Chapter 26
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SIX
APRIL
I kissed Chance for publicity.
That’s what I keep telling myself as my hands tighten around his neck.
After the kiss, he lowers me to my feet, allowing my body to slide down his hard, muscular chest and sweaty hockey gear. His cheeks are red from the game. His hair is damp and clumped together in a way that makes me want to run my fingers through it.
Resisting the urge to do so, I press my hands into his shoulder gear as the world swirls with brighter colors.
How tall is this man? It feels like I’ve been sliding down his torso for hours.
Every torturous inch lights me up inside. I know it’s still sub-zero degrees in the stadium, but it feels like I’m stuck in a barbecue grill being slow roasted.
I’m on my feet now and my neck is already aching from looking up at him. Chance’s eyes are half-hooded, allowing me to admire just how abnormally long and pretty his black eyelashes are.
He tilts my chin up with his coarse hockey glove. The scratchy material on the underside of my jaw is strangely alluring and a lump gets caught in my throat.
“Thank you for coming,” Chance says, as if it really means everything to him.
“No problem,” I say hoarsely.
When he bends down as if he’ll kiss me again, my eyes widen.
“Chance, how does it feel to be back on the ice?”
“Chance, where are you going after the game!”
We both freeze as reporters yell at the star player, eager to get the first post-game interview.
Out of sorts, I push away from Chance. It’s too strong of a shove, however, and my heels end up skittering on the ice. Arms windmilling, I struggle to catch my balance just as Chance grabs my elbow.
He waits until I’m settled before ripping his glove off and sliding his hand down the length of my hand.
His grip on the hockey stick during the game had been strong and sure, even in the midst of all those other players attacking him. But now, his fingers are as gentle as silk.
His touch eases down my elbow, streaking a path of mini-lightning bolts.
By the time he finally captures my palm I’m about to hyperventilate.
Ducking my head, I shuffle back to the entrance.
Chance doesn’t let go of my hand and maintains my pace. He’d been moving like Bugatti at full throttle on his skates, so I’m surprised he’s able to go so slowly.
I grip him tightly, walking on stilts.
Okay, two-inch heels aren’t exactly classified as ‘stilts’, but since I never wear heels, they might as well be.
“You want some skates?” Chance teases when he sees me wobbling.
“Absolutely not. I’m deathly allergic to falling on ice and balancing on razor-thin blades,” I mutter back.
Chance chuckles and keeps a steady grip on me until we get to non-slippery ground. The moment Chance steps onto the platform, he’s surrounded by his teammates, the coach, and reporters. It’s his moment to shine, so I slip away to find Rebel.
Thankfully, she sent a text letting me know she’s in the parking lot.
As I hurry past the chairs where we were sitting, I look for Gordie, but I don’t see her anywhere.
Outside, everyone stops and stares at me, but I don’t slow down. Hoofing it to the parking lot, I locate my best friend’s car and dive in.
“Well, hello, hello,” Rebel says darkly. I’m hit with a pair of judgmental blue eyes.
I raise my hands in surrender. “It’s not what you think.”
Rebel humphs.
“Everyone was watching. It was the perfect time to make a big splash. Really end the night with a bang.”
“It ended with a bang, alright.”
My heart thuds because she has no idea. Kissing Chance McLanely felt like I strapped my heart to two boxes of fire crackers, set a match and then forgot to run away.
Words escape my mouth, faster and faster. “I know there’s going to be a buzz online about this. There were so many out-of-towners here too. You’ll see. We’re going to be booked tomorrow.”
Rebel purses her lips.
“I have everything under control,” I shriek in a voice that sounds like someone slowly losing her mind.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You’re literally looking at me like I left your car doors open in a thunderstorm.”
“Am I?”
“I didn’t kiss him because I wanted to,” I insist. “It was a business decision.”
“April, I want to believe you.”
“But?” I sigh.
“I totally believe in your plan and I love that you’re finally pampering yourself. You one hundred percent deserve to spend money on you and feel desirable and beautiful, but it’s just… Chance is… well, he’s like a really bad cold and you don’t have immunity.”
“I took my flu shot,” I argue.
“I don’t want you to get hurt,” Rebel says, giving my hand a squeeze.
