Page 122 of My Best Bet

Turning away from him, I covered my face and broke down. No amount of screaming at myself to keep it together would work.

“No, no, no,” he said softly, “don’t do that.” He immediately came up behind me and circled me with his strong arms. I leaned into him, completely giving up for a minute.

“C’mere.” He gently turned me around to face him and took up my hand, then he gently swayed to the music.

I’m not sure how long we stood there, moving to the music, my head leaned against his chest, memorizing the feel of his heartbeat, but I knew it couldn’t last forever.

“Maybe I should get going, back to my own place,” I said, keeping my ear against his chest, my eyes on the floor.

His body stilled. “What? Why?”

My throat burned like it was trying to shut me up and I struggled to keep my resolve. “I need… I need to work on some things.”

He took my face in his hands and forced me to face him head on. “We work on things together, alright?” He said it with such determination, but I couldn’t ask that of him.

His face blurred in front of me. I had to roll my lips together to keep from completely breaking down again.

His thumbs wiped away my tears and his warm brown gaze bore into me. “You like helping us, don’t you?”

Closing my eyes, I nodded. It’s all I wanted to do. I just wanted to be there for them. I just wanted to love them.

“Let me help you,” he said, his voice husky. “Don’t take that from me, Mer. Please,” he begged.

Dropping my forehead against his chest, I clung to his words. I’d never thought about it that way before.

“Don’t let him win,” he said gruffly, smoothing a hand down my hair. “Please don’t. He doesn't deserve to be in your head.”

Closing my eyes, I leaned against him. We continued swaying long after the last song finished.

________

The next morning after dropping Lucy off at school, Colt and I drove to the rink together. With his steady hand in mine, he lent me his confidence, and we marched into Hans’ office with a mission.

The three of us spent the next hour studying the master schedule, trying to make changes so Andy and I wouldn’t cross paths.

After staring at it for a while, it looked like there was only one hour that we had to worry about.

“Why don’t you just not work that hour?” Colt finally asked.

“I need to,” I pushed.

“You were supposed to be cutting back on your ice time anyway,” Colt told me.

“What’s that?” Hans’ watchful blue eyes cut to me.

I rolled my eyes. “My knee has been fine,” I assured both of them.

“But it might bemorefine if you give it some rest,” Colt said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his thick arms. “Right?” he asked Hans.

“Right,” Hans responded in his gruff tone.

“Oh no, not you too,” I said to Hans. “I need to be able to afford my rent,” I argued.

Hans shot a glare at Colt.

His hands went up in innocence. “She’s the one who won’t give up her apartment, I’ve tried.”

I looked between Hans and Colt.They talked about this?

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