Her hand lingers in mine for just a beat too long, and when I glance up, her expression has shifted. There’s a look behind her eyes, something tugging at the edges of her carefully composed mask.
Secrets. She’s got them.
And I’d bet my career they’re heavy like mine. But the difference is, mine are mostly out in the open, available to search for online. I get the feeling she keeps hers tucked away behind her carefully controlled expression.
“See you Saturday, Boone,” she says, her tone light and professional. Gone is the heat. Back is the mask.
Then she drops my hand like it burns her and walks out of the conference room without a single glance back.
Chapter 9: Rosie
It’s been three days since I became an officially married-on-sight woman to none other than the top NHL forward center in the United States.
And let me tell you, after being completely blindsided by theminordetail that he was my new husband (thanks for the heads-up, Dad), I did my homework.
By the time the weekend rolled around, I’d researched Boone, his case, and every scrap of his personal life I could get my hands on.
Here’s what I learned about Boone Tremblay in three days of frantic Googling, article rabbit holes, and late-night highlight reels:
First, Boone is the middle child of three brothers.
He lost his father at just fourteen to a devastating logging accident on the Tremblay family’s property in Alberta, Canada. After that, his single mother raised him and his brothers on her own, which, by all accounts, couldn’t have been easy. The boys are massive, and I guarantee her monthly grocery bill was the cost of a mortgage.
Second, the Tremblay brothers are athletic royalty in the hockey world.
The oldest, Levi, currently plays for the NHL team theBoston Teain Massachusetts.
The youngest, Seth, plays hockey for a professional team in southern California where he lives with his young daughter.
And then there’s Boone in the middle, who grew up skating on the frozen lake behind their farmland property with his brothers and taking pucks to the face.
By the time he could walk, he could skate, and once he could talk, he was commanding a stick and puck like a future hockey prodigy.
Apparently, Boone’s been nicknamed “Puck Daddy” for his uncanny ability to send the puck into the tiniest, most unreachable corners of the net.
I’ve spent hours watching his highlight reels this week, prepping for his upcoming game, and I can admit it, the guy is good. Really good. And he knows it too based on his post-game interviews.
Next, his reputation needs work.
His current court case doesn’t seem to be completely his fault. But his lovable, happy-go-lucky image has taken a hit after some questionable live streams and a few drunken sightings.
Judges and PR managers alike would agree that Boone needs to stop putting himself in situations where bar fights are even a possibility.
And lastly, his dating history has been surprisingly... quiet.
In the past two years, there hasn’t been a single photo of him with another woman. No photos of casual dinner dates, parties or even anonymous tips from women online.
And yet—plot twist—there was an engagement.
Yes, Boone Tremblay was once engaged to Anastasia Belmont, the heiress to the Belmont Bread empire.
You can’t walk into a grocery store anywhere in the country without seeing their logo plastered on loaves boasting gluten-free, organic, or vegan options. She’s the sole heir to a billion-dollar bread dynasty and a classic, New York socialite.
Seven months of dating, three months of an engagement, and then it all crumbled in a messy, very public break up.
According to the tabloids, Anastasia called things off because Boone couldn’t make time for her or wedding planning during the peak of his career and, according to YMT, she wanted him to quit and start a family.
He chose his career over her.
