Page 59 of Play Book

Understandable.

Introduce me to his niece?

Why not?

Ugh.

He makes me feel like a teenager, all giddy because the cute boy at school is paying attention to me.

I’m not like this.

Even at thirty-one, I can date almost anyone. Great guys are hard to find, but dating in general isn’t hard. Instead, deep down I’m holding out hope for the younger man who’s been very honest about not being interested in a relationship.

I’m a dumbass who’s going to get her heart broken.

I’m well aware of that, and yet, heading straight for the danger without even pausing to slow down.

I pull on my Phantoms jersey and slide my feet into a pair of low-heeled boots as I call for an Uber on my phone. I figure someone will bring me home, even though it probably won’t be Canyon. His car is a two-seater, so I’ll have to ride with someone else no matter what, but I’m not worried about it; Harper, Autumn, Bailey, and Stevie will all be there.

I grab my purse and step outside to wait for my ride.

Joel is just pulling up, and he waves as he gets out of his car.

“Hey! Going to the game?”

“Of course.”

“Gina and I aren’t big on sports, to be honest.”

“Hockey’s exciting,” I say with a grin.

“Especially when you’re dating someone on the team.” His eyes gleam, and I can’t tell if it’s mischievous or somehow condescending.

What is he insinuating?

“I was a fan long before I met Canyon,” I reply, keeping my tone neutral. “I’ve had season tickets for years and have watched hockey since I was a kid.”

He must catch something in my voice because he quickly back pedals. “Oh, I didn’t mean anything bad,” he says quickly. “I’m just assuming it must be a lot more fun when you know people on the team.”

“Of course it is. But I’m friends with the owner, so that started long before Canyon.”

“Hey, honey!” Gina comes out her front door and calls to us. “Hi, Saylor!”

“Hey, Gina.”

“Have fun at the game!” she says with a smile.

“Thank you.”

Luckily, my Uber pulls up and I don’t have to make small talk anymore.

They’re fine as neighbors and tenants, but we’ve never been overly friendly. I’ve always felt keeping some distance makes it easier in case there are ever issues with payment or repairs. We’ve never had any problems, but it feels like they’re friendlier than usual lately, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s because of Canyon.

Are they suddenly enamored with the idea of me dating a professional hockey player?

It doesn’t make sense, this is all so new, but they’ve definitely been making more of an effort to talk the last few weeks, which coincides with my starting to spend time with Canyon.

“Going to the game?” The Uber driver asks as he pulls down the street.

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