Page 42 of Cash

"Yes, and I hate to tell you this, but you’ll be expected for the rehearsal dinner too."

"Not a problem."

"I think the wedding party is supposed to stay at the hotel, but you don't have to..."

The squeeze of his hand that had been resting on her knee stopped her.

"There you go again tell me what I don't have to do. Believe it or not, I'm glad you told your mom we were going together. I've been trying to get you to date me since the gala. Now you're stuck with me for two weeks and hopefully by then I can show you that I'm not who you seem to think I am."

She didn't know how to reply to that. This whole situation was throwing her off. Luckily at that moment the food came, and it gave her a moment to collect her thoughts.

"So, you told your mom we've been dating, correct?"

She just nodded.

"Well, I mean, it's not a total lie. We’ve been doing dating activities, just not the actual dates." He gave her a look that made her core throb. She took a sip of water and he smirked. That asshole knew exactly what he was doing. "So, give me the rundown of Evie. Major points, family, school, all that."

"Well, I have a sister, clearly, and a brother. We grew up here, my dad owns Masterson’s Sports, and my brother is set to take over.”

“Hold on, your family owns Masterson’s Sports?”

She nodded. “My sister is marrying a lawyer. They all fit right into the plan, I'm the only one who seemed to run from it. I went to NYU and studied art history. Bryan was studying finance. We started dating and when we moved back, he went to work for my dad and I came back to the rink, which is not what I was supposed to do."

"Do you get along with them?"

"I guess. My sister and I get along. And really...they aren't horrible people. They just don't understand me.”

“Why did you stop competing?”

She took a sip of her wine and continued, “it just ran its course. I loved skating, I still do, but I was never good enough to compete after I left for college. Maybe it would have been different if I had stayed with it, but I did what I was supposed to do. I quit and let it be a hobby, went to school, met a guy my parents approved of and then one night it just hit me. I was getting ready to live a life that I would absolutely hate.”

“One night huh?”

“What about you?” She said, looking for a subject change. She wouldn’t get into that night. That night she overheard Bryan on the phone talking about how he would get her to quit her job and make sure she turned into the perfect wife for him. She didn’t want to be molded, she just wanted to be who she was. Cash gave her a knowing look, because of course he knew she was changing the subject. To her relief, he let her.

"I grew up in Colorado. Well...mostly. My parents toured around with bands until I was almost ten. Then my mom took me and my sister, and we settled in Boulder and went to school and all that stuff. I played hockey and got into BU. I was drafted after college. I played in Canada for a bit until I got traded to Glendale, and here we are."

"Wait," she said with a smile. "I think you glazed over quite a bit there. You grew up following bands with your parents?"

He nodded. "My dad stayed on the road, and I lived with my mom and sister."

"Are they both still in Boulder?"

He nodded.

"But your nephew is here with you?"

"Yeah."

"I saw him the day you brought him to the rink with you. Wes told me he was your nephew. Why didn't you tell me that was why you were late that morning?"

"You mean when you blocked me?"

"Yeah…" she said looking into her lap. “What’s going on with that?”

"I don't know. It all just kind of happened this week. He ran away to the city to try and be in a band and my sister is freaking out that he is going to turn out just like his father...and our father for that matter. So, he's staying with me for the summer."

"I think it's nice that you are doing that."

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