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

Did this girl really think she could evade me so easily?

Yeah, not happening.

The proof is that she’s sitting beside me in my black Cadillac Escalade.

And she’s none too happy about it, either.

I glance at Britt as she stares straight out the windshield. She hasn’t given me more than one-worded responses since sliding into the truck.

Lance, on the other hand, has been doing enough talking for the three of us.

He seems like a nice enough dude. Wicked smart, from what I can tell.

Another observation?

He has a thing for his hot neighbor.

The way he stares at her as if she hung the moon and stars in the sky hasn’t gone unnoticed by yours truly. As far as I can tell, Britt is either oblivious to his crush or she doesn’t return his feelings. I’m leaning toward door number two.

“This is a really nice truck,” Lance says, positioning himself between us so he can check out the dash. “It’s the top-of-the-line package, right?”

“Yup.”

He strokes his hand over the leather. “This right here is the dream.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I’ve already got a cyber security job lined up after graduation this spring. With the salary they’re paying me, I should be able to buy one of these babies within eight months for straight-up cash. Then, a year later, I’ll buy a starter home. Hopefully the interest rates will still be low. The plan is to live there for about five years before turning the property into a rental.”

“Wow.” My brows draw together as I take a left at the light. “You’ve really got it all figured out.”

“You have to.” He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Can’t just leave things to chance.”

“That’s really fantastic,” Britt adds. “It’s important to have a road map of where you want to go in life.”

“Exactly,” he says with a nod.

I didn’t think it was possible for Lance’s smile to broaden, but I was wrong. He’s practically preening from the compliment.

The only future I’ve contemplated involves hockey. From a young age, it was a given that I’d follow in my father’s illustrious footsteps. Coaches, parents, and other players always made a fuss over me because I was Gray McNichols’ son. His NHL career spans more than a dozen years before he landed a plum sportscasting gig on ESPN.

I’ve worked hard to live up to his legend and have lost track of all the hours spent on the ice. There have been private coaching sessions that cost an arm and leg. Along with the highest-level triple A travel teams and summer camps.

You name it, I did it.

As important as hockey is, Mom always made sure I understood my education came first. Even when I had the opportunity to play juniors after high school. She wanted me to attend college and graduate with a degree.

It goes without saying that I would have preferred to play for a minor team these past four years, but it all worked out in the end. I’ll graduate with a degree in communications, just like my old man. If I’m lucky, my career will have a similar trajectory. I’ll play in the pros for at least a decade before landing a broadcasting job.

Or maybe I’ll go in a different direction and try my hand at college coaching instead.

So…yeah. Maybe Lance isn’t the only one with a mental roadmap in place.

Mine just isn’t as finely detailed.

I swing into the gravel parking lot.

“We’re ice skating?” Lance asks, head still positioned between the seats like a labrador as he stares at the outdoor rink near the center of town.

“Yup. I thought it would be fun.” I glance at Britt to get a read on her thoughts.

She looks…intrigued.

Which is way better than the irritation that’s been wafting off her in suffocating waves.

“I don’t know,” Lance mumbles with a frown. “I haven’t skated since I was a kid. I’m not sure if I’ll be any good.”

I give him an awkward pat on the shoulder. “It’s just like riding a bike.”

“Yeah…I think it might be a little more challenging than that.” He swivels toward Britt before rallying. “But I’m game if you are.”

She flashes him an encouraging smile. “Sure, it looks fun. We can give it a whirl and see what happens.”

“Great, let’s go.” I pop the trunk where I keep an extra pair of skates. Like hell I’m using my hockey ones. This ice would totally fuck up the blades.

We exit the SUV and I grab my Bauers before we stop at the little wooden shack and pick up a pair of rentals for Britt and Lance. Then the three of us settle on a long stretch of bench, slip off our shoes, and slide our feet into the boots. After mine have been laced up tight, I straighten to my full height.

Britt and Lance do the same.

Even though it’s later in the afternoon, there’s a smattering of people gliding across the ice. Couples along with a handful of children with pinkened cheeks. A few teenagers chase after each other. Everyone is bundled up in jackets, hats, mittens, and scarves.

I nod toward the oval. “Ready to get out there?”

Lance casts another dubious glance at the ice. “Maybe?”

I wave a hand. “Trust me, you’ll be fine.”

I hope.

When he takes a tentative step and wobbles, Britt loops her arm through his. “Come on. We’ll do this together. I haven’t skated since I was a kid. Colby’s right. Once we get out there, it’ll all come back to us.”

Her encouragement does the impossible and transforms his face until he’s beaming.

I can’t stop the smile that curves my lips. This girl is a lot softer with him than with me. It only makes me want to work harder to secure her attention.

That thought nearly stops me in my proverbial tracks.

When the hell has that ever happened?

I rack my brain but come up empty.

With narrowed eyes, I watch as they make their way across the thick black mats to the edge of the rink.

All I can say is that it’s slow going. Lance is like a newborn foal who can barely keep his legs under him.

