Page 193 of Branded
I felt my scowl start again.
“And that’s a good thing. I’m glad you’re here and glad that you got your head right.” A breath, tone bordering on careful. “But you’re a man of action, you’re a man who likes fixing things and being the person to make things right. And I know Beth is that way, too. I know you can both help each other.”
“But?”
“But I don’t much believe in miraculous left turns when it comes to trauma. It takes work to get through that, and even though you might have all the answers in this moment, in the future…”
“It took me a year to get to this point?—”
“A point you only recognized five minutes ago.”
Well, fuck. As much as it annoyed me, she was right.
“I’m not leaving her,” I said stubbornly.
“I hope you won’t,” Hazel whispered. “I just…” She squeezed my arm again. “Just keep working through that puzzle in that head of yours, and if it gets too heavy or you’re suddenly missing a few pieces, talk to me or Smitty or one of the guys.”
“Smitty’s got a big mouth,” I muttered.
“So, me.”
“You’ll just tell Ollie.”
“I wouldn’t. You know that.” Not offended, amusement in those brown eyes. Amusement led to a beatific smile. “Talk to Beth then.”
I shook my head. “She’s got enough on her plate.”
“And knowing Beth like I do—though clearly that knowledge has some holes in it considering the events of the last few hours.” She made a face. “Anyway, the point is that nothing makes a woman like Beth feel like herself so much as being needed and part of something.” Hazel’s expression went a little stark, eyes unseeing, giving the impression of looking into the past…and her next words proved I was right. “Take it from a former boarding school kid who spent a lot of time trying to find where she fit and what useful role she could play,” she said softly before giving me a nudge, belying the serious words, taking the edge off with an easy smile. “Or take it from looking into yourself. I think you know something about having a mission and how that gives you a way of focusing on what’s important.”
I knew that Hazel was right.
I still shot her a glare.
Mostly, because she was right.
But also, because I didn’t like all of what she’d said, especially that shit about finding her place. She was an integral part of the Breakers, and we would be much worse without her…and frankly, I would be worse without her.
I was lucky to call her a friend.
“You’re important to the team,” I said. “You have to know that you’re one of the most important pieces.”
She giggled. “I think the actual players on the ice, playing the actual games could make an argument against that.”
“Hazel,” I growled. “You’re important.”
Her hand squeezed my shoulder, smile widening. “Your protective streak is showing.”
Damn right it was.
But I had the feeling that nothing would make her feel so much as a show of the Raph I used to be, the old Raph I felt bubbling just beneath the surface. “You know,” I said, tapping a finger to my chin as we moved toward the exit. “I haven’t been feeling much like myself for the last while.”
“Yeeeah,” she said carefully, drawing out the agreement in a way that had me smiling.
“Which means that I haven’t really spent much time doing my favorite pastime.”
“I don’t want to hear about your sex life.”
I burst out laughing as we walked out the double doors, and God that felt good. “I was talking about pranks, Haze. Lots and lots of pranks are in yours and the boys’ futures.”
