Rival Darling: A Young Adult Hockey Romance (The Darling Devils Series)

I WAS SMILING as I jogged back across the river toward home. Violet’s reaction when I’d mentioned her pig comment was still clear in my mind—the shocked look in her eyes and the faint pink shine that had flushed her cheeks. I’d definitely caught her off guard. Maybe she thought I hadn’t heard her at the ice rink. Or that I didn’t recognize her. Impossible.

Violet wasn’t the kind of girl you forgot. She had stunning long, deep red hair, and her eyes were such a startling shade of light blue I’d struggled to pull my gaze from them. Her features were delicate, and when she wasn’t glaring at me she looked like she could have stepped right out of a fairytale—well, fallen out of one in her case. Between her clumsiness walking on the ice and the way she eyed the snow with such distaste it had been easy to tell she wasn’t from around here.

I’d first spotted her well before she’d called me a pig. It was just after we’d won the game and were coming off the ice. I saw her in the stands, and she’d stopped me in my tracks. I should have gone straight to the locker room, but I wanted to get a better look at her. I paused for a little too long, and my sister had rushed up to me with some of her friends. Cammie had just been trying to hit me up for cash, but seeing me surrounded by all those girls must have looked bad to Violet. I imagined it was why she thought I was a pig. If only she knew how terrible my track record with women actually was.

Flurries of snow started to descend as I neared home. I’d cooled down while helping Violet with her car and walking her to the party, but my body wasn’t bothered by the chill in the air. Then again, the cold rarely got to me. I sometimes wondered if my dad was right when he insisted the Darlings were long-lost descendants of the abominable snowman.

In this case, I thought it was something far simpler. I couldn’t feel the cold because my heart had been racing ever since I’d leaned close to Violet and whispered in her ear. Sure, she had a boyfriend, thought hockey players were pigs, and lived in Sunshine Hills, so there was no way she’d be interested in me. But she still had me buzzing with more nervous excitement than I experienced before a big game.

It felt easy to be around her, and it was the first time in as long as I could remember that a girl hadn’t talked, or attempted to talk, with me about hockey. They were always asking about my games, where I was going to college, or, most often, my prospects of playing in the NHL one day. Sometimes, it felt like girls only saw me for my stick—my hockey stick, that was. It was part of the reason I wasn’t interested in having a girlfriend. I didn’t have the time to dedicate to one, but mostly it was because I never felt like I could trust the motives of the girls who showed an interest in me.

I turned down my street and eased to a light jog as I approached our house. Despite what the kids at Sunshine Prep believed, Ransom was a nice place to live. The homes were respectable, and the people were decent and hard-working. We might not have luxury cars, ridiculous mansions, or a country club on our side of the river, but we weren’t terrible people like so many in Sunshine Hills said.

Unfortunately, I was probably part of the problem when it came to our town’s bad reputation. Once my brothers and I hit the ice, we fully embraced our roles as the Darling Devils. There was always a new rumor or two spreading about us, and while a lot of them weren’t true, I’d abandoned trying to set the record straight long ago. People could think what they liked about us off the ice as long as we were feared on it. Hockey was our life, and if our lethal reputation gave us even the slightest edge, we were all more than happy to play up to it.

Violet didn’t seem affected by it though. She hadn’t been here that long, so maybe she was yet to develop an aversion to the name Darling. All the other kids at Sunshine Prep knew about my brothers and me. Hell, even people who lived in Sunshine Hills and didn’t go to the school tended to avoid us when we ventured into the town.

No one hated us more than the Saints hockey team. Every game we played against them was a major event, and I’d heard there was a dartboard in their locker room with pictures of my brothers and me on it. They all dreamed of taking us down on the ice, but they were either too scared or too untalented to make it happen and we usually beat them. It only made them despise us more, and tensions were particularly high this season because our two teams were forced into sharing a rink while the Saints renovated their own.

Violet might have thought I was a pig, but I had to admit it was a nice change to the fear or the fawning I usually encountered. Hockey was such a big deal at Sunshine Prep though, so it was probably only a matter of time before Violet was throwing darts at my face too.

