel that way.
Though he wasn’t very cozy when I suggested using my money to fund the overhaul of the west rink, the figure skating part of the pro shop, and the new website. No, he was downright pissed. Told me it wasn’t happening.
“The Ice Thistle has money. I’m just frugal.”
So damn frugal it makes me crazy.
I know he didn’t grow up like I did. With his dad being in and out of jail, they relied a lot on Hazel and Bea. He never went without, but…he went to public school, while I went to Prep. Two different sides of the coin, but we came together on the ice. I know he likes to have money to fall back on, though he went ahead and bought me two of the harnesses I wanted. We’ve hired the contractors for the upgrades. As Phillip wanted, things are moving and grooving, and I have every intention of making this place even more profitable.