“So, you fill in the gaps when she needs help?”
“She’s my little sister. Of course.”
“And what happens when I get traded?” he asks slowly. “I don’t have any plans to leave but anything is possible in this business. We could end up anywhere. What will she do then?”
“I don’t know. But by then I imagine we’d be married…right?”
“I’d like to think so.”
“There are so many things that are up in the air. Sometimes it’s hard to deal with them all. Hockey, graduation, Ivy and Charlie, my father being a pain…even your teammates being cautious. The ladies have been great but I can see the way a few of the guys look at me.”
“How do they look at you?” He sounds genuinely surprised.
“I mean, it’s nothing overt. No dirty looks or anything, just a sense of curiosity and caution.”
“The guys who were around the first time around care about me and don’t want to see me spiral again. I was in a dark place after our break-up. You know that, don’t you?”
“I know.”
“I don’t say that to upset you or make you feel guilty, but to explain their caution. That’s why I want us to be out in the open. Nothing to hide. Officially a couple.”
“We’re almost there, right? My family is coming around. Mom is mostly there, Ivy really likes you, and Charlie adores you. The fact that my dad let you come to dinner and had a mostly civil conversation with you tells me he’s thinking about it.”
“I know. And I can be patient. Just not forever.”
“Trust that I’m working on things.”
“Okay.” His voice is a little flat, and I know he’s frustrated.
“I’m sorry if I sound indecisive. It’s not about my feelings for you. You know that, right?”
“We’ve danced around the issue of feelings, but we haven’t expressed them in so many words.” He sounds hesitant again. “So, I guess I’m not sure where we stand when it comes to…those kinds of feelings.”
“I was kind of waiting for you,” I admit softly. “Maybe I’m old-fashioned that way.”
There’s a small silence before he tugs my hair enough to get me to look into his eyes. “You want me to say I love you first?”
“Kind of.” I grimace. “Yes?”
He nods solemnly. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Oh, you want me to say it now?” He chuckles.
“Unless it’s not what you feel.”
His expression turns serious. “Baby, I’ve loved you from the moment I first set eyes on you. I was mad at you for a long time, close to four years, but deep down I never stopped. I can say those three words now, tomorrow, next year—it’s not going to change. I love you, Victoria.”
Chapter 28
Jordan
To my surprise, tears puddle in her eyes. Then she reaches up to put a hand on the side of my face, blinking as one errant tear slips down her cheek.
“I love you too,” she whispers.
“Don’t cry, baby.” I use my thumb to wipe away the tear. “You had to know even without me saying it. Didn’t you?”
