Page 45 of Netting the Goalie

Good question.

His gaze cut to my side, to Mike, and his grin faltered, but only for a second, then it actually seemed to widen.

“Hey.”Shane stuck his hand out to my brother.“I’m Shane.”

Mike lit up and his smile stretched until I thought his lips would crack.

“Hey, Shane.I’m Mike.I’m Lissy’s brother.Great game.It was so much fun…”

As Mike continued to ramble on, Shane kept eye contact and managed to keep up with Mike’s conversation.And I realized, right then, that I could be in really deep trouble.

Shane was the kind of guy a girl wanted to keep.But he was going to leave one day.And I couldn’t.

No, not couldn’t leave.Iwouldn’t.If I left…

Mike turned to me with a smile that made my heart ache.For all of Mike’s developmental delays, the one thing he had no trouble with was sensing insincerity in another person.He’d been the first to realize my ex hadn’t been the decent guy he seemed to be.

No one had noticed Mike’s reticence whenever Rich had been around.Probably because Rich hadn’t been around Mike often.Looking back, I blamed myself for not seeing the warning signs.

But I’d been blinded by Rich’s smile and by how much attention he’d paid to me.Luckily, I’d gotten out of the relationship before he’d managed to isolate me from my family and friends and hijack my life.

It’d taken me six months and, finally, the threat of a restraining order to get him to leave me alone.

I’d blamed myself for being gullible and letting that man into my life.And even though I knew, absolutelyknewShane was nothing like my ex, there was always the fear that I was missing something.

All because of one asshole.

Which Shanedefinitelywas not.

Continuing to keep up his conversation with Mike, Shane got us moving toward the door.

Just before we left the building, Shane grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together.

Tightening my own fingers around his, I returned the quick grin Shane gave me over his shoulder.

My heart flip-flopped in my chest.

And I realized I might’ve made a huge error in judgment.

Shane

“So,your brother.He’s a nice guy.”

I kept my eyes on Bliss as she walked through her apartment, setting her purse on the counter by the small kitchen then setting her coat on one of the chairs at the island.

“He is.”She smiled over her shoulder at me.“One of the best I know.”

“Was he in an accident or was he born disabled?”

She shook her head, her smile dimming a little as I walked closer.“He developed normally until he was around 18 months old.And then my mom noticed certain things he wasn’t doing.By that time, she was pregnant with me.All we know is, it’s not genetic.”

When I reached the counter I stopped a few inches away from where she stood, back straight and her eyes sharp on mine.

I knew tonight had been a test.Knew instinctively that she didn’t introduce Mike to most of the men she dated.And I knew that because Mike had told me when Bliss had gone to the restroom during dinner.

“He seems…pretty self-aware.”

Nodding, her smile reappeared.“Sometimes I think he’s the smartest person I know.There’s no pretense with Mike.What you see it what you get.He’s definitely the sweetest person I know.And he’s a great judge of character.”

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