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

his head, letting her know it was all good, and then listened as Catherine explained what sounded like a very intense trick shot that had been performed by her favorite, yup, he’d guessed it, YouTuber. “Do you think you could do it?” she asked once she’d finished.

He solemnly shook his head. “No way.”

Her face fell.

“But I bet you’ll be able to do it before I can.”

She smiled wide enough to light up the already bright hall then threw her arms around his neck. “You really think so?”

He nodded. “I know so. Also,” he said, handing her the jersey he’d stripped off earlier. “This is for you.”

Another huge smile that had his heart squeezing tight. “Really?”

“Really.”

Catherine yanked it over her head, practically swimming in the fabric, but she was happy, her mom was happy, and he chatted with them for a few more minutes. It got harder to concentrate as those minutes passed because he felt it.

Or rather her.

As Catherine spoke, his nerves prickled, the skin on his nape prickled, awareness filling every cell. His inner Dani detector was on full alert, telling him she was near.

He wanted to break off the conversation, to track her down.

But he wouldn’t.

Because this moment was one of the big ones, an important interaction, something that—even at risk of him sounding egotistical—but it might be something Catherine remembered forever.

So, he’d give the little girl his time, his patience.

His complete focus.

Also, this just in, apparently men could multitask—or at least his inner Dani detector could still work while he listened to Catherine chatter. He felt her watching him, sensed her staying in place.

And that gave him the strength to finish the conversation.

Eventually, though, Catherine yawned, and her mom bustled her away after he’d signed the jersey, thanking him. He scored one more hug and a super special fist bump before mom and daughter disappeared down the hall, Scarlett swooping in out of somewhere to show them the way.

Thankfully, that inner detector was still blazing strong.

He turned, his gaze immediately arrowing in on Dani.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Dani, Fifteen minutes before

“Why do you like to be called Fanny?” she asked her friend, who was lingering in her office waiting for the bus to the airport and the plane that would take them home.

“What’s going on between you and Ethan?” Fanny countered, making Dani’s mouth drop open and her finger slip as she nearly deleted the wrong video file. Quickly, she closed and saved everything, knowing she could finish the rest of her work on the plane, when she wasn’t at risk of crashing her whole system.

“Nothing,” she squeaked.

“Sure.” Plump lips turned up. “You were all lovely-dovey for a few weeks, and now I’m surrounded by mopey Joes, but nothing is going on.” She sank onto the edge of the desk. “Also, I go by Fanny because every other girl in school growing up was named Stephanie.” A shrug. “Being Fanny helped me stand out from the fold. Plus, I had plenty of opportunities to practice my comebacks for someone comparing me to a butt and/or a vagina.”

Dani shuddered. “That sounds horrible,” she said.

“Life is horrible sometimes.” Another shrug. “You might as well control the shitty parts as much as you’re able.”

“That’s actually kind of deep.”

“I can be deep,” Fanny said. “Just like I know that you’re in love with the man, and yet you’re not in his arms making goo-goo eyes at him.”

Dani groaned, covered her face with her hands. “I blew it,” she said. “He announced he loved me, and I freaked out. Yes, I love him, too. I’ve loved him for ages, but by the time I found the words, he was all shut down, and now I keep trying to talk to him, but he’s either hiding or avoiding me and . . .” She groaned again, banged her head on the table, and wailed, “I still haven’t been able to tell him that I love him!”

“He can’t avoid you forever,” Fanny said, “you work together.”

“Well, he’s done a damned good job of it so far,” she muttered, opening her laptop.

“It’ll be okay,” Fanny said.

“How?” Dani lifted her head. “I hurt him.”

Fanny squeezed her shoulder. “He loves you, babe. That’s how I know it’ll be okay. Plus, you have this organization of perfectly matched soul mates to serve as an example of how everything will work out.” Another squeeze. “It’s almost sickening how many HEAs we have among the Gold. You two are in good company.”

“I know, but . . .” Dani sighed, cut herself off, hating that even though she had so much love for Ethan, she was still worried it might all implode.

Fanny bumped her shoulder. “Self-reflection builds character, but too much can freeze you in quicksand.” Brown eyes gentling. “There is always risk in life, always a chance it might go wrong. But courage goes to those who can grab on to their happy.” A flash of a smile, before her face went serious. “Because when you love someone, when you stop being afraid and just go for it then . . .” She released a breath. “It’s like that, as simple as breathing, but you finally feel like your lungs can work fully. You can be yourself without fear, without being so locked down that you’re not open to new experiences. You can be . . . happy.”

Dani ran her thumb lightly back and forth along the space bar on her laptop, not hard enough to depress the key, just enough to feel the warmed plastic slide along her skin. “You make it sound easy.”

Fanny pressed her thumb down on the key. “It is easy. As easy as striking a key,” she said, returning her hand to her lap, “and it’s also the hardest thing you’ll ever do.”

“Is that what your experience was like with love?”

Fanny smiled sadly. “That’s a story for another time, preferably when I’ve had an entire pitcher of daiquiris.”

“I’m sorry, Fan.” Her eyes went to the single space on the blank document, the cursor blinking to its right.