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It feels good, having my hand in his I don’t knohat the future holds, but I hope I get to show him that I mean what I say

When we get to the aparts for me and Ro Every tihts of stairs to his truck I even grit ht pink cloth bag with a drawstring holding it closed Bob Picking it up between s of clothes and zip it up

Having people infor sure, though—I don’t want to go back to life before Ro and Maverick, when the only people I had were my brothers and mom on the other end of a phone line

I just hope Ro and Maverick understand when I have to leave

Chapter Fifteen

Maverick

“My nuts aren’t sweaty,” Pike says “I could get used to this place”

“I’ve always liked Vancouver, but I wouldn’t want to live here,” I say as I pick up our room key from a table and slide it into my wallet “You ready?”

“Let’s do it”

We have a ga down to board the bus that will take us to their arena for our pregame skate

“We better win this one,” Pikesick of losing”

“I don’t knohat to do,” I adether on the ice and we look like shit”

“I think we could switch the second and third lines and win ames,” Pike says “Between you and me”

“Yeah” The elevator doors open and it’s empty We step on “The third line probably deserves to be first, the way Dane and I play together”

“What the hell is with that guy?” Pike asks “He’s in a bad mood all the time”

I shake my head as Pike pushes the button for the lobby “I’uy to be captain The headlines lately have been about , and that’s not the kind of thing a captain should be getting attention for”

Pike scowls “The problem’s not with you”

I shrug “I could defuse things with him, but I don’t”

The sports reporters were all nearby when I ca out of the locker roooal scored It was an e nearby, about to be interviehen hewashed up