But he’d made a mistake and confused all the attention she was paying him with something else. Unused to people besides Johnny giving a shit about him as a person, Ward had latched onto Hannah like the stupid loser he was.
So until he got a full physio signoff on the knee and was able to get back on the ice and do what he did best, he was going to do the second thing he did best: hole himself up in his place, shut out the world and drink.
And cheer when Kendrick hit another dud shot.
Ward kicked his feet up on his coffee table and sat back, sinking into the sofa. Until his relaxation was interrupted by a knock on the door.
He got up, shuffled listlessly to the entryway, and looking out the peephole, recognized his visitor and groaned. He could just pretend he wasn’t home, but if he did that, she would just keep knocking and wouldn’t leave until he opened up.
‘How’s it going?’ he greeted blearily.
Shelley’s arms were folded across her chest and she tossed her ponytail over one shoulder, eyes dark and glittering.
‘How’s it going?For real? You’re not answering your phone and you missed our last two sessions. For someone who wants so much to get back on his feet, you certainly aren’t acting like it. And thefact that I have to trek all the way over here –twice –and you’re not here, pisses me off. I’m not your babysitter, McKenzie. I already have a kid.’ Coming inside she inclined her head to noise from the TV. ‘And since when do you like golf?’
He shrugged. ‘Yeah, so what?’
She pushed past him then, her attention turning from the TV to another point of interest in the room. ‘Actually, better question,’ she said sharply, scooping up his glass of bourbon. ‘What the hell is this? It’s eleven a.m. and you’redrinking?’
Not waiting for his response, Shelley held up her arms and marched back out the door. ‘That’s it. I’m done.’
‘I don’t need a lecture,’ Ward grunted, still dragging his feet when, a little later, Shelley frogmarched him down the street.
‘I’m not giving you a lecture,’ she retorted. ‘That already happened. We’re done with lectures and are taking a walk.That’swhat we are doing now.’
It was a beautiful morning. Birds singing, the sun blazing – everywhere there was hustle and bustle. But Ward didn’t register any of it. Some of the cobwebs in his head cleared as he remembered why they had left his apartment to venture out and do – namely, get coffee and freshen him up a bit.
‘Just around this corner here.’
When they entered Frank’s, the cosy space was much busier than normal, thanks in no small part to Ward’s initial social media shout-out, and Shelley slipped her arm through his since he was still a little wobbly.
‘So, what’s good here?’ she asked, staring approvingly at the pastry display.
But Ward was distracted by a familiar sound coming from thetop of the order line and instinctively felt the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand at high alert.
‘See? I remembered,’ a woman said, laughing, handing over a ten-dollar bill.
Finished with her transaction, she turned to leave. Their eyes locked and Hannah blushed a deep, heavy crimson; much like she had that first day they met – right here in this coffeehouse.
Chapter 55
HANNAH
‘Oh, hi.’ Hannah smiled awkwardly. ‘I didn’t expect to see you … I mean, I do come here a lot since …’
But despite all that had happened in the interim, she felt even more uncomfortable now than when she’d crashed into Ward that day and sent him sprawling.
‘Hey.’ He quickly averted his gaze and looked at the ground.
‘Everything OK?’ she inquired, studying him. He looked awful. ‘I haven’t been able to reach you lately and I wanted to check in about prep for the NHL presentation thing. Knee still holding up?’
‘Sure, I’ve just been … busy.’
Ward shifted a little, glancing to the side, and it was then Hannah realized that he wasn’t alone, and a woman’s arm was threaded through his.
A gorgeous twenty-something brunette in workout gear with dark eyes and a flawless olive complexion, she looked every last iota of the Classic Athlete Other Half.
Ah. Sothatmust be what had been dominating so much of his time lately, to the point that he hadn’t been returning her calls.
