Page 12 of Game Changer
“It’s a long story.My family is complicated.But now…knowing what’s happening to him, I need to make sure he’s being looked after.”
I frown.“You don’t think he’s being looked after?”
“His wife is…let’s say, a trophy wife.I worry that now Grandpa’s health is failing, she’ll bail on him.”
My eyes fly open wide.“That’s terrible!”
“Yeah.So I need to go see him and…shit, it’s probably too late.”He rubs the back of his neck.“Anyway, I’m not really looking forward to the trip.But it’s just ten days, and then I come back here, then head up to Canada for the rest of the summer.”
I nod, recalling he mentioned this.“That’ll be nice and relaxing.”
“Yeah.I’m going to stay at the lake where my grandparents—my mom’s parents—have a cottage.It’s really nice there.”
“What will you do?”
“Swim.Golf.There’s a great golf course there.Fish.And take lots of pictures.”
Jax is an avid photographer.“Oh, you’ll love that.”
He smiles.“Yep.Can’t wait.”His smile fades.“What did you have planned for the summer?”
I’m a third-grade teacher.We planned the wedding for June when we knew school and hockey season would be done.“We were going to go to Europe for a few weeks.”I pout and poke at the pizza crust on my plate.“I guess that’s not happening now.Then I was going to spend the rest of the summer redecorating Steve’s condo and settling in.”
“Don’t you want that crust?”Jax asks.
“Here.”I hand him my plate.We’ve done this before too.He loves pizza crust and I don’t.“I don’t know what I’ll do now.Go into seclusion, I guess.”
He snorts, then chomps on the crust.“Don’t do that.”
“I don’t want to face anyone.I don’t want to see anyone I know.And I sure as hell don’t want to deal with the media.”I throw myself back into the couch cushions.“My life is ruined.”
“Drama queen.”
I lift my head to glare at him.Then I sigh.“Yeah.I know my life isn’t over.But it feels like it right now.”
“I know.I’m sorry.This is shitty.You should do whatever you want to do.”
I mull that over.I wasn’t lying when I said I don’t want to see anyone.This wedding was a big deal, since Steve is an NHL player.He’d invited guys he used to play with, even some media people he knows.It’s going to be in the news that I left him at the altar because he cheated on me.He’s going to be humiliated too.And he’s not going to be happy about that.Steve’s a great guy, but he has a temper.
Getting out of town for the summer sounds amazing.If only I could do that too.
I could.
I study Jax.“You know what I’d like to do?”
“What?”
“I want to come with you to California.”
4
Jax
Holy snapping eyeballs.
I can’t take Molly to California with me.What the hell is she thinking?
I swallow a sigh.She’s upset.She’s not thinking clearly.She’ll realize in the morning we can’t do that.“I don’t know,” I finally say.“That doesn’t seem like a good idea.”
