Okay, should he be creeped out?

“Yes, how do you know that?”

“I know James’ co-workers, I play golf a lot with them. They had mentioned that you were his wife’s brother.”

“Oh, I thought maybe you did a background check on me or something,” he said with a nervous laugh.

Elli laughed, and then smiled at her father.

“Hell, don’t put it past him, Shea. He probably did.”

Shea looked from Elli to Michael, Michael was laughing.

“Oh, I did, but can you blame me? My daughter is dating you.”

Shea smiled nervously, “I guess not.”

“Daddy, your creepin’ him out, quit,” Elli said, smacking Michael playfully on the arm. Michael let out a booming laugh and started eating again. Shea looked over at Elli and she was smiling sweetly at him. He smiled back, taking her hand in his since she had moved it to the table. They continued eating, talking about Elli’s business, the weddings she had been doing, since apparently a lot of them were clients or friends of her dad. They talked hockey, which was cool since Michael kept up with him and Elli.

A fruit parfait was brought out while Michael was telling a story about Elli singing for the first time when she was three. Shea happened to look up and saw his boss walking towards them, a big grin on his face.

“Oh, hell.”

Elli and Michael looked at him questionably as Bryan Fisher’s booming voice greeted them.

“Eleanor Fisher, you best get on up and give your Papa a big ole’ kiss and hug,”

Elli whipped her head around, and then stood up quickly, wrapping her arms around Bryan with a squeal. Bryan was bigger than Michael. He had more muscle to him, but seeing them together, you couldn’t deny they were brothers. Which pissed Shea off. He should have noticed the family resemblance sooner so he could have gone to Bryan and talked to him about dating Elli.

Michael stood up, shaking hands with Bryan, then gave him a back slapping hug as Shea stood up, too.

“Well I’ll be. You’re the last person that I thought would be sitting at this table, Shea Adler,” Bryan said, shaking Shea’s hand tightly, while giving him a look that scared the living shit out of him.

“I thought when Michael told me one of my players was dating my Eleanor, it had to Jakob or Sergei, but not Shea Adler.”

Bryan went around the table, sitting between Michael and him. Shea looked over at Elli, and she looked nervous, but had a smile on her face.

“What, Papa? I’m not good enough for Shea Adler?” she teased boldly.

Shea smiled before looking over at Bryan.

“Oh no, sugar plum, you’re way too good for him. But here’s my question.” He paused as he narrowed his eyes at Shea. Shea felt his heart pick up in speed. This man was his boss, he signed the million dollar checks that Shea got.

“Is this serious, or is she just like all them other girls I’ve seen coming in and out of your box?”

“Papa, leave him alone,” Elli complained, grabbing on to Shea’s hand and giving him a forgiving smile.

“Papa is a little hard to deal with when it comes to me,” she bit her lip and smiled nervously, “I guess I should have told you that, huh?”

“It would have been nice,” Shea said with a laugh, “And no, Bryan, she isn’t like those women. I think we both know she’s different.”

Bryan laughed loudly, turning heads of the other patrons, “Oh, I know that, I’m just making sure you do.”

“I do.”

“Well, good. I’d really hate to get my ass kicked when I try to kick my 6’3”, 230 lb star captain’s ass, I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t look good.” Everyone laughed at that, and with that breaking the tension, the rest of the morning went great, until Elli had to go to the bathroom.

She left the guys at the table after shooting her dad and uncle a look. Nothing was said as all three men leaned back in their chair, looking each other over.

“So here’s the deal, Adler,” Bryan finally said, leaning onto the table. Michael sat back in his chair, shaking his head.

“You’re too good of a hockey player for me to ruin your career, so I’ll just break your pretty little face if you hurt my niece. I should just go ahead and do it now since you weren’t even man enough to come and tell me you were datin’ her.”

“He didn’t know about you, Bryan. Eleanor didn’t tell him.”

Bryan shook his head, “That girl.”

Shea sat up straighter, looking Bryan in the eyes.

“If I would have known about you, Bryan, I would have come to you. Yeah, my track record with women isn’t the best, but I have always been honest and straight forward with you on anything you ask me.”

“You have, that’s why when I came in and saw your damn mug I was pissed as hell. I just don’t understand how Elli even met you. I am pretty good at keeping her away-.”

It was like a light bulb went off in his head, and then he smiled.

“The team shoot.”

“I saw her and I can honestly say that I couldn’t breathe,” Shea said, laying his heart out for the two men to see, “I am in love with her. No, I haven’t told her but I will tell you two. You guys have nothing to worry about. I don’t want to hurt her.”

Both men thought it over as Shea looked at the bathroom.

Where the hell was Elli?

“You might not want to hurt her, Shea, and I believe you on that son, but that girl is emotional and insecure as hell. She’s got some issues and I want nothing more than for my baby to be happy, but I’m just worried,” Michael said, shaking his head. “Her mother and siblings have messed her up bad, and that son of a bitch Justin didn’t help, either.”