Stealing for Keeps (Frost Lake High Book 1)
Stealing for Keeps: Chapter 42

Austin and I arrive together at Doyle’s cabin to celebrate the win today. The rain has stopped, but the temperature has continued to drop. Austin hurries from the car to the front door like another second out in the cold weather might kill him. He is not at all prepared for winter in Michigan.

“Brrr.” He stops inside the cabin and rubs his hands together. He’s wearing a sweatshirt and beanie pulled down over his ears, but he left his jacket and gloves at home.

“It’s time to pull out your below-zero winter gear.”

“I have a coat at the house, but after the game, I was still too hot, and I didn’t think I’d need it.” When he shivers, his entire body shakes.

“It’s Michigan. You always need a coat. And a real winter coat, not the one you’ve been wearing.” I reach up and tug on his thin beanie. “And a hat that will keep your head warm.”

He takes my hand, lacing his cold fingers through mine. “Or I could just steal your body heat.”

“You made it!” Rowan greets us as we walk into the kitchen area. He has a bottle of Jack Daniel’s in one hand, and he looks like he started partying the minute the game was over. “And you came together.” He puts one hand over his heart and speaks in a dreamy voice. “Young love is so sweet. Our Disco is all grown up, winning games and getting the girl.”

Laughing, Austin shoves his shoulder playfully. “Shut the fuck up.”

“You want something to drink?” Rowan asks, walking over to the counter where a variety of liquor and mixers is set up next to a stack of cups. “Beer and hard seltzers are in the fridge.”

“The only thing I want right now is some hot chocolate or coffee. I’m never going to be warm again.” Austin’s shoulders hunch as he folds into himself.

“Take a few drinks of that, and you’ll warm right up.” Rowan holds out the bottle of Jack.

Vaughn walks in through the back door. He eyes the bottle and huffs a laugh. “Yeah, it’ll keep you warm all right, until you’re resting your head against the side of the toilet later tonight.”

Briefly, Vaughn’s gaze drifts to where Austin and I are still holding hands. My body tenses. I know I shouldn’t feel bad, but I don’t want to hurt him either. But Vaughn doesn’t look mad or even surprised.

“Ah, lighten up, Captain. We won.” Rowan’s grin doesn’t falter. I’ve actually never seen him sick or hungover. His tolerance is either high or he manages to cut himself off before he reaches that point.

A small smile creeps onto Vaughn’s face, and he takes the Jack from Rowan and tips it back as everyone else in the small kitchen area cheers and hoots while Vaughn drinks straight from the bottle. He only gives a small grimace as he passes it back.

“Yes!” Rowan exclaims, grinning ear to ear. “Now it’s a fucking party.”

As more people arrive, the cabin gets crowded. There’s a bonfire outside, but Austin refuses to go outside into the cold. It’s going to be a very long winter for him.

I’m standing between his legs with my back to him. He leans forward and rests his chin on my shoulder, then slides his hands under the hem of my shirt.

I jolt at the contact and inhale sharply. “Your fingers are so cold!”

“I’m never going to be warm again,” he whines quietly, sliding his palms along my rib cage.

My stomach flutters, and I melt under his touch. It feels so good to be with him, not hiding, hanging out with our friends, celebrating the game and this time in our life. I want to reach out and capture this feeling, this moment, and lock it away, so in five or ten years, I can remember every detail.

Rowan’s laugh and ability to put everyone at ease, Lacey’s smile and bubbly personality that never fails to make me feel better, the way Andie and Brandon are always teasing and flirting like they’ve been dating a week instead of a year, and the feel of Austin’s body brushing against mine, his laughter vibrating through him to me. These are the things I want to remember instead of the classes and grades, the awards, and the failures.

Eli is sharing footage from the game, including Austin’s game-winning goal.

“It was a great pass,” Austin says, dodging the compliment and tipping his head to Vaughn.

“Who said I was passing?” He smirks. “I was aiming for the goal, and it just happened to get deflected to you.”

Everyone laughs, and then Eli has to play it back again to determine if Vaughn is lying, even though we all know he is. It was most definitely a pass.

“It was a great end to a great game.” Barrett holds up his beer in a silent cheers. He finishes it off and tosses the bottle in the recycling. “In fact, I think we should reenact it outside. Ten bucks says you two can’t pull that off twice.”

