The Bad Boy Hockey Collection: A Collection Of Single Daddy Romances

My aunt offers me a narrowed glance. “Do you think he was ready?” she asks. “No one’s ever ready to fall in love with someone, Meg, whether it’s a romantic relationship, or the bond between a father and a son.”

“I never said I was falling in love with him,” I say, eyeing her warily.

“You never said you weren’t,” she counters, grinning.

“Who’s the one getting ahead of themselves now?” I turn around, pacing across the room to try to rid myself of the anxiety that’s creeping into my chest and constricting it. “I can’t fall in love with him, anyway. You know that.”

“Because you’re so determined to make Cardon Springs your temporary home?” She doesn’t speak with malice, but there’s an undertone of longing in there that hurts my chest even more. “Give it time, sweetheart,” she adds. “Maybe your feelings about Craig are reason enough to just slow down and see what happens next, instead of planning your way out of this town.”

Something blows over in the wind that’s whistling across the front porch, and I glance back toward the opened screen door but see nothing banging against it. Then, my gaze is turned and focused on my aunt, resisting the urge to keep pacing, keeping my face stoic. “I got another job offer in Dallas.”

Aunt Nancy remains still, but her eyebrow arches. “When did that happen?”

“A few days ago,” I admit. “I want out of this town, you know that.” Silence falls between us just as the kettle begins to whistle again. My aunt must have forgotten to unplug it, and I take the opportunity to compose myself by crossing the room and unplugging it myself. I turn back to face her. “At least, I thought I wanted out of this town.”

Aunt Nancy sighs, offering me a sad smile. “You’re putting way too much pressure on yourself about this, Megan.”

Not very often does she use my full first name, so it commands my attention and I swallow down my anxiousness. I watch as she stands up slowly from the table, leaning her weight on the surface of it to gain her balance. “I think you need to just slow those wheels in your head that have been turning since you got here. You’re always planning your next move, striving for more, yearning for more. And that’s not a bad thing, honey.” She pauses to give me a smile. “Now, you’re unsure how to feel because you like a good man like Craig. Because you like the small-town job you’ve just started. Why, because you don’t feel like it should be enough?”

“I don’t know what to think, Aunt Nancy,” I confess, sounding defeated and letting my shoulders sag slightly.

“You know what I think?” She shifts her weight to lean back against the table, reaching out her hand. I take the steps forward to close the gap between us, letting her surprisingly strong hand envelope mine. “I think you’re scared, sweetheart. Of Craig. Of being hurt. Of being happy.”

“I’m not,” I reply weakly, swallowing hard past the lump in my throat. “I’m petrified.”

My aunt only squeezes my hand tighter. “Oh, Meg, the most rewarding things in life are the ones that frighten us most.” She smiles encouragingly. “Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see headlights in the driveway flash through the sheer dining room curtains. I hadn’t heard Craig pull in. Judging by my aunt’s glance over her shoulder, she didn’t realize he was here, either.

As I kiss Aunt Nancy on the cheek, thank her for the tea and the pep talk, and gather my purse and belongings to head out to Craig’s truck, I contemplate her question. She’s right, what is the worst that could happen?

But just as quickly as the question sears through my mind, the answer follows. I could fall in love with him, I think nervously. Maybe I already am. And if that’s the case, he could break my heart.

Chapter Ten

Craig

I’m pretty sure someone could have told me that anything could have happened tonight between Megan and I.

Anything but this.

I’d worked hard all day at the shop to make sure I was done in time to get home, shower, make myself look presentable, and be able to pick Megan up on time for our date at my house. Taking a page from her book, I managed to show up a little early.

I expected, and looked forward to, a quiet night in at my place, with supper I’ve been planning for two days, maybe a movie on Netflix amidst some easy conversation, and my son right there with us so I could show him off like a proud dad is supposed to.

What I didn’t expect was for the entire evening to be shot to hell before I even knocked on Nancy’s front door and had the chance to come face to face with Megan, a bouquet of lilies in my hand.

I didn’t have to see her to know what she was thinking. Her words carried through the opened screen door as I’d stood on the front porch.

I never said I was falling in love with him, she’d stated, which was enough to stop my hand in midair, preventing me from knocking on the door. You never said you weren’t, Nancy had replied, which had pushed a grin onto my face and made me bite the inside of my lip. Leave it to Nancy, always the matchmaker.

Megan’s pause after that had made me grin wider to myself. I knew I shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but since there was a part of me that was hoping Nancy was right about Megan’s feelings for me, I couldn’t help myself.

That should have been my first warning to get the hell out of there, seeing as everything went so downhill afterwards.

I got another job offer in Dallas. A few days ago. I want out of this town, you know that.

I left the front porch after that, too furious and hurt to want to object myself to anymore of Megan’s true feelings, almost stumbling down the fucking stairs in my haste and anger. When she still didn’t come outside after a few minutes, I figured she must not have realized I’d arrived yet.