Page 97 of Playmaker

We ran without talking for a few hundred meters. We passed a woman running with a stroller, baby inside, and two men who tried to speed up to match us when we went by them, but they fell back.

“So you want to see her again.”

“Apparently.”

Hunter turned his head. “This means you have feelings for her.”

“Fuck. I know. But why?”

Hunter laughed. “Why do you have feelings?”

“I’m not a robot. Of course I have feelings. Just notthesefeelings. Why can’t I forget her? If someone doesn’t want me, someone else will. So why can’t I just let her go? What has she done to me?”

Hunter didn’t speak and I turned to see why. He was frowning, sweat showing on his T-shirt.

“What?”

He shrugged. I turned forward again.

“She got to you, Cooper. She got under that top layer you show most people.”

“I didn’t want her to.” Hell if I wanted anyone there.

“I know. But she’s not like anyone you’ve known before.”

That was true, but I didn’t think that really explained anything. “So, this is just because she’s different? Will it go away?”

“No, it’s like…is she impressed that you’re a hockey player? Or make a lot of money?”

Callie, who didn’t care about any kind of sportsball and had come up with conversational tricks to distract people from that. The woman who’d been adamant about paying her way and not being obligated to me. “Nope.”

Then his meaning hit me. “You’re saying the only reason women like me is because of my money and reputation?” That hurt. I looked good. I was well educated, could talk about a wide range of subjects, and I dressed better than most of the people I met. I had more than money and fame.

“Not all women. But some. Others just think you’re good-looking.”

This was not doing my ego any good.

Hunter continued. “Callie doesn’t care about that, or that you can charm people.”

“Obviously I didn’t charm her.”

“But that’s good.”

“How?”

Hunter stopped, so I slowed and turned to face him.

“I think she got to know the real Cooper, the one hidden below the charm. She liked him. And it scared her, and it scares you.”

I felt something gripping my chest, and it wasn’t a shortage of breath.

“You’ve got strong feelings for her. Now you have to decide if you’re going to do something about it or ignore them and keep on the way you have been. If you can still be happy that way now.”

I lifted my shirt to wipe sweat off my forehead. I heard a gasp and saw the wide eyes of a pair of women runners coming the other way. I dropped the shirt and nodded at Hunter to keep running. He rolled his eyes but got back on our pace.

When we were a good distance away from anyone else, I said, “Iwantto ignore these feelings. But I’ve been trying to get over her and it’s not working.”

He grinned. “Then I guess you need to do something about it.”

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