“You’re being sarcastic, right?”
“No. You didn’t like it?” Judging by her expression, she not only didn’t like it, but was judging him pretty harshly. “You have to admit, it was entertaining.”
“The wrong kind of entertaining, though.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know if there are wrong kinds of entertainment. If I was entertained, it’s all good.”
“I spent most of the second half thinking about the ice cream I have in the freezer, but I was too comfortable to get up and get it.”
He groaned. “I ate too much pizza, but now that you’ve said the wordsice cream, I could go for some maple walnut right now.”
“Ew.” Her expression made it clear she wasn’t a fan. “No, I have mint chocolate chip, and you have terrible taste in ice cream. Is it because you’re Canadian?”
He laughed. “They have maple walnut ice cream in the US, you know.”
“But it’s probably Canada’s fault. Don’t even get me started on your potato chip flavors.”
“You’re quite the food snob for a woman who eats frozen Brussel sprouts.” He grunted when she elbowed him in the ribs. “And speaking of Canada, don’t be surprised if you come home one day to find two Canadian women who look kind of like me camped out in your building lobby, waiting for you.”
“I think Iwouldbe surprised, even with a heads-up. Should I run and hide?”
He laughed. “From my mother and sister? No.”
“Okay, but why will they be camped out, waiting for me?”
“Because my mother is beside herself that I’m dating a woman she’s never met, and when you throw in the fact you’re a Burke, she’s losing a little sleep over it. And if she loses sleep, everybody in the family loses sleep. And Cassie would come with her instead of my dad because they think he’s too much of a pushover.” He frowned. “But nobody’s coming out of it with a bruised jaw, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier if you just told your family the truth? I’m not really comfortable with you lying to your mom. I mean, none of your family, really. But especially your mother.”
“I love my mom, but if ever there was a woman who can’t keep a secret, it’s Paulette Lecroix. Between Facebook and how excited she gets when somebody asks her about me, we’d end up in an even bigger scandal than we started with.”
“How often does anybody try to interview her anymore, though?”
“Ouch.” That hurt a little.
“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. It’s just that the media’s been telling your story for years, and they might think she doesn’t have anything new to add?”
“Except for how my family feels about me dating the sister of my biggest professional rival—the guy I’ve been swapping punches and hard checks with for years. Hockey might not register on the tabloid media’s radar, but this is the kind of story that can get sports sites some clicks, you know?”
“It’s ridiculous.”
“It’s ridiculous and it’s part of the job, but at least it doesn’t physically hurt.” He was trying to be funny, but she didn’t laugh.
“Why did you choose to play hockey? And it’s a genuine question, not a snarky one.”
“Because I’m good at it.” He tried to come up with something profound, but it was just that simple. “That’s it. I’m good at it, I love it, and they pay me to do it. It also paid for college.”
She shrugged. “My brother didn’t go to college.”
“Trust me, I know.”
“I was just making conversation. Not everything’s a competition.”
“With Erik, it is. And just so you know, he didn’t go straight into the league because he was better than me. He’s never beenbetterthan me. But he was raised to be a hockey player. I was raised to get a hockey scholarship.”
“Is there a difference?”
“On the ice? No. But when it comes to making choices, I think there is.”
