Page 17 of Taking The Shot

Constance’s heart clenched. It was too much—too much honesty, too much vulnerability, too much at once. She could feel the walls she had carefully built around herself trembling, threatening to give way. Her voice came out harder than she intended, a desperate attempt to ground herself. “So help me, if you lied…”

He let out a painful bark of laughter, the sound sharp and bitter like a wound ripped open. His expression twisted as he looked away, his jaw clenching. “No.” His voice was hoarse, thick with something she couldn’t quite place. “I wouldn’t do that because I’ve been on the receiving end of those lies and know only too well how it feels.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his gaze fixed somewhere beyond her. “I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a liar.” He turned his eyes back to her, the intensity in them stealing her breath. “I might be a jerk, enjoy checking another player on the ice a little too much, and I’m not the greatest guy in the world, but the one thing I can promise is that I will never,everlie to you.”

The sincerity in his words settled deep in her chest, making it difficult to breathe. She wanted to believe him. She really did.

“Let me think about it tonight,” she said softly, the words filled with an unspoken plea—for time, for clarity, for the space to make sense of everything she was feeling.

“Of course.” He nodded, his expression unreadable, though she could see the flicker of pain in his eyes. He stood slowly, rubbing a hand over his face before offering her a wry smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Friday still gets here in the same amount of time, you know?” His voice was laced with bitterness, and the forced attempt at humor made her chest ache.

She opened her mouth, but before she could find the right words, he sighed and stepped toward the door. “Why don’t I see myself out now?” He tried to make it sound casual, but the weight of the moment hung heavy between them. “I’ve dropped enough bombshells for the evening to last a decade.”

She forced a small, rueful smile, her feet moving before she could think better of it. Following him to the door felt like an instinct as if some invisible thread pulled her toward him. When he turned back to face her, his eyes held a wariness she had never seen before.

A quiet, desperate kind of fear.

“Please don’t tell anyone what I’ve told you,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “It’s… embarrassing.”

The vulnerability in his words nearly broke her. He had trusted her with something deeply personal, something he had probably never shared with anyone else. She reached for his arm, just the lightest touch, enough to ground them both. “Your secret is safe with me.”

His shoulders sagged slightly in relief. “Thank you,” he breathed, letting out a long sigh as if the weight of the world had been lifted just a little. He hesitated, lingering in the doorway as if he wasn’t quite ready to leave. Then, quietly, almost hesitantly, he asked, “Can I call you tomorrow night?”

“Yes.” The answer came easily. Maybe too easily. But in that moment, she couldn’t deny him, couldn’t turn away from the trust he had placed in her.

As the door closed behind him, Constance exhaled slowly, pressing a hand to her chest as if to steady the erratic beating of her heart. The room felt too quiet, too heavy with everything that had just happened. And despite everything she had told herself, she knew deep down—this man had just changed everything.

She was considering his offer.

5

BOUCHER

Keith couldn’t sleep.

His mind kept replaying everything in his head like a wound ripped open and festering. He was scared that Constance would back out, had been avoiding the subject within the team, and dreaded each hour that ticked by because it was one moment closer to the end of his career. He was lying there, arm tucked behind his head, wondering what she was thinking and how he would make it based on his savings. Maybe he could afford to get by for a little bit or…

And his phone screen lit up in the darkness, causing him to pause. It was nearly midnight, and he saw Constance’s name scrolling across the top. He cursed fluently before drawing in a deep breath and bracing himself.

“You’re innocent?”

Her voice was hoarse, raspy, as the question was volleyed at him without any preamble or hesitation.

“I swear it,” Keith uttered, running a hand through his hair, staring at the ceiling as he held the phone to his ear.

The silence between them stretched, heavy and unspoken, but he could hear Constance breathing on the other end. Thatalone was enough to tell him she was just as restless as he was, just as tangled up in the weight of tonight’s conversation. Neither of them could sleep. How could they, after the life-altering decision they were standing on the edge of?

He wished he could see her face, wished he could read her mind, but for now, all he had was the quiet between them, thick with uncertainty, and something he desperately wanted to believe was hope.

“I will take care of you,” he offered gently, his voice steady despite the riot inside him. “I will treat your children like they are my own.”

There was another pause, but this one felt different. It felt like a breath held too long, a hesitation wrapped in fear and longing. Then, finally, she exhaled.

“Yes,” she said in a hushed voice, barely more than a whisper. “I’ll marry you.”

Keith’s heart slammed so hard against his ribs that it was almost painful. He sat up, pressing the phone tighter to his ear as if he might somehow hold onto the moment, anchor himself in the enormity of what she’d just said.

“Are you sure?” His voice was rough, raw, with something that felt too big to name.

“No,” she admitted, and despite everything—despite the uncertainty, the sheer madness of it all—he smiled because that was Constance. Honest, even when she was afraid. Unfiltered, even when she wasn’t sure of herself. And maybe that was what he liked about her so much. There was something real between them, something solid, even though they were practically strangers.

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