Uncertainty steals the strength from my words, but I force my chin up. “He’s a good actor, but so am I. I can handle this, so stop looking at me like I’m a car wreck on the freeway.”
My phone buzzes.
I glance down and see a text from Chance.
The reporters won’t let me out of here , his text says. Can I pick you up from home?
Rebel blows out a breath. “Was that him?”
“Yeah.” My smile trembles a little.
“April…”
“Can we just go? Please?”
Looking unsure and very concerned, Rebel starts the car and drives in silence.
I want to change out of this dress and into something more comfortable. Unfortunately, May refuses to let me change.
“Are you crazy? You look like a million bucks right now. Why would you go celebrate with Chance in your over-alls? That makes no sense!” My sister shakes her head as if I’m a lost cause.
“I don’t know where he’ll take me tonight. It might be something casual.”
“With you, in that dress, he better drive out of town to one of those fancy restaurants everyone posts about.”
I’ll admit that the dress looks great and, maybe if it was the start of the night, I’d agree with May. However, the thought of being ‘on’ for another fake relationship performance exhausts me. As exciting as the hockey game was—despite having no idea what was happening on the ice at all—it took a lot out of my social batteries.
“Don’t look so upset,” May coos. “Come take a look at this . ”
“At what?”
May turns her cell phone toward me and scrolls through a page full of article headings.
“It’s not only the sports magazines. Celebrity gossip mags are talking about you too. Plus your hashtag has almost a million hits.”
My heart jumps to my throat. “Did you say… a million?”
“People love a heart-warming romance and you gave them a show.” She navigates to another page full of pictures.
It seems like everyone is talking about our kiss. There are images of us from different angles too—up high, to the left, and to the right. In every image shot, Chance’s hands are low on my waist and my hands are tight around his neck.
Covering my eyes, I turn away. “Can you not?”
“What? You two look great! And that kiss? It was hot.”
“May…” I groan.
“But next time, don’t mush your lips against his like that,” May coaches. “It’s not as aesthetically pleasing as him cupping your mouth with his bottom lip?—”
“Argh!” I grab the nearest weapon, which so happens to be a pillow, and throw it at her. “Stop.”
She easily dodges my fluffy blue missile. “Why are you acting shy? You weren’t a scaredy cat when you ran out on the stadium to make out with Chance McLanely.”
“It was a kiss , not making out. And he called me on the ice,” I defend.
“Sure, he did.” May smirks.
I reach for another pillow to throw at her, but she hands me her laptop instead.
“Check it out. The garage’s website is getting a ton of new inquiries.”
“Wow, that’s a lot,” I mumble. Tapping the laptop keys, I skim the emails.
May nods proudly. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll send an online form for people to fill out. Then I’m going to post a message announcing you have a tight schedule, so if they want a consult with you, they need to pre-pay. That will drive up the demand for the garage and get you money immediately so we can pay off some bills.”
I look up at May’s earnest grin. “Squirt, I think you might be a genius.”
May rolls her eyes at the nickname. “Even if only a conservative percentage of these inquiries pan out, you’ll be extremely busy tomorrow and next week. And then, when you fix all those cars, showing what an amazing mechanic you are, the word will spread even faster.”
“It really worked…” I breathe in awe.
“Seriously?” May arches an incredulous brow. “It was your plan.”
Yeah, but thinking up a plan and actually seeing it become a success are two different things.
In a daze, I fall into the sofa.
May scoots close to me. “Unlock your phone. If the garage is getting this much buzz, I can’t imagine how your personal accounts are doing.”
I check my social media and notice my follower count has blown up even more.
The top comment catches my eye.
‘ How many are here from tonight’s kiss video? ’ .
The comment has thousands of likes, proving that many of my new followers came from tonight’s game.
I keep reading.
My smile slowly disintegrates.
She looks so much better now than she did in those old over-alls.
Who did her makeup? Or is it plastic surgery?
She looked like a total bumpkin before. But now I can see what Chance likes about her.
They look good together.
May reads over my shoulder and, when she sees the comments, she yanks the phone from me. “Why are people so mean? You looked good before too.”
A knot forms in my throat, but I force the unease away.
My plan worked.
Getting all dolled up, attending Chance’s game, even kissing him, it was all to save my business and, ultimately, keep my dad safe.
I did the right thing.
And once business picks up, this weird feeling in my stomach will go away.