Page 38 of Here We Go
She could see it on Will’s face as soon as he walked through the door after a road game she knew they’d won. He had something to say that she wasn’t going to like, and she knew before he opened his mouth it would have to do with hockey.
“What’s up?” she asked when he looked reluctant to say what was on his mind. “Just say it.”
“There’s been a lot of talking—the team doctors and physical therapists and, hell, everybody in the Harriers organization, it feels like—and we’re not going to try to extend my conditioning stint with the commissioner. They feel like I’m ready to rejoin the team in Baltimore.”
And that was it, Kristen thought. It didn’t matter how much love for her she saw in his eyes. Hockey summoned, and he was leaving.
“Congratulations,” she forced herself to say, knowing how brittle the smile she forced was. “When do you leave?”
“I fly back in the morning.”
“That’s…soon.” She felt weak, as if her muscles were losing their ability to hold her upright, but she tried to focus on not letting it show. She sat on the couch, though, just in case her knees gave out. “They’ll be glad to have you back.”
“Yeah,” he said, sitting on the other end. Inhiscorner, she thought. He had a designated corner of the couch. His own ice cream in the freezer. “So, we should talk about this.”
“What’s to talk about?” She lifted her chin, knowing pretense was the only way she could get through this. “The story’s over.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
He said that now, while he was sitting in her living room with her, but as soon as his plane landed in Baltimore, his focus would shift to the Harriers and helping his team make up the ground they’d lost while he was out.
“That idiot and hisHometown Hoserpiece have been old news for a while now, Kristen. The real story—ourstory—doesn’t have be over.”
“I don’t date hockey players,” she said with absolutely no conviction in her voice.
He laughed. “I’m not buying that. You’ve been dating a hockey player.”
“Was.” She looked away. “Past tense. I blew up my promotion, and the hockey blogs will all be talking about your big return to the Harriers, so it seems pretty over to me.”
His expression hardened, but she could see the truth in his eyes. He was hurting, too, though not enough to stay. Then he took a deep breath and reached across the cushion between them to put his hand over hers.
“Come to Baltimore with me.”
The words fell between them, and it seemed to Kristen as if neither of them even breathed for several seconds.
“Come with me,” he said again.
“I can’t do that,” she said, shaking her head.
“Why not? You’re between jobs right now. Just come with me.”
“And do what? Sit alone inyourhome, waiting for you?”
“I’ve been here every night with you,” he pointed out, but she could barely hear him over the pounding of her heart and the voice in her head telling her she’d been right all along.
Hockey always wins.
“You and I both know it’ll be different when you’re back with the Harriers. And you’ll be going extra hard to prove your shoulder’s better and to try to make up lost ground in the standings.”
He didn’t deny it. “That doesn’t mean there’s no room in my life for you.”
“We’ve been so happy,” she whispered. “Why can’t you just stay here? Hang up your skates and we can make a life together.”
He looked shocked that she’d suggest such a thing, which didn’t surprise her. “I can’t go out like this.”
“What do you mean? You’ve been playing a long time. You’ve hoisted the Cup more than once. You’ve also taken a beating. Nobody would be surprised if you decide it’s time to retire.”
“If I retire now, it looks like I went down and couldn’t make it back.”
