“Sorry,” I mumbled. “It’s just… I woke up thinking about what you said last night. I’m trying to concentrate on now, but it’s a lot harder than it sounds. I think I need to take up meditation or whatever people use to deal with this kind of stuff.”
Niklas laughed. “I’m just happy to hear you woke up thinking of me. You can give me the details later.”
I smiled for real and took a sip of the warm, strong coffee.
“What’s your plan for today?” I asked.
“Work out, another scrimmage. And a meeting with my agent.”
I raised an eyebrow, waiting to see if he’d offer more information. Niklas took a deep breath and put down his fork.
“He wants to talk about how I should position myself, whether I should reach out to other teams. That kind of thing,” he said. He massaged his temples with one hand.
“We made the newspaper,” he frowned. “They only caught a little of you. But there will be more of that coming if we stay here in Detroit.”
“But not other places?”
Niklas looked out the window. “There’s a lot less of that kind of curiosity in Sweden. Girlfriends and families can stay out of the media if they want.”
He let the words settle between them, along with those he didn’t speak:If we moved to Sweden…
“I should know in a couple days whether or not I’ll get a contract offer,” he said, looking up at me. “Then we need to decide what we want to do.”
We. This was coming from a man who didn’t see himself getting married, but he wanted to plan his career with me?
“Unless you have other ideas?” he asked.
I managed a little smile. “Travel photography for a year?”
Niklas took a moment to respond. I hadn’t been completely serious when I threw out the idea. It sounded tempting, but people didn’t really do that kind of thing, did they? Besides, at this point, traveling sounded a little too much like running away from hard decisions.
He leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair, looking out the window. He still hadn’t put on a shirt, and I couldn’t help but wonder if this was a calculated decision. Was he leveraging his physical appeal in this conversation? If so, it worked. I watched the muscles of his arms flex in a display of strength and masculinity. I bit my lower lip.
His eyes met mine, and his voice was soft when he spoke.
“It’s one answer,” he said slowly. He paused, his gaze still fixed on me. “But if we do that, I will probably never play hockey again. I’m too close to the end of my career to take a year off.”
The kitchen was silent as his last words echoed in my mind. Could I ask him to do that? I shook my head.
“No, Niklas. At the end of that trip, we’d be right back where we are now. But with fewer options.”
The wariness in his expression eased, suggesting that he agreed. “Where are you in the job search?”
“I contacted the guy about the New Hampshire lead I got from Jess,” I said. “Hopefully he’ll get back to me today.”
Whatever he thought of that, he didn’t show it.
“I’ll set you up in the office,” he said.
I didn’t particularly want to discuss the other item on my to-do list for the day. I was tempted not to bring it up, but I had tried to dodge difficult discussions enough this summer to know avoidance would be a mistake.
“There’s something else,” I said.
“What is it?” he asked, brow furrowed.
“I need to meet up with Brad. Soon. To get my jewelry and to make sure the end is clear.”
Niklas’s expression didn’t change. Every second that he sat still, silently watching me, my heart beat faster. Back in Stockholm, when Ludvig had put himself between us, Niklas had backed away, though it clearly wasn’t because Ludvig didn’t bother him. Instead, I had the sense that he didn’t want to go anywhere near where a confrontation might lead. He knew his own weak points and stayed away from anyone who might get to them. My heart beat faster. Did meeting with Brad push his buttons?
