Page 21 of The Goalie

“Oh, hi Daddy!” I say as I step back from Nolan. He releases my hand and stands up straight.

“Hello, sir. Did you enjoy your night?”

Dad won’t even look at him. “Let’s go, Grace.”

He storms away with his body all tight. I look up at Nolan one last time and just because he’s so cute and I can’t help myself, I stand on my toes and quickly kiss the bottom of his chin before running after my dad.

I take one last look over my shoulder before I head inside.

Nolan is standing alone on the stern of the ship, watching me and looking crushed.

And looking hotter than ever.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Grace

“Why did you do that?” I ask my dad when we’re rolling down the highway. We haven’t said a word to each other this whole time.

He just stares out the windshield at the approaching white lines. “I told you I don’t want you dating a hockey player.”

“Why not, exactly?”

He sighs and twists his hands on the steering wheel. “You deserve better than what they have to offer.”

“You played hockey,” I say, throwing it out there. “And you treat mom like gold.”

“I wasn’t a playboy superstar with an ego bigger than the stadium I played in.”

“And Nolan is?”

He doesn’t answer.

I cross my arms and stare at him, waiting for something. He turns the radio on. I turn it off.

“Nolan is not like that.”

“How do you know?” he asks, rearing on me. “You’ve known him for ten minutes!”

“I can tell.”

He laughs. “Yeah? How?”

“Because he looks at me the way you look at Mom.”

He turns back to the road and huffs out a breath.

“I’ll always be your daughter,” I whisper. “But I’m not your baby girl anymore. I’m a woman. And I can make my own decisions.”

He turns the radio back on.

This time I leave it.

As soon as I get home, I run upstairs to check on my mom. She’s sound asleep in bed with the TV on. Jerry Maguire is playing and it’s at the best part when Tom Cruise crashes book club.

I take the remote control and turn it off.

“Hey!” Mom says, darting up. “I was watching that.”

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