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I’m envisioning his teeth spiraling through the air, a bit of blood following. Then I think about Stormy seeing it and take a breath. Remind myself of the few hundred fans filling the bar, phones out, just waiting for something to post on social. My code of conduct clause.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Stormy inches her chair back where it was. Then a bit farther.
“Liam, that was so much fun. You know I’m not much of a sports fan—”
“Hockey in particular,” I add, feeling smug as Boomer’s head cranks around in slow motion. Bowie snorts into his hand.
Yeah, asshole. We’ve met.
“But seeing you guys up close like that? I’m thinking you might have made a convert out of me.”
From the side, I hear Bowie ask, “Jesus, is hesmiling?”
Misty jumps out of her seat. “Noel’s here. I’ll be back.”
Boomer shoves away from the table with a pout. “Fine. Yeah, I’m going to grab another beer.”
My teammates follow like middle school girls going to the bathroom together. And then it’s just me and Stormy, watching each other from across the table.
I nod toward the bar. “Boomer’s a player.”
She nods, a little smile on her lips. “Good thing you ran him off, hmm?”
“Least I can do.” Though between the two of us, I’m not so sure I’m the one who did it. Which makes it all the sweeter.
“So.” I move to the open seat beside her, fold my arms over the table, and take a quick look around before asking, “How was your day, Mrs. Diesel?”
She laughs, her head dropping to the side. “Not bad. And yours?”
Better now. “Not bad.”
We talk. I tell myself I’m only here to make sure she’s okay, but even if it were true, I don’t get the chance to ask.
She peers up at me. “I have something I’ve been wondering. For a long time, actually.”
I nod for her to go on.
She leans closer, searching my eyes. “Why did you do it? In Vegas, why go along with my plan?”
“You remember in Vegas when you asked me why I was there alone on Christmas Eve, and I told you I’d had a falling out with my father?”
“You told me you’d rather be surrounded by strangers than stuck with your family. That you had some issues with your dad’s new wife. And you knew they were cheating already. But it doesn’t really seem like enough to make a guy take himself off the marketforever.”
I glance around, taking a deep breath before meeting her eyes again. “What I didn’t mention was that his new wife was my ex-girlfriend.”
“What?”
She makes this sort of curly-tongued gagging face that has me cracking a smile into my drink. When I set it down, I shake my head.
“Yeah. The worst part is that I’m not even as surprised as I should be about my dad. The guy is… competitive with me. He’s got issues with my success. Some dads see their kid’s success as a reflection of themselves. Mine sees it as an insult. He likes to show me up. Take me down a peg or two. Put me in my place, maybe.”
“By marrying your girlfriend?”
I reach out, nudging her jaw closed. “My ex-girlfriend. We dated in college. And if you asked him, I’m betting he’d swear on a stack of Bibles their being together has nothing to do with me… But he’s not exactly a churchgoing guy. And hell, blindsiding me with it on Christmas hints hard at an ulterior motive.”
Plus, the shit he was saying that day when I left?
