Page 27 of Pucking Your Best Friend

It wasn’t that she wasn’t close to her sisters and her father. It was just…more stressful. Sometimes it was even a little tense. She had to constantly check in with Lucy about who was going to look after their dad the next week, so he didn’t forget to eat or leave the house. Her dad hadn’t been the same man since their mother died. And Rachel…Rachel had moved to Chicago years ago and simply left her life here behind. Sure, she called, and she’d helped Maddie with the dating questionnaire, but she didn’t truly know what was going on in her life. It was ridiculous, but Maddie knew more about the daily lives of Matt’s sisters than her own. Well, that wasn’t exactly right. Lucy was an open book. They saw each other every week. Rachel, however…

“What are you thinking about?” Matt asked, nudging her with his knee.

“My sister.”

“Lucy?”

“No, the other one. It’s weird, but when I think about the problems in my life, I always think of Rachel. We used to be incredibly close, but then Mom died, and…” She didn’t finish the sentence.

Matt put his arm around her and gave her a quick hug. He didn’t say anything; he didn’t have to.

“Oh man, I’m a total mood killer,” she said. “Sorry. Let’s talk about something else. Hey! Have you asked your teammates about the agency?” She knew it was too much to ask, but had she mentioned how desperate she was?

Matt shifted in his seat and suddenly concentrated on his beans. “This is really delicious.”

“Matt.”

“Yes, I asked,” he said, sighing. “Nobody wants to. Sorry, Maddie.”

Her heart sank and she swallowed. “Of course.” Hockey players were workaholics who believed they had no time for true love. Most of them were young and thought getting laid by groupies was the best thing in the world.

She put down her fork and leaned back against the pillows, sighing. “It’s so exhausting,” she murmured. “Staying positive. Maybe Hailey and I are fooling ourselves. Maybe we should just give up. I’ve tried so hard, and it’s not working. Maybe it’d be better if I were more realistic – about my dream jobandmy dream man.”

“What are you talking about?” Matt asked, frowning. “Of course you’re not giving up.”

“I don’t think I have no choice.”

“But…you’ve worked so hard.”

“I know. But I’m failing, Matt!” she said, frustrated. “I’ve been trying for fourteen months, placing my whole personal life on hold, and still, it’s not going anywhere. It’d be better to give up than to work myself to death for another useless year, right?”

He stared at her, his lips pressed together. For a minute. For two minutes. Then he groaned loudly and put a hand over his eyes. “Okay, fine!” he shouted. “I give up! You can use me shamelessly for Match Me!”

Instantly, she bolted upright on the couch, her heart pounding. “Are you serious?”

“Yes,” he replied, pained. “I can’t stand to see you so sad. But just to be clear, we’re faking it. Just use my face. I don’t feel like going on a hundred dates.”

“One date. You probably have to go on one date,” she said excitedly, pressing her fists against her legs. “And we need a photo shoot where the press can take your picture and announce that you’re our client.”

“Fine,” he growled. “One media circus and one date. That’s it! Andyou’regoing to fill out that stupid questionnaire for me, is that clear?”

“Oh, Matt.” Her face glowed. She was so filled with gratitude that she was surprised the emotion didn’t knock her off the couch. “This is going to be…to be…”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said roughly. “I’m a hero. Damn, how did you manage to talk me into this?”

She laughed loudly. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Yes, but your expression and posture were screaming for help.” Displeased, he waved his hand in front of his face. “Seriously, you could sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo!”

“Actually, the Inuit use refrigerators to keep their food from freezing, so it’d be easy to sell them one,” she replied with a grin.

He looked at her darkly. “Smartass.”

She grinned broadly, moved nearer to him on the couch, and then spontaneously threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Matt! Honestly. It means everything to me! This could give us a real chance to dig ourselves out of this hole. God, women are going to be beating down our doors.”

Matt patted her back in his weirdis this touch platonic?way and pushed her back to her seat.

“That’s all well and good, but I don’t want to go out with a groupie, okay? Not someone who just likes me because I’m a hockey player and rich.”

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