Page 198 of Check & Chase
Relief softens his features. “I was hoping you’d offer. The team PT is good, but you’re…”
“The best?” I suggest with a small smile.
“Exactly.” He pulls me into a kiss. “And conveniently engaged to me, which means you have a vested interest in making sure I can still walk at our wedding.”
As we lie in bed later that evening, scrolling through Maya’s latest wedding venue photos of the lake house, I find myself sighing wistfully.
“I miss him.”
He looks up from his phone, confused. “Him? Who?”
I give him a look, sighing more dramatically. “Max. I miss Max.”
His confused expression dissolves into laughter. “You miss my cat? Seriously?”
“Don’t laugh!” I protest, feeling my cheeks warm. “He’s a good cat. We bonded.”
Chase is full-on laughing now, shoulders shaking.
“We connected on a spiritual level. He slept on my lap the entire time we watched that movie.”
“He’s fine, believe me,” Chase manages, still chuckling. “He’s living his best life with my neighbor. Dude has like two other cats and they all love each other.”
“I doubt that,” I counter, giving him a meaningful look. “But I’m glad he’s got friends. I was worried he’d be lonely.”
He pulls me closer. “Should I be jealous that you’re pining for another male in my house?”
I roll my eyes but snuggle into his side. “Very funny. I just like him, that’s all. He’s got personality.”
“Must be why he likes you too. Both of you are stubborn as hell.”
“He’s going to be at the wedding, right?” I ask, only half-joking. “He should be there.”
He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “You want my cat… at our wedding?”
“Why not?”
“Emma Anderson, you continue to surprise me,” he marvels, shaking his head. “But yes, if you want him at our wedding, he’ll be at our wedding. Maybe we can even get him a little bowtie.”
“Now you’re talking. He’d look very distinguished.”
Later, after Chase falls asleep, his knee propped on a pillow, I lie awake staring at the ceiling. Everything we’ve fought for comes down to one game. One night on the ice in Pinewood, with Chase playing through an injury that would sideline most players for weeks.
I reach for my phone in the darkness, typing a message to the one person who might understand my conflicted feelings.
Me:Jackson, you up?
Jackson:What’s wrong?
Me:Chase’s knee is bad. Meniscus involvement, significant swelling. He’s playing through it for the next game.
Jackson:Not surprised. Championship on the line, of course he’s playing. Question is, can you handle watching him?
Can I watch the man I love potentially sacrifice his long-term health for a trophy? Can I support his choice while knowing the medical risks better than most?
Me:I don’t know. Professional side of me is screaming about long-term damage. Fiancée side understands why he has to play.
Jackson:Welcome to being with an athlete. We’re not known for making medically sound decisions when championships are involved.
