Parental Guidance (Ice Knights #1)(25)

After they handed the clipboard back to the producers, Asha sat down in the chair opposite the love seats, a short stack of index cards in her hand; the cameraman counted down from five; and the interview began.

“We’re back with Ice Knights defenseman Caleb Stuckey and miniatures artist Zara Ambrose along with Caleb’s mom, Britany, and Zara’s dad, Jasper, who are going to offer some dating parental guidance. So, Britany, tell us a little bit about what it was about Zara’s profile that jumped out at you?”

Zara blindly reached for Caleb’s hand between them and squeezed as panic zoomed through her. The last thing she needed was for her dad and the whole of Harbor City to hear about her vagina cobwebs.

Kill. Me. Now.

“I admired how forthright she was,” Britany said. “She didn’t seem like someone who’d be thrown by unexpected events.”

“Not my Zara,” her dad answered. “She’s always been a rock, which she proved at Little Bloomers Preschool on Forty-Eighth Street. As a single parent, it was such a relief for me to know Ms. McGee and her staff were looking out for my little Button, and I highly recommend them.”

Caleb squeezed her hand back and managed to morph his chuckle into an extended clearing of his throat. Really, they should have set up some sort of drinking game. One shot for every business her dad plugged on the air. Two shots if Asha finally lost her cool and smacked Jasper with her notecards.

Of course, he was probably utterly sincere in his praise. That was what kept her from losing patience with his ridiculous get-rich schemes or the instances where he’d give away more than they could afford—like the time he’d come home from a night out with his friends and confided in her that their rent money was going to be a little short because Jessie the bartender was about to have her baby and all the fellas took up a collection to leave her a big tip to help carry her through. Even when he was being ridiculous, he meant it with all his heart, and she, like just about everyone in the neighborhood, couldn’t help but love him.

“Jasper, what kind of dating advice did you offer to Zara before date one?” Asha asked, bringing the interview back to the task at hand.

Her dad dragged his fingers through his hair, which was only a few shades less orange than her own, and for half a second, something that looked a lot like regret crossed his face before it was replaced with his usual charming mask. “I wasn’t involved in that one—we didn’t talk about all of this until after they’d had their first dinner.”

Asha cocked her head to one side, definitely not buying his act. “But you’ve given her other dating advice?”

Jasper pivoted in his seat so he faced Zara, and he gave her that warm look of love that had given her faith as a child that everything would work out, in the end, no matter what crazy get-rich scheme her dad had embarked on or his ever-changing stories about why her mom had left. It sucked all the air out of her lungs, and in an instant, she was back to being that girl who believed again. She must have made a noise or flinched or something because Caleb ran his thumb over the top of her hand in a slow, calming line.

“Advice?” Her dad chuckled. “Just to believe what her heart is telling her but not to leave out her brain entirely.”

“Excellent advice for all of us singles,” Asha said in that breezy, we’re-all-the-best-of-friends voice morning TV hosts all seemed to have. “And, Britany, what have you told Caleb?”

Britany didn’t hesitate. “To be smart about things and to always wrap it up.”

Next to her, Caleb groaned and his thumb stopped moving. In the shocked silence that fell after that ode to safe sex, the sound of the producer dropping her clipboard boomed through the studio.

As for Zara, she just wanted to sink into a hole. So much for parental guidance. Her dad was using the opportunity to audition, and his mom was making sure to let the world know her precious son shouldn’t knock up his date. Oh God. Did it get worse? She shouldn’t even wonder, because that was just tempting fate, and there had been enough proof already that fate was up to the challenge.

No doubt wondering why in the hell she’d agreed to do these interviews, Asha, her eyes wide, turned to Caleb and asked in a shakier tone, “How have the dates been going? Did your mom pick well?”

“She most definitely did.” He nodded and squeezed Zara’s hand. “I really wasn’t excited for her to take over my profile, because who in their right mind would want their mom picking out their dates? But Zara is pretty amazing.”

Okay, this was awkward—nothing like having people talk about her when she was sitting right there.

Asha, back on her game, leaned forward, as if the conversation was taking place over drinks at a pub and not in front of cameras. “Tell us more about that.”

“She’s smart, funny, and she isn’t scared to try anything. She’s got this weird shoe-addiction thing. And according to the photos of her work that I’ve seen online, she’s really talented.” He lifted their joined hands and winked at her before brushing his lips across the back of her hand. “My mom picked a really amazing woman, and I’m damn lucky.”

“Wow. That’s not a bad impression for two dates.” Asha glanced down at Zara’s fingers interlaced with Caleb’s. “Are you equally smitten?”

Put on the spot by both of them and not liking it even one little bit, Zara could feel her pulse beating in her earlobes as she slid her hand free. “He seems nice.”