Page 93 of Rowdy Hearts

“Maybe I realized I can have more. I just have to be willing to take it. You can, too. Come back.”

She slid a glance over her shoulder at Krista, who was still pouting, even though she’d fallen asleep.

“It’s only been three days.”

I heard what she didn’t say. That three days wasn’t enough time to fall in love. That she didn’t believe what we shared wasreal. Maybe she was right. Maybe I was the delusional one. Or maybe she just didn’t want to see what was staring her in the face.

I wanted to lean across the console and pull her onto my lap and kiss her until she realized what she’d be giving up if she didn’t come back. To remind her of the heat we generated together. That wasn’t an illusion.

But she’d put up an invisible wall between us. And it was pissing me off.

“It’s been three goddamn amazing days.”

She dipped her head and took an audible breath. “And now I have to go back to my life.”

Well, damn. I guess that told me everything I needed to know about where I fit in her life.

Nowhere.

“Hey, Pop. You got a minute?”

Monday morning, my dad sat at his desk in his office in the arena, scowling at the monitor. He looked pissed, but the Colonel didn’t play well with technology. Or, more accurately, technology didn’t like my dad. He was a master of spreadsheets and a whiz with financial software, but computers died on him faster than they did anyone else. No one could figure out why. Key cards for hotel rooms also gave him trouble, for someone reason. They never stayed magnetized.

Mom liked to joke that his personality was so magnetic, the key cards gave up and died on him.

My dad looked up, saw me, and his eyebrows drew together even harder.

“Of course. Guess you better close the door. This looks like that kind of conversation.”

Since he wasn’t wrong, I shut the door then fell into the chairin front of his desk. I only had a few minutes before I had to be in the locker room to get ready for practice, but I wasn’t sure how to start.

Leaning my elbows on my knees, I looked my dad straight in the eyes. And noticed for the first time that he was starting to show his age. A few more lines around his eyes and mouth. A little less meat on his bones. He was eighteen years older than my mom, who still sometimes got mistaken for Rain’s sister, so that put him in his late sixties. And I really didn’t want to think about that.

But isn’t that the point of your talk?

“So, I’ve been thinking about my future, and –”

“You gonna take that coaching position in Lancaster?”

My mouth dropped open in shock for two seconds before I leaned back into the chair and shook my head.

“How long have you known?”

He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. Hockey’s a big game but a small community. I’ve been waiting for you to come have this talk, but you were a little, um, distracted the past few days. Heard from Tressy yet?”

Glancing away, I shook my head. “No, but that’s not what I want to talk to you about. And yeah, they offered me a job, but I’m not taking it.”

Pop’s scowl returned. “What do you mean you’re not taking it? It’s a hell of an opportunity for you.”

His response didn’t surprise me. It’s exactly what I’d expected him to say.

“Yeah, it probably is. But, Pop,thisis my team. These are my guys. This is my home.”

“And it’ll always be here for you. But this is a chance to make a mark on a bigger stage. Push you out of your comfort zone. You’ve been getting awful comfortable here the past few years. And that’s not a criticism.” He held up a hand like I might try tointerrupt, which I wasn’t. “It’s just… Maybe a challenge would be a good thing right now.”

“I’m going to have enough of a challenge convincing Tressy to take me on full time, Pop. But it’s time for me to take on some of your grunt work running the team.”

My dad’s brows rose as he leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking and groaning. It reminded me of all the times he sat behind that desk and rightfully punished me for all the stupid shit I did as a teenager, or the talks we’d have after I did something stupid my first years back from college.

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