“But I will. Something tells me Aiden would love to have a dog.”
More clicking at the keys. “I have the website for the official dog breeders of America. How about a registered family-friendly pet like a Golden Retriever?”
I think back to college and Stella’s passion for saving the dogs at the animal shelter.
“Not her style. Leave it to me. I’ll find a pound puppy. She’d like that.” The lengths I’m going to, when I don’t know if Stella would take a chance on us at all.
“I’ll have a few properties for you to scout out by the end of the day.”
“Awesome. Thanks.”
“So you’re really doing this? Going all in, putting down roots in Boulder? Quite the fucking gamble on that second chance, sir.”
“You could say that.”
“I just did. And along those lines…” She hesitates. “I heard from the owners of the ice rink in Boulder. They’re a nice oldercouple and are ready to retire. So they’re putting the rink on the market, and were just notifying all the renters and skating groups about it, but they don’t want to sell to anyone who will tear it down. They want to preserve their legacy. So—if you think you’re in the legacy-building mood, this could be a solid investment for your foundation to make if you see this thing growing.”
“How much?” I ask, already knowing I’ll say yes.
Renae gives me the number. It’s not small. But it’s nothing compared to what I can spend without blinking.
“I want it,” I shout, jumping out of bed, suddenly all revved up for the day now. “Hell yes. Make it happen. Cash offer, ten percent over their asking price, send them into retirement in style with every assurance the rink will be there for generations to come. Tell me when the paperwork is ready to sign.”
My chest hits that strange mix of fear and thrill. Boulder suddenly becomes a place that could tether me down right into the future I want with the woman I desire—as long as I get her to need me more than the air she breathes.
A few nights later,after practice, I pick up the shiny new van from the car lot and follow Renae’s listings of houses for sale in Boulder. None of them feel right yet, or maybe I don’t have a clue what a family home should feel like. I grew up with parents who had very little, living in a tiny home in an Ohio suburb. Years later, I bought my mansion in Denver. It might be difficult for me to find something landing in between.
The last house on the list is way too close to the University of Colorado Boulder campus. The bikes chained to railings, and kids walking in groups with backpacks and to-go coffee cups, call back too many memories of Fairfax U—and the version of me who thought love was simple and permanent—until it wasn’t.
It begins to rain as I pass the house, shaking my head—a duplex easily rentable to the college population. Hard pass for the family I envision living there. I turn away from it to escape this academic area, but have to slow down at the hazard lights on the car ahead of me.
It’s stuck half in the lane, hood popped up like a plea for mercy. As I carefully pass it by, I notice a woman leaning into the engine bay. The red ponytail stops me cold.
I pull over so fast my tires hiss on the wet asphalt. I jog back to her.
“Stella?”
She straightens, almost hitting her head on the hood as if she’s been caught off guard. Her eyes find me instantly, wide and annoyed and… tired-looking.
“Eli? What are you doing here?” Her voice comes out defensive.
“Had some business in town. Car trouble?”
“Clearly.” She huffs a laugh that wasn’t actually a laugh. “And exactly what I didn’t need tonight. I think it’s a dead battery.”
She shines a flashlight on the unit, and yep, the connections look corroded.
“I have an exam in the morning, and now fixing this will take a chunk of time out of my night. Life is just—” She cut herself off, throat working.
Just what? Tough? More challenging going at it all alone?
To make matters worse, the rain picks up. Cold drops slide down my neck. I tear my Aspens sweatshirt off and hold it over her head.
“Hey, I’m here. First thing is, we need to move your car out of traffic,” I say. I glance at the other cars trying to edge around her. “Get in. Put it in neutral. I’ll push from behind.”
“I don’t want to trouble you?—”
“Stella, it will be more trouble if you get rear-ended.”
