Page 96 of The Puck Bunny

Bobby looks up and squints. “Who’s this?”

Paul answers, “Quinn James. He likes her.” Paul grins at me. “She likes him, too. I could tell. There was a vibe.”

I swat him. “This isn’t kindergarten. There was no vibe.” I lie my ass off. No one believes me because I am, in fact, a terrible liar.

“You should have brought him home for dinner,” Aunt Yolanda says.

“They have a game today, Yola,” Mom says and she changes the subject to the food. She gives me a wink like she knows something and doesn’t press. I love my mom.

“You have tomorrow off?” Mom asks.

“No,” I say, looking at my plate while I lie.

“Yes,” Billie Mae says. Then she looks at me and shakes her head.

She still thinks I’m going to Thanksgiving dinner with Quinn tomorrow. She doesn’t believe I’m using work to cover for going to the wedding. The last thing I need is for my family to know that I’m one of the puck bunnies. They wouldn’t understand. They would be shocked. My brothers would shoot me.

Billie Mae shrugs while I’m trying to figure how to appease the suspicions of my family.

“I wanted to save my vacation time, so I’m working,” I say.

“I thought they were shutting down since the team had to play today?” Paul says. “Which reminds me—I’m having dessert in the living room because the game starts in twenty minutes.”

Mom argues with him and the subject changes to the Brawlers like it always does at some point at a family dinner during the season. Then the discussion turns to Bobby’s new team. He was traded to Rochester, which is closer, so Mom is thrilled—but not as thrilled as Billie Mae was when she broke the news to me. The fact that she got the news before me was my first clue that there was something more than a flirtation going on between them, but I left it alone because, frankly, I didn’t want to know.

“Now that you’re with Rochester,” Dad says, “any chance of getting called up to the New Jersey Devils?”

All eyes turn to Bobby and I hold my breath. Only Dad could get away with asking him that, but only once. The last time someone prodded him, Bobby stormed out and didn’t talk any of us for two weeks. Guess the answer was no at the time, but, now, he seems less tense—dare I say, even mellow.

I glance at Billie Mae and my emotions swirl around, changing colors, and I don’t know how I feel. Like I’m losing her? Or maybe like something good is about to happen.

But I don’t dare think that as I wait with everyone else while Bobby wipes his mouth with a napkin before answering.

“As a matter of fact, I wasn’t going to say anything because it hasn’t happened yet, but I was told I’d be first up as soon as the Devils need someone.”

Paul punches his arm, whooping while Dad’s smile fills his face.

Billie Mae continues to gaze at Bobby adoringly, and not surprised at all—she already knew, the rat.

Aunt Yolanda and Grandma Zanetti gush and come to tears, doing the sign of the cross in thanks.

Mom goes over to him and gives him a big hug and kiss while he pretends to squirm.

Me? I’m stunned. Not about Bobby maybe getting a chance to play in the NHL at long last, but about the bomb of realization that not only has Billie Mae fallen for him, but maybe it’s mutual.

My big bad brother Bobby is smitten with my best friend.

“Too bad you’re working tomorrow, Sara,” Bobby says. “You could take a ride down to Jersey with me and Billie Mae to scope out the area.”

“Take the day off and come with us?” Billie Mae says.

She still thinks I’m going with Quinn’s for his family dinner. I give her a look that says Please trust me. “I can’t possibly do that. I have that thing to do at work. Remember?”

“Forget the thing,” she says.

Now, I want to shake her and then smack Bobby and ask him what he’s done to my friend.

“I can’t forget the thing.” The thing is a friend’s wedding I want to shout at her.