Page 28 of You’re The One (Saints Hockey #2)

TWENTY-SEVEN

“No.”

“But—”

“No,” Bodhi repeats, firmer this time. “We need the reunion on camera. Mia staying at your personal residence goes against the terms of the contract. I’ve already explained?—”

“And I’ve already explained that she’s not staying with me. She wants to stay with her brother, and I want to sleep in my own damn bed.”

“Which happens to be right next door to her brother’s house…”

Bodhi’s sharp tone is so at odds with his usual laid-back vibe that it throws me. Does he know what happened between me and Mia at the airport? Or is this coming from someone higher up? Or maybe he’s still holding on to some delusion that he has a shot in hell with her?

“Look, I don’t know what you’re assuming, but it’s probably wrong.”

“That you’re falling for Mia Matthews but trying to keep it off-camera?”

Okay, that’s… actually pretty accurate.

When I don’t answer, he keeps going. “Like I told Mia, she can stay with her brother after the initial reunion. She doesn’t have a problem with that. She’s already in her room upstairs. You’re the only one down here arguing.”

“Can you just tell me what room she’s in? I need to give her…” I dig into my pocket and pull out a crumpled coffee shop receipt. “This. It’s… sentimental.”

Which is true. Though probably only to me. If I showed it to her, told her I’ve been carrying around the receipt from our first sort-of date, she’d look at me like I had two heads. And I want to see that face. Any face of hers, really. I know I won't be able to sleep until I do.

Bodhi lifts a brow. “Really.”

That, and the fact that, despite the epic kiss we shared in the most unromantic place on Earth, I still have no idea where we stand.

I need to talk to her before I see Logan tomorrow. I have no idea what I’m going to tell him about my feelings for his little sister. And it only gets more complicated because I don’t know what she wants me to tell him.

I’m a shit liar. Trying to navigate introducing my other “girlfriends” on top of figuring out what the hell to say to my best friend? I can’t think of anything worse.

This could all be avoided if Mia were the only one meeting my family. She’s the only one I want to, but unfortunately, that’s not an option. And with the way Bodhi’s been screwing with my time with her, she’ll probably be the last on the list.

From the second we boarded the plane, it’s been obvious Bodhi’s trying to keep us apart.

He even assigned seats on the jet. And now this?

This is exactly why I’ve been trying, and failing, to get him to tell me where she is.

Because I’ve got a bad feeling he’s planning to drag our separation out until it’s her scheduled time with me later this week.

And I doubt he’s pulling it off alone. It’s no secret he’s not my favorite person, and I get the bitter sting of rejection he’s probably feeling, but he’s way too go-with-the-flow to dedicate this much energy to fucking with me.

Just don’t do anything salacious. Not gonna lie, they’ll air that. For the ratings, you know? His words from the first day of filming ring in my ears.

This has production written all over it. Emile’s probably laughing his ass off behind a monitor right now.

“I just need five minutes,” I try again.

Bodhi’s unimpressed glare doesn’t budge. “No.”

I groan and drop my head back. “You’re killing me, man.”

He doesn’t bother arguing, so I go for a different angle. “She nearly had a panic attack at the airport. Then she slept the whole flight.” Yeah, I kept an eye on her. Sue me. “I just want to make sure she’s okay.”

“Is that what you’re calling whatever you two were up to in the bathroom?”

When I don’t answer, he continues, “I’ll tell you if she comes to production with any concerns regarding her health… but we both know she’s not going to. She’s too proud to ask for help. So, we have to trust she has it under control.”

He’s right. And I hate that he understands her well enough to see all of that. Did she open up to him the same way she did with me? I might know if I’d managed a rational conversation at the airport like I planned, instead of turning into a jealous asshole.

But then again, no regrets. Because that kiss… fuck .

I check the time on my watch and decide to cut my losses. He’s not going to fold. With a sigh, I hold out my hand, and he slaps the keycard into my palm.

“What floor is she on?” I call over my shoulder, heading for the elevators.

“Nope. Go to bed, Dominic.”

I don’t go to bed. Not really.

Instead, I toss and turn. I stare at the ceiling and try to make sense of a situation that no longer feels like the whirlwind romance I thought I’d signed up for or the game it has turned into.

The reality is somehow worse and better. Worse, because I’m supposed to be dating multiple women and only want one. Better, because I’ve found the one I actually want more with. And maybe for the first time, I have someone I’m terrified to lose. I can’t lose her.

The sun’s barely risen, and I’ve slept for what feels like forty-five minutes, when Bodhi wakes me up with the upcoming schedule.

“Emma is your first of the family dates. You guys are getting brunch in the hotel’s private garden space. Ten a.m. sharp.”

He flips the page on his clipboard. “Tomorrow, you’ll volunteer at the Lincoln Park Farmers Market for Hannah’s rescue event with Summer.

Then dinner at Oriole. Thursday, you’ve got a river cruise with Victoria, and Friday, a private chef’s cooking dinner for your date with Mia at your place. ” Bodhi finally stops, sounding winded.

