Never Say Never: An Enemies-to-Lovers Secret Identity New Adult Sports Romance (Western Wildcats Hockey Book 4)
Chapter 18

I bundle my jacket around me and slip from the car before staring up at the arena.

How did I allow Colby to talk me into this?

Oh, that’s right…he agreed to sit down and discuss the state of our marriage after the game. I almost wince at that internal thought. What I meant to say is that he agreed to discuss how we’ll move forward with our divorce.

Argh.

That doesn’t sound any better.

The lesson I’ve learned from this debacle is that there’ll be no more drinking in Vegas.

Maybe they’ll just be no more Vegas.

End of story.

It’s only since meeting Stella, Juliette, Carina, Viola, and Fallyn that I’ve attended a few hockey games. They had to drag me kicking and screaming to the first one. I expected to be bored off my ass. Color me surprised when I wasn’t. It’s fast-paced action from the moment the puck gets dropped at center ice until the buzzer rings at the end.

I stare around the well-lit parking lot as boisterous fans swarm the arena.

What I’ve learned over the past months is that hockey is a popular sport.

Just as much as football.

Even though I’m not going to see Colby for a couple of hours, my belly is already a tangle of knots. I press a palm to my lower abdomen, hoping to settle the butterflies that are attempting to wing their way to life.

As I hustle up the wide stone steps that lead to the entrance of the building, my phone buzzes with an incoming message. I fish it out of my pocket before glancing at the screen.

Better not be a no-show. I’d hate to hunt your ass down afterward. Because when I get my hands on you…

A shiver trips down my spine.

It’s a peculiar mixture of excitement and anxiety.

Before I can fire off a response, I collide with a small, compact body and bounce back a step. I glance up, an apology poised on the tip of my tongue. I should have been paying better attention to where I was going instead of staring at my phone.

“Hey, Britt.”

“Ava!” A genuine smile curves my lips. “How are you?”

“Good. I was going to text and see if you wanted to get together sometime this week. Maybe grab something to eat.”

I loop my arm through hers and steer us to the side and out of pedestrian traffic. It’s like a swiftly moving current, and it’s only a matter of time before we get swept away by the crowd.

“Are you here for the game?”

Her face scrunches as she gives her blonde head a shake. “Nope, just finished up on the ice. I was hoping to get out before the horde descended.”

I glance around. “Looks like you’re too late for that.”

“It would seem so.”

With a shift, I throw out the offer. “Any chance I can convince you to stay and watch the game?”

She glances at the building and nibbles her lower lip. “I don’t know…”

“I bet your dad would appreciate your show of support,” I cajole.

A reluctant smile hovers around the edges of her lips as she shakes her head. “Damn. You fight dirty. Know that?”

A chuckle escapes from me as I grin. “Always.”

“Fine. You talked me into it. I’ll watch the game with you.”

“Yay! Now you can meet the friends I’ve been telling you about.”

“Let me throw my bag in my car and then we can head inside.”

Ten minutes later, we navigate our way through the thick crowd inside the chilly arena. I stop and look around for the girls. It takes a few minutes to spot them. As soon as I do, Juliette pops to her feet and waves.

I give Ava a little squeeze. “You’ll like them. They’re really nice.”

Sometimes I get the feeling that Ava isn’t necessarily comfortable around people our own age. Like me, she was homeschooled so she could focus on training. She knows that I had private teachers as well, but she doesn’t know the reason for it.

“We’ll see,” she mumbles, sounding none too sure.

I get her skepticism. Girls can be catty and mean. From what I’ve gleaned from our conversations, it’s even more so in the ice-skating world. Everyone’s in competition with each other. They might smile and be nice to your face, but they’ll stab you in the back the moment it’s turned. Even though I don’t know Ava well, there’s something delicate about her that brings out my protective instincts.

As soon as we reach our seats, I make introductions. Just like I knew they would, everyone welcomes Ava with open arms. Especially when I tell them that she’s Coach Philips’ daughter. There’s a ton of questions and friendly banter. It doesn’t take long for Ava’s muscles to loosen as she jokes around with them.

