The Season: Rush (Austin Arrows #1) Read Free Page B

talking, and we definitely didn’t share many details about ourselves—other than our first names—which was probably due to the copious amounts of alcohol we’d consumed.
    Needless to say, one thing led to another and … well, as you can probably figure out by now, what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas.
    So, after a few hours of sweaty naked time, apparently, the condom broke. And that’s how I found myself single and pregnant at twenty-one. The first thing I learned during my pregnancy—after, of course, finding out that morning sickness is, in fact, a real thing—was that there are a lot of men named James in the world. I mean, a lot.
    It’s safe to say my skills as a private investigator suck, so I’ve never found him. I’ve done my best to explain to Bianca what happened because I believe in being brutally honest. It might not paint me in the most favorable light, but that’s okay. I accept my mistakes, and above all else, I don’t have any regrets. After all, that one fuzzy night brought me the greatest thing I could ever hope for—my daughter.
    The fact that he’s not in the picture is okay because Bianca and I … we make a pretty good team. Sometimes I feel guilty, though—to both him and to her. I hate that they’ve never met, but honest to God, I don’t know how to fix that, so I’ve learned to live with it. Before my parents died five years ago, I had their complete support, which was a blessing when she was little. And since then, my older brother, Spencer, and his best friend, Kingston, have been great male role models in her life. I consider us lucky in that regard.
    “Here.” I thrust her breakfast toward her, ignoring the fact that there is a neon pink streak in her hair that wasn’t there at dinner last night. Now, I’m no Nancy Drew, but I’m pretty sure that’s the reason she didn’t get her homework done.
    “Thanks.”
    I decide not to give her too much crap for a couple of reasons. One, it’s too damn early and no kid is going to retain a lecture when their brain is still fuzzy from sleep. And two, my brain is too fuzzy to come up with a decent lecture. So, I let it go as we hop into my car and head to school.
    “Do you think we can bring Gabby to a hockey game soon?” Bianca asks, her eyes never turning my direction.
    “Probably.”
    My brother is the captain of the Austin Arrows, and since the day he signed with them years and years ago, I’ve managed to rarely miss a home game. For the most part, Bianca always goes with me unless she’s spending the night with her best friend.
    “Why?” I ask. “Does Gabby want to go?” Gabby has never shown much interest in hockey before, although she has attended a couple of games with us.
    “Yeah. She said it’d be cool.”
    I can’t help but wonder if this has anything to do with my daughter’s most recent crush on the Arrows’ new backup goalie. Last year, I’m pretty sure her crush was on Colton Seguine, the cocky defenseman, but I could be wrong. Those infatuations have changed so frequently as of late.
    I can understand the allure, because I happen to have a crush on one of the players myself, and he just so happens to be my brother’s best friend to boot. However, I’ve managed to keep that to myself over the years, and I intend to take it to the grave.
    “I’ll call her mom and see what she says. Maybe in a couple of weeks?”
    “Cool.” Again, Bianca doesn’t look at me when she speaks.
    “You got everything?” I ask, although it’s too late at this point because we’re only a block from the school.
    “Of course.”
    I realize why my daughter isn’t looking at me. I think she believes she has successfully hidden her pink hair, probably because I haven’t said anything. I don’t know why she would think I’d be able to overlook something so glaringly obvious, but I decide to let it go. There will be plenty of time when I pick her up to question her new hair color. For now, I sympathize