Page 10 of Just my Puck (Love & Laughter #1)

JASON

Half expecting to see Steele, even though he’s still sitting with Lucy, I’m relieved to see it’s Carter.

He leans in with a paper bag. “Thought you might be hungry,” he says with a smirk, handing me the bag of burgers and fries and then reaching up to pull two big gulps down from the roof of the car, giving one to me.

“You are a godsend,” I growl, ripping the bag open and stuffing a burger into my face before I can take my next breath. Practice took it out of me, and I didn’t even eat afterward.

“And I brought you these.” He removes the binoculars from around his neck with a low chuckle.

“You’re a dick, but thanks,” I mutter, snatching them from him with my free hand.

Raising them to my eyes, taking a bite of my burger at the same time.

The world around me comes into sharp focus as I zoom in on Steele and Lucy.

They're laughing and enjoying each other's company. They’re eating what appears to be cheese and crackers and drinking wine from plastic cups. I squint in their direction.

“Oh. My. God!” I exclaim, leaning further forward in the seat until I press against the steering wheel.

“What?” Carter asks, staring at them and then looking at me. “What?”

Dropping the binoculars, I state, “He’s smiling.”

Carter blinks. “Who? Steele?”

“Who the fuck else? The other guy stalking them?”

Carter snorts. “Well, fuck.”

Letting out a slow breath, I raise the binoculars again. “He likes her. He really likes her.”

“You already knew that. He told you. He’s been seeing her around for weeks.”

“I know, but I thought he was just saying it to piss me off.”

“Let me see.” He tries to take the binoculars from me.

“Hey, fuck off.” I turn my head so he can’t reach them.

“I brought them,” he complains.

“Well, you knew there would be two of us here, so you should’ve brought another pair, asshole.”

Silence.

“Fair enough,” he grumbles after a short pause.

Steele, who usually has a permanent scowl etched onto his face, is laughing now.

It seems like Lucy has won him over completely.

As I watch from afar, it becomes clear that they are genuinely interested in each other.

I don’t really know what I expected. Maybe that she said yes to get to me?

Okay, I know my ego is the size of Texas, but it wouldn’t be the first time.

Fucking Swann pretended to be interested in an old teammate just to get to me.

My plan to make Lucy fake date me as a way of cooling down my bad boy image suddenly feels slightly skewed.

Carter notices I’ve gone pensive and asks, “Are you rethinking your plan?”

“The possibility that they are coupling up throws a wrench in my plans.” I'm not sure what to do next now that things have taken this unexpected, yet it should’ve been an expected turn.

“Yep.”

“But she’s the one.”

“The one?”

Lowering the binoculars, I turn to face him.

“Not that one. The one who can convince everyone I’ve settled down.

They aren’t going to buy it from some puck bunny I drag in after a game.

Geoff has made it very clear that the sponsors aren’t happy with my behavior. I’m not a good role model, blah, blah.”

“So why don’t you find someone you can actually date?”

Grimacing, I clench my jaw tightly. “That’s not what I want.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“Fuck off. Lucy is…” What is Lucy? She seems like the perfect girl.

Anyone who can make Steele smile and laugh has to be special.

He is the biggest grumpy fucker I’ve ever known, and looking at him with her, I know in my gut that I can’t walk away from this.

If I don’t do something to get everyone off my back, the pressure is going to increase from all sides.

I’m already playing at not quite a hundred percent.

The last thing I need is for someone to figure that out by watching me too closely.

Yes, fake hooking up with Lucy will put the spotlight on me for a few days, but then it will fade, and I can go about doing what I want, and that’s winning games.

“Lucy is what?”

“Different.” I lift the binoculars again and focus on the couple. Lucy is giggling, putting her hands up over her face. When Steele reaches out and pulls her hands away, her smile lights up her face, and I falter.

Big time.

It’s a blow to my ego that she isn’t mooning over me after landing on me and nearly taking me out with her bag.

“You want her,” Carter says. “And not in the fake way.”

“Has to be the fake way. I’m not into dating anyone.”

“You’re kidding yourself.”

“And you need to mind your own fucking business.” I’m getting irritated because I know he’s right.

Shoving my forgotten burger into my mouth again, I chew slowly, spying on my best friend and the girl I want in some capacity.

“Do you think she’d agree to fake date me and still be with him?”

“No.”

“That’s blunt.”

“She doesn’t seem the type.”

“We don’t really know that.”

“You’re clutching at straws,” he says before he slurps his big gulp.

“Maybe.”

“You’re still going to ask her?”

“Probably.”

“What makes you think she would even do it?”

“Why do you always have to be the voice of reason?”

“It’s my lot in life to keep you on the straight and narrow.”

“Funny. You’re a funny guy. The way Geoff sees it is that I’m the one who is supposed to rein you in.”

He snorts and scoops up a handful of fries. I do as well, and we chomp in silence.

“Here,” I say, holding out the binoculars to him. I can’t watch them being all cute and shit anymore. It’s making me all needy. But I don’t do relationships. Not anymore. No one gets in, and I don’t get hurt.

Simple…