Page 127 of Scores Of The Heart

“Not at all, but it certainly makes you different from the rest. You’re special, Cindy. I knew it from when I first saw you.”

“How did you even notice me, anyway?” she asks.

Fuck. The fact I took a shining to her at work is one thing, but eyeing her from the coffee shop most mornings is quite another. And she has no idea about that.

“There’s a funny story about that,” I sigh. Because it seems confession time has come around again, and I hope she’s not going to be mad at me. In my defense, I did get coffee from the coffee shop every day before she came along. But didn’t I sit in the window and watch the car park for this beautiful woman, the object of my affection, entering her workplace. That just sounds creepy.

Maybe Jay was right after all. I am a stalker.

“What story?” She blinks up at me as I reach down to kiss her at the same time.

I make a face. It’s a chagrin at best, because now is not the time to get into that little detail. “Let’s just say I noticed you in the Corner Cafe a while back.”

She smiles and I feel bad because she has no idea. “Sounds intriguing.”

“Maybe we get this out of the way with your dad, and then I might tell you all about it.”

Famous last words. Though watching her from afar for all that time before we met hardly seems like anything compared to what’s going down now. I guess we’ll see.

* * *

So I’ve seen Coach Clive Carter get upset over the years I’ve been with the Hawks, but that’s nothing compared to when we break our news to him over at his house later the same morning. I know Cindy is tense the whole way there. We hold hands, and she keeps squeezing it intermittently as we drive. Henry sits on her lap and snoozes.

I’m surprised at how well she is taking all of this, and I hope beyond belief we can work this out and still have a future together. As she says, we won’t know exactly how the process will go until we’re doing it.

I’m just happy she’s at least willing to give it a chance.

Her dad is more than surprised to see us turn up together. She called him from the car to say she was coming over and that she wanted to talk to him, and that I was coming over with her.

That obviously caused some confusion, but she promised to explain everything when we got there.

Now here we are in their lavish den. His wife, Angelique, has always been an awesome lady every time we’ve met before, and today is no exception.

I must look sheepish as well as guilty as sin, because she pats me on the arm when we first walk into their home. I feel like an imposter, the full weight of my lie weighing more heavily upon me more than I first thought.

Now we’re here to face the music. Yes, we’re grown consenting adults and we can do whatever we want to do, but it still is a tricky situation as far as the NHL is concerned. As well as morally, being so close to coach over the last several years I’ve been with the Hawks.

I’m afraid that he’s going to think I’m a snake in the grass who impregnated one girl and moved on to his innocent daughter. The thought really riles me because it’s the furthest thing from the truth.

I’m here to tell them how I feel about Cindy, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.

“How long has this been going on?” He asks sternly, not taking a seat, as his wife links her arm in his, hopefully for safe keeping. I really fucking hope he doesn’t take a swing at me.

“Not long,” we both say in unison. At least our story is straight. We both glance at each other.

Henry is having a whale of a time out back with their golden retriever, Ruby, and Angelique’s son, Max, completely unaware of the bombshell we’ve just dropped.

“Not long! How long is not long?”

“I’ve liked Cindy for quite a few months, but we’ve only been seeing each other for a few weeks.”

His glacial stare bores right through me. “You obviously hid it well, Tyler, through all the team meetings and one-on-one discussions since your infatuation with my daughter started.” He turns his attention to Cindy, who is clasping her hands together in her lap and has gone extremely quiet. “What do you have to say about it, Cindy?”

She flicks up her eyes to meet his. He’s a stern man, and a little scary, I have to say, but we aren’t little kids caught with our hands in the cookie jar. I love her and she loves me. So as far as I’m concerned, it is what it is.

“It’s true what Tyler said, this is new. We went on a few coffee dates, but we didn’t want to bring it up with the team so early on because we didn’t even know then if we would start dating. We were just getting to know each other.”

“And Miami?” He grits his teeth toward me. “I assume that’s why you were so insistent on going there?”

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