Page 67 of Ruled Out

With my jacketresting over the back of my chair, I take a seat in the same boho café Jessie and I were in only weeks ago. My dad pulls off his cap and hangs it on the back of his chair, shaking out his messy, dark hair and looking around at the decor. He’s more relaxed than he was when I saw him outside my dorm building.

“Okay, I have a gingerbread latte with extra cream and a black filter.” The barista looks between us both, clearly not recognizing Dad.

He was one of the biggest names and enforcers in the NHL. But unless you’re a Destroyers fan or you’ve followed hockey for years, it’s unlikely you’d know who he is.

“Latte for me, thanks,” I say, taking the large coffee from her hands and holding it between mine, the early February air still freezing my fingers.

Dad shrugs off his jacket and picks up his coffee, taking a sip. “I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch all that much. The season has been crazy, and we’re struggling to find a replacement for you. You did a lot around the place.”

Guilt washes over me as I take in my dad’s face. The stress of losing Mom understandably aged him several years, but somehow, in the few months I haven’t seen him in the flesh, the lines around his green eyes look deeper.

“Marie wanted my job when I left. Did she not take it?”

He shrugs his broad shoulders. “It didn’t work out.”

I spoon some of the cream into my mouth. The air between us suddenly feels heavy and awkward again.

“I thought you’d take the chance to get away—you usually do in bye weeks.”

Memories of that season flash through my head. When Dad went on a short vacation to Mexico, Jessie and I took full advantage. Crossing my legs over, I remember the way he pinned me against Dad’s office door as I shamelessly humped his thigh. Smiling around the spoon, I also remember the panic when we both noticed the security camera set up in the corner of his office.

It took Jessie ten minutes to find the recording and delete it, and then we made out for another twenty. Let’s just say, Riley’s Bar wasn’t the first time we’d been up close in a closet.

“What time is the game?” I ask.

Dad checks his watch just as I feel my cell buzz in the pocket of my jeans. There’s a chance it’s Jessie since practice will be over by now. Excitement races through me, but I fight back the urge to check who it is with Dad sitting directly across from me.

“Early evening, but I have some calls to make in the meantime.” He takes another sip of coffee and sets it back down on the table. “What about you? Got plans? You can come to the game with me, if you want? It’s your college team playing.”

No can do. By that time, I’m hoping to be in your former winger’s bed, preferably underneath him.

“Tara and I are heading out tonight.” I have genuinely never lied so much in my life.

Dad nods his head, clearing his throat. “You’re being, um … safe, right, Mia?”

Even while I’m twenty-two, talking about sex with my dad has never been more embarrassing.

“Really?” I drawl. “Are we having this conversation? I’m not sixteen anymore.”

Shifting in his chair, Dad rests his forearms on the table, pinning me with a serious stare. “I was a college student once, and I know dudes operate mainly with their dicks.”

My brows shoot to my hairline. “Yeah, well, no danger of that. No one is interested in me, and I’m more likely to have a love affair with the librarian than I am a student.”

Dad sits back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Have you heard from Callaghan?”

It’s right about now that I wish I’d joined the on-campus poker team as I try to keep my face expressionless. “Jessie?” I question.

A wry smile traces his lips. “You know exactly who I’m talking about, Mia.”

“Why would you ask that? You know I haven’t heard from him since the summer.”

“Because you’re in the same city.”

I lift a shoulder. “So? And I don’t see why you have such a problem with him. It’s been years since all that went down. He’s probably got a girlfriend now.”

Me.

“Because boys like Callaghan are the worst of the worst when it comes to thinking only with their dicks. I’d rather you date some hotshot on the college team than him.”