Page 7 of My Pucking Perfect Goalie

Now, I slip out of my bed, walking through the guest house.

The kitchen is gleaming in the low light of the early morning, and the fireplace clicks on automatically when I walk through, lighting the room and instantly giving the space ambiance. When I get to the fitness room, I slip onto the Peloton and flip through until I find my favorite instructor.

After my workout, I walk to my room’s adjoined bathroom, wiggling my toes against the tile floor, which is smooth and warm under my feet. The bathroom features a large rain shower with various options for temperature, speed, and aromatherapy.

Certainly not the log cabin I was trying to avoid.

“Good morning,” Penny says, breezing into the kitchen thirty minutes later while I’m seated and looking at my iPad at the kitchen island.

The sun has just started to edge through the windows, the sky lightening into civil dawn, a pale blue color offset with streaks of white. Beyond the ceiling-to-flood windows on the far side of the guest house is a long, sloping lawn, then the line of trees, which rises up in a wave and continues rising and falling until it reaches the foothills in the distance.

“Good morning,” I return, tearing my gaze from the view and looking at Penny. As enjoyable as this luxurious guest house has been, there’s a part of me that panicked this morning when I realized I’d forgotten my super food matcha, which I drink at five on the dot every morning, without fail. “I’ll need you to run into town for me and see if you can find something to replace my matcha. Obviously, it would be great if you could find the brand I like, but I need something with the Reishi.”

“You got it.” Penny punches the button on the coffee machine to make her cup. Unlike me, she’s a habitual coffee drinker. I had to stop when the excessive caffeine made me too anxious.

The moment Penny is out the door, I return to my iPad. My first meeting with Sammy Braun is tomorrow, and I’m nowhere near ready for it. I’ve had to cram my research into the span of just a few hours, and I feel unprepared. I hate feeling unprepared.

Clearing my throat and taking a sip of water, I adjust my position in my seat and tap over to my notes, making a quick list of data points to collect.

Then, I switch into focus mode and get to work.

***

“Hmm?” When I blink and look up, Ellie Aldine is standing in the doorway to the guest house, looking quizzically between Penny and I. Penny is seated on the other side of the table, compiling information from Sammy’s twenty years of doctor’s appointments. From ear infections to blood tests, we need to know everything.

And we’re already amassing a list of tests he’ll need to undergo before we can start to construct our plan. We’ve just got here, but it already feels like we’re way too far behind.

“Oh,” Ellie says, blushing and pushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “I was just—well, Grey thought the two of you might want to come get dinner with us tonight?”

“Get dinner?” I repeat, my brain still numb and spinning from being absorbed in my work. I glance at the clock and realize it’s just past six in the evening. When I look back at Penny, she’s blinking too, clearly taken aback by the time.

“Right,” Ellie says, nodding and stepping fully inside before closing the door behind her. When I can fully look at her, Irealize she’s wearing a hockey jersey and a pair of jeans. “We’re going to this brewery that Grey loves, and we thought it might be nice to introduce you to Burlington. Since you’re going to be here for a while.”

Penny looks to me, and I shake my head. There is far too much work to be done—not to mention the fact that a brewery sounds loud and overwhelming, which is exactly the opposite environment I need.

I can already picture the giant metal drums whirring in the background, the overwhelmed waitress, the kitschy little tablet on the table with a screen that a thousand sticky fingers have touched. Watery drinks, half-cold seafood nachos…

“No, thank you,” Penny says, tapping the papers on the table in front of her. “Got quite a lot to get through.”

“Oh,” Ellie exhales, and to my surprise, she actually sounds disappointed. “I mean, some of the guys from the team are coming, and it might be a good chance to meet everyone.”

I put my tablet down and lean forward. “That’s so kind, but tonight feels like a staying-in kind of night. Still a little tired from the traveling, and we do have quite a lot to get done.”

She nods. “Oh, right. Well, can I bring you something back? They make these amazing onion rings.”

“…No, thank you,” I say, mind flashing to my kale salad, already prepped and ready to go in the fridge. Even thinking about oily onion rings is giving me indigestion. “But we do appreciate it.”

“Alright,” she says, smiling and opening the door behind her. “Well…good luck!”

“Thanks,” Penny calls after her, turning immediately back to her work when the door shuts. I stare at the younger woman across the table from me for a long moment, ignoring the increasing sense of panic that I haven’t already gone back to what I was doing.

Penny reminds me so much of myself—so sure, so determined. The work ethic of a woman who knows nothing will be handed to her. But I feel a small pang of—what? Longing? Loneliness? Something eats away at my chest when I look at Penny and acknowledge that she just chose to stay in with me, rather than going out and meeting people. Having a good time.

“He’ll need tests on his A1C,” Penny murmurs, “nothing abnormal, of course, but looks like he’s due for them.”

When she flicks her eyes up to mine, I school my face, clearing my throat and sitting back in my chair.

“Schedule them,” I say, nodding and looking back to my tablet. “They are working on our timeline, after all.”

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