“I expect you’re very good if the Champions called you up.” Haddy starts for the door. “I’ve got to get this little girl to her crib. It’s naptime.”
With that, she leaves me alone in the living room with Owen Stone and his magic hands.
My jaw drops, and I don’t know what to say at first, blinking up at him with a laugh. “She knows how to make an exit. But she’s right. The Champions only recruit the very best… hence the name.”
“Right.” He nods as Ladybird bounds down the stairs to where we’re standing. “I should take her out.”
“Yeah… Spanky needs to go for a walk, too.” I take his harness and leash off the hook. “Want to go together?”
“Let me run up and grab her leash.” He jogs up the stairs, and I bend down to suit up my dog.
As soon as he’s back and Ladybird’s set, we head out the door with both our dogs trotting beside each other like they’ve been doing it all their lives.
We’re quiet starting out, listening to the sounds of our shoes padding the pavement, kids playing in the yards, the occasional car passing.
Our neighborhood is full of families, and the sidewalks and green spaces make it very dog-friendly. The streets are lined with flowering shrubs and sweet olive trees. It’s a little haven inside this giant metropolis.
I glance up at Owen, quietly observing the area, and despite my resolution, I can’t help wanting to know everything about him.
“What’s it like in Eureka? I love that name. It sounds like a discovery.”
He looks down, giving me a brief smile. “It’s just a little town near the coast. My whole family lives there. They’re part of the founding families.”
“On both sides?”
“Well, my dad and stepmom’s side. My stepmom Britt was an only child, but my dad has three brothers, which means lots of uncles and aunts and cousins…”
“Sounds like my life in Newhope.” Warmth fills my chest when I think of my dad and all his brothers, my aunt Dylan, and growing up with all my family there.
“That’s what Mav said.” He looks up to where Ladybird is following Spanky into a vacant, grassy lot.
“This is a good place to let them run.” I bend down to unhook Spanky’s leash. “If she’ll stay with us?”
He unhooks Ladybird’s as well. “She will.”
The dogs take off running, and I chew my lip. “I imagine it was nice to have your family around… being alone with your daughter, I mean. My uncle Jack was a single dad, too.”
He nods, watching the dogs. “They gave us a lot of love and support. They helped me get through the dark days, and I always had someone to help with Maddie. But Eureka is like that. It’s a small town where people band together, lifting each other up in good times and bad.”
“In that case, it’s exactly like Newhope.” I want to reach out and give his arm a squeeze, but I don’t.
“I don’t want Maddie to lose that.” His brow furrows, and his jaw clenches attractively. “Moving is hard, and I want to be sure she has all the love and attention I did growing up… despite my career.”
“How long have you played hockey?” He’s clearly older than most of the guys on the team, and he doesn’t have the typical, young-player cocky attitude, which is a nice plus, in my opinion.
“I played around before Maddie was born, but after Angie died, I got really serious, mostly as a way to distract my mind.” He looks down with a wince. “I would put Maddie to bed, and it would be so quiet in the house… Hockey gave me a way to forget the pain of what I’d lost. I started making good money, and I felt alive again. I had something.”
He’s talking more than he ever has, and I’m hanging on his every word.
“My teammates were like brothers to me, and when I was flying on the ice, chasing the puck, I could forget about everything except winning.” He looks out at the horizon a moment, then with a blink, he seems to remember I’m here. Clearing his throat, he looks down and concludes quickly. “That’s when my little sister moved in to help me. She still does.”
“You must be very close.” I study his handsome face.
He nods, exhaling a chuckle. “She’s a lot younger than me, and I’m sure she’s ready for me to retire so she can do her own thing. I’d actually planned to retire at the end of last year.”
“But you didn’t.” Without realizing, I’ve drifted closer to him.
“I finally got my chance to play in the league.” He looks down, almost like he’s apologizing. “I had to take it. It’s a big pay jump, and well… it’s the NHL.”