When I got home, I walked around the back of the house to enter through the sliding doors on the deck. I was surprised to find my brother Grayson on the porch swing. He was sitting in the dark, clutching a can of beer. And despite the fact it was freezing out, he was only wearing a T-shirt and shorts. There really was something wrong with my family and our inability to feel the cold.

“What are you doing out here?” I asked.

“Sunbathing, obviously.” Apparently, he was in an even more grumpy mood than normal, and I could almost guarantee he was out here avoiding our younger brother, Parker. His stern expression would have made anyone think we lost today, but I was guessing it was there for another reason. He was sulking because his best friend, Paige, was away for the weekend.

“Obviously,” I replied.

Grayson shrugged and ran a hand through his dark hair. Although we were twins and we shared similar features, we weren’t identical. Grayson was slightly taller than me, and it didn’t seem to matter how many weights I lifted; he’d always been bigger than me and built like the yetis we’d apparently descended from. People had often confused us when we were younger but no one made that mistake any more.

Mostly, it was our personalities that set us apart. While I sometimes felt like I had to pretend to be the dark and scary Darling Devil the world expected me to be, Grayson’s stormy demeanor was no act. He was more reserved, and his brow was perpetually furrowed in a way that terrified our opponents, and, well, everyone who didn’t really know him. My dad often joked that Grayson had been born scowling.

“So, how was your run?”

I could hear the judgment in his voice. Grayson thought I was an idiot for going running after games, but it was hardly something new. For years I’d been punishing myself by running a few miles immediately after we lost a game. We might have won today, but I hadn’t played my best.

I was also disappointed I’d gotten myself sent to the penalty box for ramming that guy into the boards. Hockey was an aggressive sport, and my brothers and I relished that aspect of the game, but losing control wasn’t acceptable, especially now I was captain of the team. On this occasion, I’d let anger get the better of me. The dude had been talking trash about my little sister, so I couldn’t exactly let him get away with it.

“Run was fine,” I said.

“What took you so long? You didn’t play that badly today.”

“I was helping Violet.”

“Violet?” Gray sat up a little straighter. “Who the hell is Violet?”

“A girl from Sunshine Prep. Her car broke down, and I happened to run past. Figured I’d do my good deed for the day.”

He snorted under his breath.

“What?”

“I’m guessing she was hot then.”

“You really think I’m that vapid?”

“Yes. Yes, I do.” He sat back, smirking as he waited for my response. I knew he’d happily sit there all night until he got the answer he wanted.

“Okay, she was hot.”

“Knew it.” His eyes lit with satisfaction.

“But that wasn’t why I stopped.”

“Sure.”

“It wasn’t,” I insisted. “She kicked her car.”

“Ah, of course. Car abuse simply cannot be tolerated.”

I shook my head in frustration. “She kicked her car and fell over. I went to check she was okay.”

Gray was still smirking at me.

Could he tell how much I’d liked Violet even though I’d barely said a word about her? He knew me too well. “I don’t like her.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I don’t. Anyway, she hates hockey players, and she has a boyfriend.”

“Ah. Completely unavailable.”

“That’s right.”

“And probably not interested in you.”

“No.”

“I like the sound of her already.”

“Funny.” I folded my arms across my chest, unimpressed. “But comedian just isn’t a good look for you, Gray.”

Amusement briefly flickered in his eyes. “It’s probably for the best,” he said. “You don’t need to go and get mixed up with some girl from Sunshine Hills. Not when our season is just kicking off and they’re our main rivals for the championship.”

“Yeah.”

“And you know what happened last time you let a girl distract you…”

“I’m not being distracted.”

“Hmm.”

He didn’t seem to believe me, which was fair because, despite what I said, I was struggling to get Violet off my mind. It had been a long time since a girl had caught my attention this way. Since the last time I’d gotten distracted, as Grayson put it, I’d kept my mind laser focused on hockey, allowing very little room for girls to occupy my thoughts. Violet, however, seemed to have forced her way in and made herself at home.

“I’m going to jump in the shower,” I muttered.

Grayson nodded and took another sip of his beer. “Try not to steal all the hot water. Cammie’s due home from training soon and might actually cut off your balls this time.”

