Free Melting Ice by Jami Davenport Page B

said. “You won’t get any pressure from us to talk to the media. If you aren’t comfortable with it, or worry you’ll say the wrong thing and prefer to keep your mouth shut, we’re good with that. We’ve got your back.” He patted Isaac on the shoulder and moved to Blake’s locker with more words of encouragement.
    Was this guy for real? He was so positive, it should come across as fake, yet weird as hell, it didn’t.
    Isaac shook his head in amazement and finished dressing, fully planning on getting out of the locker room before one of his teammates tried to bond with him. Isaac knew he’d fuck it up somehow, say the wrong thing, piss off the wrong person, and before he knew it he’d be back out on the street. So he kept to himself and kept his tactless trap shut.
    “Hey, want to grab a bite to eat?” Blake asked, watching him hopefully.
    Isaac stood and shrugged into his leather jacket. “A word of advice. If you’re looking for a buddy on this team, I’m not that guy.”
    He saw a flash of hurt and loneliness in Blake’s eyes before Isaac strode from the locker room. He’d done it again. It wouldn’t have killed him to accept Blake’s invitation. The guy was obviously lonely. Isaac didn’t have to be such a dick about it.
    Only he wasn’t sure he knew how to be anything but a dick.
     
    * * * *
     
    As soon as Isaac got home, he walked down the driveway toward the barn. Despite how late it was, he needed to convince Avery to keep her mouth shut about them. No good would come from her telling anyone, and Isaac liked his balls right where they were, rather than where they’d be if Coop found out.
    Considering that Coop didn’t show more than his normal dislike, he was pretty sure Avery hadn’t revealed their secret yet, but it was crucial Isaac got to her first.
    It was almost midnight, yet there was a light on in the barn. He pushed open the big double doors just wide enough to squeeze his body through. Aisle lights illuminated the chilly barn and horses nickered at him as he walked down the aisle, obviously looking for handouts.
    Avery stood near a stall looking inside. At the sound of his footsteps, she turned in his direction and frowned as he walked purposely toward her. She wasn’t looking too happy to see him.
    “Hey,” he said quietly, while his thirsty gaze drank her in. She wore an oversized gray sweatshirt, faded jeans, and no makeup and looked more beautiful than any made-up women he’d ever seen. She captured her tangle of golden hair in a messy ponytail, not the kind women spent hours on to get just the right messy look, but more like the kind that had been done in a rush. She looked damned adorable and sexy in a country girl sort of way. His dick immediately took notice.
    Crap. That wasn’t why he was here.
    “When were you going to tell me?” She propped her hands on her hips and glared at him.
    “Tell you what?” Isaac asked. She’d caught him off guard. He’d gone in the game on offense; now she’d stuck him on defense, but he was damn good on defense.
    “That you’re my future brother-in-law’s new teammate.”
    “Ah, that.” Isaac leaned against the wall and assumed a casual position. “Perhaps when you told me that you happened to be his future sister-in-law.”
    She almost smiled. “What we did together—no one—I mean no one can know. It was a moment of weakness. It shouldn’t have happened.”
    Isaac opened his mouth to protest, even though she was serving what he wanted on a silver platter. He snapped his mouth shut and nodded slowly. He should’ve been relieved, yet it irritated him that she was shrugging off the best sex he’d had in a long time as if it were an inconvenience to be forgotten. “Cooper told me in no uncertain terms to stay away from you and your sister.”
    Avery laughed. “As if my sister would ever be caught dead near you. She has more sense than I do.”
    Now that hurt, more than it should’ve, but he forced a carefree grin, as