Page 46 of Hot Rucking Canadian

“Going to take the meeting because one doesn’t turn down a meeting like that, but I am also not interested. You’re right. I’ll be a benchwarmer at best. That’s if I even move up onto the squad.”

I didn’t say you’d be a benchwarmer. You’d be the best fullback on the entire fucking team. Except I didn’t know the depth of the bench. He’d talked about the All Blacks before. Had even said there was a series about them. We’d planned to watch it when we went back to Canada.

“He did procure two tickets for a game before we go home. In Wellington. That means more flying.”

The urge to hurl overwhelmed, but I fought it down. “Whenever, wherever. I’m there, okay?” Because what was a little barf between lovers?

His eyes glittered—much as his grandmother’s had. “Yeah, sounds good.”

Chapter Sixteen

Isaiah

Nana eyed me.

I stared right back. I wouldn’t be intimidated by a seventy-nine-year-old woman.

Even if my fifty-year-old mother scared the shit out of me.

Somewhere betweenrespecting my eldersandstanding on my own two feetlay the answer to this dilemma.

I broke first. “He didn’t offer me a spot on the squad. He offered me the opportunity to try out for one of the regional teams.”

She arched an eyebrow. “You could come home.”

“Nana.” I grasped her hand. “New Zealand hasn’t been myhomein twenty years. And, as much as I love everyone here, I’m not leaving Mama.”

She pursed her lips. She wasn’t my mother’s biggest fan. Something about fleeing the country with me after my father left.

Mama was more gracious and deferential to Nana when we visited together.

But the key wasvisited. Because we always went home to Canada.

Nana sniffed. “Well, at least you come to visit. And bring your man.”

One of my nieces giggled as she stood by Travis. He was surrounded by teenagers.

He turned to Henry. “Sure, I can look at your bike later. I’m not a mechanic, but I’m pretty good at tune-ups. We’ll see. But don’t ride it until we know it’s safe. You don’t want an accident.”

Henry dutifully nodded.

Travis put his hands on his hips. He turned to my niece, Patti. “No way are you going back to him. If your man forgets your birthday after you’ve been together three years, then you need to dump him.”

Great. I hadn’t even realized she had been in a relationship that long.

Then he turned to Jude. “Of course you have to say you’re sorry if you looked at a girl while you were out with your girlfriend. What kind of bull—” He winced. “Bull crap is that? You respect the woman you’re with. If you can’t—whether because you’re not in love with her or just because you’re an ass—” Another wince. “Then you let her down gently and get your, uh, stuff together before you start dating someone else. You have to respect the woman you’re with.”

He gazed at a younger niece. “And you don’t go chasing guys twice your age. He’s twenty-eight. You’re fifteen. That’s a hard no.”

“You’re sixteen years older than Uncle Izzy.”

He chuckled. “He’s way over the legal age, and I didn’t say the relationship wasn’t ill-advised.”

I nearly rose at that, but Nana gripped my hand, encouraging me to stay where I was. Clearly Travis didn’t realize we could hear him.

“But I love your uncle. And I think he loves me. We have respect for each other. If his guy really loves you, then he’ll wait until you’re at least eighteen. Even better, twenty-two and with a university degree.”

“I suppose.” Marisol pouted.

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