Page 90 of Pucking my Enemy Boss

The bell over the door jingles, and a man strides in, pausing to scan the room before zeroing in on me, then he walks to the counter where Mia is standing and starts speaking to her. There’s a flicker of familiarity—sharp jaw, tall build, but I can’t place him.

The café feels warm and familiar, the bustle of customers grounding. A caramel macchiato sounds perfect for my unsettled stomach, and from the corner where I curl up, I feel Mia’s eyes on me.

“You’ve got a visitor, but it’s up to you if you want me to reveal your identity.” Mia mumbles, sliding into the chair opposite with a smirk.

“Who is it?” I sigh, casting a wary glance around.

“That guy,” she nods toward the stranger who’s now sitting in a corner. “Came in asking directions to Ethan’s place. Says he’s family?”

“What?” My eyes widen.

Mia gives me an encouraging nudge as she chuckles. “That’s my reaction, too. Wanna speak to him? This way, you’d get to hear more about your mysterious boyfriend.”

The thought of hearing about Ethan from someone else brings a mix of warmth and nerves, but Mia’s words offer a steadying smile.

“There’s no harm. Send him over.”

Mia walks up to the stranger and whispers some words to him. His eyes scan the room, eventually settling on me. I watched as he approaches, casual confidence in each step until he’s directly beside her.

“Looking for Ethan?” My tone holds a hint of curiosity.

A smile, practiced and careful, touches his lips. “Yeah. You’re his … friend?”

Friend. I almost snort. “Sure. Friend, in one sense or another.”

The stranger nods. “Jake Carter.” He pauses, letting the name settle with the weight of familiarity, as if expecting it to have significance.

I nearly laugh at the irony, but manage to keep it polite. “Ethan’s not around currently. Didn’t even know he had family.”

“Oh, that’s not surprising,” he says, offering a hand that’s smooth as anything. “I’m Ethan’s cousin.”

I blink, a dozen questions firing off in my head, but only manage, “Hi! I didn’t think I’d ever meet Ethan’s family.” Andthen, with a half-teasing smile, “I was starting to think he was an alien, beamed in from Planet Hockey.”

Jake’s laugh is low, smooth. He looks around the café, then slides into the seat across from me, like he’s settling in for the long haul. There’s something sleazy about the way he watches me, something that immediately makes me wonder if speaking to this man is the right thing, but I put that down to nerves—too much of them are racing in my head right now.

“Well, truth is, Ethan’s a bit of a lone wolf,” he says, shrugging as if sharing some great, tragic secret. “Always was. We tried to give him a home, tried to be the family he didn’t really have. But, well, Ethan doesn’t really see it that way.”

His eyes go distant, thoughtful, while I try to wrap my head around this picture of Ethan as someone who rejected the family who welcomed him in. It doesn’t fit, doesn’t sit right, like a sweater two sizes too small.

“We gave him everything,” Jake continues, voice low and solemn, casting himself as the heartbroken martyr in this tale. “A family, love, all of it. But he just doesn’t care for attachments. If anyone’s hoping for a family with him…” His voice drifts off, like he’s leaving the thought unfinished, letting it linger in the air between us.

I wonder if he knows just how much doubt he’s just planted. His words grow, twist. My heart tightens, fear sprouting like weeds through freshly turned soil.

Jake stands, flashing a practiced smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m sorry for rambling, Ms.?”

“Holly—”

“Holly.” He nods. “It’s just a sore spot for me and the rest of the family. I don’t know what you are to him, but you seem real nice. Even if you’re just his friend—don’t expect too much. Ethan’s not the permanent or settling down type.”

He ends with a little smile and then turns back to sipping his coffee. A silence settles between us and no words register in my brain. Jake Carter takes a quick glance at his wristwatch.

“Oh, I’ve got to run. Got someone else I’ve got to see. Maybe I’ll come back to check again.”

My head bobs in a tame nod as he leaves, slipping out the door like a shadow, leaving me there with a mess of emotions I can’t untangle. The picture he’s painted of Ethan gnaws at me, filling my mind with questions and making the upcoming conversation with Ethan feel like stepping into a storm.

30

ETHAN

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