Page 63 of Pucking the Grump

I exhale with a shake of my head, my jaw clenching tight. Again, why am I surprised? Of course he knows. Of course he’s still got his ear to the ground, tracking my every professional move like I’m a teenager who needs him to sign consent forms and request my shot record for skills camp.

“Are you flying back up this afternoon?” he asks. “I wouldn’t suggest driving. There’s another storm on the way.”

“No, Dad, I’m not. I’ll text my regrets later, once everyone is awake,” I say, crossing my arms. “I need to be here right now.”

His lips press into a thin line. “For Stone,” he says, still with far less surprise or judgment than I would have expected.

It’s almost like he already knew that we’ve been seeing each other…

But he couldn’t have. Stone and I were so careful, so secretive…at least until recently. And none of the people we’ve let in on our new relationship status would have shared the news with my father.

“That would be a mistake, Remy,” Dad adds. “Stone shouldn’t be top of mind right now. You need to prioritize the big picture.”

I’m about to insist that Stone is a good friend and friends are a priority for me—that’s true enough—and hope that’s enough to kick the can down the road on this conversation, when Stone lets out another soft groan. A moment later, the beeps from the monitor start coming faster.

Not fast enough to be concerning, but there’s a noticeable difference.

Before I can press the call button, Nancy, the nurse from earlier, reappears, slipping past my father with a professional smile.

“Looks like our patient might be waking up,” she says, checking the monitors again. “Let’s give him a little space, shall we? You two can wait in the hallway if you’d like, and we’ll have you back in as soon as he’s checked out.”

I hesitate, not wanting to leave Stone alone, but it’s probably best if he doesn’t wake up to find himself in the middle of the drama. Going from unconscious to trapped in a hospital bed between his secret girlfriend and his secret girlfriend’s father—who is also his boss—wouldn’t be good for an injured man’s blood pressure.

Reluctantly, I follow Dad into the corridor, leaving the door cracked behind me. The hall is still quiet at this point in the morning, with just a few nurses moving between rooms and a janitor mopping the floor at the far end.

“Listen, Remy. He’s a good man,” Dad says once we’re alone. “I’m happy you’ve found someone you enjoy spending time with, but there?—”

“Wait, what?” I cut in, my jaw dropping. “Are you serious?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” He shrugs, looking so chill, I have to fight the urge to pinch myself.

I must have passed out in that chair by Stone’s bed. Now, I’m dreaming this entire encounter. Because no way in hell is my dad okay with me dating a pro-hockey player, let alone one of his pro-hockey players. He’s been warning me away from NHL bros my entire life.

But evidently, he’s changed his mind, at least when it comes to Stone. Still, Dad isn’t the type to change his mind in a few weeks or even months, let alone a few seconds. Clearly, seeing me kissing Stone’s forehead wasn’t the first time that he’s suspected we’re more than friends.

Knowing my father the way I do, even my sleep-deprived brain eventually realizes that he must have known for quite some time. “How long?” I murmur. “How long have you known we were dating?”

“Since last fall, not long after the season started,” he says, sliding his hands into the pockets of his track pants while I mentally reel.

Nearly a year? He’s known that long?

“It was the day you gave the team that presentation on media literacy,” he continues. “Stone couldn’t take his eyes off you, and you refused to look at him at all.”

I blink. “Really? That was it? That was all it took?” I’m struggling to process the mind fuck of all this. All the effort we made to keep things secret—the sneaking around, the plotting and scheming, the crawling out of bars to avoid being spotted by other Badger team members—and my father knew about us almost the entire time? “Why didn’t you say anything?”

He arches a judgmental brow. “I assumed if you wanted me to know who you were dating, you would make an introduction.”

I arch an equally judgy brow back at him. “That’s never stopped you from sticking your oar in before. Like the time you introduced Matt to a surprise drug test in a public bathroom or Chris to the private detective who helped put him away for embezzling. Any of that ring a bell?”

He has the grace to acknowledge reality with a nod. “But in this particular case, I had no reason to be concerned. So, I kept my peace. Like I said, Stone’s a good man. Solid character, good work ethic, a sense of humor without getting too ridiculous about it. He respects the game, his superiors, his teammates, and women, as far as I could tell. If you were going to get involved with someone from the organization, he was by far the safest option.”

A huff of laughter emerges without my permission.

I can’t help it. I still feel like I’ve slipped into a parallel universe.

“Okay. I mean, very unexpected from you, but okay.” I frown as I add, “So, why are you saying he shouldn’t be top of mind? Obviously, he’s top of mind. He’s seriously hurt, and he’s my boyfriend.”

Dad’s lips pucker with disapproval. “Is that so? From the outside, it looked like you two were keeping things casual. As you should. A connection with Stone is fine, for now. But you need to keep your eye on what really matters—on your future. You can’t let some schoolgirl crush interfere with that.”

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