Page 126 of Sweet Thing

“This isn’t funny!”

“I’ll say. Your reckless disregard for my feelings has screwed with this team’s dynamic and put my swan song season in jeopardy. What do you have to say for yourself?”

I rolled my lips in to hide my smile. “I choose him, Dad. And I still love you.”

“Exam room’s that way.” He thumbed over his shoulder, then pulled me into his arms. A big hug, no words, absolutely perfect.

With one last look at Hatch, I headed toward the exam room and its open door. Lars was seated on a table, holding an ice pack to his face.

“Hi.”

He lowered the pack. I winced at the damage.

“Hi.” He sounded understandably nasally.

“Is this a bad time?”

“It’s never a bad time when you’re here.”

I stepped inside. “Just ran into my dad. I can’t believe he did that.”

“Can’t you?” Okay, he had a point. “Thanks for the meal last night.”

“Did Vicki enjoy it?” I tried not to sound sour.

“She did. Sends her love.”

That made me smile.

“She’s looking for an angle into my life, but all she’s got is Mabel. I’m not interested in Vicki.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. Hated myself for it. Onto the next mess.

“I ruined the game.”

“Nah, your father and I did that all by ourselves. We had a good talk after. An important talk.”

I suspected as much, given my dad’s attitude, but it was gratifying to hear it confirmed. “So, the Dream Defense will be back in action for the next game.”

“Sure, but that’s not the partnership I want to discuss this minute.”

His nose was broken, his eye sockets bruised, his cheek raw and red. He was beautiful, my big-hearted warrior coming home from battle. Not that he thought so.

“I screwed up, Adeline. I didn’t fight for you when I had the chance.”

I took a seat beside him. “Want to tell me why you panicked?”

He took a moment. “If I could hold a grudge like that against my father, one that lasted long past his death, if I could betray your dad, my closest friend, if I could lie to all these people who had accepted me, given me the family I’d always craved, then what kind of man was I? How could I be worthy of someone as good and kind as you?”

I snorted. “I’m not that good. Or kind. I wanted you and I was prepared to sacrifice my relationship with my dad and my family and destroy a billion-dollar hockey franchise’s season into the bargain, all to get my way.”

“Yeah, you were.”

I thumped his arm. “You don’t have to agree!”

His chuckle turned into a wince. My poor guy.

“What I’m trying to say is that it might have been selfish, but you went for it, Adeline. For me. You saw something you wanted, something worth putting your heart and a lot more on the line for.”

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