Page 31 of In My Hockey Era
A few seconds later, the door cracks open, and Lucy peers up at me.Her dark eyes are tired, shadowed with something heavy.She’s scrubbed clean of makeup, her hair is loose and wavy and she’s wearing a pair of baggy sweatpants and a faded Stampede T-shirt that’s about two sizes too big.She looks… small.Like the weight of the day is still pressing down on her, making her shrink in on herself.
I hold up the takeout bag.“Emergency cheeseburger delivery.”
She exhales a laugh, but it barely makes it past her lips.Then, instead of taking the food and sending me on my way like I expect, she hesitates.
“Do you, um…” Her teeth dig into her bottom lip, and she shifts her weight.“Do you want to come in?You must be hungry too.”
I blink, a little thrown.I was already prepared to drop off the food and head home, not wanting to crowd her.But she’s standing there, looking kind of lost and wrecked, and how the hell am I supposed to say no to that?
“If you’re sure.”
She nods, stepping back to let me in.
Lucy’s apartment is small but warm, cozy in a way that’s completely her.A deep green couch with a throw blanket slung over the arm.Overstuffed bookshelves lining the far wall, packed full and barely containing the sheer amount of reading material she’s collected.String lights glow softly around the window, and a few framed photos sit on a side table—one of her with another woman who must be her best friend, and another of her in her uniform, beaming.
Then, before I can take in anything else, I hear the soft jingle of a collar and a low huff.
A second later, a dog—a big, fluffy white one—comes trotting around the corner, stopping in his tracks when he sees me.His ears perk up, tail flicking.
“Who’s this guy?Is this the famous Max?”I ask, watching as he eyes me with quiet scrutiny.
Lucy finally looks a little lighter when she bends to scratch behind his ear.“This is Max.He’s my rescue.Max, say hi.”
Max doesn’t look totally convinced I’m worthy of a greeting yet, but after a moment of consideration, he sniffs in my direction and lets out a short, approving huff.
“I’ll take it,” I say.
Then he trots over to me with his tail wagging and I bend down to give him a thorough petting.
Lucy sighs and sinks onto the couch, rubbing a hand over her face.“Sorry, I don’t mean to be terrible company right now.”
I set the takeout bag on the coffee table along with her milkshake and sit down beside her, leaving enough space so she doesn’t feel crowded.“You’re not.”
She peeks over at me, skeptical.“I just had a shift from hell.”
“I figured.”
She blows out a breath, and for a moment, she looks like she might say more, but instead, she shakes her head.“Thank you for this, seriously.You didn’t have to come all the way here.”
I bump my knee lightly against hers.“Yeah, I did.”
And I think—just for a second—she might actually believe me.
“You want to talk about it?”
At first, I expect her to shoot me down, but her blue eyes swing over to mine.They’re stormy and filled with unspoken emotions.I’m not great with emotions, I’ll be the first to admit, but seeing her suffering isn’t an option—I need to fix this—to see her smile and destroy me with her salty quips.I just want Lucy back.
“Car accident.With kids.”She swallows.
“Damn.I’m sorry.”
She shakes her head.“Anything with kids is hard.”
I nod like I know what she’s talking about.A tough day at work for me is… still just a game.There’s no comparison.
I reach out and place my hand on her shoulder and give it a squeeze.She softens under my touch.
“How about a massage?”I ask.The words are out of my mouth before I can really consider them.
