Page 26 of In My Hockey Era
Lucy smiles like she can picture it.“Let me guess.You were the golden boy?”
I laugh.“Try ‘annoying little brother who got stuffed into a snowbank on a regular basis.’”
She smirks.“I’d pay good money to see that.”
“Of course you would.”
Our server appears with two large glasses of ice water and two mountainous baskets of fries smothered in melted cheese, bacon, and green onions.
Lucy wastes no time digging in, carefully selecting the perfect fry—just the right amount of cheese, yet still crispy.It’s a delicate art form, and I appreciate her strategy.
I pull my own basket of fries closer before flipping the question back to her.“What about you?Three brothers, right?”
She hesitates, just for a second, then says, “Yeah, but we’re all in different states now.My mom died two years ago and Dad’s kind of slowed down.”
There’s something in the way she says it—like she’d rather keep that door closed for now.I don’t push.Instead, I keep my voice easy.“I’m sorry about your mom.What about Max?”
Her face softens immediately, and damn if that doesn’t do something to me.“My best boy,” she says, shaking her head fondly.“I adopted him a few years ago.He was a mess when I got him—skinny, skittish, didn’t trust anyone.Now he’s living the dream.Sleeps in my bed, eats better than I do, and thinks he owns the apartment.Which he basically does.”
“So a lot like you,” I tease.
She scoffs, grabbing a fry and bringing it to her mouth.“Excuse me?”
I hold up a hand in defense.“I’m just saying.Stubborn, opinionated, takes up all the space…”
Her eyes narrow.“And yet, I don’t see you moving farther away.”
She’s right—I’m closer than I should be.But she hasn’t moved away either.
I tip my glass toward her.“Fair point.”
She watches me for a second longer, then shakes her head, like she’s trying to make sense of me.“You’re not what I expected, Bennett Wilder.”
Something about the way she says my name makes my chest tighten.I lean in a little, dropping my voice just enough to make it feel like a secret between us.“And what exactly did you expect?”
She smirks.“Still figuring that out.”
I grin, because I like that answer way more than I should.
10
THE FACE OFF
Lucy
Max sprawls across my lap, totally unbothered by the fact that my phone is overheating from the sheer amount of notifications rolling in.I hadn’t thought twice about posting a simple recap of last night’s book club event—a picture of my copy of the book, a quickHad fun debating this one.What’s next, Stampede Book Club?—but now my feed is an absolutemess.It was literally ten words, people.The bare minimum—but the fans are here for it.
I swipe through the replies, eyebrows lifting as I take in the sheer number of people who are suddenly way too invested in my life.
@HockeyRomanceQueen:oh we are in LOVE with the tension between Lucy and Bennett.the way he looked at her????unreal.#BennettWilderCanReadToMeAnytime
@StampedeFan22:the enemies to lovers storyline we never saw coming.give us more!!!#LucyIsRight
@RomanceReader99:I don’t just ship Lucy and Bennett—I’m the captain of this damn ship.#WilderForQuinn
@PuckBunny101:The chemistry??The tension??I swear if they don’t date in real life, I’m suing.#BennettWilderCanReadToMeAnytime
@SkateOrDie:don’t lie, Quinn, youlovedhaving him there.I mean, look at this—[attached video]
