Page 20 of My Lucky Charm

I quickly look away, trying to get back in orbit, but I can feel him watching me with his quiet, serious expression.

He doesn’t want me here, and he has no problem showing it. I’m not sure how to change his mind.

Yet.

I imagine myself as a lawyer and almost ask the coach for permission to treat the hockey player as hostile.

“We wanted to bring you in to go over the job expectations,” Coach Turnrose says. “It’s important to lay it all out for both of you.” He glances at Gray, whose scowl only deepens.

“Can we clear the air first?” I ask.

The coach looks surprised. Dallas, however, does not. He’s probably used to me by now. After months of dating my sister, he really has become like an older brother to me. And my tendency to say whatever pops into my head is well-documented.

Like the time I told him on live television he had spinach in his teeth.

That took our friendship to a whole new level.

“Of course, Miss Hart, er, Eloise,” the coach says.

I smile at him. I figure if I can make the coach love me, then Gray will have a harder time getting rid of me.

“He obviously isn’t on board with this,” I say, nodding at Gray.

“Understatement,” Gray says.

I look at him, tilt my head and narrow my eyes. “I’m going to try not to be offended by that.”

He shrugs as if to say I. Don’t. Care. and the message is clearly received.

“So is it a habit to assign someone a . . .” I realize I’m not sure what to call myself in this position. I’m sure as heck not using Poppy’s word: companion. The last thing I need is to conjure images of anything other than professional behavior where this man is concerned. Because boy, oh boy, that could set off a string of fireworks I am wholly unprepared for.

Still, this job doesn’t sound like a straightforward assistant job. I never helped Jay acclimate to a city or ran interference between him and the entire human race.

“Sorry.” I clear my throat. “I know he’d say ‘babysitter.’”

He huffs his seeming agreement.

I continue. “So, if he isn’t on board with this—” I don’t look at Gray this time— “then why do it?”

“That’s a great question.” Gray says, annoyed.

I look at Dallas. “You lobbied to get him on your team?”

“Yes,” Dallas says, without hesitation. “He’s the best scorer in the league.”

“With the worst attitude.” I shoot Gray a look. His expression changes, and again, I see a flash of something that reads like I’m impressed.

Maybe he prefers the direct approach.

He certainly did at the bar. Whoo, buddy.

“Some players need a little help adjusting to a new team,” Coach Turnrose says. “New city. New team. New staff. New everything, really.”

For a split second, I put myself in Gray’s shoes and wonder what—and who—he left behind in his old city.

The coach continues, “A lot of guys rely on their families, but Gray isn’t married. And his family’s out of state.”

Good we got that cleared up, though an earlier Google search told me as much.

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