It’s been three long weeks since we’ve been training, and I can’t eat, sleep, or even play hockey. I glance at my team as we all take shots on the net, but my thoughts aren’t on today’s practice. No, my thoughts are on Daisy…Quinn.

Shari never bothered to show up at my house to collect Daisy, and Dad says Zander has a good chance at full custody. Quinn hired the best nanny, and is staying at Zander’s house to make the transition easier for everyone. She’s also working hard to get her own center ready, so Daisy can be with family every day. My buddy Zander certainly stepped up to the plate, and I know he’s going to be an amazing father to the little girl we all love.

But goddammit, if I can’t be Daisy’s father, I at least want to be her uncle for real. There is only one way for that to happen, but Quinn handed me the ring back, saying it was what she wanted. The fucking divorce papers are in my bag, but I’ve yet to sign them. I don’t want to sign them.

I’m in love with my best friend’s kid sister.

Using my own body-checking moves against me, someone hits me from behind, and I slam into the boards with a thud. I turn around, ready to fight whoever did that, but when I find Zander standing there, shaking his head at me, I take off my helmet.

“What the fuck, dude?”

“Are you going to play the game or mope all fucking day?” he asks as he jabs me with his stick. Hard.

“Fuck off.” I whack his stick way, in no mood to talk. “I’m not moping.”

He laughs. “Yeah, you fucking are.”

“I’ve just…got things on my mind,” I say and look around, catch our coach watching us. Man, I need to get my shit together before he benches me.

“Like what things? My sister? The divorce papers?”

“Yeah, exactly.” I’m about to skate away, but he reaches out and stops me.

“If you don’t want to sign them, Jonah, then go do something about it.”

I stiffen, and my heart jumps into my throat. “What are you talking about?” I study his face, take in his amused expression. He wouldn’t be amused if he knew what I’d been doing with his sister, right?

Zander skates around me, giving me a good push from behind, and I jerk forward. “Jesus Christ, asshole. How stupid do you think I am?”

Fuck man, he knows. “Ah…” Zander is far from stupid. Why did I ever think I could keep something from him?

He stops in front of me, shakes off his gloves, and I brace myself, waiting for a fist to the face. But it doesn’t come. Instead, he puts his hand on my shoulder. “Look. You love her. She loves you. I’ve stayed quiet long enough, waiting for you two to work it out. But clearly you’re both too afraid to make the first move.”

My stomach coils. Jesus, is he going to hate me? “How long have you known?”

“That day I showed up unannounced and Quinn was in your bed.”

“Shit.”

He rolls his eyes. “After that, everyone knew, Jonah.”

“Everyone?” I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Zander, it just…sort of happened.”

“Bullshit.”

Great, here it comes. Not only did I lose the girl I’m fucking crazy about, now I’m going to lose my best friend, too.

“It’s not—”

“Give me a fucking break. You’ve been crazy about Quinn for as long as I can remember. It just took the right circumstances for you to finally do something about it.”

“Is this where you kick my ass?”

He laughs. “I’m a lover, not a fighter, Jonah. You’re the fighter, always had my back.”

It’s true, I am a fighter. I fight for what I want.

So why the hell aren’t I fighting for Quinn?

Because you’re not what she wants, dude.

He goes serious, all humor gone from his face. “Quinn needs a good guy in her life.”

“You think I’m that guy?” This is all coming at me so fast, my head starts spinning. Here I thought Zander would kill me, yet he’s encouraging me to go for his sister. “Wait, you’re not going to kick my ass?”

“I should.” He taps his head. “For being so thick up here.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Did you ever stop to wonder why your mother and father suggested the two of you get married in the first place?”

“To make it look better to the courts.”

He gives a slow whistle. “Man, you’ve taken one too many hits to the head.”

I toy with my stick and think about that. Everyone knew how I felt about Quinn? How she felt about me? My parents were…matchmaking? “Wait, you think Quinn loves me?”

He laughs. “Yeah, she fucking does.”

I skate backward, then push off the boards, my heart crashing against my chest. “She gave the ring back.”

“Why do you suppose she did that?” Zander arches a brow.

“Because she doesn’t want a family.”

“Yeah, definitely one too many hits to the head,” he says. “Look, you know my sister as well as I do. She’s afraid, Jonah. She’s afraid that one day you’ll decide you love hockey more than her, and abandon her. We all have our own demons, pal.”

“Fuck, Zander.” I rub the back of my neck. I worked my ass off to get where I am today. It’s all I ever wanted—but I’ve grown up a lot in the last couple months, and my priorities shifted, big time. I love Quinn, want to have a family with her. But how can I get her to believe me, show her that she’s the most important thing in the world to me? That I’m not going to abandon her—ever.

I glance at Zander as an idea grows, takes shape in my mind.

“There you go,” Zander says like he can read my thoughts. He skates off, and I catch sight of Coach again, who’s glaring at me. I skate toward him with single-minded determination, about to do something the Body Checker wouldn’t have dreamed of doing a couple months ago.

Here goes nothing.