But he’s already kissing me. “Shh. I’m sorry too. Just let me love you. Let me help you forget. About all of it. Please.”
He unzips my jacket and unbuttons my top. He slips my pants off my hips and they hit the floor.
When I’m naked and vulnerable before him, Cam doesn’t let up. He backs me up until I’m lying on the mattress, and then he takes off his clothes and joins me in the bed.
“I love you, Savannah.” His lips insistently make love to my mouth.
“I don’t deserve you,” I say as fresh tears hit my eyelashes.
Cam’s hands gently grip my cheeks as his dark eyes look at me like lasers. “You. Deserve. Everything. Good. Don’t ever forget that.”
I bring his body flush with mine. “Cam, you’re right. We both deserve to be happy. And I’m done with the guilt. For good. I’m so happy we won, and I thought it would be all I needed. But it turned out I needed to get a few things off my chest as well. A part of me had to tell him goodbye. And I’m here with you now, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’m glad. And I want to move to Montana with you. Just so you know.” Cam puts his hand on my cheek. “I needed the time after the game too, to be honest. I just didn’t know I did. I had to clear the air with my dad so we’re not living in a constant stand-off. And I did that. We sat in the stands and talked for quite a while. He’s not thrilled with my decision to leave hockey, but I told him my business plan and explained what I’m planning to do, and he didn’t explode. So that’s a step. I don’t know if he’ll ever be super supportive, but I’m okay with that.”
I put my hand over his. “I’m proud of you.”
“I may not have faced all of that if you hadn’t needed to talk to your dad. So thanks for knowing you needed it.” He kisses me lightly. “We needed the space to figure some shit out. Sometimes those hard moments don’t all go smoothly. But we had to step through them.”
“I agree.” I kiss him. “Now please make love to me.”
And he does.
* * *
When we return to Climax, I take a few big steps. I look for jobs in the Missoula, Montana area, and I do what would have been unthinkable to me a few months ago—I give my notice at the ice rink.
Craig doesn’t answer me at first. He’s never worked here without me, and I don’t think he knows quite how to respond.
“It will be okay,” I assure him. “You’re a great coach. The Cannons are champions, and they’ll do well. You’ll keep winning like gangbusters once I’m gone.”
I leave him to his shock and go to my office to begin packing. I’ve been here so long I figure it may take me weeks to get everything out of here.
As I start packing up, I feel a twinge of pain. I’ve spent more time in this office than I have at home.
But it’s time to leave.
And I’m more than ready.
Knock, knock, knock.
I go open the door.
“Just wanted to thank you for all your hard work,” Craig says. “And we’d like to take you out, have a good-bye party for you and Cam next week sometime.”
“That would be nice. Thank you.”
We look at each other in awkward silence.
Craig clears his throat. “I also wanted to tell you your father was wrong about a lot of things. But he was most wrong about walking away from you, and the way he blamed you. You didn’t deserve that. You never deserved that, Savannah. And I’m happy, and proud, I can be here to see you spread your wings and finally fly the fuck out of here.”
Emotion clogs my throat. For a full ten seconds, I say nothing. Finally, I step around my desk, walk up to Craig, and put my arms around him.
He pats my back silently as I hug him tightly.
As I walk out of my office at the end of the day, I take down the two hockey sticks from the wall. My father’s and mine, the ones we used to practice with together. But they’re no longer intertwined. I put them under my arm to bring to the equipment room.
I also finally turn off all the lights. A chapter in my life is closed, and I’m ready to start brand new.
