“I figured I’d just get in the way since you seemed to have it under control.” She shrugged and handed some paperwork to Mr. Whitney. “Expect to see me sometime this week.”
Mr. Whitney inclined his head. “You should have my number to make arrangements for a good time to stop by.”
“That’s not how this works, Mr. Whitney.” Mrs. Carrington crossed her arms and frowned. “This move is a disruption to Corby’s life during a pivotal year for him. I’d prefer the transparency a drop-in visit allows for this first visit. It will be helpful in determining how well he’s settling into your home.”
I stifled a grin at my social worker—who was only a couple of inches over five feet—facing off against a man who had a good ten inches on her and wore a watch that probably cost more than she earned in an entire year. Luckily, Mr. Whitney wasn’t a dick about it and didn’t try to throw his weight around. Then I would’ve had to step in, and it would have sucked to piss him off before I’d even gotten into his sweet ride.
“Feel free to drop in for a surprise visit whenever you’d like,” he agreed with a wave of his hand. “I’m sure you’ll be more than satisfied with the arrangements we’ve made for Corby.”
I waited until Mrs. Carrington nodded before I flashed her a grin. “Thanks for looking out for me, Mrs. C.”
“As always, it’s my pleasure.” She patted me on the back. “I’ll see you soon. Try not to let the new digs go to your head too much.”
“I can’t make any promises,” I teased with a wink.
She shook her head and laughed as she turned and walked to her car. I climbed into the passenger seat of the Bentley, letting out a low whistle over how lush the interior was with its quilted detailing on the seats and lighting strips that matched the exterior color.
“You like it?” Mr. Whitney asked, pressing the button to start the engine.
“What’s not to like?” I jerked a thumb toward the back seat. “Although I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t bring anyone else with you to pick me up. I’m not sure how comfortable I would’ve been during the drive if I’d had to squeeze myself in back there.”
“I probably should’ve brought the Range Rover instead, but I didn’t think about the logistics of picking you up before I left for the office this morning.”
A few of my hockey friends’ parents made a lot of money, but nobody was at the level where they could casually talk about their high-end SUV while driving their luxury vehicle. At our rink, a Lexus was high-end. “Thanks for coming to get me. Mrs. C usually drives me when there’s a change-up in foster homes, but I doubt she has any other kids placed with families all the way in Black Mountain.”
“You’re welcome.” His gaze slid from the road to me for a moment. “You seem to get along well with Mrs. Carrington.”
“Yeah, it took me a while to realize she’s pretty cool.” I shook my head and laughed softly. “I was angry with the world when I was first placed in foster care. I took some of that out on her, but she’s never held it over my head.”
“What you’ve accomplished on your own these past four years is quite a feat. A lot of kids would’ve given up on hockey when faced with the kind of stumbling blocks you didn’t let stop you. Your dedication to the sport is impressive.”
His compliment wasn’t anything I hadn’t heard before, but since he was taking me into his home, I decided to give him more honesty than I did when speaking with college coaches. “Giving up on hockey wasn’t an option. I needed it to get through everything that happened when I was thirteen. Being on the ice saved me.”
He nodded as though he understood what I meant. “That makes sense. Your passion for the game is impossible to miss when you’re out there.”
“You’ve seen me play?” I didn’t remember seeing him at the rink before, but I never paid much attention to who was in the stands since I didn’t have any family to come cheer me on.
“I attended the state tournament last season. Without your two goals in the championship game, your team never would’ve taken the trophy. You definitely earned your MVP status.”
We’d shocked the high school league four months ago when we’d beaten the Cougars in the quarterfinals before making it all the way to the end and winning the whole thing. Those games had been responsible for the calls I’d gotten from college coaches, and now it seemed as though they were also the reason I would be doing my senior year at the best school in the area, Black Mountain Academy. I’d be playing for the team we’d knocked out in the first round of the tournament. That was ironic as fuck, but I’d sure as hell take it.
1
Emmeline
“You should go out there and talk to the boy.”
I whirled around so quickly, I almost dropped the binoculars I’d been peering through before Marta snuck up behind me and scared the bejesus out of me. “I really do need to put a bell on you.”
“Being quiet is in my job description,” she reminded me for about the thousandth time. I’d first made a joke about getting a bell for her like the one our cat wore when I was seven years old. She had caught me trying to sneak an extra cupcake from the kitchen after my bedtime, and I’d been frustrated to be busted by our new maid. But then Marta had thrown me for a loop when she’d handed me a napkin and acted as my lookout so I could make it back to my room without being caught. In a house full of servants who reported every move I made back to my parents, she was a breath of fresh air. Our friendship had only grown from there—much to my parents’ chagrin.
If anyone other than Marta had caught me gawking at the hot guy who had moved in with my neighbors a couple of months ago, I would have been terribly embarrassed. Nobody else knew about my fascination with him, but I didn’t have any secrets from her. “I can’t just go out there.”
She propped a hand on her hip, a sure sign she wasn’t going to let the subject drop no matter how much I wanted her to let it go. “Why not?”
“Standing in the street as he runs past would be super weird.” I lifted a finger to start ticking off all the reasons and didn’t stop until four of them were up. “I’m horribly awkward when talking to boys in normal situations. We probably have nothing in common. And none of that even matters because he’s way out of my league.”
Marta came closer and pressed the last finger I’d raised back down to my palm. “There isn’t a single boy on this planet who is too good for you.”
“You’re only saying that because you love me.” Most people in my world would find it weird that my maid was like family to me, but she was one of only two people in my life who had no problem showing me how much they cared.
“Because you’re so lovable.” She took the binoculars and set them on the table against the wall to the left of my bay window that looked out on the front of my house. Between the length of the front lawn and the gate at the end of the driveway, I couldn’t see the road without a little help. “You’re beautiful, kind, and smart. That boy would be lucky to have you.”