Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
With my mouth.
Fuck, I’m gone for this woman.
“Fable is going to train Skyye.”
Shit, I forgot Dean was here.
I swallow hard, cupping the back of my neck as I nod. “Great. We need more skaters.”
I meet his knowing gaze, and the bastard is trying not to laugh at me. “Maybe if the place didn’t look like shit, you’d get more attention.”
I glare over at Fable, and she gives me a knowing look. “See?”
“She put you up to this?” I ask, hooking a thumb toward her, and Dean’s brows furrow.
“No, we all know this rink is the redheaded stepchild of the Thistle,” he says with a laugh. “What, she wants to fix it?”
“Full-ass overhaul of it,” I snap, and she sends me a smug grin.
“And I’m right.”
I roll my eyes as Dean agrees, “It needs to be done.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter gruffly.
“But you also need to get out into the community, Fable.” I glance over to find her looking at him, perplexed. “You haven’t been out in town since you arrived. The only time people see you is at the Belles’ games, and even then, you’re not approachable.”
“She’s plenty approachable,” I defend, not liking what he’s saying one bit. It’s not her fault she’s here. She doesn’t want to get out, and I understand that. It overwhelms her. She has to be someone she’s not, and I hate that for her.
I feel her gaze on me, and when I look over, she stands a bit taller as something moves in her eyes. I don’t know what it is, but before I can even name it, she says, “I was actually thinking of going to businesses to ask if they wanted to buy ad space here.”
Another idea that I shot down. Dean seems to like it, though. “I think that’s a great idea. I heard Noelle talking about getting some ad space the other day when I was in there.” He looks at his watch. “Actually, if you head up there now, you’ll be in the middle of rush hour. Get your face out there.”
Instantly, she freezes up and swallows. The only time she doesn’t think before she acts is when she’s on the ice. She has to prepare to go out, to see people, and I really want to kick Dean’s ass for putting her on the spot. Breathlessly, she says, “Yeah, maybe I will.”
I watch as her fingers cross and uncross. I know if she were sitting down, her leg would be bouncing. “I’ll come with you.”
She whips her head toward me. “Huh?”
“I’ll go with you. Only makes sense since we’re doing this together.”
Her brows rise. “You don’t want to sell ad space.”
I shrug. “Maybe y’all are right. We need to do some upgrades.”
She blinks, completely caught off guard, and Dean slaps me on the back. “You do,” he tells me, shaking his head. “Now, Fable, can I get your number so we can talk about private lessons and everything?”
Nope, don’t like that. “No. You can message her through the app like everyone else.”
He looks at me blankly, and I feel her scrutinizing gaze. “She isn’t on there.”
“She will be today,” I announce, needing to remember to text my IT kid to get it done.
Dean rolls his eyes. “What are your rates?”
Fable waves him off. “We can discuss that later.”
I give her a look. “Her prices will be up there too.”
She flashes me an annoyed look, but Dean just laughs. “All right, JT.”
“I’m going to go change. Meet you in the lobby in ten.”
Before she can disagree or even fight me on it, I head out of the rink.
But with each step I take, I wonder if Dean got the message.
That Fable is mine.
My ice princess is a bundle of nerves as we step into Noelle’s Nibbles. It’s a cute little Christmas-themed bakery that sells specialty baked goods and coffees. It’s designed to look like Whoville, with bright Christmas colors and four fully decorated Christmas trees. Each tree sports a different theme, Harry Potter, the Grinch, the Nightmare Before Christmas, and then a Smoky Mountain Christmas. I’m not a big fan of the holiday, but even I can’t deny how magical it feels in here. Staying true to her name, Noelle Matthews is Ms. Christmas.
As Dean said, it’s packed with everyone getting their morning snacks and coffee. When we enter, it’s as if a record skips and everyone’s gazes fall on Fable. She tenses up under their scrutiny, and I watch as a stoic look moves across her face. She stands a bit taller, swallowing hard, and her shoulders hunch in.
I hate that.
Unable to resist, I place my hand on the small of her back. It fits perfectly above her ass, and I want to shift down a bit to grab ahold of one cheek. She looks up at me wide-eyed, and I’m instantly lost in her green gaze. I flash her a reassuring smile. “You’re good.”