Page 84 of What Are the Chances
Tanner’s eye roll wasn’t hidden well at all. In fact, I don’t think he’d even tried.
“Dad–”
“He’s going to call you next week.”
Marcus Lak was a renowned sports agent, currently representing this year’s best rookie in the NHL. He’d represented dad back in his athletic prime and dad still considered him to be one of his best friends. One of hisonlyfriends was more like it, which was even sadder given dad used to pay him.
“Firstly, I’m not allowed to talk to him. You know that,” Tanner said. “Secondly, I don’t want to talk to him. You know that too.”
I braced myself for the argument that always followed this conversation. Dad wanted Tanner to go pro. Tanner didn’t want to. That was all there was to it.
“It’ll be informal and off the record. Marcus simply wants to chat and see where your head’s at.”
“How about I tell you and you can relay it to him? My hockey career ends with college.”
Dad exhaled impatiently. “Tanner, if it’s a matter of not being good enough, let me reassure you that you’re–”
Tanner defiantly crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s a matter of wanting to choose the people I love over hockey. A concept I’m sure you can’t comprehend.”
The silence that settled over the table was even more unsettling than it had been before. You didn’t need a knife to cut the tension. A nail file would do.
Tanner was looking anywhere but at dad, and dad was levelling Tanner with a disappointing scowl that felt contagious being in the same room as.
When it came to dad and Tanner’s arguments, I undoubtably had Tanner’s back. And while I still did now, it didn’t mean I agreed with him. On this one I agreed with dad. Tanner wanted to keep playing hockey. I knew he did. It was sad watching him throw it away as afuck youto our father.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
You’re only about to get sweatier
WILL
“Sorry,” Riley called out the moment she appeared at the foot of her drive.
She’d just returned from a run, her hair sweaty and her skin red. I loved her post-run. She looked the same post-sex, and it stirred something within me.
She slowed to a stop, her arms coming to rest behind her head. “I thought I had more time than I did.”
“It’s all good,” I returned. “I’m not in a rush. You’re good to work through your stretches.”
I knew how anal she was about stretching after a workout. She even sometimes stretched for the fun of it, which was a foreign fucking concept to me.
Despite the near-freezing temperature, she was dressed in shorts. She was also wearing a tight long sleeve that accentuated her narrow waist. It clung to her in a way I hoped to cling to her soon.
“How many miles did you run?”
“Eight.” She shifted her leg beneath her, pulling her ankle up behind her back. “How was your morning skate?”
“Fine. But I’ll admit, I was a bit distracted.”
Her lip quirked. “By?”
“The thought of making you come.”
If her cheeks reddened, it was hard to tell from her already flushed skin.
Reaching down to pull her key from her sock, Riley stepped towards the door. “You’ll have to wait a little while longer. I need to shower first.”
Not. A. Fucking. Chance.
