When Alec Met Evie (Appies, #6)

by Jenny Proctor

I glance at my watch. “All right, I’m out,” I say. “Already?” Theo asks. “Already,” I repeat. “And you guys shouldn’t be far behind me. You’ll probably be on the ice a lot tomorrow.” Rookies usually are in preseason games, so I fully expect Coach Davis to start these two over me and Nathan, even though we usually defend with the first line. I hold up a warning finger. “That means no drinking. Even if someone offers.” Theo and Carter nod in unison, their faces looking more similar than ever. “Right. Yes. Understood,” Carter says. I glance over at Tucker. “Sorry to bail early.” He waves a dismissive hand. “You already stayed longer than I thought you would.” I tilt my head toward the pair of rookies. “Keep an eye on them?” “You know I will.” Tucker cocks an eyebrow and smirks. “I know you older guys need more sleep than the rest of us.” I clamp a hand down on his shoulder and squeeze a little too hard. “Do you think it’s my age or my sleep that makes me faster than you?” Carter and Theo let out identical oooohs, but Tucker only chuckles. “Yeah, yeah. Get out of here, old man.” I leave the bar, ignoring the ache in my right knee. Considering how I’ve been feeling lately, old man isn’t that far off. At thirty-two, I’m one of the oldest guys on the team, maybe even in the league. And my body seems to be taking every opportunity to let me know. Even after an off-season of careful training and intentional rest, I’m already feeling my time on the ice, and we haven’t even played a ...