Rule Number Five: A College Hockey Romance (Rule Breaker Series Book 1)(5)

“Five.”

“What’s the fourth rule?” Someone grabbed my shoulder, twisting me to face him and effectively cutting me off.

“Congrats, buddy. That goal was insane,” he screamed over the music, and his breath reeked of beer.

“Goal?” Sidney’s head tilted to the side, looking me up and down as if seeing me for the first time.

The big guy beside me wore my team’s teal hockey jersey. He turned around, showing her the back, where the last name Ryder was written across it in large white letters. He faced her and smiled. “Yeah, sweetheart. You going to pretend you don’t know you’re hooking up with the Huskies’ star forward?”

“Jax Ryder?” she asked with a little shake of her head like she was telling me to say no.

“Yeah.” I swallowed hard. For the first time, I got the impression my name was going to backfire on me.

Her shoulders slumped, and she looked so fucking disappointed before lifting onto her toes and leaning closer to me. Her eyes were wide as she searched my face, and I wished I could make out their color in the dim club light. I reveled in the heat of her body pressed tightly against my chest as she brought her mouth closer to mine, so close I could feel her breath fan across mine. My mouth watered, and it took everything in me not to close the distance. Come on, Trouble. Kiss me.

“That’s really too bad, Jax.” She closed the distance, kissing me just to the side of my lips, then broke away from my arms, brows pulled together. She took a step toward her friends, nearly tripping as she did. I so wanted to help her, but her words caught me up. “Rule number four: no hockey players.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Nope.” She gave me a downcast smirk and wiggled her fingers goodbye before turning around.

My gaze tracked her ass the entire time, and a slow smile curved across my lips. I never could resist breaking the rules.





TWO





SIDNEY





“Well, Mom. I got the email last week. One more recommendation, and it’s a done deal.” A gust of wind raised goose bumps over my neck, and I flipped the collar of my blue wool jacket to protect my ears.

“Don’t worry, though. I’ve never failed to win a professor over before. I don’t plan on fucking it up this time.” My hand flew up to cover my mouth as soon as the words came out.

“Sorry, I guess I’m too old to wash my mouth out with soap, anyway.” I joked and brushed the dirt from around her gravestone, arranging the faux flowers in their plastic vase. The ground was frozen solid, so it was more habit than necessity, but I couldn’t stop myself from fussing each time I visited.

“I wish you were here.”

My fingers trembled as I traced the words engraved in the stone.

A loving mother

Gone too soon.

“I could really use one of your cheesy motivational speeches right now.” I sniffed, pausing a second to control my breath. “Sometimes, I try to guess what you’d say: You can do anything you set your mind to. Or your personal favorite: Your dreams are worth the sacrifices you make.”

A chill climbed up my legs, and I shifted in place. “You were right, Mom. I’ve been sacrificing, and I’m so close I can taste it.”

An icy tear rolled down my cheek, and I wiped it away, not wanting it to leave streaks down my cold cheeks. You would’ve thought the eight years since the accident would make this easier.

“I miss you. I miss your hugs, the way you always knew what to say, and breakfast in bed when it’s raining.” The words caught in my throat, and I had to take several breaths to get myself under control. She’d left me five years ago, and there was nothing I could do about it. “You’d be proud of me. I’m following in your footsteps. I’m going to make it. Promise.”

Not able to stay any longer, I kissed my fingers and placed them on her headstone. “I love you, Mom. Happy birthday.”

I headed back through the maze of sidewalks winding through the graveyard and plopped into Mia’s nineties car. It was in rough shape, but it still worked. She already had the heat blasting, and I rubbed my numb fingers together in front of the vent. Mia gave me a warm smile and placed her hand on my arm. “How’re you doing?”

I shrugged. “Better than last year, not as good as next. At least I had good news this time.”

“You know she’d be proud of you no matter what, right? She’d want you to be happy.”

Rationally, I knew that. Of course I did. But Mia didn’t understand what it was like to know you’re the reason your mom didn’t get to live her dream. Well, at least one reason.

“Being in politics is in my blood, just like it was hers.” I shook off the heavy feeling that always weighed on me when I visited my mom. “Thanks for getting up at dawn to come with me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Mia searched my face, and her normally sunny expression softened with concern before she joked, “Anthony’s going to be pissed when he wakes up and finds out you came here without him. You know he’s trying to beat me for best friend status.”

I smiled. “You’re both my best friends.”

“Yeah, but I’m the best friend.”