“So, Britt,” Fallyn says, mischief sparkling in her blue eyes. “Is there a reason we didn’t have to twist your arm to meet us here tonight?” Instead of waiting for a response, she taps her chin with her finger and pretends to ponder the question. “Hmmm. I wonder what that could be…”

Carina snorts. “Let me guess—what happened in Vegas didn’t stay in Vegas?”

My eyes widen and my mouth tumbles open. There’s no way she could have found out that we tied the knot.

I haven’t told a soul.

And it’s doubtful Colby did either.

No matter what he said at the coffee shop, we’re not staying married.

“Excuse me?” I squeak as my heart constricts. “What do you mean?”

All the girls turn their attention my way.

Fallyn gives me an odd look before saying with a laugh, “Just that you two shared a room for the weekend.”

Oh, right…we shared a room.

Air escapes my lungs as I force a smile. “Sorry, forgot all about it.”

Lie.

It’ll be a long time before I forget about that weekend. Or can look at a floor-to-ceiling window in a suite without remembering what it felt like to be pressed against it and thoroughly⁠—

Yeah.

Carina leans around Juliette, who’s seated beside me. “Then you two didn’t sleep together? Because from everything I’ve heard, forgettable is the last thing Colby is in bed.”

Warmth rushes through my veins before pooling in my core until I’m squirming.

She’s not wrong.

“I wouldn’t know,” I lie. “We’re just friends.”

Kind of.

Maybe.

Stella waggles her brows. “Are we talking strictly friends or friends with benefits?”

“Strictly friends.”

“Interesting. I didn’t realize that Colby McNichols had friends who also happened to be girls,” Viola chimes in. “Someone needs to write this down.”

Ugh.

The last thing I want to do is lie to my new friends, but there’s no way I can tell them the truth.

My attention gets snagged by Colby as he rounds the corner and heads our way with his stick slung over his shoulder blades. He’s a big guy. Tall and broad with muscles for miles. In skates and padding, he looks larger than life.

Our eyes catch and hold as he glides past.

Even after the connection is severed, my focus stays fastened to him.

“Friends, my ass,” Ava whispers with a nudge.

That comment is enough to rip me out of the Colby-induced trance that’s fallen over me. When she raises her brows in silent inquiry, a smile simmering across her lips, my shoulders slump.

It’s almost a relief when the whistle is blown and the players file off the ice. The lights are dimmed, and the music is cranked up. A spotlight falls on the ice as the visiting team is announced and then the Western Wildcats. Fans jump to their feet, cheering and clapping as the players from the home team are called. There’s even more whistling and air horns when Colby takes to the ice.

Without a doubt, he’s a fan favorite.

Once the arena is illuminated, the first line takes their positions as the rest of the team heads back to the bench to wait for their shifts. The puck gets dropped and everyone explodes into action. Hayes fights for possession before passing it off to Colby, who races across the ice, blades digging into it. After he crosses the blue line, he flicks the black disc to Ford Hamilton, who drives it toward the net. A defenseman for the other team slams Ford into the boards. The sound of the hit echoes throughout the arena.

Carina winces as Viola chuckles. “Wanna bet that someone’s going to be administering a little TLC tonight?”

“He’s the biggest baby,” Carina says with a laugh. “He’ll milk it for days.”

Ryder McAdams intercepts the play before sending it back to Hayes, who in turn passes it to Colby. He flies by the net and shoots. Air gets trapped in my lungs as the puck slips past the goalie and the long blast of a horn blares throughout the arena.

As Colby circles around the back of the net, his gaze locks on mine, holding it captive as he skates back to his side of the ice. A jolt of electricity sizzles through me until my fingertips and toes buzz with it.

Ava clears her throat. “Oh, girl…you’ve been holding out on me.”

I open my mouth to deny the accusation but can’t seem to push out the words. Instead, I snap it shut and press my lips together.

