"Because I don't want it. Not the way I did when I was eighteen, not even the way I did three years ago. I want to stay in Timber Falls. I want to coach—really coach, not just help out on Saturdays. I want to build a life here instead of chasing a dream that stopped fitting."
"And?" His mom's voice was gentle. "What else?"
"There's a woman. Lucy. She owns the bakery I've been going to every Wednesday."
"The pork bun place?"
"Yeah. And Mom, she's... she's incredible. And I think if I leave for Nashville, I'll spend the rest of my life wondering what I gave up."
His mom was quiet for so long that Jake thought he'd lost the connection.
"Mom?"
"Your father would be proud of you."
Jake felt his throat tighten. "How do you know? He wanted me to make the NHL. He sacrificed everything—"
"He sacrificed because he loved you, not because he needed you to be a hockey player. Jake, listen to me. In the months before your dad died, we had a lot of conversations about you. About whether we'd pushed too hard, whether we'd made hockey your dream or ours."
"What did he say?"
"He said he was proud of you no matter what. That he just wanted you to be happy. And he worried—we both worried—that you'd spend your whole life chasing something because you thought it was what we wanted instead of what you wanted."
Jake closed his eyes, tears sliding down his cheeks. "I miss him."
"I know, honey. I miss him too. But he wouldn't want you to make decisions based on guilt or obligation. He'd want you to choose the life that makes you happy."
"And if staying in Timber Falls makes me happy?"
"Then stay. Build your life. Fall in love with your baker. Be happy." His mom's voice was thick with emotion. "That's all we ever wanted for you."
They talked for another twenty minutes—about Lucy, about coaching, about what came next. By the time they hung up, Jake felt like he'd been carrying a weight for six years and had finally set it down.
Second call: Derek, his agent.
"Jake! Tell me you're calling to accept the Nashville offer."
"I'm calling to turn it down."
"What? Jake, are you insane? This is the NHL. This is what we've been working toward for three years."
"I know. And I appreciate everything you've done. But I don't want it anymore."
"You don't want—" Derek sputtered. "Jake, they're offering you triple your current salary. A real shot at the big leagues. Why would you turn that down?"
"Because I want to stay in Timber Falls. I want to coach. I want a different life than the one we've been planning."
"This is about that bakery owner, isn't it? Marcus mentioned something—"
"Her name is Lucy. And yeah, she's part of it. But it's bigger than that. I'm tired, Derek. I'm tired of chasing something I don't want anymore."
Derek was silent for a long moment. "You're sure about this?"
"I'm sure."
"Okay then. I'll call Steve tomorrow and let him know." Derek sighed. "For what it's worth, I hope you're making the right choice."
"Me too."