I swallowed. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Our sister was always threatening to permanently dismember one of us. I might have joked about it with Grayson, but I’d never do so in front of Cammie. She was the baby of the family and our only sister, but she was ten times scarier than the rest of us. And while my brothers and I were somehow still intact despite her threats, I wasn’t willing to take any risks.

I made my way into the house and was greeted by our Golden Retriever, Stanley. He’d been our family dog for as long as I could remember, but not even his old age stopped his tail from wagging powerfully as he covered me in licks.

“I haven’t been gone that long, boy,” I said, chuckling as I tousled the hair behind his ears. That was Stan though. You could be gone only a few minutes, and he’d still be overjoyed to see you when you got back.

I walked through the kitchen as I headed for the stairs. Parker was in there, raiding the pantry—just for a change. He was a year younger than Grayson and I, but I swore the kid ate more than the two of us combined.

“Don’t even think about stealing my Cheerios,” I yelled to him as I passed. They were my favorite thing to snack on after a run.

Parker grinned wickedly at me before returning his focus to the cupboard. He was definitely going to steal my Cheerios now. I should’ve just stayed silent. But I couldn’t be bothered tussling over cereal right now, so I continued upstairs to the bathroom.

Rock music was blasting loudly from Cammie’s bedroom, so I assumed that meant she was already home. Mom must have been out; otherwise, she would have already asked Cammie to turn it down. I wasn’t nearly brave enough to tempt Cammie’s wrath. Besides, she was a lot like Parker and would probably turn it up to spite me.

Cammie was feisty both on and off the ice. With her attitude, she would have made a brilliant hockey player. She’d always been an incredible skater, far more talented than the rest of us. But, while Dad tried to get her to join a team when she was younger, she’d insisted that figure skating was for her.

She’d been obsessed with the sport since the moment she’d donned her first pair of skates. But while the other girls she trained with were all sweet, cute, and friendly, Cammie was a little bit cutthroat. She expected nothing but the best from herself and the guys she skated with, and as a result, she had a knack for tearing through partners. By this point, it was a miracle anyone was brave enough to skate with her at all. But she was that damn good they would have been idiots not to at least try and test her patience.

I hopped in the shower and had barely rinsed my hair when a loud, repetitive banging sounded at the door.

“Reed, I need the shower!” Cammie shouted.

“Give me five!”

“I don’t have five. Gabby’s coming to get me!”

I tried my best to ignore her. I just needed a few minutes to wash my hair, and then the shower was all hers. But Cammie didn’t take no for an answer, and she started pounding on the door again. “Reed!”

“Okay, fine!” I shouted back as I turned off the water. There was little to no chance she’d leave me in peace. I quickly wrapped a towel around my waist before I opened the door.

Cammie gave me an angelic grin as though she hadn’t just been trying to beat down the door and rattle the very walls of our house with her shouting.

“Thanks, Reed,” she chimed before she dashed past me into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

“You owe me,” I shouted through the door. But the water was already running again, so she probably didn’t even hear me.

I went to my room and opened the closet but paused before I pulled out my sweats. I was still thinking about Violet. I kept wondering if I’d made a mistake by rejecting her invitation to go into the party with her. No, I was being stupid. It was a Sunshine Hills party, and going inside truly would have been a mistake. There was no way in a million years I’d ever be welcome. That didn’t stop me from thinking about it though. From wanting to see Violet again.

My phone rang as I stared blankly into the closet. I was surprised to find it was my dad.

“I’ve just finished unhooking your friend’s car,” he said when I answered. “Looks like she left her purse on the front seat. Do you think she needs it?”

“Uh…” I had no idea whether Violet needed her purse or not, and I couldn’t exactly message her to ask, but this gave me the perfect excuse to go to the party and see her.

“Yeah, I think she will,” I replied before the little voice of reason in my head could remind me what a terrible idea this was. “I’ll swing by the shop and grab it for her.”