Friday night’s the only date I care about.

The one I’ll be counting down to.

Mia.

Just like I guessed, they’ve scheduled her last. Which means nearly a week until I see her again.

It’s been less than twenty-four hours and… I miss her. I miss that raspy voice chirping at me first thing in the morning. I miss our beach walks, the little smile she tries to hide when I tease her.

“Sound good?” Bodhi’s voice cuts back in.

I nod and sip my Gatorade, already exhausted thinking about the next few days.

The knots in my stomach only tighten as the morning drags on. By the time I’m walking down to meet Emma for our date, they’re so tangled I’m worried about my ability to eat. That is, if they let us.

This feels wrong .

Emma is waiting in the lobby. She looks pretty. She always does. Tall, poised, that shy smile lifting her face the second I come into view.

“Morning.” She loops her arm through mine. “I’m so nervous to meet your family. I feel like this is where things get real.”

“Real” is the right word, though I’m pretty sure we mean two very different things.

Real annoying.

Real unnecessary.

Real far from who I want.

There’s no doubt in my mind after yesterday’s kiss and last night’s restless sleep.

“Yeah.” I force a smile. “Don’t worry. It’s just my dad; he’s a big teddy bear. And my friend, Ryan, with his girlfriend, Hannah. They’re my family.”

“Oh.” Her brows pull together as she looks up at me. “Your mom won’t be joining us?”

“No.” I keep it short, not wanting to share the same details I shared with Mia. Emma must sense that and doesn’t push. I’m grateful. The last thing I need is to dredge up more emotional shit when I’m already sorting through enough as it is.

We walk the short distance to the garden terrace where my dad and my chosen family are waiting. My dad stands when we approach, his usual goofy grin firmly in place.

It’s good to see him. I don’t get much time with him when my hockey schedule is in full swing, so we usually catch up during the off-season. We spend a couple of weeks every summer at a little cabin I bought on a lake in Ohio, not far from where I grew up. We fish, and we shoot the shit.

But the show blew those plans up. The last time I saw him was during his mid-season visit to Chicago earlier this year.

He’ll still come stay with me and catch a few games. I’ve tried more times than I can count to convince him to move closer, but he’s stuck to his guns. Ohio is his home. He never remarried or really dated after my mom, but my childhood home and the small community he’s built keep him there.

I value any time I get with him. Unlike my mom, he’s always been steady and reliable. My biggest supporter.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” Emma shakes his hand and, if I know him at all, impresses him with her polite manners.

Dad chuckles, already charmed. I take the seat beside her and try to stay present, nodding at the right moments as she answers questions about her family, her career goals, and her plans for the future.

The two of them spend more time than I thought possible talking about birds.

“Did you know hummingbirds can beat their wings up to eighty times per second?” he practically sings.

“That’s because they have incredibly strong chest muscles relative to their size,” Emma adds, smiling like human sunshine.

I bet it’s how Mia would describe me. The thought makes my lips twitch.

Hannah must mistake it for something else, leaning forward and lowering her voice. “She’s really great, isn’t she?”

“Yup.” I pop the “p.”

Everyone loves Emma. Hannah is already inviting her to join their book club. Logan’s planning double dates. My dad has bonded with her over some app that identifies species based on their birdsongs.

If we were going off stats alone, Emma and I would be a perfect match.

She enjoys reading and works in publishing.

She loves hockey—and not just because I play it.

She’s open to moving anywhere, as long as there’s a direct flight to New York.

She’s thirty, ready to settle down, and wants a family.

She’s sweet. Toothachingly sweet. And she’s beautiful in that unassuming, yet every unattached guy in the room wants her kind of way.

And maybe that’s part of the problem. Even though I’m supposed to be free as the birds they can’t stop talking about, I feel anything but. Even my damn daydreams revolve around one woman.

I should be trying to follow the conversation. But my mind keeps drifting.

When my dad tells Emma she’s an impressive woman, I wonder what he’ll think of Mia.

When Logan jokes and the comment goes right over Emma’s head, I wonder if Mia would’ve fired back with some smart-ass remark just to get a rise out of him. Or if her snark is reserved for me?

I think I’d prefer it that way.

I realize my thoughts must be written all over my face when Logan watches me from across the table, one brow raised.

Shaking my head, I tune in just as Emma finishes a story. Everyone’s laughing, so I join in with a forced chuckle, having no idea what we’re laughing about. I take a long sip of water to cover my distraction.

When Emma excuses herself to the restroom, Logan eyes me over the rim of his glass. “You’re not into her.” More statement than question, his voice quiet enough not to be overheard.

Which brings me back to the problem I haven’t even begun to solve. What the hell am I gonna tell Logan about my situation with his sister?

Worse yet, is there even anything to tell him? What the hell do I do if Mia doesn’t want me back? Could I fall for any of the women left? Do I even want to? No.

All the other questions go unanswered.

“I like her fine,” I finally reply.

“You like her fine ? Who are you, and what did you do with my friend?”

I shake my head and laugh.

God, I wish I knew.