Page 14 of Lucky Shot (Moonshot Hockey #1)

NICK

“What were you thinking?” I ask, then have to repeat the question at a shout.

Aidan is learning to play the guitar and he hits a particularly sour note that has me wincing.

I motion for dad to follow me outside to the back patio. I glance over at the cabin. I can’t see her, but I know she’s there. I can feel her, which doesn’t make any sense, I know, but it’s true. I like my space. My privacy. I don’t have time to sit around every day and teach her hockey.

“Tell me you’ve officially lost your mind.

Something to explain why you invited some stranger to stay on my property and told her I’d be available for interviews.

” Over the past few years, I have very purposely avoided reporters and media, even my own team’s marketing and publicity department as much as I can.

I work hard to be the best leader and captain to my guys, but I let other people – much better suited and more well-spoken – speak on behalf of the team.

“Her agent called the house asking to speak to you. I was taking a message for you, but what she was asking didn’t sound like much. A couple of interviews and a place to stay.”

I wait for more of an explanation. None comes.

“You’ve gone too far this time, Pop. You had no right to do that without talking to me.” I love him, but damn he tries my patience.

“What’s she hurting?”

“I’m not a landlord.”

“I can manage it. It’s my cabin after all.”

“Chalet Galaxy, really?”

His mouth hitches up on one side. “I thought it was clever.”

I sigh. “If you want to Airbnb the cabin, fine, but you can’t promise people I’m going to help them. I have a life.”

He scoffs. “Hardly.”

“Dad, don’t start.”

“You can’t hide away in this big house. You’re young. You should be going out and having fun. Aidan is old enough to understand his dad has needs.”

I groan, letting my head fall back. “Please, for the love of God.”

“It’s only natural, Son.”

“What isn’t natural is having this conversation with my dad.”

“I hate to break it to you, but I’m aware that you’ve had sex before. Unless Aidan is a sperm donor situation.”

Oh my god. Somehow the more he talks, the worse it gets.

“No more matchmaking or interfering. I don’t want to date or get married. Especially not to her. I mean, really Pop, she lives thousands of miles away.” Apparently, he’s widened the search to the continental United States.

He’s always talking me up – to women at the grocery store or at his doctor’s office. I know because he does it even when I’m standing right next to him. It’s humiliating. I’m a thirty-one-year-old man. If I wanted to date, I would.

“Well, hell, Son, I wasn’t expecting you to marry her. She needed help and we could give it. You might lock yourself away in this house more than I’d like, but you’ve always been good at doing the right thing.”

The words hit just like he intends—a compliment intermixed with a sucker punch. Yes, I generally try to help people when I can, but this is a stretch.

“But if you want to have a little summer fling, I don’t think it’d be the worst thing for you.”

“Oh my god.” I rub my forehead with two fingers.

“What? Like I don’t remember what it’s like to be young.” He huffs. “You’re wound so tight. It’s not healthy. You need to let off some steam and she’s a gorgeous woman. Even you must have noticed that.”

I raise a hand, palm out and close my eyes, effectively silencing him. I literally cannot take another word.

“Fine. Fine. Not interested. I got it.”

It isn’t a promise that he won’t do it again, but I’d say this very painful conversation buys me a month or two.

I let out a long, tired breath. Next door, Ruby walks out of the cabin pulling her large roller bag down the gravel drive.

I look away from her, something like guilt twisting in my chest. Dad’s brows lift in question.

“She got what she needed and she’s leaving.”

“She came by the rink today?” he asks in a way that suggests he already knows the answer. “Determined little thing.”

I grunt. That she is.

Dad’s smile is all pride. He likes her. Maybe I would too under different circumstances.

“I answered all her damn questions so you can stop yapping about doing the right thing.” I sit in one of the patio chairs. Dad leans back against the deck railing.

“That’s why you asked me to pick up Aidan.”

“Yeah. We went to MVP.”

“You could have at least taken her somewhere the food is edible.”

“It wasn’t a date,” I remind him. “And I like MVP.”

He makes a rumble of disapproval. “What made you change your mind about helping her?”

“It seemed like the quickest way to get rid of her.”

Dad stares at me a beat, so intently I have to resist squirming with unease, then his lips curl into a grin that stretches across his face. “She got under your skin, didn’t she?”

“No. She didn’t,” I protest too quickly. “I just felt bad. It isn’t her fault you went behind my back like you did.” It was guilt. Has to be. “And Travis threatened to help her if I wouldn’t.”

He would have done it too.

“Ha!” Dad’s laughter gets lost in another loud, ear-piercing chord from Aidan. “He was busting your chops, wasn’t he? I always liked that boy.”

“Yeah, well he’s pretty fond of you too. Maybe you should focus your matchmaking skills on him.”

“He doesn’t need my help.”

“But I do?”

He doesn’t respond, which I guess is all the answer I need. I’m not interested in my dad meddling in my love life. I date when I want and how I want and it’s none of his damn business.

“She is more Travis’s type than yours,” Dad says, staring over toward the cabin.

Jesus, since when did everyone start categorizing women as my type or not?

He looks back to me. “One question.”

“What’s that?”

“If you weren’t interested, why do you care if Travis helps her or not?”

“I don’t.”

Dad cocks his head to the side, silently calling my bluff. “Where’s she heading now? Back home?”

I hesitate and consider lying outright, but that would be admitting some sort of blame and it’s not my fault she’s headed to the roach-infested, sketchy as fuck hotel. I did warn her. “Hotel Fourteen.”

Dad’s brows rise and his mouth opens. Several seconds of silence stretch out between us before he pushes off the railing and steps forward. “She can’t stay there.”

“I told her it wasn’t a good idea, but she wouldn’t listen. She’s stubborn,” I grit out. “And it sounds like it’s only for a night or two anyway.”

“Why doesn’t she just stay at the cabin until she’s ready to leave town? She isn’t hurting anything.” He looks like he’s two seconds from marching over there and insisting she unload her bags and stay.

“She’s a grown woman and this was her choice.”

“Sure, after you made it very clear she isn’t welcome here.”

That guilt is back, prodding at my sternum. “She’ll be fine. Like you said, she’s a determined thing.”

He gives me another disappointed grumble before lifting his noise-cancelling headphones back in place and heading into the house.

“She’ll be fine,” I repeat to myself as I watch Ruby get into her car and back out of the driveway.