Page 55 of The Recovery Coach
Lover wrinkled his nose.
“That one?Are you sure?”
“Well, I’m going to order more than one.But yes.I like that one.It’s very Livy.”
“The colors are boring, though.Does she even like flowers?Some girls don’t like flowers on their clothes.”Beanie provided his two cents.
“It’s orange.How is orange boring?And yes, she likes florals,” Hazy said, defensive.
“Hmm,” Lover mused.“Orange is a Calgary color.”
“Using that logic, she couldn’t wear anything other than blue.Leave me alone.I know what I’m doing.”
Lover aggressively patted Hazy’s good leg.“You don’t know what you’re doing at all.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”Hazy asked.
“It means maybe you should think about why Olivia is out on a date tonight and you’re at home with us, sulking and buying her presents like a sap,” Lover said.
“Fuck you.You didn’t call me a sap when I sent you gifts on your road trip.”
“Ordering dessert to our hotel room is far from the same thing,” Beanie said.
“You lost a bet and were supposed to do that every away game this season anyway,” Lover said.
Hazy gave them both the finger.He added his five favorite dresses to his online cart, plus the blue one Lover liked—because even if she only wore it once she would look gorgeous—and submitted his order.
Chapter 21
Olivia
DuringConnor’slastappointmentbefore Christmas break, Robbie kicked Olivia out of the exam room to talk to Connor privately.
She took the opportunity to watch the Freeze practice.She’d always loved going to Connor’s practice as a kid.She hadn’t skated in years.Watching Valentine and Beanie rib each other took her back to when she would dress in community goalie gear after hours and face shot after shot for Connor.She would get tired and cold, and Connor would always say, “Let me get five more, then we can be done.”
The memory brought a soft smile to her lips.Connor’s team wrapped up, and when they were all headed off the ice, Valentine skated over to her.
“Hazy’s going to be a while.I heard the trainers had quite the plan for him today.”
Olivia frowned.“They won’t push him too much.”
A half-smile made Valentine’s dimple pop, and Olivia chastised herself for drooling.
He ran a hand through his sweaty blond hair and said, “You’d be surprised.You have time.Do you want to skate?”
Olivia chewed on her lip, torn between wanting to skate and not wanting to hold up Connor.She checked her watch.“Let me see how long he’ll be.”
Done soon?
He replied instantly.
Not even close.You can go.Lover will drive me home.
Olivia huffed an annoyed sigh.He couldn’t bend his knee enough to get into Valentine’s clown car.Sometimes Connor didn’t think.
It’s literally my job to be here.I’ll wait.You can’t get into Valentine’s monstrosity.
Valentine, who’d been snooping as Olivia typed, said, “Hey!My car is not a monstrosity.She’s gorgeous.”He bent to put a skate guard on as he stepped off the ice.
