Page 13 of Three Pucks and a Baby

I threw my head back with a laugh. “Like I said before. To see Bennett.”

Her dark eyes narrowed. “I still don’t believe you.”

The smile slowly faded from my lips. Staring intently at her, I replied, “Maybe I wanted to see for myself if the woman Grayson has been raving about was real.”

Although it sounded like a line, it was the truth. It was one thing seeing her in social media posts, but it was quite another to see her right in front of me. To smell her perfume and shampoo, to witness her blushes, and to be the only recipient of her smiles.

My words affected Vivian. Her chest rose and fell while she blinked incredulously at me. “You wanted to meet me.”

“I did.”

“And Grayson was okay with that?”

“Why wouldn’t he be? There’s nothing illicit about meeting my roomie’s date.”

“Um, of course not,” she mumbled as pink dotted her cheeks.

Grayson returned then. At the sight of him juggling the drinks, Vivian gasped before leaning forward to help him. “I’m good.” With a wink, he added, “Don’t worry about me. I grew up balancing glasses and plates while working in my parents’ restaurant.”

After taking a dainty sip of her drink, Vivian asked, “What kind of restaurant?”

“An Irish pub.”

Her eyes lit up. “You’re kidding?”

Jerking my chin at Grayson, I teasingly said, “Doesn’t he look like a fine Irish lad?”

Vivian laughed while Grayson shot her a cheeky grin. After pushing some of the longer strands of hair out of Gray’s face, Vivian pronounced, “I do think I see some red highlights in your hair.”

“My dad’s grandparents came through Ellis Island back in the day. It’s hard to spot us now. I mean, Collins isn’t an overt Irish last name the same as say, Fitzpatrick or O’Malley,” Grayson replied.

Turning her attention to me, Vivian asked, “I don’t think I know your last name.”

I grinned. “It’s Novak.”

“Russian?” she guessed.

“Czech actually.”

She snapped her fingers. “I knew it was Eastern European. So many hockey players are from that region.”

My brows rose in surprise. “For a gal who says she doesn’t like hockey, you know a lot about it.”

She grinned. “My father strikes again. I grew up having the downstairs television monopolized during hockey season. After being tortured with player stats, my sisters and I would escape to my parent’s bedroom and watch TV in their room.”

“Theo’s got a Czech first name, too,” Grayson said.

“You do?” Vivian asked.

“It’s Teodor after my grandfather,” I replied.

“Ah, the Czech version of Theodore,” she said.

I nodded. “Thank God my parents have always called me Theo.”

Vivian smiled. “Theo suits you.”

Tilting my head at her, I said, “Your name suits you, too.”

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