And he hasn’t even hit the ice yet.

It doesn’t bode well.

Britt is the first one to step onto the smooth surface. Lance follows, clinging to her like she’s his lifeline.

“You need to loosen up,” I tell him. “Bend your knees a little. Trust me, it’ll help.”

His brows slam together as he takes a few tentative bounces. His tongue peeks out from between his teeth as he concentrates on staying vertical. He looks like he’s trying to solve the Riemann hypothesis.

“Like this?”

Ummm…

“Yeah. Just like that.”

The guy looks like he’s been cut from a piece of cardboard.

“You ever play any sports as a kid?” I ask.

He flicks a glance in my direction. “Does robotics club count?”

“No.”

“Then I didn’t.”

“I would have never guessed.”

He releases a shaky puff of air as his muscles loosen. His shoulders no longer look like they’re swallowing up his ears.

“That’s it,” I say, praising him.

He nods. “It’s not so ha⁠—”

The last word isn’t even out of his mouth when he hits a rough patch and goes down in a tangle of limbs, taking Britt with him.

“Oh shit.” I rush across the ice before reaching down and dragging Britt up.

She wobbles a bit on her skates. With my arms wrapped around her, the front of our bodies press together.

A smile springs to my lips. “I knew it wouldn’t be long until I had you in my arms.”

With our faces scant inches apart, I’m able to see the way her pupils dilate and her breathing hitches.

Interesting.

This girl isn’t nearly as indifferent as she’d like me to believe.

I’ll just tuck that tidbit away for later.

“A little help down here,” Lance mutters with a groan, still sprawled at our feet.

That’s all it takes for Britt to shove out of my arms before leaning down and trying to hoist Lance up, but she’s not strong enough to do it on her own. If anything, she’ll only get pulled down.

Again.

I secure my grip around Lance’s hand before lifting him to his skates. When he wobbles, looking like he’ll end up on his ass for a second time, his arms fly out in an attempt to steady himself.

Britt holds onto him.

“I’m pretty sure that’s going to leave a mark,” he mutters.

“Consider it a rite of passage,” I tell him.

We spend the next thirty minutes trying to teach Lance how to skate. If they’d had one of those PVC pipe chairs that little kids use when learning the basics, I would have grabbed one. It would have been easier.

This is almost painful to watch.

Scratch that—it’s excruciating.

And the guy is right—he’s going to be covered in bruises tomorrow morning. I’ll say this about him, he’s determined. I can’t help but admire his attitude. Although, I suspect he enjoys clinging to Britt. He’s soaking up her attention like a sponge.

After the dozenth fall, Lance points to a bench near the firepit. “I’m going to take a break before I actually break something.”

Britt frowns. “Maybe we should head home.”

“Nah. You two skate. I just want to sit for a few minutes and warm up. I can’t feel my toes.”

As soon as his blades hit the rubber mats, a relieved sigh escapes from him. “I never thought I’d be so happy to be back on land.”

“Technically, you were never off it,” I point out.

“Tell that to my backside,” he grumbles.

With a wince, we watch as he drags himself to the red bench. He has the looks of a man who has just returned from a hard-fought war. One who has been changed by the experience.

And not for the better.

I’ll just refrain from telling him that he’ll probably feel twice as bad when he wakes up tomorrow morning.

“I hope he’ll be all right,” Britt murmurs, concern lacing her voice.

Unwilling to waste another second we have to ourselves, I wrap my fingers around hers and tug her into motion.

“He’ll be fine. I’ll send over some of the bruise cream I have. The guy should take ibuprofen for the next twenty-four hours. It’ll help with the inflammation.”

“We probably should have done something less physical.” With a frown, she shoots me a glare. “Or nothing at all.”

“How can you say that? Then we would have missed all this fun.”

She snorts as we glide across the ice. Now that Lance is gone, it only takes a few minutes for us to make a complete circle. By the end of the second loop, her muscles have loosened, and a smile quirks the corners of her lips.

The happiness that lights up her face is like a kick in the balls. The expression isn’t even aimed in my direction, and I feel it to the tips of my toes.

As pretty as I thought she was at the bar, it’s nothing compared to the way she looks with the bright winter sunlight streaming down, making the reddish highlights in her hair pop along with the rosiness of her cheeks from the cool breeze that slides over us.

If I didn’t fully acknowledge it before, I do now.

This girl is a knockout.

“Is this where you take all your dates in an effort to lure them into bed?”

A chuckle escapes from me. “Nope. Never.”

She glances at me with narrowed eyes. “Should I consider myself lucky?”

“Extremely. But you already realized that, right?”

With a shake of her head, she slants another look my way. “You’re kind of incorrigible.”

“I try my best.”

“You don’t have to try so hard.”

“Now you sound like my mother.”

“Smart woman.”

“Damn right, she is.”

She gives me another considering look. “Huh. You didn’t strike me as a momma’s boy.”

