Page 45 of Faking the Shot

“Wow.”

“Yeah. I probably loved hockey more than my family.” Whoa. That was a truth bomb he hadn’t expected to fall. “Anyway, it’s so nice when you can just play the game, and not worry about all the other stuff, like business or endorsements or the pressure to make playoffs or the outside stuff. I love playing the game and I love when I’m one hundred percent in the game and everything flows, and nothing else really matters.”

“I know! I feel the same when I’m in the character’s space, and I remember my lines, and I feel myself being this person who is fictional, but in that moment it feels real, like I actually am my character. Ilovethat. And it’s awesome when those around me help create this sense of reality too.”

“It sure helps when they do that.” Like Chris, and Drew. Even Logan had his moments when he got in the zone and they flowed as a team. “That’s what happened in the playoffs last season. The team just clicked, and we knew how to make things work. It was magic.”

“Right?” She smiled at him.

He blinked, looked down at the table.Don’t let her smile fool you into wanting more, man. She just wants you as a friend.“So, you said that Lincoln is your friend…?”

“And his wife, Jackie. She’s a nurse, so she’s from a very different world to us, and I think that’s what really helped in their relationship. She keeps him grounded.”

“Opposites attract, huh?”

“I think so. Although I’ve always thought that there needs to be enough in common for a relationship to really work. Which is why I think I need to be seen with a Christian guy. It’s what I ultimately want. A husband, who husbands.”

“Pardon?”

She smiled. “Someone who cares, who cultivates growth, who stewards wisely. That’s another meaning of the word husband.” She shrugged. “I ultimately want someone who is strong in God and who he is in God, who can encourage me to be strong in God, too.”

Wow. He sat back in his seat. Now there was a challenge if ever he’d heard one.

“What do you mean by a guy who is strong in God and who he is in God?”

She tipped her head, brow furrowed. “I guess I’ve come across a lot of insecure guys, people who are intimidated by my success, and they try and shrink me down.” Her face shadowed.

“How did they shrink you down?” He’d make sure he never would. Because afriendnever would.

Her shoulder lifted, fell. “They would say stuff, make me second-guess myself. I’ve come across a few gaslighters in my time, so as soon as I sense that I’m out. It’s not easy in the industry I’m in because there are a lot of people who are jealous. And because I work so much I don’t tend to meet too many guys who are out of my industry.”

He could relate. Hockey seasons might allow for summers off, when some guys would blow off steam, but Zac’s endorsements and charity commitments had never allowed for month-long European vacations, partying on Ibiza.

“So, back to your question. It might be asking a lot, but ultimately I want to find someone who is strong in God, and knows who he is in God. Who knows he is a child of God and that others have been made in the image of God too, which comes across in how they treat others. That’s why charities like White Night are important to me, because I know these people are loved by God. So I want a man who understands that, who knows he’s loved by God, so that he will love others well, too.” She shrugged again. “And that’s what I want to do. I like that my shows are about portraying love, but I feel like it could be a little more real than what gets seen sometimes.”

Whoa. So much to unpack there. He felt like he wanted to take notes on their conversation just so he could keep exploring what she meant.

“What do you mean by treating others as God’s child?”

She leaned forward. “It’s like the other day at the White Night event. I know people who have been victims of domestic violence, and I’m sitting there listening to these stories of women and families who have overcome awful trauma, and so much of it I’m just feeling this sense of ‘God saved you in that situation’ and ‘God protected you in that moment’ because I feel like God is there looking for people to recognize that He cares about them.”

“You sound like Chris and Diana.”

“Who?”

“Friends of mine. Chris Thomas is our goalie. Diana is his wife. They were great at answering my questions when I wanted to know why they had peace that all my wins didn’t give.” He shrugged. “They helped me understand what being a Christian is about. You should meet them sometime.”

“Okay.”

“They know the truth about you and me.” Actually, they knew too much about the truth, so maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. He winced.

“Hey, it’s okay.” She touched his hand, obviously misunderstanding his facial contortion. “It’s good to have some people who know. I’ve told my parents, and my brother, and… yeah.”

Who was the “yeah” she’d avoided saying?

“Anyway, it’s important to have people we can be real with.”

“Like we are right now.”

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