33. Lucy
Lucy
On our way to the table where Leo is still at, Zoey and Cora get flagged down by a family friend.
I let them catch up and make my way back to Leo, who’s talking to Nick and Poppy.
I say hi to them. Nick introduces me to his older brother, Ryker St. George. He recently retired from the pro hockey team, the Denver Bashers.
My eyes go wide as I take in the sight of him.
I see the resemblance between him and Nick right away.
Same thick, dark hair, same deep brown eyes, same light tan skin.
They’re both the same height too—a handful of inches past six feet.
But Ryker has a more muscular build. Nick is leaner with a more boyish handsomeness.
Ryker is more rugged with the dark scruff on his jaw and the crow’s feet flanking both eyes.
He must have been a teenager when Nick and Anna were born. He looks a lot older.
We’re all chatting when a tall, beautiful woman with long red hair in a slinky silver gown walks up to Ryker. He smiles at her, grabs her hand, and introduces her as his wife, Madeline.
She beams at me when I shake her hand. “Always nice to meet another redhead,” she says.
I chuckle. For a few minutes, we sip on our drinks and visit. Nick and Ryker get pulled into a nearby conversation. Madeline and Poppy head to the bar to top off their drinks.
Leo turns to me. “Everything go okay in the ladies’ room? My sister didn’t light anything on fire, did she?”
I chuckle. “No, it’s all good. They just told me some cute stories about you when you were a kid.”
His cheeks redden. “Oh, god, really?” he groans.
“No, it was all good. They told me about what you did when you were little, how you gave all your food and snacks to a homeless man.”
His brow lifts. “Oh, shoot. I forgot about that.” He makes a flustered noise and looks away, like he’s embarrassed.
I grab his arm with both of my hands. “It was the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”
He looks at me, his gaze focused.
“I mean it, Leo. That was so beautiful. You’re such a good person. Like, truly good. To the core.”
His smile is shy. “I don’t know about that.”
“You are. Even as a little kid, you were kind to others. You went out of your way to help.” I pause for a second.
“When I first met you…when you offered to help me, I was so confused. I couldn’t figure out why you were like that.
I thought you had an agenda, just like everyone else. But I was wrong.”
Intensity flickers in his gaze as he listens.
“You are so good, Leo. At the core, you’re everything good.”
He closes his eyes for a second, like he’s processing what I’ve said. And then he looks at me and flashes the most beautiful smile.
He opens his mouth to speak, but someone walks up to him and pats his shoulder.
“Leo, my boy. I heard you got drafted by Vegas. Congratulations.”
Leo turns to the older man and offers a polite smile. “Thanks, Maurice.”
He turns to me. “This is one of my dad’s old teammates.”
I smile at him. “I’m Lucy. Pleasure to meet you.”
Another older guy walks up to Leo. I think he’s another one of his dad’s teammates, judging by their conversation.
“You’re on fire this season,” he says. “You’re a fierce player, just like your dad.”
“You don’t hog the puck as much though,” Maurice jokes. They both laugh.
They talk for another minute before I notice the tired look on Leo’s face. I take that as my cue. Time to buffer.
I move closer to Leo and slide my arm through his. “Sorry to cut this short, gentleman, but Leo promised he’d hunt me down a shrimp cocktail a half-hour ago, and my appetite is catching up,” I say sweetly.
The guys just chuckle. “Oh, go right ahead. Don’t let us stop you.”
We walk off.
“Thanks for that,” Leo says. “Those guys are nice, but they can talk for awhile.”
“It’s no problem. It’s why I’m here tonight, remember?”
Leo grabs a shrimp cocktail from a waiter passing by and hands it to me. I’m stuffing my face when someone standing behind us clears their throat.
We turn and see Leo’s dad standing there, frowning at him.
Leo’s smile fades. He aims an identical sharp frown at his dad.
“You’re here,” his dad says.
“I’ve been here for an hour,” Leo says. “Where have you been?”
“Work call. Guys at the network.” Leo’s dad pulls at the sleeve of his tux. He looks at the half-eaten shrimp cocktail in my hand and makes a face.
“Want some?” I offer despite the look of disgust on his face.
Leo stifles a chuckle. I smile at him.
“Dario, the event photographer, wants a family photo of us,” Leo’s dad says. He nods at me. “I assume your friend will be fine waiting here alone while we take care of that?”
Leo’s frown morphs into a glare. “Her name is Lucy. You should introduce yourself properly instead of being so rude.”
I stiffen at the bite in his tone. I appreciate Leo standing up for me, but I hate how quickly he shifts from happy to pissed off around his dad.
His dad’s jaw is tight as he turns to me. “Apologies. I’m Rocco Peretti. You’re Leo’s friend who I saw at the diner the other night, right?”
I offer a polite smile. “That’s me. I’m Lucy Bailey.”
He nods once, then turns back to Leo. “We’re needed. Let’s go.”
He walks off. Leo huffs out a breath and rolls his eyes. “I’m sorry about him,” he says to me.
I try to smile. “It’s okay. I’ll go grab another appetizer, then I’ll come find you and steal you away.”
His smile is relieved. “Thanks, Luce. You’re the best.”
He walks away, toward the other side of the ballroom, where the photographer is set up.
A server walks by with a tray of what looks like fancy spring rolls. I grab one, then watch from a distance as Leo poses with his parents and sister. I can’t hear since I’m standing far away, but it looks like the photographer is directing them on how to pose.
I notice that the easy smiles that Leo shared with his mom and sister are long gone. Everyone is smiling, but they’re all kind of stiff now.
When he finishes taking a photo, Leo’s family stands around for a moment. I notice his dad doesn’t even look at his mom. She folds her hands in front of her, like she’s waiting for him to acknowledge her. But he never does.
He shakes hands and speaks briefly to a few people who walk up to him.
He nods at Leo, pulling him into the conversation.
He makes Leo pose for more photos with the people they’re chatting with.
The whole time, Leo looks stiff and uncomfortable.
He tries to smile at the people his dad speaks to, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
The look in Cora’s eyes turns sad as she watches her son and husband. A second later, Zoey touches her hand. They exchange a look before turning to a small group of people off to the side and joining their conversation.
I let out a sigh, sad and confused at how oblivious Rocco is being. Doesn’t he notice how his wife clearly feels neglected by him? Why doesn’t he care to pay attention to her or Zoey? Doesn’t it bother him how uncomfortable Leo is around him?
I head over to Leo, determined to rescue him from his dad. He’s done enough schmoozing. He deserves a break.
When I’m a dozen feet away, Leo catches eyes with me. His gaze brightens instantly, and he grins. The first genuine grin I’ve seen from him in the last ten minutes. My tummy flips at how happy he is to see me.
I linger off to the side, watching as he makes an exit from the small group of people surrounding him.
He walks over to me, his smile laced with relief.
“I think you deserve a treat after that,” I say.
He quirks an eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”
“I saw one of the servers with a tray of mini cherry cheesecakes.”
His eyes light up. “Let’s go.” He grabs my hand, and we dart off.