“Loud and proud. That woman is an absolute saint. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.” No matter what happens in my life, Mom has always been in my corner.

Britt turns, studying me more intently. “Are you close to your parents?”

“Yup. They’re the best. How about you?”

It would be impossible not to notice the way she tenses. Instead of pushing, I drop the topic and keep it light. I want to get to know her better and will take whatever crumbs she’s willing to throw my way.

When it comes down to it, I’m no different from Lance.

“You’re pretty good at this,” I say, only wanting to keep the conversation flowing.

With a shrug, her gaze flickers to mine before focusing straight ahead. “I used to skate all the time at a pond near our house when I was a kid. It was cheap entertainment.”

“That’s usually the best kind.” I waggle my brows. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

She shakes her head as if annoyed, but there’s a tiny quirk of her lips that tells me otherwise. “You really are incorrigible.”

“Noted.”

We make it a quarter of the way around the oval before she says, “Sometimes I really miss that, you know?” Her lips purse and a faraway look comes into her eyes. “The simple stuff.”

“Yeah, the memories I cherish the most and think about often are the ones we did as a family that didn’t cost a dime. Ice skating on a pond in the winter with my dad, sitting around a campfire and roasting marshmallows, Saturday night movie marathons in the family room with butter-soaked popcorn.”

A soft smile lights up her face and I’d bet money she’s thinking about her own happy childhood memories. A comfortable silence falls over us as we circle the ice at least half a dozen times. There’s something nice about spending time with Britt.

Almost like we’ve been doing it for years instead of just having met.

Even stranger than that, I’m pretty sure I could get used to this.

And it has everything to do with the girl at my side.

The one that doesn’t necessarily want to be there.

When Anna tries to creep into my brain, I wait for the anger and sadness to take hold and choke the life out of me from the inside out.

It’s a surprise when it doesn’t happen.

I draw a lungful of frigid air into my body and hold it captive before gradually releasing it back into the atmosphere.

As we skate past Lance, I realize that he’s no longer alone. A girl with two dark braids and a pink pom-pom knit hat tugged over the tips of her ears is seated next to him.

I nod toward her neighbor. “Well, well, well…would you look who found a friend?”

Britt’s gaze fastens onto the couple.

“Our little boy is finally growing up. Do you think one of us should have the birds and bees talk with him before things progress any further?”

The edges of Britt’s lips quirk before she attempts to suppress it. “I’ll leave that to you.”

“Coward. We should do it together. Give him both of our perspectives.”

Her attention stays pinned to the couple as we make our way around the ice again.

“Please don’t tell me that you’re upset that your admirer has found someone else to admire.”

Her surprised gaze slices to me. “Of course not. Lance is a great guy. He deserves a girl who will appreciate him for all his amazing qualities.”

“You’re one hundred percent right about that. And he does seem like a perfectly nice guy,” I agree. “But not for you.”

It’s adorable the way her face scrunches. “Excuse me?”

“Pretty sure you heard me the first time.”

She bristles. “I don’t think you know me well enough to make that kind of assessment.” Before I can respond, she adds, “You have no idea what I like or am into.”

Maybe not.

But I intend to replace out.

Call it my new mission in life.

A lazy smile spreads across my face as I jerk my head toward the bench. “Were you interested in him? If so, I’ll do the noble thing and step aside. Far be it for me to stand in the way of true love.”

In answer, she presses her lips into a thin, tight line.

I grin and lean close enough for her floral scented perfume to tease my senses. “That’s what I thought.”

Instead of continuing the convo, she says in a clipped tone, “I’m cold. Are you ready to go?”

Not really, but…

“Sure.”

Britt pulls away, leaving me in her dust. By the time I make it to the bench, Lance is already introducing his new friend.

“This is Maddie. We have a data analytics class together this semester.”

“Hi,” Britt says easily. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You, too.” With a shy smile, she glances at Lance and blushes.

If I had to guess, I’d say that someone has a little crush.

Good for him. The girl is a real cutie.

I wholeheartedly approve of the match.

He clears his throat. “You guys wouldn’t mind if I catch a ride back to campus with Maddie, would you?”

“Not at all.” Britt smiles, gaze shifting between the two of them. She certainly doesn’t look jealous or upset about this new development.

His attention settles on me. “You’ll make sure that Britt gets back to the apartment safely, right?”

Even though I don’t take offense to the question, I straighten to my full height. “Of course I will.”

I like that Britt’s neighbor is concerned about her and apparently not afraid to let me know it. It only reconfirms that Lance is a good dude. Maybe he’s not someone I would have befriended on my own, but I’m glad we got the chance to spend time together.

It’s only when the couple heads to the wooden shack to turn in their brown rentals that we’re left to our own devices.

“And then there were two.” That’s when I realize I’m not ready to let her go just yet. “Any interest in grabbing something to eat?”

As she opens her mouth to no doubt shoot down the idea, her belly lets loose a loud grumble.

“Excellent. I know the perfect place.”