Page 12 of Peach Blossom Hollow

“Or pick a better date. Ask me which guys on the team are nice, then go out with them.”

Violet studied Leo, judging his sincerity. They didn’t know each other well, but it was a sweet offer. Especially as her doubts had grown about her ability to live life wild and free as a flirtatious puck bunny. It just wasn’t who she was.

The idea had been to overcome her shyness so she couldthenfind Mr. Right. It was going to take so long to get to the place she wanted to be that she wasn’t even sure she’d make it.

“Okay, but one bad blind date and you’re toast.”

Violet, sweaty and exhausted after dancing around the arena in her dragon outfit throughout the game, took a shower in her locker room, then went to meet Daisy-Mae in the parking lot. She didn’t know what she’d been thinking when she’d suggested they go out and enjoy the city’s night life after work. She just hoped that Daisy-Mae was as disillusioned as she was by their earlier date and would want to go straight home instead.

It had been fun being in the stands, getting the crowd excited, hugging the little Dragons fans and working with Daisy-Mae. But Violet was tired now. More than she’d expected. Maybe her inner introvert needed some downtime after pretending to be an extrovert for several hours.

She slowed as she passed the players’ locker room, where lots of people came and went, clogging the hallway. A nearby group broke apart, clearing a path for her. With her bag slung over her shoulder and her employee pass clearly visible, she kept to the wall, smiling shyly at anyone who passed.

A man with the fresh scent of shampoo and soap fell into step beside her.

Leo.

Her heart gave a little thump even though she knew he wasn’t likely to consider her as the solution to any loneliness problems. At least not as more than a new friend in a new town.

A friend who’d had a meltdown in front of him mere hours ago.

But how could her heartnotthump? He was gorgeous wearing all black, from his cowboy hat to his suit and boots.

She gave him a smile, proud that she wasn’t dying of shyness. Progress! Sure, she wanted to comment on how he’d managed to get on the ice for the season’s first game—not a common feat for a rookie, from what she’d heard. But her brain refused to cooperate and create any sentences for her.

When she finally summoned the words, she noticed Leo was peering at her from under his cowboy hat. Her shyness reared up again, shooting a flare of heat through her and making her tongue too big for her mouth.

“You don’t look like you were crying in your costume during the game.”

“Um, no. Someone wise told me that wallowing’s not really worth it,” she said, gazing down at the floor, watching his black cowboy boots land in time with her canvas sneakers. If she looked up at his dark blue eyes, she knew she’d go mute.

“Good call.”

“Dating still sucks,” she stated.

“No, blind dates suck.”

“You’re an expert?” She didn’t know where herteasing tone came from, but the way Leo’s face lit up made her wish she could summon that confidence all the time.

“Not really.”

“Love ’em and leave ’em?” she asked, curious about the dating life of a hunk like Leo. It was probably golden and amazing. No pain, all gain.

He held the door for her at the end of the hallway, and she gave him a flirtatious look that surprised her. Wow. There was something about this guy that made her shyness fade fast. Maybe because she knew he’d never choose her, and he was associated with her mascot-as-a-way-of-being-more-extroverted plan?

“I went on a blind date once,” Leo admitted. “It sucked.”

Violet bet a hockey hottie’s awful date meant his partner wasn’t a perfect ten, or that her good-night kisses were a bit too wet.

“Yours sucked, as well.”

“Did it ever,” she agreed.

“If you look at the math, we’re two for two.”

“Bad odds.”

“Only for blind dates.”

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