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“Like a mom?” I say before I think twice.
“She’s making him casseroles, Sutton,” Beckett says with a chuckle.
“I make you casseroles,” I point out. “And I’m not your mom.”
Then I realize that maybe I’m not making the point that I want to.
That’s confirmed when Beckett says, “But we’re family. You’re not trying to date me.” He glances at Lawson. “Maybe she feels sisterly toward him.”
Crap. That’s not much better. I don’t want him to feel like I’m mothering him, but I also don’t want him to feel like I’m like a sister.
“Why would a woman look at Lawson, watch him play hockey, watch him interact in the community and with his clients and with the team and everything and feel sisterly toward him?” I ask.
Shut up, shut up, shut up.
These two guys already know I have a crush. Saying things like that is just going to make things awkward.
Right on cue, Lawson shifts uncomfortably on his chair.
Beckett shrugs. “We don’t know how old this person is. She could be twenty years older than him. Everyone knows that his family is not around. You know how this town is. Everybody’s always taking care of everybody. Maybe they decided he needed some adopted family.”
The thing is, Beckett has a point. Rebel is very much like that.
It’s not as if that is more likely than someone developing a crazy crush on Lawson, but…
Lawson is incredibly good-looking and definitely a great guy if anyone really pays attention. But he’s definitely one of the quieter members of the hockey team, seemingly preferring the background. He goes out and does his job, including singing and dancing when required, but he clearly doesn’t like the spotlight, doesn’t post on social media, and tends to be quieter and lets the other guys be the faces and names of the team.
My brother, of course, gets the majority of the attention. But Alex Olson also gets a lot of social media mentions as an ex-pro. Zeke Landry is also gregarious and, because he’s from the area and is Leo Landry’s grandson and Harley’s grandnephew, everyone knows him and loves him. Others on the team, including Teddy and Hudson, also love to interact with fans more than Lawson does. And Quinn and Ingrid get a lot of attention from fans and the media as the only female players.
Lawson just kind of hangs back.
It’s very possible that he’s been kind of…overlooked.
At least by women looking for someone to crush on.
When it comes to someone the people in town would want to adopt and take care of, that’s a different story.
No one totally escapes that kind of notice.
So Beckett’s theory has some credibility.
Dammit.
“Speaking of family, yours is kind of far away, huh?” Beckett asks Lawson, now digging into the pan of cinnamon rolls since he’s rehydrated. “I mean, you’re kind of related to the Landrys here, but you didn’t know them before you moved here, right?”
My brother is sometimes irritatingly nosy and often doesn’t understand personal boundaries, but I don’t mind so much at the moment.
The more I can learn about Lawson, the better.
“Uh, actually, we’re from New Orleans,” Lawson says. “My mom and sister live there. And yeah, I guess my grandpa is Leo’s cousin or something, but I don’t think they knew each other well, and I didn’t meet any of these Landrys until I moved here, no.”
I straighten. I actually straighten away from the counter upon learning a new fact about Lawson. I knew about the distant relation to Brewser’s friend, Leo, and Zeke Landry, one of the hockey players and Leo’s grandson, but I didn’t know Lawson has a sister.
Then I try to cover my obvious interest and lean back against the counter, nonchalantly.
Not caring about sticky fingers, Beckett lifts a cinnamon roll to his mouth and takes a big bite. He nods as he chews, swallows, and asks, “What about your dad?”
“They’re divorced. Since I was really young. He’s in California. Was in touch some when I made the pros.” Lawson takes a breath. “But not as much since I…left the team.”
