COHEN

“What do you think they’re talking about?” I ask, loading up with more pancakes while watching Annie out of the corner of my eye. “I can never read women.”

“Beats me. Maybe books?” Ryan says. “Boxer?”

“Not a chance.” Boxer shakes his head. “Doesn’t matter. I’m gonna go eat.”

Boxer strides to a seat at the team table, leaving me alone with Ryan Pierce. Ryan is the team captain of the Minnesota Stars and, though we’ve had our fair share of disagreements, we’re forced to be civil over the fundraiser breakfast this morning. Annie’s grandmother has roped all three of us back here to the buffet table, and each of us is too afraid of her to argue.

So here I am stuck with Ryan, piling more pancakes onto our plates while trying to decipher what Andi Peretti—fiancé to Ryan Pierce—is discussing with Annie. The man’s obviously got some skill with women because he’s managed to snag Andi Peretti. I’ve very briefly met her before, and she seems like a good egg. Second best, of course, to Annie.

I watch the women for a few seconds more, but I can’t read either of their lips. Instead, I sneak a glance at Annie’s grandmother and, to my surprise, she’s turned with her back to us. I take the opportunity to dump a few of the pancakes into the trash can.

“Nice,” Ryan says, and does the same.

This is probably the most we’ve ever talked. Ryan is the poster boy for a Minnesota good guy. I’m completely straight, and even I can admit the guy’s got looks. He has that wholesome vibe the internet has fallen in love with, and even Coach can’t seem to find anything wrong with him.

Now, on top of everything, he has the girl, too. Andi’s without a doubt a great match for him—funny, smart, beautiful, and very cool.

Up until today, I’ve always stayed away from Ryan, thinking he was a bit of a kiss ass, but now I’m not so sure. A part of me wants to know his secrets, how he’s managed to have it all.

I want my cake, and I want to eat it, too.

But I’m not Ryan; I’m not that guy. My face isn’t pretty, and I don’t love dressing up in suits and going to events and being in the public eye. I’ve got scars and tattoos, and I can’t suck up to the coach if my life depends on it. It just doesn’t work for me.

What’s really sickening about the whole thing, though, is that he deserves it. Ryan is, without a doubt, a good dude. He stays out of trouble. He’s never been caught up in the hazing crap between teammates, and he hasn’t had one too many drinks at the bar and then slurred to the media. He hasn’t been traded across the country because people were tired of cleaning up after him.

Unlike me.

“Pierce.” I clear my throat and fork a bite of pancake into my mouth. “I need your advice.”

“Never thought I’d see the day.” Ryan turns to me, his eyes narrowing on mine. “What happened?”

“Well...”

“Never mind.” He waves his hand, following my line of sight to land on Annie Plymouth. “She happened.”

I swallow my food, and then nod.

“I don’t want to hear your bedroom talk, James, sorry.”

“It’s not about that. It’s about... everything else.”

“Oh, shit.” A slow smile spreads across Ryan’s face. “Relationship talk.”

“Yeah.”

“Annie seems like a really great girl.” Ryan glances back over toward the table. Andi and Annie have their heads lowered in a private chat, smiles and giggles making their way across the room. “I mean, Andi seems to really like her. Andi doesn’t just sit down and talk with anyone.”

“Annie is a nice girl. She’s perfect.”

“So, what’s the problem?”

“Me.”

“Right.” Ryan nods. “You want to become less of an asshole in order to keep her?”

“Pretty much.”

“I’m sorry, man. I don’t know if I have advice.” Ryan crosses his arms over his sweater. “I just got lucky with Andi.”

“Andi’s great, and she wouldn’t be with you if you were screwing everything up. What’s your secret?”

He pauses, biting his lip in thought. “I’ve never thought about it. Life with Andi is just easy.”

“Do you buy her presents? Cook for her?” I wave a hand before me, more awkward than I’ve ever been in my life. “What sort of shit should I be doing to keep Annie?”

“Well, that’s where you’re going wrong.” Ryan shoots me a somewhat mystified glance. “Just treat her like a normal human being. Annie’s smart and capable. Listen when she talks, do what she asks—you know, within reason—and then there’s the last thing. But that’s self-explanatory.”

“The last thing?”

“Great sex,” Ryan says with a grin. “That helps, too.”

“Yeah, well.” I tip my plate into the trash can, so absorbed in the conversation I don’t notice the scathing look from Annie’s grandmother before it’s too late. “Unfortunately, I can’t do much on that end.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Ryan gives my shoulder a light punch, his eyebrows furrowing with annoyance. “Don’t be a moron, James. It’s not that hard. Don’t be selfish. Just make her... I don’t know, feel nice.”

“That doesn’t work if she doesn’t want to have sex.” I glare at him. “Capisce?”

Ryan’s shocked into silence.

“That’s what I thought,” I murmur. “Hence my crawling to you and begging for advice.”

“You haven’t had sex?”

“She’s not ready. I’m not going to fucking pressure her, asshole.”

Ryan’s silent for a long moment. “I assumed—”

“You assumed I wouldn’t be with Annie if we weren’t hooking up, didn’t you?” I try to control my temper, but it’s not working. My blood is starting to boil, and I have to remind myself that I came to him for advice. “You think I’m not good enough for Annie, that I’m interested in the easiest target. Well, it’s not like that. Not anymore, at least.”

“Look, I’m sorry.” Ryan turns to face me, his eyes meeting mine. “I didn’t realize.”

“You didn’t know better,” I grumble. “It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine.” Ryan reaches out, extends a hand. “I owe you an apology. It was stupid of me to assume.”

We shake, and it’s enough to call a truce. For the first time, my respect inches up a few notches for the guy. If his apology means anything, maybe he’s changing his tune about me, too. Maybe it’s not too late for us to coexist on the Stars without intense mutual dislike.

“She’s...” I take a breath and wait until the pancake line runs back down to zero. “She’s got some trust issues. Her dad is a tool, I think.”

“That sucks.”

“Yeah, and I’m trying to be patient, but I don’t know what else to do.”

“Any signs of progress?”

I think about the last few weeks—the way she stood up to Coach last week at the vending machine, the way she’s been staying over more and more. The way she kissed me this morning, and the things she’s promised for tonight.

“Yeah.”

Ryan turns toward me and studies me, scrutinizes me with an intensity that makes me a little weirded out. “I’ve gotta admit, James, I read you all wrong.”

“Lots of people do.”

“I think you’re doing just fine,” he says. “For the record.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” I tell him. “For a suck-up.”

“Okay, asshole,” Ryan says with a grin. “As far as Annie goes, just stay the course. Let her come to you, and you’ll be fine.”

“I hope so.” I catch a glimpse of white hair speeding our way through the crowded room, and my pulse races a bit as I warn Ryan. “You should probably get going. Annie’s Gran is headed over here, and she’s going to tear us a new one when she finds our pancakes in the trash can.”

Ryan claps my shoulder. Before he leaves, though, he turns and gives me one last, fleeting smile. “I’ll make you a promise, James.”

“Yeah?”

“If you stay the course, you won’t be sorry,” he says with a knowing glance toward Andi. “Let me tell you, buddy, it’s all worth it.”