by Brown, Tara
Dad’s already seated, drinking in silence and staring at the wall. He comes to life as I enter the room. “Lori!” He gets up and hugs me, kissing my cheek affectionately. My dad without my mom is my favorite. We ski and board and drink and he’s a regular guy.
“Hey, Dad.” I hug back and sit.
“Tough luck about the end of the year. You guys played hard,” he says the things dads are supposed to say.
“No, we fell apart. But we’ll get it next year.”
“Well, you played hard, lead scorer in the league. But one man can’t carry the team, and they fell apart. I watched, I saw. Brady and Matt seemed distracted by the drama in their lives and not really into it.” He isn’t completely wrong, but I don’t shit talk my teammates.
“Everyone has good years and bad ones.” I lift the drink that’s waiting for me at my spot. “Where’s Callie and Martin and the kids?”
“Coming tomorrow. How long are you staying?”
“A couple of days. I’ll go see Grandpa tomorrow for the day. I have Brady and Nat’s wedding coming up, on Martha’s Vineyard.”
“Right of course. That’s a lot of work for you.” He smiles, teasing me about my aversion to staff.
“You know I keep Witchwood fully staffed.”
“How could you not? You’re never there,” he jokes. “Your grandfather uses it more than you do. How was Sami’s wedding?”
“Actually, it was cool. We had fun. You guys missed out. And I met someone. A girl from the island. She played on Team Canada for a couple goes at the gold.”
“A female hockey player?” He lifts an eyebrow. “And her family?”
“Not a clue. We haven’t got there yet.” I don’t want to discuss family.
Dad winks as if this is some gross thing we have in common, banging girls before we know them.
My mother, or rather Mother, enters the room, which buttons my dad right up. He knows his role when she’s around. “Lawrence.” She walks to me, offering a kiss that doesn’t touch my cheek. “How was the flight?” Mother asks on her way to her seat.
“Good. How are things here?”
“Fine.” Her tone is heavy. “Now that the season is over and you’ve had a humiliating loss, are you reconsidering your grandfather’s proposition with the company?”
“No.” I scoff. “Not a chance. Grandpa offers that to me every year to be a dick. He’s not serious. Besides, who quits their career in a low? If I leave the NHL, it will be after a high, the Stanley Cup and the Olympics. And I’m never working for Grandpa.”
Mother presses her lips into something resembling a smile, but there’s fury in her eyes. “How are your knees, darling?” Her glare narrows slightly.
“Good. I’ve been doing some extra physio to keep them going strong.”
“It seemed as if they went out in that last game,” Dad adds, letting me know he’s been watching the games. Something she won’t admit to.
“No, just a charley horse. Anyway, you guys were missed at Sami and Matt’s wedding.” I lift my eyebrows at her, fully aware of who makes decisions such as that.
“Who does Sami Ford think she is?” Mother scoffs. “I understand marrying Matthew Brimley is an ideal arrangement for her family now that he’s the controlling heir to the fortune and company, but it was tacky to assume everyone would drop everything and fly to Tennessee of all the places.” Mother laughs cruelly. “Just for her wedding? Particularly, after they’ve had a child out of wedlock.”
“Okay, well that’s a bit archaic.” I hope I don’t have to spend the evening arguing with her.
“But speaking of well-connected families, there’s a particular young lady we’d like you to meet. She’ll be here for dinner tomorrow evening with her family. They’re connected to—”
“I was going to visit Grandpa tomorrow.”
“Oh, darling, he’s coming here. He’ll be here for dinner as well. It’s nothing extravagant, just a trifling of a dinner party. Callie’s coming home with Martin and the kids. Should be lovely.” Mother speaks and so it shall be. “You haven’t seen your sister or your nieces in ages.”
“Quite negligent on your part, Lawrence,” Dad teases.
“Right.” I lean back as the first course is brought out.
“I’ve laid out some clothing for you to wear tomorrow.” Mother slices into the beets in her salad and points with the knife and all I see now is Sami. “And I expect you to be on your best behavior.”
“She means you aren’t allowed to seduce the girl and diminish her to another notch on your belt, Son.” Dad winks when Mother isn’t looking at him.
“I most certainly shouldn’t have to say that—to either of you!” Mother snaps and everything Grace said to me in the kitchen makes sense.
“Have you had any word on Sean?” I ask about the one person we never discuss.
Mother flinches at the name and Dad raises his eyebrows as if to warn me with a stare. But it’s her that speaks, “Your brother is gone, Lawrence. I’m sorry but you have to come to terms with it, as we have.”
My blood boils but I maintain my composure, just as I was taught to.
We make it through dinner civilly and I excuse myself, using jet lag as my reason for needing to go to bed right after dessert.
Upstairs in my room, I check my phone but she hasn’t texted.
I lie on the bed and Google her name, thinking Jenny Snowdon will bring up old hockey photos but instead, it brings up something else.
Something that makes my stomach twist.
Sitting up, I click the link of the new headline: Who is Jenny Snowdon, and is She Liam Farringdon’s Latest Conquest?
The End
The end (of Part One) so stay tuned!
As the cast and crew of the Puck Buddies series is extensive, I’ve had to cut the final story for these guys into two parts. Part Two, Baby Daddies, is up next!
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Tara Brown is the international bestselling author of over sixty books. She is represented by Natalie Lakosil from the Bradford Literary Agency and is published traditionally with Montlake Romance and Skyscape Publishing.
https://www.tarabrownauthor.com
http://TaraBrown22.blogspot.com