Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
I motion my head to the kid next to me. He bends over and picks up a puck before tossing it over the glass and then looks back at me. The smile fills his face and his eyes are light golden brown, and all I want to do is kiss his lips. “Surprise!” I shout, shrugging, and he just shakes his head before he looks around and then holds up a finger, turning and skating away to the bench. I look at the kid beside me, who is freaking out he got a puck from Stone, and I’m stupidly proud that I’m with him. Well, not with him, but that I know him sort of.
I don’t have time to think about whatever it is that has my mind playing tricks on me because Stone comes back over. “Someone is going to come over and take care of you,” he says, and I look at him confused. He looks around again and sees a blonde with two kids who is not too far from me. He motions with his head to follow him, and I roll my eyes, but I follow him from my side of the glass as he skates over to the blonde.
“Katie.” He knocks the glass for the woman who is with two kids. The kids wear little jerseys with the number of their father because they have Daddy on the back of the jerseys. “She’s with me.”
“Oh my God, I have a ticket!” I shout, hoping he can hear me, and Katie just laughs.
The horn blows, and I look at him. “I have to go, but stay with Katie,” he says, smiling at me. “Katie, take care of her for me.”
“Sure thing,” Katie agrees, smiling at him and then turning to me. “I’m Katie, Jay’s wife.” She puts her hand out for me.
Taking her hand in mine, I shake it. “Hi, Katie, I’m Ryleigh. I have a ticket for the game, so you don’t have to worry about me.”
She smirks at me. “It’s okay. They each have seats in the box.” She points up. “Unless his family is in town, the seats are always empty, so you might as well use it.”
I’m about to decline her when a man comes toward us wearing a suit. “Hey, Katie,” he says to the girl and kisses her on the cheek. “And you must be Stone’s girl.” He looks at me, shocking me by giving me that title. “Let me show you to your seat.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
stone
“Did you get her?” I ask Glenn, the public relations guy, when he walks back into the room. I stop myself from going back out there, knowing there is no way I can until it’s time to get on the ice when the game is starting.
“She’s sitting with Katie,” he tells me as if I’m not dying over here.
“Can you get her after the game and make sure you bring her down here?” I ask him quietly, and he smirks.
“Is Stone Richards smitten?” he asks, and I’m the one who smirks at him.
“Did you not see her?” I ask, and he smiles. I’m not sure I will admit that I think I’m past being smitten.
“Oh, I did.” The words earn him a glare from me. “Relax, I’m happily married with two point five kids, three dogs, a cat, and now a fucking bird,” he says, looking at me, but continues to talk. “Why did I get a bird when I have a cat, you ask?”
“Um, I don’t think I—” I start to say, but he holds up his hand to stop me from talking, and I have no idea what to do.
“I’ll tell you why. My daughter fell while she was walking into the house and not looking where she was going because she still had my phone in her hand and was watching a video. She stumbled up the stairs and ended up bumping under her chin. Did you know that’s the thinnest skin on the body? Well, now you know.” He puts his hands in his pockets. “Well, needless to say, she needed four stitches, and it was obviously my fault that she fell since I didn’t take the phone from her. The only thing that would make her feel better was a fucking bird.” He looks to the right. “The cat is about to run away from home.”
“That’s a lot to unload.” I slap his shoulder. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have a game to win and a girl to get to.”
“Yeah.” He shakes his head. “Good luck with that.”
“Thanks,” I reply, turning and grabbing my stick to head out and wait for our time to get on the ice. I’m bouncing on my skates, wishing I could just go up and talk to her for a second. When I stood on the ice and looked over, spotting her, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me until I looked back and saw her fucking smile. I swear to everything, it was like the earth shifted. I second-guessed everything about her not being into me, but then she went out of her way to fly here and surprise me.