Page 109 of Double Pucked

But I’m too full of traitorous hope. They disappeared from my life. It’s just my imagination playing tricks on me. Cautiously, I turn around and…

Oh.

Wow.

They’re here. Together. In my store. Chase in jeans and a dark Henley, his soulful brown eyes locking with mine. Ryker, in a trim T-shirt, glorious arms on display, with those midnight blues that see inside me. The guys I love.

Wait. Hold on.

These arealsothe guys who broke my heart.

All at once, my hurt rushes to the surface. My throat tightens. The heartache I felt this last week pummels me all over, and I want to grab the nearest hardcover. Like that one right here—Paris Off The Beaten Path. I want to grab it and fling it at them.

But I’ve let my emotions get the best of me before. I won’t let that happen again. Instead, I adjust my glasses, lift my chin, and plaster on a customer service smile. “You must be looking forTen Ways to Break Up with A Woman And Make It Look Like It’s For Her Own Good. I can show it to you,” I say brightly. “We also haveFive Great Lines To Use When Dumping Her Gently. And the perennial favorite,But We Can Be Friends, Right?”

I bat my lashes.

Chase blows out a breath. Ryker mouthsoh shit.

“I’m sorry,” Chase begins, setting down a canvas bag he’s been holding.

“I’m so damn sorry,” Ryker continues, dropping his bag too.

“Cool. Apology accepted. You’ll find that title on the self-help shelves. It’s calledFool Me Once,” I say, staying strong, even as they step closer, walking past our bright and bubbly romance bestsellers display, full of pastel covers and delicious stories THAT ARE ALL A LIE.

“Trina,” Chase says again, but I back up. Toward the shelves. Toward the safety of books. “Can we please talk to you? There’s a book boyfriend move we have to do.”

“And it’s called The Grovel,” Ryker says.

Oh. Wow. They’re serious. This is real. They’re not just here to say they’re sorry. They’re here to grovel? I’ve never seen a real grovel.

“I fucked up badly the last week,” Chase begins. “I tried too hard to solve a problem, and I didn’t stop and think about what the gorgeous, amazing, incredible woman right in front of me actually needed.”

“And I just let you walk away,” Ryker says, jumping in. “That was the worst decision of my life. I should have fought for you. I should have tried to keep you. Because you’re incredible, and I can’t stop thinking about you.”

And as they come closer and the scent of pine mingles with the smell of the ocean, my defenses start to weaken.

Ryker’s gaze is so vulnerable. Chase’s voice is so earnest. Their words are so outrageously romantic.

But they still hurt me so much. They left me. “You really broke me,” I say, looking from one to the other, my tone as tough as can be. “Both of you. So much.”

“We know,” Chase says, never looking away. The intensity of his gaze strips off another layer of self-protection. “I want to make it up to you.Wewant to make it up to you,” he says, gesturing to Ryker.

The bearded, broody man swallows roughly, then says, “I’m crazy about you, Trina. I have been since probably the night I met you.”

“You hated me,” I say, challenging him.

“Only because I liked you from the start. You were fun and feisty, and you called me on my attitude and you never stopped doing that. And even when I tried not to fall for you, you did all these things—wanting to help me, wanting to know me, wanting to meet my family. I don’t trust easily, but you showed me what it’s like to trust completely in just a little over a week.”

God, my heart is mush. Where are my defenses going? They are crumbling like weak bricks.

“And when I met you, I thought we had this dog bond going,” Chase picks up the dialogue. “I thought that was our thing. But really, our thing was understanding each other, accepting each other, wanting to help the other see that…you’re enough. On your own, Trina, you’re enough no matter what your family thinks. Just like you showed me that I’m enough even without hockey.”

That’s official. It’s melted. My heart is a puddle on the floor. I’m trembling and my bottom lip is quivering, and I’m so glad there are no customers here because I’m about to cry stupid tears of happiness.

“I love you,” Chase continues.

“And I love you,” Ryker says, then takes a beat. “And we want you to be…”

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