Page 26 of Pucking Your Best Friend

“I know. So, relax on the couch while I finish cooking.”

“Shouldn’t I help you?”

“Nope.” She grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him out of the kitchen. “Sit down and talk to me. This is a thank you meal for giving me a roof over my head. Besides, you must be exhausted from cavorting unchecked on the ice for the last few hours.”

He grimaced. “I hope you’re not secretly writing for the sports news.Charming was cavorting unchecked on the ice tonightwould finish me off.”

She bit her lower lip to keep from laughing. “I’m sure they’re more articulate than I am,” she stated, adding the onions to sliced tomatoes. “Was the game that bad?”

“No, not really. It was pretty close. Which makes it even more annoying,” he said, strolling toward the couch before pausing at the counter. “Who are Clemens and Becky?”

She looked up abruptly.

Oh, shit. She had left the wedding announcement out because she’d briefly considered burning it. Unfortunately, Matt had an induction stove, not propane.

“Nobody,” she replied hastily. “So, it was close?”

Matt ignored her attempt to continue talking about ice hockey. “The card is scented,” he said, wrinkling his nose and holding it up. “Who the hell does that to their potential guests, making their living room smell like lavender?”

She grinned. He was right. It was silly. “I’ll throw it away later.”

Surprised, Matt glanced up. “Don’t you need the information on it?”

“No. I’m not going.”

“Why not?”

She sighed and her shoulders sagged. They were friends and honest with each other, so she replied, “Because Clemens is my ex-boyfriend.”

Matt dropped the card abruptly. “You have an ex-boyfriend?”

She snorted at his shocked expression. “Yes, Matt. What did you think? That I’m a virgin? That I’m such a hopeless romantic, I never gave anyone a chance just because they never showed up on a white horse?”

“Well, no,” he said, perplexed, though she could see that he had been thinking along those lines. “You’ve never mentioned him. That’s all.”

Yes, Clemens was not a pleasant topic for her. “Because it’s irrelevant. The whole thing happened in college and it ended badly. Well, for me anyway.” Clemens had enjoyed anicetime, easy come, easy go. “We argued a lot and I…” She paused. It would be too embarrassing to reveal that she had believed they were in a serious, committed relationship while Clemens wasjust having fun. “Oh, it doesn’t matter. Anyway, he invited me to his wedding, but I’m not going.” She snorted, amused. “It doesn’t matter. What I wanted to say was thanks for yesterday. You’re right. I want to get married and have kids, but I’m not searching for my dream man. I think I should start.” She had come to that conclusion in the last few hours. “It can’t hurt to at least tackle one issue in my life, right? Should we eat on the couch?”

Matt didn’t answer. He was still staring at her with his eyes narrowed. “You have an ex-boyfriend I didn’t know about and you want to start dating?”

She blinked, confused. “I didn’t realize you were interested in my ex-boyfriends.”

“I’m not,” Matt said, looking away. “I’m just surprised because you always know about my affairs with women.”

“I don’t know everything!” she said, rolling her eyes. Seriously, it was hard to keep track of them all!

“Hm,” Matt uttered, deep in thought. “Okay, let’s get back to the fact that you want to date.”

Maddie raised her eyebrows. “Yeah, what about it? It was practically your suggestion. You said I always talk about marriage and the rest…but never do anything about it. So, I’ll start with dating. Now, are we eating on the couch? Everything is ready.”

He sighed and nodded before walking back and reaching over her for the plates on one of the upper shelves. Maddie breathed in his scent. Pine forest – his deodorant – and freshly showered Matt. Much better than lavender.

After helping themselves to meat, potatoes, and green beans, they carried their plates to the coffee table and plopped down on the couch.

“Your couch is ridiculously large but also incredibly comfortable,” she admitted, tucking a few pillows behind her back.

“We’ve always had big couches. We’re a big family,” he said, putting a tiny potato in his mouth. “I think, subconsciously, I expect all my sisters and my parents to come in every day and complain that not everyone has a seat.”

She smiled broadly. Matt’s family was close. His parents acted like parents. His sisters asked him every week how he was doing.

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