Page 52 of The Puck Charmer
She tucks a long strand of hair behind her ear, a seriousness in her eyes. “I don’t want them to get the wrong idea, Alek.”
“I’m a grown up. I can do what I want with who I want. It’s not really their business.”
She nods thoughtfully. “I guess you’re right, and they must all clearly know this isn’t serious. When we first met, you said your parents wanted you to settle down and have a family and you weren’t interested in that. I’m sure they all know that about you, so maybe they won’t jump to conclusions.” She smiles sweetly. “You said they’re always trying to set you up and get you married, so I just don’t want them interrogating you, thinking there was more here.”
“Right,” I say. On one hand, it’s sweet that she’s worried about me, on the other, I’m fucking sick and tired of the reminder that we’re not in a relationship.
What if I did want one, though?
You have a hockey career to think of, dude.
What if she came with me?
She’s not going to leave her grandmother, and you’d never ask that of her.
As I mull that over, thinking there might be a solution in there, I remember that she doesn’t really know who I am. Yeah, if that truth comes out now, I have no doubt she’d hate me for keeping it a secret.
I’m definitely going to have to talk to my friends, and Jesus, I’d better be prepared for the wrath of Quinn. She’s a feisty little one, and she might think this situation calls for a good swift kick to my balls. She wouldn’t be wrong.
“Okay,” Alyssa says. “I’ll stay and meet them.” She grins. “I bet they’re going to love to tell me salacious stories about you.”
That’s exactly what I’m worried about.
I check the time and redirect the conversation. “We?
??d better hurry if we want to try to catch Grandma awake.”
“She’s been doing so much better this last week. So alert.” Her shoulders squeeze tight with happiness. “I love that you’re getting to see that side of her.”
“Me too,” I say, understanding just how important her grandmother is to her.
“Afterward, I have a surprise for you,” she says playfully.
“Does it involve you naked by any chance?”
She laughs. “No, but it might involve something long and hard.”
“You had me at surprise, Aly.”
We both finish our meals, rinse our plates and load the dishwasher. The place is tidy, as the cleaner was in this morning while Alyssa ran out to pick up some fresh flowers for her grandmother’s vase. I offered to go with her but she insisted she had some business things to take care of, and I’m guessing it had to do with payments to the nursing home, so I let her have her privacy, even though being away from her was fucking torture.
Twenty minutes later, we walk into Rose’s room, and she’s sitting up, chatting with a woman with stylish silver hair and a big smile. The woman stands when she sees us.
“Alyssa, honey, there you are. I haven’t seen you in a couple of weeks. You’ve been coming in a bit later than usual.”
“I, uh, summertime,” she says. “Always a busy time for me.”
“Uh huh,” the woman says as her gaze slides to me, and I fix my ballcap. “Who might this be.”
“This is my friend Alek.”
“Alek,” Rose says, like she’s still trying to place me.
“Alek, this is my grandma’s friend Vivian. They’ve been friends since they were five years old.”
I take her hand into mine and give it a small squeeze. “So nice to meet you, Vivian.”
She grins at me, obviously very astute.