Page 54 of Never In My Wildest Dreams

“So, you’re just an ingrate?”

“Pretty much.”

“Classic narcissist.” He settled back against the cushion. “They don’t change, by the way.”

“Okay, you’re a therapist. You have to be.”

“That’s one of my hats.” He tugged his side of the throw over his lap. “You’ve been hit with a lot this year. It’s no wonder you need to step back and reevaluate. The question is, what’re you doing in this cabin when you could be getting to know your dad?”

She pressed a hand to her chest. “Ooh. Ouch.”Because I nearly brought the paparazzi to his doorstep, and he’s trying to raise my nephew. “I was living with him, but let’s just say my problems followed me to his house, and that didn’t seem fair.”

“Did he say that? ‘Hey, don’t bring your shit here?’”

“Oh, God, no. Just the opposite. He said not to worry about it. He could handle anything.”

“Your ex isn’t dangerous, is he?”

“No. It’s not that kind of trouble. My ex is harmless.”

“No. He’s really not.”

He was right about that. Affection poured through her, but she stopped herself from touching him. Maybe this was another thing they had in common? “Did someone cheat on you?”

“Never dated anyone long enough for that to happen.”

“I know you don’t date now, but surely you had a girlfriend in high school or college. Right?”

“Sure, I did. In fifth grade, Missy Tomlinson and I were a thing. She was hot.”

She grinned. “You realize if I had Wi-Fi, I’d be hunting her down. Let me guess. She was blond, skinny, and the most popular girl in school.”

“You could not be more wrong about me. Missy T, as we call her, could climb to the top of a tree as fast as a squirrel. She could stuff three hot dogs in her mouth at once, and we only broke up because she tried to beat me in a race by pulling my hair.”

“That bitch.”

“Exactly. I’d put my money on her being a professional wrestler.”

“She turned you off dating, huh?” The way they smiled at each other, their gazes locked, it rocketed through her.

“Nah, it wasn’t Missy. It was life. I was on the NHL path from the time I was a kid. And that’s serious stuff. Ten percent of kids make it to collegiate hockey. One percent of college players make it to the NHL. Most of the time, a coach can spot that kid right away.”

“And you were that kid.”

He nodded, staring into the fire.

“That must’ve been awful. To come so close and then lose it all.”

“It was awful. But in any event, when you train that hard, you can’t keep up your grades, spend time with friends and family,andhave a girlfriend. I tried it a few times, and it was a shitshow. Then, I went to college, then law school…and now, I’m trying to make partner in my firm…I don’t have the time to devote to a relationship.”

Okay, he’s a lawyer.

That tracks.

“I don’t know. I’m not buying it.”

“Not buying what?”

“That you didn’t date because you were too busy. Athletes get married and have kids all the time.”

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