“Here’s your coffee.” Michelle slides the cup across the counter. “Can I get you anything else?”
“That’s it,” I say, slipping a hand from my pocket and wrapping it around the cup. “Thank you.”
“You were saying?” Michelle turns her attention to Becca.
“Umm…” Becca drags her gaze from me and stares at her employee. I watch as she struggles to recall exactly what she was saying before she knew I was standing here. Her chest rises and falls, and something within me settles knowing I still have an effect on her. She gives me one quick glance before turning to Michelle. “WhatwasI saying?”
“That you were heading out,” I respond. “You have a few stops…”
“That’s right, thank you,” she says, not looking at me. “I have to make a few stops before heading to the arena.”
She goes to every one of Steven’s practices; the words hit like a kick to the gut…stealing my breath. Hot, green envy rolls through me. All those years, I circled the rink looking for her, hoping to see her face amongst the thousands of strangers wearing my name, cheering me on.
I know I’m being dumb. The reason she wasn’t there was because of me, but the pain the memory brings back is unbearable.
“Jacob?” Becca’s voice breaks through the past, pulling me back to the present in her coffee shop. The one that she and her husband owned together. Pressure on my arm has me glancing down, only to find her hand. “Did you hear me?”
Blinking a few times, I shake my head. “I’m sorry…got lost in thought. What did you say?”
“I asked if Duncan told you about the fundraiser that all coaches have to attend?”
My brows shoot up, the sparkle in her eyes making my gut clench. “Excuse me?”
She shoves a paper she’s holding at me, which says there is indeed a fundraiser for the hockey team and that all coaches are needed to attend. “But I’m not really a coach…I’m just helping out.”
“True.” She nods her head in agreement. “But your name will be a big draw.”
“I can sign something, a jersey or a photo.” I force out, panic gripping me. I’m not ready to do any public events. I’ve avoided them for years. It always comes around to people talking about my injury and how sad they were that it ended my career.
“You’re not getting off that easy.” She points at me before turning back to Michelle. “Michelle, can you make sure that all the stores next to us have flyers in their windows, especially Duncan’s Donuts For Dogs?”
“Duncan’s what? Wait…‘The Denier’ bakes dog treats?” Disbelief has my voice cracking.
When Michelle gives Becca a thumbs up, there’s a funny expression on her face that I can’t decipher as she shrugs. And Becca has that determined tone in her voice, the one that lets me know I’m not getting out of this.
She slips her arm through mine and leads me out the door, still talking about all the things she’ll need my help with. The jealousy surging through me ten minutes ago fades, and a warmth settles in my chest.
I’m pretty certain that if the woman hanging on my arm asked me to jump off a skyscraper, I’d do it for her. In fact, the way my heart is racing, I think I already did.
Turns out ‘The Denier’ does bake dog treats, and he’s good at it. Who would’ve believed that behind the broody exterior, there is a mush of a man lurking underneath. Now I understand how his niece gets away with the nickname she calls him.
“Why didn’t you tell me that I’d have to help out with this upcoming fundraiser, Dunky?” I keep my eyes on Steven as he runs through the Gauntlet drill, working on his weak side today, but I can feel the heaviness of the glare from Duncan burning a hole in my face. The corner of my lip lifts just as he growls.
“Watch it, J.T., and I didn’t tell you because I knew you wouldn’t come if you thought it entailed any type of public event.” I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and give a stiff nod.
“Besides,” Duncan continues beside me. “You won’t need to talk to anyone; there isn’t going to be any press.”
“It’s not the press…” I suck in a deep breath and rake a hand through my hair. Duncan’s hand falls on my shoulder.
“J.T., this is a small town, everyone knows your story. They watched you go down and were devastated, but they knew any emotions they may have had, yours were a hundredfold.” I dip my chin, and he gives my shoulder a shake.
“Steven, you telegraphed that move like it was a movie trailer. Mix the looks or scouts and players will be mapping you out like their hometown.”
“He’s doing so much better than he was a week ago. Are you sure you don’t want to make coaching a career? You’re prettygood at it,” Duncan says, leaning against the boards, watching Steven.
“Nah. I enjoy my quiet life.” I shrug, only to have my eyes pulled toward Becca. I may enjoy my quiet life, but since being here, I can’t help but notice something’s missing.
Okay, not something, someone.
