Page 41 of Three Pucking Words
“For the record,” Karina tells me with a sly smile. “It isn’t against the rules to date one of the players. It also isn’trecommended, but it hasn’t stopped people in the past from trying.”
I feign innocence at her amused tone to examine the lamb-shaped stuffed dog toy that I have no doubt Puck will curl up in bed with tonight. “I don’t know what you mean.”
A thoughtful hum rises from her. “Then just tuck that nugget away for when the time comes,” she muses, setting the bottle down and chuckling at the basket.
When she walks to her office that’s attached to mine, I call out, “Do the players go after the staff often?”
I’d hate to fall into a trap that would leave me heartbroken all over again. Athletes are notorious for infidelity and scandal, and my father’s team is no different. Every so often I’d see a headline featuring one of his boys that usually involved one of them being traded, getting caught with drugs, being arrested for DWI, or having an affair.
It made me want to stay far away from them, even after meeting Bodhi the first time. But he isn’t like that, is he? I would have had a gut reaction that told me to run far, far away if he were playing me. At least, I’d like to think I would. In my limited experience with men, he seems different. Attentive. Playful. Serious when he needs to be. Kind.
He hasn’t pushed me for more details about my life or pressed on matters that I have divulged to him. He’s given me privacy, even after I ugly cried in front of him about my medical prognosis, and he looked up my condition. No. He spent his time andmoneyshopping for me on things he hoped would help. Did Max ever buy me anything that he thought would help?
Bodhi is a golden retriever; unconditionally loyal when he owes me nothing.
“Thatlook is exactly why I thought you should know there’s no policy,” Karina says pointedly, jabbing her pen at me. “Very few people here have had that kind of relationship with a player.In the decade and a half that I’ve worked for the team, I can think of two. And neither of them were Bodhi. That boy has kept his distance, especially over the last few years. I’ve seen more of him now than I have since being hired.”
My cheeks flush.
She won’t let me play dumb. “No other player has brought you baked goods, medicine, or left you their number. So don’t even try to pretend like there’s notsomethinggoing on with Hoffman. He’s not doing this out of a favor for your father either.”
“There’s—”
“Nope” she stops me, holding up her hand. “I said I don’t want to hear it. It’s best if you don’t lie to me. Denial is a river in Egypt, the kids say.”
I gape as she winks at me and closes the door that connects our offices.
Usually, supervisors don’t give you the greenlight to date employees. And despite not having any intention of moving forward with that invitation, it’s in the back of my head. Exactly where Idon’twant it.
Because Bodhi bought me vitamins.
And a heating pad.
And dog toys.
And watched me blow my nose after I basically told him my uterus hated me. Could I be any more embarrassing?
Sighing, I pull my chair back and grab my cell from my back pocket. Bodhi’s name stares at me as I hover my thumbs over the keyboard to type out a message, but I decide not to chicken out like I have since finding his gift this morning.
“I’ll be back,” I call out to Karina.
Puck stands up to follow me carrying one of the toys that Gemma picked out. I smile down at him and see his tail wagging in response as his stuffed fire hydrant hangs out of his mouth.
“Do you like that, buddy?” I ask.
He looks like he’s smiling as he trots along side me, which is all the confirmation I need.
It takes a few minutes of walking toward the rink to hear lingering voices. One of them is definitely Bodhi, and I don’t know how to feel about the goosebumps that pimple my arms when I hear his booming laughter.
“You can thank him then,” I tell Puck, ignoring the buzz under my skin as we stop at the corridor entrance.
Bodhi is with a few of the guys on the rink. I recognize Sebastian Henderson, the team’s defenseman, and Cash Grayson, one of the left wings.
As soon as Bodhi sees me, he holds up one of his hands to the others and skates toward the door of the rink to step out.
Puck and I meet him down by the benches, and he smiles when he sees what my dog is carrying. “I see he got into his toys.”
“As soon as he saw the hydrant his eyes lit up,” I admit, fussing over him. “Gemma picked well. Tell her he appreciates it.”