I am in so much trouble.

Even though the girls talk and gossip throughout the game, my attention stays pinned to Colby. I don’t know much about hockey other than what I’ve picked up over the past few months, but even I realize that he’s talented. As much as it pains me to admit it, I understand what all the fuss is about where he’s concerned. Not only is this guy hot and muscular, but he’s a gifted athlete.

And, from what I’ve been able to surmise—smart and funny.

Not to mention good in bed.

Who wouldn’t want to get their hands on him, even if it’s just for a night or two.

The final buzzer rings and the Wildcats bring home another win. It’s tradition for everyone to head over to Slap Shotz to celebrate.

Although, that’s not in the cards for us tonight. The only reason I showed up to this game was to hash out this farce of a marriage.

Fallyn rises to her feet and the rest of our group follows suit.

“Let’s wait for the guys in the lobby,” she calls over her shoulder, all the while maneuvering through the thick crowd. Everyone agrees as we make our way toward the hallway where the player locker room is located.

“And that would be my cue to take off,” Ava says.

“You’re welcome to join us,” Juliette offers.

Her expression softens at the invitation. “Thanks. I appreciate it, but I’ve never been one to hang around with my father’s players. It’s always been a big no-no in my house.”

“That makes sense,” Viola muses. “I’m sure your dad doesn’t want you getting involved with any of them.

Ava suppresses a smile. “Nope.”

“It was really nice meeting you,” Viola says.

“You too.” Her gaze encompasses the girls. “All of you. This was fun.”

“We’ll have to plan a night out at Blue Vibe to do a little dancing,” Carina suggests.

“Count me in,” Stella says.

Ava throws her arms around me and whispers, “Thanks again for the invite. And you’re right—your friends are great.”

“Told you so.”

“Text me,” she says with a wave before taking off.

“I will.”

And then she’s gone, disappearing through the throng of spectators.

“I like her,” Carina says with a nod, blonde ponytail bobbing with the movement.

“Me, too.” I smile, glad everyone got along. They really are a great bunch of girls. I’d love for Ava to get to know them better.

I glance around, noticing that there’s a ton of people surrounding a handsome, older man. When he turns and smiles at a guy who looks to be similar in age before reaching out and clasping his hand, I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something familiar about him.

“Who is that?” I ask Viola, gesturing toward the growing group. It’s like he’s a celebrity in his own right.

Maybe both men are.

“Oh, that’s Gray McNichols.”

McNichols?

Before I can connect the dots, she adds, “Colby’s father. He played in the NHL for a while before becoming a sportscaster on ESPN.”

Except for the fact that Colby is blond, and his father is the opposite with darker hair, the resemblance between the two men is uncanny.

“And the guy he’s talking to is Brody McKinnon,” Juliette cuts in with a grin. “My father.”

My brows shoot up. “Wow. He’s⁠—”

“Don’t say hot,” Juliette mutters, expression turning sour.

Carina flashes a grin as her shoulders shake with silent mirth. “She hates it when we talk about how dreamy her dad is.”

Juliette glares at her roommate.

“He kind of is,” I whisper to Carina.

“Oh, trust me…I know it,” she says with a chuckle.

“Hey, you’re dishing about my older brother,” Stella adds. “And that’s just gross. Keep your pervy daddy issues to yourself.”

“Now where would the fun in that be?” Carina shoots back with a smile.

My gaze slices to Gray McNichols as he wraps his arm around a slender woman before dropping a kiss against the top of her dark head. I’m guessing that’s Colby’s mother. Even though Colby resembles his father, he and his mom also have features that are similar.

If his parents are waiting around, they’ll probably want to get together once he’s released from the locker room, which means we won’t get a chance to talk.

Damn.

Now that I’m no longer in avoidance mode, I just want to set the wheels in motion for this divorce.

Or annulment.

Or uncoupling.

Or whatever the hell you want to call it.

But I can’t do that until we’re both on the same page.