“Okay, son. I’ll leave it in the office.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

I was smiling again as I threw on a pair of jeans and a Henley. Going to a Sunshine Hills party was madness, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

Parker was still in the kitchen when I got back downstairs, his hand deep in my box of Cheerios. I chose to ignore him and, instead, focused on Grayson who had apparently finished sunbathing in a blizzard and was now making himself a sandwich.

“Can you pass me my keys?” I asked, pointing to where they sat on the bench next to him.

He frowned as he glanced up and saw what I was wearing. “You headed out again?”

“Yep. Keys?”

Grayson picked them up off the bench but didn’t immediately hand them over. “Where are you going?”

“You don’t want to know.”

I attempted to grab the keys, but Grayson quickly pulled them out of reach. “Well, now I definitely want to know,” he said, waiting for an explanation.

“Even if it’s something crazy?”

“Oh god.” He sighed. “What now?”

“I’m going to the Sunshine Hills party to see Violet.”

Grayson lifted his eyes to the ceiling. “You’re right, that is crazy.”

“Who’s Violet?” Parker asked.

I had no intention of telling Parker anything, but Grayson responded for me.

“A girl he met on the side of the road when her car broke down,” he said. “A girl who already has a boyfriend and goes to Sunshine Prep.”

“What?” I shrugged as casually as I could. “She left her bag in her car after Dad towed it. She might need it. I’m just doing the right thing and returning it.”

“Of course, you are.” Grayson shook his head.

“Besides, going to a Sunshine Hills party can’t be that bad. I mean, we mix with Sunshine Hills kids all the time at bonfire parties.”

“That’s different,” Grayson said. “Everyone knows if they start shit on a bonfire night they’re blacklisted and can’t come back.”

I shrugged again. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“I give it five minutes before those idiots on the Saints have you cornered and start giving you hell.”

“They could try.” I doubted they’d have the balls to confront me, and if they did, I could take care of myself. “But if there’s any sign of trouble, I’ll just give Violet the bag and get out of there.”

“Because you’re so great at just walking away from a bad situation.” Grayson grunted.

“It is a terrible idea.” Parker sounded like he was agreeing with Grayson, but he was grinning widely as he spoke, and his expression had taken on a glint of anticipation. The three of us looked very similar, but I was certain my eyes had never brimmed with the kind of delight Parker’s overflowed with on the daily. Even Stanley had less enthusiasm than Parker, and our dog spent his life hitting us with his overeager tail.

“So, when are we leaving?” Parker added.

“We?” Grayson’s eyebrows lifted.

“Well, we’re not letting Reed go to a Sunshine Hills party without backup…” Parker glanced at me as he waited for me to agree. There was an expectant look in his eyes, like he knew there was no way I could object.

“Even if we all go, it’ll still end in trouble,” Grayson said. “In fact, it’s probably going to increase the chances.”

Parker scoffed. “Stop being so negative, Grumpson.”

Grayson shot him a deadly look, but it did nothing to dampen Parker’s excitement. “Can’t you see our boy Reed here needs our support? He’s finally decided that the constant stream of girls throwing themselves at him isn’t nearly as fun as stalking some girl he met on the side of the road, one who’s already got a boyfriend. Our brother is just trying to follow his heart. Who are we to stop him?”

“It’s not stalking if I was invited to the party.” I grunted. “And I’m not following my heart. I’m just doing Violet a favor.”

“Sorry, did I say heart?” Parker replied. “I meant dick.”

Now Grayson and I were both glaring at him.

“So, are we doing this?” Parker was practically bouncing with excitement. Then again, he could end up coming home with a black eye and a limp tonight, and he’d still be grinning.

“Yes, we’re doing this.” I nodded. “But we’re not going in there to cause trouble. I just want to give Violet her bag.”

“Yeah, okay, Joe Goldberg,” Parker replied.

I went to cuff him across the back of his head, but he jumped from his stool and nimbly avoided my hand. “I’ll get my jacket. This is going to be fun.”

As I watched him leave, I wondered how badly I was going to regret this decision. With Parker on board, anything could happen.

Grayson turned to me once our younger brother was gone. “You’ve had a lot of bad ideas over the years, Reed. But this has got to be one of the worst.”

I shrugged. If it meant I got to see Violet again, I didn’t really care.