Page 28 of Scores Of The Heart

They both look at each other and Cindy shrugs. “Sure, I mean, if you don’t mind?”

“Of course not, I’d be happy to.”

“We only live a block away from each other, so if you don’t mind if I tag along?” Susie asks.

“Of course I don’t mind.” I smile. This is turning out even more perfect than my Monday morning ritual.

“Sounds great, should we?” I nod towards the door as Cindy pushes her chair out and I wait for Susie to exit the booth seat and we all walk out to my car.

Okay, it’s a bit of a statement piece amongst the kinda ‘normal’ looking cars parked around it. The girls both look momentarily wide-eyed at the sight.

“My pride and joy,” I say, as I buzz the car to unlock it and open both the passenger doors for the girls. If there was one thing my mama taught me, it was how to treat women right, and I’m not forgetting my manners, especially now I have Cindy in my sights.

“Thank you.” She smiles softly, as she slides into the passenger seat.

I’m delighted she sits in the front, while Susie slips into the back.

I couldn’t have picked this out more perfectly if I tried.

I start up the engine when I click my seatbelt on, and what the heck, give the engine an extra throttle. I swear I hear Cindy giggle. I glance over at her as she watches me in the dark. I hope to God we get to drop Susie off first. That’s the plan. I just need five minutes alone with her. Surely that can’t be too much to ask.

We chatter lightly in the car. I ask them what else they’ve been doing this weekend. Cindy tells me she has lunch tomorrow with her mom and sister, though she doesn’t sound overly excited about that prospect. I wonder what the deal is there.

Then I think back to the conversation I overheard when Coach was talking to her mom. The conversation that told me more than what I bargained for.

I feel bad for overhearing it, but it gave me some insights into her life at least.

Even if they weren’t good ones. Her mom sounded like a control freak. As far as I know, she had a very bad incident in college, and something was mentioned about a wayward ex.

“I have dinner with my family tomorrow,” I tell them. “My parents live out in the burbs. My mom makes the best Moussaka in the universe.”

“Oh, I love Greek food,” Susie says from the back.

“Me too,” Cindy agrees. She glances at me again. I can see from my peripheral that she looks from the road to me every so often, and her glance lingers. “Can you cook, Tyler?”

I swallow because I like the way she says my name. More than I’ve ever liked anyone else saying it.

“I’m pretty good,” I say honestly. “My mom taught us boys the basics. I have two brothers, Dion and Chris. Dion, my youngest brother, thinks he’s the best cook, but there’s no way that’s true. I’m pretty domesticated too in other areas, but I’ve been living out of home since I was fifteen, so I guess I ought to be.” I wonder if I’m babbling, but I can’t seem to stop myself.

“Wow,” Cindy says. “That’s pretty young.”

I shrug. “I grew up pretty quick, that’s for sure.”

“Have you always loved hockey?” she asks.

I take my eyes off the road as I glance at her briefly. “Always,” I reply. “Though my dad had it in his sights that one of his boys should be a football player.”

I hear Susie laugh from the back. Cindy too.

“And did either of them become football players?” she asks.

“Nope.” I shake my head. “Christoph is in finance, and Dion is a golfer.”

“I’m sure they’re very proud of you all the same,” Cindy says.

My parents are my biggest supporters. I got so damned lucky with the normal childhood I had, with lots of extended family members to keep us on the straight and narrow.

“Well, my grandma is even more proud,” I chuckle. “Her and my grandpa even come to some of my games.”

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