Page 14 of His Big Bad Stick

Her face bursts with red color.

She gasps and steps back. “Uh, sorry for bothering you.”

Her eyes look at my body.

That’s fine.

“Jack told me to-”

“Jack,” I say. “My father?”

“Your father,” she whispers. “Oh. I didn’t know he had kids.”

“Just a kid,” I say. “Me. One and done kind of thing. Let me guess, you’re the daughter of the woman he married?”

“Yes.”

“Wonderful. Just what I need around here. Someone snooping in my business.”

“I’m not snooping,” she says. “I swear. Your father told me to check out this bedroom in case I want it.”

“In case you want… it…” I curl my lip again. “I’ll tell you what bedroom you can have, okay? Who the hell do you think you are? You just strut in here and think you can move right in?”

“It’s not like that,” she says.

“I think it is,” I say. “Is that all you have with you? A bag over your shoulder?”

“Yes.”

“Abrielle, huh? You’re so poor you can’t afford the G to make it a real name.”

Abrielle lets out a gasp and backs up some more.

Just like that there are tears in her eyes.

“Oh, fuck,” I whisper. “Really?”

She turns and takes off running.

I shrug my shoulders.

At least I got rid of her.

The moment has come and gone with Maria so I show her the door.

Literally.

She sneaks out the sliding glass door, messy hair, puppy dog in love eyes, smiling at me. She hurries to the right and sneaks through one of the gardens to her parked SUV and will drive herself home.

I know I’m not a good person. No need to try and justify a thing.

I’m not afraid of Lucas either. No need to be. When the time comes and he finds out I’ve been railing his girl, he’ll come after me. We’ll throw a few punches. That’ll be that.

What do you expect from me?

This is life.

The only thing I’ve got going for me tucked deep into my back pocket is my hockey career. And I say the word career because that’s what it is. I’ve already got offers for full rides from dozens of colleges across the country. I even have offers from pro teams, here and globally, wanting in on the business of Colver Caspian.

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