Page 76 of Lucky Mother Pucker

But he gives me a soft squeeze and tightens his hold.

“Thank you for coming out here. And for getting rid of him.” He stares at me for a long second.“The look on his face when you asked him if he was done.” A soft smile pulls at his mouth. Warmth courses through me. “That was priceless. You were such a badass.”

I start to smile. “I really wasn’t.”

“You were. No one talks to my dad like that. He’s used to people fawning over him. I don’t think he was expecting a tiny redhead to tell him off.”

I laugh.

His gaze on me turns warm. “Seriously, thank you, Luce.”

“Of course.”

I let go of his hand and start to head back toward the diner. “What was that gala he mentioned?”

“It’s some charity event hosted by a bunch of retired professional athletes. I’m supposed to go so my dad looks like a wholesome family man to make him look good in front of everyone.”

I stop walking. “But he treats you like crap.”

Leo shoves his hands into his pockets. “It’s for a good cause. The money goes to kids in need. Kids who wouldn’t be able to play sports like hockey if they didn’t get money from this charity. I can make nice with my dad for a few hours if it’s to help kids.”

My heart aches. Leo is incredible to do that. I’m not surprised. He’s always like this. Kind and generous, always thinking of how he can help others.

“What do you have to do at the gala?” I ask.

“Pose for photos. Schmooze with a bunch of rich people so that they’re in a giving mood and will donate more money.”

“Sounds like a blast.”

He chuckles at my unimpressed tone. “I’ll have my sister there for moral support. And my mom. But I’m sure my mom will get pulled into a million conversations with her friends. And my sister is bringing her boyfriend, who I’m sure she’ll be doting on,” he mutters. “I think Nick and Poppy will be there too. Nick’s older brother is a retired professional hockey player.”

“You don’t want to hang out with them?”

“They’ll be busy with Nick’s brother, Ryker. I don’t want to bug them and make them hang out with me.”

“So you pretty much are going to be stuck with your dad?”

“Yup,” he says through a tired breath.

Just then, an idea pops into my head. “What if I come with you?”

His face brightens, making me feel better about suggesting this. “You’d do that?”

“Yeah. I’ll be there to act as your buffer. I’ll be by your side so you have someone to talk to anytime you want to look too busy to deal with other people. And if you get pulled into a conversation with your dad or someone else you don’t want to talk to, I’ll come get you.”

“You’d seriously do that for me?”

“Of course I would. You’ve done so many kind things for me. The least I could do is be your plus-one to an event you don’t want to go to alone.”

He flashes a relieved smile. “That would be amazing. Thank you.”

He tells me it’s this weekend, which is perfect because I’m not working at the diner.

“One question,” I say. “What’s the dress code?”

Chapter 29

Lucy