Page 21 of Pucking Secret

Realizing that Jayce and I have been dominating the conversation for quite a bit now, I turn back to Carson, “So, you and Skyler, huh? That’s a surprise.”

Carson laughs and smiles, a tender expression softening his features. “Yeah, it’s still a shock to me too, man. She’s amazing. The perfect mix of sweet and fierce. Brilliant. She designs video games now. Total nerd, and I fucking love her for it.”

Jensen nudges him, shaking his head, “Oh, here he goes again, bragging about his girl.”

“Like you’re any better,” Carson shoots back, grinning.

Jensen raises his beer. “Fair point. I’m a lucky bastard. Grace is… she’s everything. We’re getting married next year, actually. Miami. It’s where we met.”

“Congrats,” I say. “Grace was always a sweetheart. She deserves a good guy. I’m a little surprised you actually let a teammate be with your sister, Carson. I remember our high school team receiving not-so-subtle threats that she was off-limits.”

Thinking of Grace makes me think of Stacey. Is she with anyone? Looking at Wilder, Zander, and Jayce, I can’t help but wonder if any of them are interested in her. The thought makes jealousy burn through me but I tamp it down. I’m jumping to conclusions and I don’t know a damn thing about her anymore.

“What about Stacey?” I ask, my heartbeat quickening.

Carson gives me a cautious look. “What about her? I thought you came to Denver because she was here.”

“No,” I shake my head. “I had no idea she was here, let alone working for the team.”

Carson looks stunned. “Oh, shit, for real? I didn’t think it could be that big of a coincidence.”

It’s definitely wild that I would be traded to the team and the city where Stacey has set up her life. After leaving Wisconsin, I never had any idea where she ended up.

“She’s doing good,” Carson continues with a shrug. “She’s doing her PT residency with the team. She’s killing it so far.”

“I forgot you all went to high school together,” Zander says. “You two, Grace, Skyler, and now Stacey… geez, you all are taking over around here.”

“Yeah, I guess we’re all just drawn to this place,” I say with a forced laugh before I push to my feet. “Anyone else need another beer?”

Several of the guys raise their hands and Carson’s hops next to me.

“I’ll give you a hand,” he says.

We make our way over to the kitchen together, and as the rest of the guys continue talking and laughing, I lower my voice so no one can overhear me as I ask Carson, “Do you know what happened to Stacey after I left Wisconsin?”

It’s not the question I really meant to ask, but it slips out before I can stop it. I’ve always wondered, but when my attempts went unanswered, I lost hope. We were so young back then, and I know what I had to do hurt her. More so, the shame of leaving school, leaving my friends and team, had me avoiding reaching out to anyone else.

There’s a beat of silence, and finally, Carson speaks up, his voice also low.

“Yeah, Stacey… she took it hard when you left, man. She didn’t even stick around for graduation. Left right before. Transferred. Guess she didn’t want to be around anymore, you know?”

She left? Does that mean she didn’t get my letter?

“She moved? Where too? Why?”

Carson shrugs. “She moved here, I think, but I don’t know why.”

“Does Grace?”

He looks hesitant, and I can tell he doesn’t want to answer that question.

“Maybe… but she never told me,” he murmurs, but before he can say more, Jensen’s voice cuts through the apartment.

“How are you feeling about the team, Owen?” he suddenly asks, drawing my attention back to him and the other guys.

I blink, caught off guard by the abrupt change in topic. “Oh, um… I’m feeling really good…”

Carson darts past me to return to the living room and I slowly follow after, beers in hand. We proceed to talk about the team, hockey, and our upcoming schedule, and though I’m desperate to ask more about Stacey and whatever life she’s built for herself here, I keep my questions to myself. The last thing I need is everyone but Carson to start drilling me for information about my past with her, especially when I’m the one who left her abandoned and broken hearted.

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