Page 29 of Cross Check

No one has ever called me that.

Abrasive, loud, and difficult to get close to? On more than one occasion.

But perfect?

It makes me entirely too warm. It’s far too pleasant for so early in the morning, and I blame my flushed cheeks on my fleece-lined jacket, not the compliment that edges its way close to my heart.

“It’s okay.” I wave him off and pop a piece of croissant in my mouth. “Even if you did mean it a certain way, nothing has changed for me. I like spending time with you, but all this can ever be is friendship, Grant. I hope that’s enough.”

“It’s more than enough.” He scoots his chair closer, his voice soft. A secret, just for me. “I really like being your friend, Amelia.”

There’s something about the word friend that makes my stomach flip. It’s not guilt or disappointment—there’s more heat behind it. The flicker of the unknown. The sting of wanting to find out.

Dangerous, my brain registers. But the kind of risk that brings excitement too.

“Good,” I manage to get out. My coffee burns my tongue, and I’m glad for it. “That’s good.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Grant raps his knuckles on the table and stands. His loose athletic shorts show off the curved muscles of his thighs, and I focus my attention on my drink. “You’ve given me ten minutes. I’m going to leave you in peace.”

“Thank you for the coffee and the food. Do you want to take some to your room? Might ward off the ghosts.”

“Sure.” He picks up my croissant. With his eyes on me, he bites into it. Setting the other half down on my napkin, his tongue sneaks out of his mouth, licking away the crumbs he left behind. “Delicious. See you tonight, Amelia.”

Grant waves to the barista and whistles his way out of the café. My heart continues to race long after he’s gone, and that’s the most confusing thing of all.

THIRTEEN

AMELIA

“We only have twenty minutes left in the season.” Jude stands in front of the locker room and looks out at the team. “Sure, we have the playoffs ahead of us. But let’s not take our foot off the gas now. DC is playing with everything they have. We need to lock in, put pressure on their defense, and start getting rebounds. Let’s finish this off with a bang, yeah?”

There’s a murmur of excitement from the guys. Lenny pops to his feet and holds his stick above his head. “Let’s go, boys. Momentum into the postseason, and our eyes on the prize.”

Jude, Elliot, and I step into the tunnel to give them a few minutes as a team. When we’re alone, Jude puts a hand on our shoulders.

“It’s been an honor to coach alongside you two the past couple of years,” he says.

“Fuck.” I sigh. “Is this the start of an announcement about how you’re retiring? I don’t like surprises, Jude! Especially in the middle of a game.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” He chuckles. “But you both should.”

“Are you firing us?” I ask, my guard up.

“Would I ever do that?”

“Amelia has a point. You’re never this ambiguous,” Elliot says.

“Stop interrupting me, and I’ll get to my point.” Jude grins. “Teams are going to be begging for a chance to talk with you all this offseason to fill their open positions. Your contracts are good for another year, but there won’t be any hard feelings if you want to find the best possible opportunity out there. If that’s not in Denver, I understand.”

“What the hell?” Elliot rolls his eyes. “We’re not jumping ship, dude. We’re in this for the long haul.”

“We like working with you, Jude. We have a good system in place, and we’re doing important things here. You’ve taught us a lot, but I know I want to keep growing as much as I can as a leader before I make the leap to someplace new,” I say. “It’s also nice that you’re the one who takes the heat when we lose, not me.”

“That’s all I’m good for?” Jude laughs. “I knew it.”

We make our way back to the ice for the final period, and I shake out my shoulders. The referee blows his whistle. The puck drops, the game resumes, and I track each player like my life depends on it.

DC is playing with everything they have. They have more on the line, fighting for a better spot in the playoff standings, and things start to get heated. There are back-to-back slashing penalties on both teams and a hooking call on Lenny that looks questionable at best.