Page 27 of Puck You Very Much

“Do you know what’s sad?” he murmured, glancing sideways at Lucy. “Today I wouldn’t have a problem telling him, but right now, Dax wouldn’t take it as a compliment because he no longer feels the desire to impress me. Today he would think I was using words to manipulate him: trying to back him into forgiveness.”

Lucy blinked several times. Finally, she asked, “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you’re the only one I can tell,” he stated, a bitter note in his voice. “You are the only one here who knows that Dax and I have much more in common than a love for ice hockey. Correct? Because you heard the whole argument yesterday.”

She swallowed and a guilty conscience immediately gnawed at her again. “I won’t tell anyone,” she whispered hastily. “Really, I won’t. I gave Dax my word and I will keep it.”

He nodded, unimpressed. “I know.”

“You know?” she echoed, taken aback. “How could you know? You don’t know me.”

“No, but I trust Dax’s instincts about people. And his desperate desire to keep everyone from finding out we are related.”

“Oh, okay,” she said slowly, closing the laptop. “Then why are you sitting next to me, if not to make sure I’m going to keep your secret?”

“That’s a good question, Lucy.” He narrowed his eyes. “I think I was hoping you could tell me something about him.”

She turned her head in surprise. “Tell you what?”

“Anything,” he murmured. “Something to help me understand him better. Figure out how to make him stop hating me.”

She laughed. “You’re asking the wrong person. I’m still failing at that myself—Dax hates me more than he hates you, even.”

“No, that’s not true,” Jack said seriously. “Dax doesn’t hate you.”

Heat spread to her cheeks. “Okay, probably not. But…it’s not like we get along well, either.”

“Okay,” Jack said vaguely, staring at her skeptically as if he didn’t believe her.

“Even if I knew something that could help you, I wouldn’t tell you,” she added hastily. “What’s going on between you is…” She stopped and cleared her throat. “Is your business. I don’t want to get caught in the crossfire.”

Jack nodded. “Because your loyalty lies with him?”

She opened her mouth but didn’t know how to respond. That was an interesting question. A week ago, she would have said it was nonsense.

Now, however, she was keeping Dax’s secret for him. Now she had his respect… Now, for some reason, she didn’t know anything anymore.

“I get it,” Jack murmured.

Well, at least one of them did.

As if on autopilot, her gaze flew back to the ice and she was shocked to see Dax staring at them. His gaze was sour as a glass of milk left out in the California sun for too long.

“Um, why is Dax staring at us like we ran over his favorite hockey stick?” she asked curiously.

Jack waved his hand. “Oh, because I told him I was going to hit on you.”

“Oh.” She blinked at him in surprise. “But you’re not going to?”

“No.”

“Why not?” she exclaimed.

He smiled, amused. “Do you want me to hit on you, Lucy?”

“God, no.” Her cheeks immediately grew a little redder. She frowned. “Um, sorry, I’m sure you’re a nice guy, but I don’t date players.”

“Yes, so I’ve heard. I probably would have flirted with you anyway just because you’re funny and I like flirting, but…no.” He grinned widely. “I believe if I went out with you, Dax might….” He trailed off. “It just wouldn’t be worth it. So, instead, I’ll just stick with pissing him off by making himbelieveI’m flirting with you.”

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