Page 82 of Puck Me Secretly

“I see that you are as gorgeous as ever, Helene.” Baxter ogled my mom through his whiskey goggles. “Hey,” he caught sight of me. His tone sounded jovial despite the cold glint in his eyes. “How’s my favorite assistant GM in training?”

“Hello, Baxter.” I tried to infuse warmth into my voice.

Mom turned towards me. “Have you met Baxter’s wife, Carly?”

I reached forward and shook her limp hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

Instead of responding, she vacantly stared at me.

After a few minutes of painstaking conversation, we moved away from their table.

“You missed your calling,” I could not keep the dry tone from my voice.

She smiled at me. “And what is that?”

“Politician.”

“I enjoy talking to people.”

“I could move to a deserted island and I don’t think I’d miss talking.”

She touched my face with her palm. “Rory, you look exhausted.”

I yawned. “I could sleep for a week.”

“Why don’t you take the car home and send it back to us. We will be here for a couple more hours.”

I glanced around, wondering if I should find Calder. “Yeah, okay.”

“Let me walk you out.”

We got to the front foyer, and I saw Max leaning up against the bar. He was talking to another player. Calder and Katrina were nowhere in sight.

“Mom, did something happen between a player and Dad?”

“What do you mean?”

“Dad doesn’t like Max Logan, because he says he reminds him of someone.”

Mom’s eyes studied Max and then it was like the ball dropped. She put a hand over her mouth. “Oh no.”

“Mom! What is it?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

“You know who Dad is talking about? You know who Max reminds him of?”

Mom squeezed my hand too tight. “Don’t go there, Rory, please.”

“Go where?”

“Leave the past in the past. And stay away from Max Logan.”

I protested when someone put their arm around my waist.

“Calder!” Mom gave a relieved smile to my dinner date. “We were searching for you.”

I unwrapped his grabby hand from my waist. “I’m going home.”

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