Austin’s body shakes against me as he chuckles. “Oh no, I’m not going out there. Not even for soccer.”

“Wow, you really do hate the winter.” I swivel around to look at him.

His green eyes are lit up with amusement. “I’m sure I’ll feel differently tomorrow, but tonight, I just want to be warm.”

He pulls me against his chest and wraps his arms around me. I’m okay with being used for warmth like this. I dreamed about what this would be like, but the reality is even better.

“Ten bucks?” Vaughn scoffs, and the corners of his mouth pull down in a frown. “At least make it worth our while.”

“Okay.” Barrett is more than happy to up the ante. “Let’s make it fifty.”

Vaughn and Austin share a look like they’re considering it.

“I don’t have fifty bucks,” Austin says.

“All right. Twenty-five from Vaughn, and for you, Disco, I’ll make it easy. You lose, you take the dare of my choosing.”

Laughter fills the kitchen again. Everyone here knows that’s the exact bet he took that resulted in our first kiss.

“Same dare?” Austin’s gaze flicks to my mouth, and my stomach flips in response.

“Ah, what the hell,” Barrett says. “You lose, you have to kiss blondie here.”

“Done.” Austin jumps down off the counter next to me.

“But if I lose, then I get to kiss blondie.” Barrett tosses me a wink. We’ve known each other since elementary school, so I’m aware he knows my name and is trying to get a rise out of Austin. Which he does.

“No fucking deal.” His arms circle around me again, tightening protectively.

“Just kidding, New Guy.” Barrett heads for the back door. “I’ll let you pick the lucky girl. It worked for you, so maybe it’ll work for me.”

“Doubtful,” Lacey says to me quietly. “He’s about as smooth as sandpaper.”

“Be right back.” Austin brushes his lips over mine and then pulls his beanie down farther before following Vaughn and the rest of the team outside.

Lacey and I are slower to follow, letting them get out there and set up before we step outside.

“It really is cold.” I pull my sleeves down over my hands, wishing I had brought my gloves. “Don’t tell Austin I was complaining about it. I keep making fun of him for being such a baby.”

Laughing, she slips her arm through mine. The guys are getting it all set up, and Austin and Vaughn are in position in front of an old goal.

“New Guy and Vaughn seem to have worked things out,” she says.

“Yeah. I think they’re going to be okay.” The relief of that is a weight off my shoulders. “Hey, by the way, did Vaughn talk to you?” I ask her.

“To me?” Her brows pull together in question as she shakes her head. “No. Why would Vaughn talk to me?”

“He’s having some trouble with Algebra II.” I wait for the words and the obvious follow-up question to sink in.

Her brown eyes widen, and she tries to pull away from me, but I hug her arm against my side.

“Oh no,” she says, shaking her head and making her brown hair fall around her shoulders. “No. No. No.”

“Just think about it,” I plead. “You know what kind of pressure he’s under, and his dad will freak if his grade makes him ineligible to play.”

Her gaze narrows. “Why would you want me to help him? He treated you awful.”

“A long time ago, before Vaughn and I were ever a couple, we were friends. I think we can be that again, and he needs help.”

“Then why didn’t he ask me?”

“You know why.” Lacey has made no attempt to hide her dislike of him.

I pull one of her moves and stick out my bottom lip.

“Fine.”

I squeal and bounce around.

“I will consider it,” she says. “I make no promises.” Then she mutters under her breath something about being more likely to strangle him than help him pass his class.

They’re finally situated to redo the play. Barrett gives them five tries, but it only takes two before they get the timing right and the ball soars to the goal just like it did earlier today.

The guys on the team celebrate just like they did then. Lacey and I watch, smiling and laughing. I catch Austin’s eye across the yard, and he grins at me. He extricates himself from the celebration and jogs over to me. Lacey excuses herself, waggling her fingers as she leaves us.

“You didn’t lose. I guess I can’t kiss you.”

“New dare.” His hands replace mine, and he closes the distance between us. “We kiss whenever we want.”

And then he kisses me.

“Kissing you with everyone watching used to be exactly what I wanted.”

“And now?” He cocks a dark brow like he’s unsure where I’m going with that statement.

“Now I kinda wish we were alone.”