Page 41 of Misadventures And Ms. Demeanor

"I'm going to be a blocker," I told JT.

"You're going to be the enforcer, aren't you?" He turned to watch me as I wheeled back and forth, trying to stretch on wheels, his jaw clamped tight.

"Why, McCade, I didn't take you for a hockey fan. Of course, I'm the enforcer."

"Jesus, Daphne, the enforcer? Your job is to take people out. This is insane. Some of those women are huge." He cocked his head toward the ring.

I grinned at him. This was actually going to be fun. Yeah, there were a lot less pads involved, but I didn't have a stick and there was no puck. I just had to skate and elbow people. "Hip checking is my specialty."

"Just keep skating, and if someone gets near you later who's wearing a different colored uniform, take them out." Velma broke my role down to one sentence. "But save all the rough stuff for later."

"Got it." I skated onto the edge of the ring, letting the women practicing circle around past me. I did a few laps, getting used to the skates, watching as JT and Velma were talking, arms going every which way as if they were sign language interpreters. JT did not look happy. As I made the far turn, I saw a pleased gleamon Goldie's face. The whistle blew and I was pulled into the middle of the ring with the other women to huddle around the coach.

"Want to tell me what happened?"Goldie asked. I was in the ladies' locker room, unlacing my skates. Aunt Velma and Esther were off somewhere talking strategy with the coaches and JT wasn't allowed in. A few other Roller Dolls were still there, the remainder off getting some dinner.

I looked up at her from my bent over position. "I'm sorry about the RV. We ran into some troubles on the way."

Goldie waved her hand through the air making her gold hoop earrings sway. She wore her jeggings with a red t-shirt, although hers didn't have the Roller Dolls logo on it. At least she'd chosen the color to show spirit. "I don't care about the RV. What's going on with you and JT?"

I worked at a knot in the laces. "Nothing."

"Nothing? Really, Daphne, I'm not blind."

I just stared at her. "You can't tell anything happened."

She just shrugged. "It’s not like the hickey on the back of your neck is invisible—not when your hair is up in a ponytail."

I automatically lifted my hand to the back of my head and sighed. "Fine. Somethingdidhappen, but nothing's going to come of it."

"Oh? I figured the box I left for you would help with that."

My mouth fell open. So she had been matchmaking. "Goldie, that was like thirty condoms." My voice dropped into a whisper. "We're not rabbits."

"Well, you better show him your Silky Tangles moves before that blind date shows up in Bozeman."

I sat up, stunned. I think my heart skipped a beat. "Sarah? In Bozeman?"

Goldie started fluffing her hair. "That's her name? I don't know much, but JT got a text from Bob that said Sarah still wanted to meet him. Since he—JT, I mean—wasn't able to make it to Sturgis, she'd come to him."

"Oh," I replied. I couldn't let Goldie see how the text bothered me, so I tugged off the skate and started undoing the other one. "See, I told you nothing's going to come of it."

"JT likes you, Daphne."

"He likes the fact that I'm Silky Tangles so he can use me and lose me. It's fine," I added when she was about to cut in. "I'm going to Brazil anyway. We both had our eyes open."

"Brazil?"

"I got an email from my editor with a great assignment in the rainforest." I tried to make my voice sound cheery. "Something about deforestation and the increase of cattle grazing land. It's a big article and I should be there a few months."

"You want to go to the rainforest for afewmonths? There's malaria and Anaconda snakes that eat people."

I pulled off the second skate. "It's my job, Goldie."

"Your job could be working at the Bozeman newspaper. Be an online blogger. Write for a local fishing magazine. You don't have to keep traipsing all over the world. Just settle."

I stood, put my skates up in one of the cubbies that lined a wall for later. "I can't just settle, Goldie. I don't know how."

She came to stand beside me. "You've been searching for a place where you belong for years. Practically your whole life. You're thirty years old, Daphne. You need to stop searching."