Page 23 of Taking Sides

“No, you’re right,” I say, because it isn’t her fault or anyone else’s. All the women she’s introduced me to have been great.

“Thank you.” I smile at Hannah. “But I’m not interested in dating right now with the season just getting started and all.”

“Oh.” She looks crestfallen like maybe she thinks she’s failed me. “You’re sure?”

“You’ve been a great wing woman. I appreciate you, but I want to focus on hockey.”

She purses her lip and then lets her mouth fall into a frown. “Not great enough. You’re such a good guy. Any girl would be lucky to date you. You’re nice and sweet and hot—like really, really hot . . .”

My face grows warm. Hannah opens her mouth like she’s about to keep telling me all my best traits, but Travis drapes an arm around her shoulders and pulls her to him. “He gets the point, babe.”

“Jealous?” Galaxy smirks at Travis’s possessiveness.

That sets off a chorus of laughter.

“Are we playing shuffleboard or what?” Penn asks. He sounds grumpy, but I’m pretty sure he’s only trying to take the focus off me.

I’m grateful either way because it works, and for a couple hours, I’m able to slide into a comfortable existence, hanging with my friends and teammates after a win. I don’t completely forget about Whitney or my embarrassing dating history, but it’s background noise for a change.

As the night starts to wind down, we move to sit at a table. I’m tired, we all are, but it can take hours sometimes for the adrenaline to settle in my system. Nick and Ruby are the first to leave, then Travis and Hannah say their goodbyes.

“Never thought I’d see the day that Penn was out later than Trav,” D-Low says.

“Yeah, what are you doing out this late?” Travis says, eyeing Penn carefully. “It’s way past your bedtime.”

Penn flips him off and offers no explanation.

“See you guys in the morning.” Travis lifts his chin in a final goodbye, and Hannah waves.

When they’re gone, D-Low looks back and forth between me and Penn. “Another round?”

“Nah, I’m good,” I say.

Penn also shakes his head.

“Suit yourselves.” D-Low pushes back his chair, stands, and heads toward the bar.

Penn finishes off the last of his beer and sets the bottle on the table in front of him. “I should get home too. Looks like you two might be closing the place down.”

I glance over at D-Low. The bartender is setting a shot glass in front of him. “Yeah. Maybe.”

“Plans tomorrow night?”

I raise one brow. Penn rarely goes out. Twice in one weekend is unheard of. “You’re going out two nights in a row? What’s the occasion?”

“Not exactly. I thought I’d go watch the Moonshot High School hockey team play their first game.”

My pulse picks up speed and the adrenaline that was just starting to simmer rises again. I’m staring over at the table where Whitney and I had our date before I’ve realized it. My jersey hanging on the wall perfectly marks the spot. God, she’d looked so gorgeous in that yellow dress with her dark hair falling over her shoulders and that wide smile aimed at me. She tried. She really did. She asked me questions and carried the conversation. And I sat there like a fucking idiot.

“I didn’t know that was this weekend.” I shift in my chair and stare down into my beer.

“Yeah, I ran into Grady a couple weeks back at Home Depot. He says the team is shaping up nicely.”

I nod. “I bet they are.”

They had some talented kids. Eager and excited too.

“Have you talked to her?”