Page 53 of Playing it Safe

Cameron rounds the corner and sees me on the floor. His whole body changes — shoulders forward, jaw set, that focused intensity that would scare me if I didn't know he was the opposite of dangerous.

I already feel better. Which makes me feel worse because what can he do? He kneels in front of me. His hands find mine, and they're warm, steady, and enormous.

"What's wrong?" His voice is low. Just for me.

"Deen's ride fell through." I look at him through wet eyes. "She can't come to the game. She's been planning for weeks, and Cameron— she must be so upset. She doesn't show it the same way, but I know her. She's going to sit there pretending it's fine, but it's not fine, and I promised our parents⁠—"

"Hey." He squeezes my hands. "Look at me."

I look at him.

"I've got this."

"What?"

"Your sister needs a ride to the game and someone to sit with her. I've got it." He says it like it's the simplest thing in the world. Like there's no question, no deliberation, no weighing of whether this is his problem to solve. "I'll pick her up, I'll bring her here, and I'll sit with her. She'll be in her seat before warm-ups."

"Cameron, you don't even know her. She has specific needs. The noise might be too much. She needs —"

"I'll talk to the staff. I'll find out what she needs and make sure she has it." His hands tighten around mine. "Briar. Get your head in the game. You have a playoff to win. Let me handle this."

I stare at him. This man who knew how to make my body soar tells me he can take care of my sister, too, so I can play hockey. So I can concentrate on my job.

"You'd do that?"

His thumb traces my cheek, and I notice it’s wet. I really have been crying. “Sweetheart, I’m already doing it.”

He kisses my forehead. He stands. He turns to Ducky, whose expression suggests I will hear about this for the rest of my career.

"What's the name of the staff member at Deen's house?" he asks me.

"Dominique has the day shift today. Her number is in my phone."

He takes my phone, finds the contact, and forwards it to himself. He hands the phone back and squeezes my shoulder.

"Go win your game," he says. Then he's walking down the hallway, phone already at his ear, and I hear him say, “Yes, Dominique? This is Cameron Miller. I'm Briar's boyfriend. I'm on my way to pick up Delphine."

Ducky waits exactly three breaths after rounding the corner.

"Briar Beckett," she says. "If you don't marry that man, I will."

I wipe my face with my sleeve and laugh. It's watery and rough, but it's still a laugh. I stand up. I stretch my neck. I feel the cold concrete under my skate socks, the bruises on my hips where his hands gripped me last night, and the overwhelming certainty that I am in love with Cameron Miller.

"Let's go win a hockey game," I say.

Chapter 22

Cameron

I spend the entire drive to the group home trying to forget the ache in my gut that I felt when I saw Briar in tears. I don’t even know who I knocked over on my sprint down the hallway to get to her. I couldn’t focus after Tate told me Briar was having a crisis.

And now I need to get it together, or Delphine will be scared of me.

Dominique meets me at the door of the house with a clipboard. "Mr. Miller. Thank you for doing this." She's already talking fast, the way people do when they're running desperate defense and someone new has entered the equation. "Delphine is finishing getting ready. I want to go over a few things with you."

"Cameron is fine." I step inside, and the house smells of dinner — savory, with butter. The hallway is warm and tidy, and I hear music from somewhere. This looks like a nice place to live, and I can see right away why Briar is so determined to keep it that way for her sister. "Tell me what I need to know."

Dominique walks me through it. Deen gets overwhelmed by loud sounds, so she wears noise-canceling headphones. She already had dinner at the house, but she will be expecting nachos or ice cream at the arena.