Page 27 of Hat Trick Daddies

“I just wanted to check in,” he says finally.

I study him for a moment, the tension in his expression telling me more than his words. “It’s okay, Brooks,” I say gently. “I’m not mad at Tyler or anything.”

He exhales, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “Still…he can be a handful.”

I smile, shaking my head. “It’s fine. Really.”

Brooks shifts his weight, his hands sliding into his jacket pockets as he clears his throat. “You eaten yet?”

I blink, caught off guard. “Not yet. Why?”

He shrugs, his voice still a little gruff. “Figured I’d grab something. If you’re hungry, you could come along.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “You’re asking me to lunch?”

“Yeah,” he says, his tone casual, though there’s a flicker of something, maybe hesitation, in his eyes. “No strings, no funny business. Just lunch.”

I cross my arms, narrowing my eyes playfully. “Promise?”

A smirk tugs at his lips. “Scout’s honor.”

I can’t help but laugh, nodding as I grab my bag. “All right, fine. Let’s do it.”

He gestures toward the hallway, and I follow him out to the parking lot. When we reach his truck, I stop short, staring up at the shiny black beast of a vehicle.

“This is yours?” I ask, tilting my head.

“Yeah,” he says, opening the passenger door for me.

The interior is pristine, with black leather seats and a dashboard that looks like it belongs in a spaceship.

As he pulls out of the parking lot, I feel a little giddy, though I can’t quite explain why.

“So,” I say, breaking the silence with a sly smile, “what’s with the big truck? Compensating for something?”

He glances at me, caught off guard, before a deep laugh rumbles out of him. “Really, Dr. Perry?”

I grin, shrugging. “Just saying. It’s a lot of truck for one guy.”

He chuckles again, shaking his head. “I’ll have you know, I actually need it. Comes in handy for hauling stuff.”

“Uh-huh,” I reply, my tone teasing. “Like what? Hockey sticks and pizza boxes?”

He laughs, and the sound is infectious, making me laugh too. The tension in the air eases, and I find myself relaxing a little.

As the truck moves through the city streets, Brooks’ tone softens. “I wanted to make sure you were okay after last night. Tyler can be a handful, and I didn’t feel like we really got to hang out much at the bar.”

I glance at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. “Thanks, Brooks. That’s…really thoughtful of you.”

He shrugs, his gaze fixed on the road. “Didn’t seem right leaving it like that.”

I smile, glancing out the window as the cityscape blurs past. “Well, Tyler did chase me out, though I don’t think that was his intention.”

Brooks raises an eyebrow, his lips twitching with amusement. “Oh, I’m pretty sure his intention was to get you back into his bed.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Well, that’s not happening. I don’t…do that sort of thing.”

“Good to know,” Brooks says with a nod, his tone thoughtful. “I got the ‘good girl, girlfriend material’ vibe from you right away.”

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