Chapter Four
Becca
Steven’s dragging as he skates back over toward Duncan and Jacob. A chuckle escapes me as I shake my head and smile.
That boy has no idea what he’s in for over the next few weeks.
“They’re gonna put him through the wringer, aren’t they?” Scarlett asks, chewing on her bottom lip.
‘Yup,” I respond, placing a hand over hers and squeezing. “But he can handle it.”
Scarlett blows out an exhale before stiffly nodding her head. The corners of my mouth pull up. I’ve watched the two of them closely over the last eight years. The crushes, the fights, and now this denial phase. I wonder if they’ll figure it out before graduation.
My eyes drift toward Jacob, watching him as he interacts with Steven. Taking a deep inhale and slowly exhaling I think about Caleb. He would’ve loved to be here to see his son get lessons from his favorite hockey player.
Glancing up, I whisper, “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Scarlett asks, never looking away from Steven.
“That Steven’s dad isn’t here for all of this.”
She turns her soft hazel eyes full of understanding toward me before wrapping me up in a bear hug. “He’s watching.”
My throat tightens at the same time warmth spreads throughout my chest. “How did you get to be so wise?”
“I’m not sure that Dad, Cat, Aunt Ava, or Uncle Dunky would call it wisdom.” A full body laugh bursts out, and I give her an extra squeeze before letting her go.
“Thank you, sweet girl. And they’d be wrong.” I wink at her. “Except maybe your Uncle. You really should give him a break with that name.”
“Not in this lifetime!” she giggles. “I have way too much fun watching him get all flustered.”
A smile spreads across my face as I glance toward the ice and find Steven making his way toward the gate.
Scarlett hops up and begins taking the bleacher steps two at a time.
I watch her and Steven as he gets his skates off.
If I know Scarlett, she’s also giving him feedback on how he did.
Duncan isn’t the only hockey aficionado in that family.
But what catches my attention, and it’s not the first time I’ve witnessed this, is the way my son’s eyes light up as he watches her talk. How they feel about each other is obvious. We’ll just have to wait and see if they ever cross the boundaries of friendship.
I hope so. I’d love to have Scarlett as a daughter-in-law.
Standing up, I make my way down the bleachers and over to where Jacob and Duncan are talking. Just as I’m reaching them, they finish talking and turn in my direction.
“How did he do?” My focus is on Duncan, but I feel the weight of Jacob’s gaze.
My heart is pounding so hard I wonder if they can hear it. Apparently, I needed more than a few hours to get used to the fact that Jacob Thornton is back in Maple Ridge for the first time in decades. Imagine that.
Duncan shifts his attention to Jacob, and I follow his lead. When I finally meet his look, my pulse jumps, and I swallow past the cotton ball stuck in my throat.
“Your son has talent, Becs.” His gruff voice runs through me, sending shivers down my spine. He clears his throat before continuing. “He did great. I already saw improvement in the small amount of work we did tonight.”
“That’s great.” My voice comes out a bit high-pitched. Duncan turns toward me, brows furrowed. I offer him an overly bright smile, which only deepens the crease. “Am I correct to assume you’re helping him with his breakout route? The Four-Dot drill is used to fix that, yes?”
There’s mischief in Jacob’s stare, and a smirk slides along his chiseled jaw. My throat works as I fight the dryness in my mouth. “You are correct.”
“J.T. is going to work with him on that and his weak side, but the breakout is the most critical right now.”
Duncan adds, and unless I’m mistaken, there’s a glint in his eyes as he looks at me.
Is he holding back a grin?
No. Duncan doesn’t smile at people. Well, that’s not totally true, he smiles at his family, and a few others, but on very rare occasions.
He turns back to Jacob, and I let myself look at Jacob too. When my gaze slams into his, my insides flutter, and a surge of heat shoots down to my toes.
I can hear them talking about a practice schedule, but I’m having a difficult time following the details.
“See you at home, Mom!” Steven shouts from the other end of the rink. Turning toward him and Scarlett, I wave.
“See you later, Uncle Dunky!” Scarlett yells, right before the door closes behind them.
“Just before the buzzer,” I mumble, as Duncan rubs a hand up and down his face, grumbling.
“It is, Uncle Dun—”
“Don’t even…” Duncan growls, glaring at Jacob.
Pressing my lips together, I work to contain the laugh trying to bubble up, and I’m successful until I glance at Jacob.
His eyes are glittering with playfulness, and he’s pulled his bottom lip in. I slap a hand over my mouth in an attempt to stop the giggle. A tiny bit gets out, and Duncan turns his glower on me.
At just that moment ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ rings out from Duncan’s pocket, and both Jacob and I lose control. Laughter echoes throughout the rink.
Duncan answers his phone with a brusque ‘Hello’ before his entire face softens and he starts talking in a baby voice.
I howl, and Jacob joins me only to receive a glare from Duncan that doesn’t quite have the full broody effect he’s known for.
“See you tomorrow,” he mouths to both of us, scowling, before heading to the back offices.
Snickering as Duncan walks away, I shift my gaze to Jacob. He’s staring at me, the corners of his mouth lifted, and I inhale deeply, pulling my lower lip through my teeth.
His eyes soften, and my stomach flips.
“So…” I fiddle with my purse strap. “How did it feel being back where it all began?”
A shadow crosses his face, and his smile dims a bit. “Weird.”
A flutter hits my chest, and my mouth goes dry. It was weird for me too.
“I remembered you and my mom sitting in the same spot you and Scarlett were in tonight.”
His gaze roams over my face, and my breath hitches. A multitude of memories of us in this space, with his mom and my brother, come flooding back, and my chest clenches.
We stand there, caught up in the past, the air thick. Questions race around my head. Questions best left unanswered, and yet I can’t make myself say good night.
Before I know what I’m doing, the words fly out of my mouth. “Are you hungry?”
Jacob’s brows lift, and I feel my cheeks heat.
“Moretti’s.” I narrow my eyes at him, but the teasing glint in his eyes gets bigger. “It’s tradition to go there after practice. Do you want to go and grab something to eat?”
One brow quirks, and his lips twitch. “Is it really still tradition, Becs, or do you just want to take me out?”
“It’s still really a tradition,” I snort, my cheeks lift, and a slow smile crosses my face. “Are you hungry or not?”
Standing with my head tilted, I watch emotions run across his face, and I wonder if asking him to go for dinner is the best idea.
But just like back then, I’m drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Not caring if I get singed by the fire.
Something in his eyes shifts, and I think he’s going to turn me down, but then he shrugs. “I can’t say no to tradition, can I?”