Page 88 of Her Goal
“You got it?” he asks.
“Yeah. No. Were you saying something?”
Beau rewinds the tape and starts it again, but all I see is the woman who’s out with a guy of questionable moral standards.
“Are you asking yourself why you set Leah up on a date with Grimaldi?”
Snapping to, I say, “Yeah.”
Beau wipes his forehead. “Focus. Here. Now. Then we can tackle that.”
“Are you saying I might have to fight him?” I will.
“Possibly.” The guy bears no expression indicating he’s serious or joking so I take him at his word.
“Does Badaszek have rules about inter-team fights?”
“It’ll probably slide.”
“Why does he keep Grimaldi?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, but Badaszek is a hockey genius so we don’t question his choices.” Beau looks around and leans in even though we’re alone. “Between you and me, he’s likely going to trade him for Fletch.”
I start laughing. “For the Reno team, that would be like trading in your BMW for a bicycle.”
Beau shrugs. “Mark my words. It’ll happen before Christmas.”
“A mid-season trade with Grimaldi for Fletch Turley?”
Beau flips the game film back on.
But I cannot focus as my thoughts bonk around the bumpers like in a pinball machine. Hunter always wanted one of those when we were kids. Then he just moved into a video game hole and didn’t come out except to play his guitar, lead Leah on, or torment me.
“You’re not paying attention, are you?” Beau asks a minute later.
“Fletch? Really?” I stammer.
“The real question is Grimaldi, really?” Beau counters.
I quickly realize he refers to my setting him up on a date with Leah when the guy is a renowned sleazeball. “Grimaldioverheard me telling Jack and Chuck about the homecoming event. Grimaldi said he wanted to take a swing.”
Beau’s eyebrows nearly lift to his hairline. “And you were okay with that?”
“I’m not Leah’s keeper.”
“But you’re getting married.”
“I’d say,I do. She’d say,No way.”
“What if you manned up, big boy?”
“What?” I ask, shocked.
“Tell her how you feel.”
“Have you met Leah? She’d knock me out cold.”
Beau shrugs. “Possibly. But did you ever think that maybe the reason she’s so prickly is that she’s keeping you at an emotional distance? Could be that she’s been rejected repeatedly. Idiots if you ask me. She seems like a special girl. Or maybe she’s never been pursued. A guy has never told her she’s beautiful.”
