Caged (Gold Hockey Book 11) by Elise Faber (romantic love story reading TXT) 📕

was also a talented artist) and crossed over to Dani, taking her hands. “How are you?”

Warm.

Sara was just really nice and warm.

“I’m good,” she said. “I just brought some craft supplies from the Miner’s Club for the kiddos.”

A squeeze of her hands. “You’re so sweet.” Sara’s smile had garnered many a sponsorship. “Do you want me to get it set up so you can go get ready for the game? I’m sure you have better things to do than wrangling team kiddos.”

“Oh, um, sure,” Dani said, relinquishing the bag, a sliver of disappointment sliding through her. She’d thought to hang out a little bit. She wasn’t needed downstairs quite yet, and kids were always easy. Honest to a fault, but mostly a judgment-free zone.

Mostly judgment free because the last time she’d been up here, Aiden—Blue and Anna’s son—had told Dani that she needed to relax her face, otherwise she’d get wrinkles.

Kids.

Back to the whole honest to a fault thing.

Sara stopped, eyes gentle. She was intuitive and probably reading too much into that tiny bit of displeasure Dani felt. “Or you can stay and—”

“It’s fine.” Dani smiled. “I really should get ready for the game.”

And great, now there was regret in Sara’s eyes.

God, why did she have to be so bad with people?

“Or maybe I could stay for a little?” she asked. “That way I can help you get them over their initial excitement.”

Sara smiled again, the regret softening into amusement. “I’m sure you can picture me covered with approximately a hundred palm prints.”

Dani’s lips twitched. “Maybe.”

Sara linked her arm with Dani’s. “Come on, we’ll use the old table.” Thus called because it was old, but also because it was stained from years of similar craft projects, crayon marks, and matchbox cars driving over its deep oak finish. “Oh! And I want to introduce you to someone. Roxanne!” She waved her hand, and a slender blond spun to reveal a startlingly beautiful face. Her hair was styled to perfection, soft waves cascading down narrow shoulders, stopping just before gently curved hips. “Come here. I want you to meet Dani. She’s the video coach for the team.”

Roxanne’s hand felt like actual velvet as it brushed Dani’s, and she noticed that even Roxanne’s nails were perfectly shaped, her nude nail polish impeccable.

They matched the rest of her outfit—crisp jeans with red flats, a shimmery beige and peach floral blouse. She was beautiful and feminine and effortlessly coiffed in a way that Dani knew she never would achieve.

“Hi, Dani,” Roxanne said. “It’s so nice to meet you. I was actually reading an article about video coaches last week. I didn’t realize how much went into it.”

“Oh, it’s just a job.”

Roxanne’s brows rose, and Dani realized what that sounded like.

“I mean, I—” She sucked in a breath. “It has good and bad parts, you know. But I really do love it.”

“I hear that,” Roxanne said with a laugh.

This should have been the point in the conversation where awkward silence descended, but instead, Roxanne asked Dani a few easy questions, mostly about work, which was lucky for the other woman since Dani was most comfortable when talking about programs and editing equipment. Well, lucky was relative, she supposed. Lucky in this case meaning there wasn’t awkward silence, but not so lucky as to not have to listen to Dani prattle on.

But during the few minutes they spoke, Roxanne didn’t give one indication that she was bored to tears and desperate to escape.

Instead, she asked several intuitive questions.

“I’m a bit of a computer geek,” Roxanne said when Dani looked at her with surprise. “I’ve been spending my spare time building a P.C.” God, even her blush was fucking adorable, tiny pink swathes on each cheekbone, as was her self-conscious chuckle. “No wonder I’m single, huh?”

She turned when Aiden ran up to her, wrapped his arms around her waist. “Roxy!”

“Hey, little one,” she said, crouching and beginning to speak to him quietly.

“Roxanne works at the gallery,” Sara whispered into Dani’s ear as they talked. “I’m going to—oof!” Madeline darted over and began begging to see what was in the bag. “Just a second, honey,” she told Mandy’s daughter. “Yes, it’s a craft project that Dani brought.”

“Crafts!” Madeline squealed.

Mandy had trailed her daughter across the room, snagging the tote from Sara and laughing. “Yeah, baby.” She held up the bag. “The supplies are in here. We just have to go to the old table and get everything set up.”

“I’ve got it,” Roxanne said, standing when Aiden ran off again. “I can get things set up so you two can enjoy your chat.”

“I—” Dani began.

But without any trace of awkward, Roxanne took Madeline’s hand and led her to the table, easily getting everything spread out, even as more kiddos found their way into the supplies. In even movements, her musical voice trailing across the room, her smile bright as the lights inside the arena, she got each kid setup with a plate, a rock, brushes, and paint and didn’t even get a speck on her.

Effortless. Again.

So freaking much that Dani should hate her, strictly on principle.

But she couldn’t.

Because Roxanne seemed like a really nice person.

“I’ll catch you guys later,” Mandy said, moving to help Roxanne when a few of the boys thought it was a good idea to chase each other with paintbrushes . . . loaded full of paint.

“I’m going to set her up with Ethan,” Sara said quietly.

Scratch that.

She hated Roxanne. She was the worst with her flawless hair and body and smile and no awkward in sight and—

“Isn’t she just perfect for him?” Sara said. “I know he’s a little scruffy, but he cleans up nice, and they’re both just so nice. I can already picture tiny little blond babies with Ethan’s gray eyes. They’ll be adorable.”

Dani’s heart twisted and filled with lead, growing heavy, sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

Ocean of despair that was.

The past was weighty, intense, reaching up and sinking its talons deep, reminding her of everything that was wrong with her.

And everything