Page 47 of Pucking Fate

I enjoy every delicious bite as I listen to Spencer talk about the challenges he’s faced, the risks he took, the injuries he overcame to be a part of the Warhawks. It’s inspiring, really, to see how far he’s come, and how he never gave up on his dream even when the deck was stacked against him.

“I hope you get to be the starter soon,” I tell him. “I know how much that would mean to you.”

“It was hard at first, watching from the bench when I got picked up from the minor league. But now I’m just glad to be part of a pro team. A team that just won the championship cup. I still get paid to play the sport I love, so I can’t ask for much more.”

“That is great. I wish I knew what I loved, what I was good at, so that I could try to find a job doing it,” I admit. “Ineedto figure it out fast so I can get a job like yesterday.”

“I’m sure you will. Tell me more about your hobbies, what you enjoy in what little free time you have as a mom,” Spencer says, his voice softening a bit as he leans closer, as if genuinely interested.

I really don’t have time for any hobbies. Once Finley’s in bed asleep, I enjoy taking long baths and then streaming old sitcoms.

My fingers play with the stem of my wine glass as I tell Spencer the truth. “I… well, my life is so busy, I don’t have a lot of free time to figure out what Ienjoydoing. That’s what I had hoped to do at college. But then before the end of my first semester, I got pregnant...”

Spencer watches me closely, his expression gentle and understanding. “That must have been hard,” he says quietly. “And you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I still can’t believe Christian Riley is a father…”

I gasp at his casual mention of our secret. “How did you…”

“Oh, ah, Christian told me, at Finley’s birthday party,” he explains. I vaguely remember him mentioning that Christian told him we weren’t together. It should have occurred to me that Christian would’ve had to have mentioned being Finley’s father for the subject of our relationship status to come up.

At what I’m guessing is my stricken expression, Spencer lowers his voice further and says, “Don’t worry. I would never tell anyone. It’s none of my business or anyone else’s. That does explain why Preston hated him so much and brutalized him on the ice.”

“Right,” I agree. “It was all a long time ago, obviously.”

Maybe it’s the wine, or maybe it’s just that being around Spencer feels comfortable and easy in a way that I didn’t expect.Whatever it is, I find myself telling him about how I ended up pregnant, about Christian, and how it became harder each day to tell Christian he had a son. It’s really nice to be able to open up to someone about our past.

As I talk, Spencer’s expression shifts from curiosity to concern. He listens intently, not interrupting, just letting me get it all out.

“Christian said you’re not together, but it sounds like there’s a lot of history.”

I nod and can feel tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. I hadn’t expected our light conversation to get so intense, or to veer off into this awkward topic.

“Christian and I…we’re definitely not together,” I manage to say, though my voice cracks a little. “We haven’t been for a long time. I didn’t even see him for years, which was my fault. But now he’s a part of Finley’s life, trying to get to know his son. We both need to focus on being great parents to Finley and nothing more.”

Spencer nods slowly, his expression thoughtful, but I can see the wheels turning in his mind. He’s probably trying to figure out where a date with him fits into all of this, and I can’t blame him. I’ve been trying to figure that out myself. The timing isn’t great.

“Thanks for telling me,” Spencer says softly, reaching across the table to take my hand. “I can’t imagine how challenging that would be, to have a child with someone and have to let them be a part of your life, even when it hurts.”

One of the tears spill over, and I hate that I’m crying in the middle of this beautiful restaurant, but I can’t help it. The weight of everything—Finley, Christian, the uncertainty of my life—is all too much.

Spencer doesn’t seem bothered or embarrassed. He just keeps holding my hand. “It’s okay,” he whispers, his thumbrubbing gentle circles over my knuckles. “It’s going to be okay, Maya.”

For a moment, I let myself enjoy the comfort of a stranger. But as much as I appreciate his kindness, I already know that I have no romantic feelings for him. I pull my hand away from his after a moment, wiping my tears with the back of my hand.

“Sorry,” I mutter, feeling embarrassed now. “I didn’t mean to… break down like that.”

Spencer gives me a small, understanding smile. “You don’t have to apologize. I shouldn’t have brought it up. It’s none of my business and obviously burdening you. I bet you try to put on a brave face all the time for your son and brother.”

I nod, but I still feel awkward. This was supposed to be a date and now it’s turned into a freaking therapy session.

“Do you want to go home?” Spencer asks, his voice gentle. “I can drive you if you’re not feeling up to staying.”

For a moment, I consider it. Going home sounds safe and familiar, or it used to, before Christian showed up. Now, it’s impossible for me to hide from these messy emotions for long. I also don’t want to run out now, further ruining the night. Spencer’s been nothing but kind, and I am nothing but a mess.

“No,” I say after a moment. “I think I’m okay.”

Spencer looks at me with a hint of uncertainty, as if he’s not sure if I’m being honest, but eventually, he nods. “Alright then.”

We spend the next hour sipping wine and talking about much lighter things. Spencer’s humor comes out more, and he easily makes me laugh. It’s fun, and a nice little escape as I temporarily forget about everything else.

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