Page 127 of Puck Me Secretly

“Did he ever tell you what happened there?”

I shook my head. “No, you?”

“Nope, but Max has his reasons. Just because he doesn’t talk about them doesn’t make them wrong.”

“I know.”

The game continued. We cheered, ate popcorn, drank beer and made it our mission to scream for Max.

When the second intermission started, we sat back in our chairs and watched as the Zamboni circled the ice.

Ronny turned. “So how does someone as young and pretty as you get to be in a role that is so important?”

“Who says I’m important?”

“Everyone in that restaurant treated us like royalty. People were either nervous around you or desperate to impress you.”

“It’s not me they want to impress, it’s my dad.”

“He a big man around here?”

“He owns the team. And this building.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Your father is Mark Ashford?”

“The one and only.”

His whistle was low and long. “You ever dated a hockey player before?”

My eyes widened. “I… we’re… my dad.”

He nodded. “It’s a secret.”

“Kinda. I don’t know what’s going on.”

He nodded and stared out over the ice. “How much has Max told you about his past?”

“Not much.”

‘Did you know his mom, my sister, used to live in Vancouver?”

“No.”

He sighed and rubbed his chest. “Sharon moved to Vancouver, bright and fresh, so full of life. My parents were dead set against her coming out here.”

I did but didn’t want to hear what he was about to tell me. I knew it would be bad. “What happened?”

“Max happened. My parents wanted her to give up the baby. And when she refused, they disowned her.”

“Oh no.”

“She was unprepared for motherhood. I moved her to Ontario so that I could help her. She worked her fingers to the bone as a waitress. I helped where I could, but I was still in school.”

Our eyes met.

He gave a sad smile. “Damn, Max was one cute kid. I loved him more than life itself, but his mom didn’t bond with him. She gave him the basics, but she didn’t fall in love with him like I did.”

My heart cracked for Max. I couldn’t imagine having a baby and not loving it.

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