“Exactly,” I tell him.
Scarlett opens the car door and huffs out a breath which makes her bangs fly up for a second. “I swear, I’m making it my mission to be on time for at least one flight this year.”
“Lofty goal,” Gemma mumbles not so quietly under her breath.
Leaning over the center counsel, I place a quick kiss on Scar’s cheek before taking her hand in mine. “It’s only February, so you’ve got plenty of time to make it happen,” I point out, tossing her a quick wink.
“I can’t believe you’re going to leave me with Grandma and Grandpa while you have your bachelorette party,” Gemma complains for about the tenth time this week as I pull out of the driveway.
“We’ve been over this, Gems. A bachelorette party in Vegas is not a vibe for a sixteen-year-old.”
“It’s actually very much the vibe, Scar. Besides, Walker isn’t twenty-one yet and she gets to go!”
I chuckle before pointing out, “Walker is going as the sober companion.”
That makes Scarlett bend over in laughter. “You’re hysterical thinking that Walker isn’t going to try to drink while she’s in Vegas. Her twenty-first birthday is only a week away.”
“Scarlett, you’ve got to look out for my little sister. Especially because there will be a whole city full of the NHL’s biggest All-Stars. The last thing I need is Walker having a run in with a player.”
“Why would you care if she dated a hockey player?” Gemma asks.
I scoff. “Because none of them are good enough for her. Or you, Gems,” I tell her, giving her a stern look in the rearview mirror. She sticks her tongue out at me and I just roll my eyes.
Gemma lifts a brow. “But you’re a hockey player, so does that mean you’re not good enough for my sister?”
“That’s exactly what that means. I’m what’s called the reacher and Scar is the settler in this relationship,” I explain.
Scar lets out an adorable snort. “You did not just make aHow I Met Your Motherreference.”
“Yeah, I did. Because it’s the truth. I outshot my coverage and managed to snag the most stunning woman. And to my surprise, she even fell in love with me.” Smirking, I send a wink her way before bringing our joined hands to my lips and placing a kiss on each of her knuckles.
An exaggerated gagging noise comes from the backseat. “You two are disgusting. Also, Colton is a good guy and he’s a hockey player,” Gemma points out, and it takes everything in me not to curse his name in front of Gunner.
“He’s yet to prove himself worthy of you in my eyes, Gems. Besides, he’s too old for you, don’t you think?” I ask her, and Scar gives me the side eye right as Gemma points out my hypocrisy.
“You’re four years older than Scar and Colton isn’t even two years older than me. And we’re only friends, I was just pointing out that he’s a good guy who also happens to play hockey.” She sighs and mutters, “But what’s the harm in crushing on someone older than you?”
I shift in my seat feeling slightly squeamish and as we stop at a light, I look over at Scar and send her ahelp melook.
Scar turns over her shoulder and tells Gemma, “There’s nothing wrong with having a crush on an older boy. I had plenty of crushes on senior and junior boys when I was a freshman or sophomore.” I give Scar’s hand a light squeeze and she playfully elbows my arm. “Anyways, you’ve just got to vet them out to see what their intentions are. If you think Colt is a good guy then trust your gut.”
I give her another look that I hope says,What the actual fuck, I thought we didn’t like him?
“Enough boy talk. We can save that for a few years down the road, yeah?” I ask gingerly, hoping like hell we can change the topic. “Are you excited to watch me kick butt in the All-Star skills competition?”
“Which one are you gonna win, Cap?” Gunner asks me, causing me to smile.
“I’m hoping to win the hardest shot competition.”
“You’re gonna win for sure!”
“Appreciate your vote of confidence, Champ.”
Scar and Gemma both let out a squeal when a song comes on the radio so I turn up the volume. The female singer’s voice is one I’m familiar with. “Is this—”
“Taevin Gray’s new song!” they shout in unison.
“Oh my god, Scar, can you imagine how great this is going to sound when she sings it live?!” Gems asks her.
