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"You should’ve worn his jersey," Dad says.

"I’m fine in this."

Mom glances at me, then reaches into her bag.

"Cotton candy?" she offers.

I take it because it gives me something to do besides answer.

Across the arena, I can see the section where Wolf’s seats are.

I look away before I start searching for the exact row.

Ellie leans closer while Dad explains something about the standings to Mom.

"You ready for this?"

I keep my eyes on the ice.

"No."

Chapter Twenty-Four

Wolf

I look at my seats before I remember she won’t be in them.

Habit, apparently. The last few home games and I’ve already trained myself to look for Baylor before I’ve taken a shot in warmups.

I skate past the crease, turn, and look toward the visitors’ family section instead.

There she is.

Black sweater. Hair down. Ellie on one side, her mother on the other. Her dad is standing at the end of the row in Beau’s jersey, looking toward the other half of the ice.

Baylor sees me looking and lifts her hand a little. I raise my glove before her father turns around.

He follows her gaze. His expression doesn’t improve when he finds me.

Her mother looks from him to Baylor, then down at her lap.

Excellent. Dinner with the family should be a fucking delight.

I’ve been thinking about asking them since I left the apartment this morning. Longer than that, if I’m honest. Last night, I held Baylor while she cried over something neither of us wanted to end, then told her she could leave her toothbrush in my bathroom.

Very generous of me.

What I should’ve told her was that I love her.

That I have no idea whether I’ll be playing next season, or where, but I’d like to figure it out with her still answering my calls.

Instead, I kissed her goodbye this morning and went to the rink.

Hunter sends a puck toward me. I stop it with my stick before it gets past.

"Planning to participate?"

"Deeply considering it."