Page 78 of Slapshot
“No.” I laugh. “Nothing is okay, but we have to live together. I’m sorry I’ve been such a bitch. Can you two keep it down when you’re screwing though? It’s a real killjoy.”
Her cheeks pink immediately. “Yeah, of course. You’ll do the same?”
There’s that backbone again. I hardly think that’ll be necessary now that Lex and I broke up, but I nod. “Truce.”
While I’m waiting for Chastity to finish in the bathroom, there’s a knock at my door. I open it quickly, surprised when it’s my dad on the other side.
“Hey. I didn’t realize you were still in town.”
“You would if you ever answered your phone.” He motions with his head down the hall. “Let’s get some dinner.”
Since I have nowhere else to go, I follow without argument. Neither of us speaks on the way to the restaurant. Once we place our orders and drinks are placed in front of us, he leans forward. “What’s going on with you? I thought things were better with us and then Lex called and said I should come back so we could work things out.”
“I was upset that you offered my boyfriend a job. And that he seriously considered taking it.”
“Why?”
“Please don’t ask me to psychoanalyze myself. It’s scary enough living in my head without having to make sense of it.”
That gets a light chuckle from my dad, but his smile is sad.
“I hate that I never know what’s sincere and what isn’t with you. Second-guessing every move you make is exhausting.”
“I’m sorry if I overstepped. Lex seems like a bright young man and I’ve never seen you so taken with anyone. I just wanted to help.”
“When have you ever seen me with anyone?”
“I’ve seen enough to know you’re different with him.”
“I’m not debating that I am, but seriously, how would you know? You shipped me off to school when I was thirteen and I’ve never brought anyone home.”
“I may not have been there every day, but I can tell quite enough over the phone and by your actions.”
“I knew you’d like Lex,” I admit.
“And you still dated him. I’m shocked.”
Yeah, me too.
“He doesn’t need you to give him a job, you know? It’s a great opportunity and it might make it easier for him if he has connections, but he’s going to make it to the NHL all on his own. He’s incredible. I’ve never met anyone more determined and focused.”
“It wasn’t a pity offer, Kait. You seemed to care about the boy, and I wanted to make things easier for him. Lex is a talented hockey player. He has some work to do on handling his emotions, but he’ll learn the same way we all do. No one has infinitely good days.”
“How did you do it?” My dad hasn’t had an easy life. Especially those early years when he was still playing hockey. His marriage ended, he became a single father, and then he lost his mom.
“It was easier for me because I had you to worry about. Any time I felt like giving in to a shitty day, I’d remember that someone else was depending on me.”
I play with my straw wrapper while I give that some thought. When I try to look at his decisions over the years through that lens, I can almost forgive him for not loving me enough to keep me near him.
“I assume Lex told you he turned the job offer down?” Dad asks.
“He did. I’m sure he was trying to spare my feelings, but he should at least consider it. We broke up anyway so there’s no reason he should decline.”
“He also recommended that I offer you the job.”
“What?” I give him my full attention for the first time tonight. “Me? But…” My words trail off.
“He seems to think that you don’t hate hockey as much as you pretended to all these years, and he says you’re a hell of an equipment manager.”
