Page 23 of Cross Checks

“Oh?” I leaned against the locker next to him, ready to listen. “Do tell. Was it a romantic candlelit dinner downtown or a Netflix night?”

“A bit of both, actually. I took her to that new Italian place, and then we caught a movie back at my place. I can’t believe how amazing she is, Taylor. I’m so into her.”

“Well, look at you, Mr. Romance. When’s the wedding? I need to start working on my Best Man speech.”

“Haha, very funny. Don’t put yourself out just yet. There’s still that thing…about my past.”

I remembered our previous conversation. “You mean that guy you dated so many years ago?”

“Yeah,” Jensen sighed, picking at the wrapped tape on his stick. “I still haven’t figured out how to bring it up. Twice last night, it was ready to roll off my tongue, and then I held back. How do you tell a woman you’re falling for that you dated guys before?”

“Maybe just like that,” I suggested. “Honesty is the best policy, right? From what you say, Beth is cool. She might surprise you.”

“And ask for a threesome?” We both laughed.

He appeared thoughtful again and tapped his stick against the floor. “I guess maybe you’re right. It’s just scary, that’s all.”

“Sure, I get it,” I said. I understood his dilemma more than he realized. “If she cares about you, and I think she does, she’ll understand.”

“Okay, yeah. Thanks, bud. I’ll figure it out.”

Later that evening, after the drive back from Portland, I sat on my couch in the living room, phone in hand, staring at Eddie’s contact entry. He was more than just a former teammate; he was a brother on the ice, and he remained a close friend off it. Taking a deep breath, I punched in his number.

"Chase! Hey, bud, I was thinking about you.” His voice boomed through the speaker and brought a smile to my face.

“Hey, Eddie. I just wanted to call and catch up a bit. How’s the big league treating you?”

“The NHL is great, but I miss having you on the ice with me. We were an unstoppable duo.” Eddie’s tone was light and friendly, but he couldn’t hide the genuine sentiment behind it.

“Yeah, how could I forget?” My thoughts briefly wandered back to feeding the puck to Eddie so he could score some big goals. A few seconds later, I shook off the nostalgia. “There is something specific I wanted to talk over with you.”

“Oh? What’s up, bud?”

I hesitated. I wasn’t entirely sure how to start. “Well, I’m dating somebody, and it’s getting kind of serious.”

“That’s awesome. Who’s the lucky girl?”

“It’s not a girl. His name’s Hank. He’s a firefighter here in Cold Pines.”

I dug my fingertips into my thighs while I waited out a brief silence. For a few seconds, I worried I’d made a mistake by placing the call. At last, Eddie spoke up again, and his voice was warm and supportive.

“Sorry for the silence. It is a surprise, but I’m happy for you. “How’d you meet?”

I smiled, relieved by his reaction. “There is a bit of a story. He rescued me from a fire in our locker room.”

“Whoa, that sounds like something out of a movie. I bet he’s quite the guy.”

“He is.” I pictured Hank in my mind, and a warm sensation spread through my body.

Eddie suddenly sounded more urgent. “Listen, Chase, I know this must be a big step for you, but I want you to know you have my complete support. Love is love, and anybody who has a problem with it can deal with me.”

“Thanks. You know, that means a lot.”

Eddie chuckled. “And it’s true. You’re my friend, and I want you to be happy. Also, if this Hank guy ever hurts you, he’ll have to answer to me, too.”

I pictured Eddie with his blond, blue-eyed, almost choirboy good looks, sneering when he found out about somebody who did his good friend wrong. “I don’t think you have to worry about Hank.”

The call lasted a few minutes longer, and when we said our goodbyes, I felt a renewed confidence in my relationship with Hank.

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