Page 37 of Three Pucks and a Baby

That comment was an understatement. My dad didn’t accept failure. Losing was for other kids. If I didn’t put my best foot forward every time I was on the ice or in the classroom, there was hell to pay.

A questioning look danced in Vivian’s eyes. “Was his drive because of immigrating at a young age?”

“That was part of it.”

“When did your family come over?”

“In 93, after Czechoslovakia split.”

Vivian eyed me sympathetically. “Was it hard on them?”

I nodded. “My grandparents were part of the upper class in Ostrava, where they lived. The political turmoil and cominghere took a lot of their wealth. Since they were in their fifties, it was almost impossible to recover. They did well, but it was nothing like what they were used to.”

“It must’ve been equally hard on their children to get accustomed to a new country and a new way of life.”

You have no fucking idea.“My dad never got over losing his old life. He’s been trying to recapture it since the day he went off to college.”

“And that pressure has bled onto you,” Vivian remarked knowingly.

A prickly sensation rippled over me. I wasn’t one for talking about my feelings with anyone, least of all a woman I’d just met. I rarely allowed Grayson and Bennett to scratch below myemotional surface, and I usually had to be drunk to allow for that.

Shrugging, I replied, “Yeah, I guess.”

As if she sensed my apprehension, Vivian said, “I can’t begin to imagine what your family has experienced. I’ve lived here all my life except when I went away to college, so it’s all I’ve known. The thought of starting over in a new country–” She shook her head. “It’s unimaginable.”

“You’re brave. I’m sure you could handle it.”

Vivian crinkled her nose. “I’m not brave like that.”

“You’re pretty brave to take on two horny hockey players.”

She elbowed me playfully. “You’re terrible.”

Her happiness faded when she realized we’d finally reached the ice. I shook my head. “Don’t chicken out on me now.”

My comment earned me a scowl. “You’re brave, remember?” I said.

“If you say so,” she grumbled.

Although I kept hold of her hands, I turned around so I could step onto the ice first. Once I was ready, I started slowly tugging her to me. “Not so fast,” Vivian protested.

“You’re joking, right?”

She furiously shook her head. “Absolutely. Serious,” she gritted out.

Since I had no fucking patience, I reached over and gripped her by the waist. Vivian shrieked as I swept her off her feet. Gentle, I eased her onto the ice and back onto her feet.

As she stared wide-eyed up at me, she shuddered out the breath she’d been holding. “You…asshole!”

“Hey, it got the job done, didn’t it?”

Vivian scowled at me. “Not how I wanted it to be.”

“You’re not always going to get your way, Vivian.”

“Whatever,” she huffed.

“Okay, to be able to skate, you want to start in the T-position.”

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