Page 14 of Taking The Shot

“No,” he said quietly, his face immovable. “Maybe I should give you some backstory of what is going on – and why I’m asking.”

“Yeah, why don’t you do that, because right now I’m about two heartbeats away from asking you to leave if you think I’m going to just spread my legs for a few bucks and…”

“I’m not.I wouldn’t,” he interrupted, glaring at her as his eyes darted to the side carefully. “Donotlet the children hear you say something likethat.”

“They’remykids.”

“Then be the role model I know you are – and listen with the same patience you show Kayla and Paige. Give me one minute of that same kindness and understanding I saw at the food pantry, and let me explain,please,” he uttered, his voice pained.

She nodded tightly – and he sighed heavily, almost like the weight of the world was perilously close to breaking him. She knew that feeling, lived it, and hated to see that someone else was going through the motions as well. Apparently, even the famous had issues and problems.

“Have you ever wanted something so badly in your life that you could taste it?” he said hoarsely, and there was such a raw bitterness in those words, a man so close to being broken, that she felt tears sting her eyes once more as she nodded, unable to speak.

“I messed up,” he whispered openly. “I messed up so badly long ago, and so many other things went wrong with it – that it’s changed me as a person. I’m not married. I have nothing. I have no one because I’m scared to let anyone close enough to hurt me…”

“Why are you telling me this?” she managed to get out as she held his gaze, seeing the silent plea in those expressive eyes.

“Because I think I’ve finally hit the last straw – and I’m scared,” he breathed, sucking in a rush of air like a suffocatingman getting a chance. “I know it, I see it, and I’m looking for a life raft before I sink beneath the waves.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m getting fired on Friday,” he began, his voice breaking. “I know it because all my old skeletons are getting regurgitated in the media, and I’m tarnishing their stellar reputation.”

“That’s not a reason to fire someone.”

“We lost an endorsement deal today…”

“Oh.”

“And another one yesterday.”

“Ohhhh.”

“Fired,” he nodded, looking broken, shattered, and embarrassed. “My agent got an offer from another hockey team…”

“Take it,” she interrupted.

“But there is a condition,” he nodded and met her eyes. “I want to take it, but the condition is more than I ever anticipated. It’s a five-year contract for more money than I know what to do with in Quebec…”

“You’d… move?”

“Yes. They would pay all expenses, I would pick a home to move into up there, everything would be handled on my arrival, and I’d have endorsements, money rolling in like crazy, and they know all my secrets…”

“That sounds amazing, so what is the catch?”

“I have to be married.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, ‘oh’… that was about my reaction too,” he admitted, not bothering to hide his dismay. “I have to provide a copy of my marriage license and keep my reputation clean. They want their hockey players to be a part of a larger family like some wild and crazy ‘Stick-Mafia’ on ice… except instead of killing people like the mob, we’d be sinking pucks and trying for the Stanley Cup.”

“I see… I think,” she whispered, stunned. “What are you going to do?”

“Well, I’m getting fired on Friday, so I’m hoping to get married this week and accept the other job.”

“Wow. That’s a lot of pressure.”

“No kidding.”

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