Page 114 of The Rebound Plan

“The day after tomorrow. I’m going to take a day to do all of my favourite things in the city. And then I’m going to go home and find a cozy little one-bedroom apartment to move into.”

He looks visibly pained at the thought of a cozy anything. “Sounds…”

“Provincial?” I fill in lightly.

“Not the word I was reaching for,” he murmurs.

And I laugh again. It’s a deep belly laugh, and it feels good.

Shannon Barker is back, and better than ever.

After dinner, he asks me to dance. I join him for one song, and it’s very nice. But as his hand strokes my bare spine, I realize there is somewhere else I need to be.

“Would you mind if I duck out early?”

“Not at all. Do you want to use my car?”

We’re down in the Bowery, not far from the East Village, but my hotel is all the way up on the Upper East Side. I wouldn’t be the first girl to get on the subway in a fancy dress, though. And besides, I’m not ready to go back to the hotel just yet. “Thank you, but no. I need to find Livy.”

The incoming ambassador’s daughter is just across the dance floor. When I catch her eye, she twirls right over.

“Are you having fun?” she asks breathlessly.

“I had fun. Now I want to get out of here. Can you recommend any tattoo places that might do a walk-in tonight?”

CHAPTER 46

RUSS

The Hamilton Highlanders lose all five of their pre-season games. And the day before the season opener, Max Tilman is traded to Calgary in a blockbuster deal that shocks the NHL.

“Did you see this?” One of my AHL teammates shoves his phone in front of my face, showing a screenshot of two hockey insiders tweeting the news.

FreidTheMan:

The deal is done. To Calgary: Max Tilman. To Hamilton: Alexei Artyomov, Noah Talbot, and a second round draft pick for next year.

ShaynaWritesHockey:

It sounds like Hamilton is retaining half of Tilman’s salary for the remainder of this year as well. He’ll be a UFA at the end of this season and is widely rumoured to be interested in an Ice League contract, but no offer has been extended to him yet.

AaronGreen:

Hamilton is expected to assign Artyomov and Talbot to Niagara Falls and recall Russ Armstrong, who passed through waivers in training camp.

I read it twice.

And then I start laughing.

CHAPTER 47

SHANNON

The first thing I did when I got back to Hamilton was pre-pay for a week in a motel room, on Max’s credit card.

The second thing I did was tell Max the deal was off. We’d have to do this divorce the standard Canadian way, with a year of separation.

I need the time to be sure of who I am, anyway. I can’t rush to be single only to throw myself into the arms of another man, even if those arms are steadier and stronger than any I’ve known before.

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