I’m gentle when I pull her shaking hand away from my mouth. It takes every ounce of self-control to not press a kiss to her palm.
“You’re telling me you asked Coach Avery to pretend he had a fake shithead nephew to get me to play with the guys today?”
“The nephew part was all him, but I can’t take credit for it all. If Valerie wasn’t with me, I never would have made it through her dad’s office door to ask the question.”
“How’d you know I’d show up?”
Her nervousness fades away as if this is important.
“I picked up on what you were saying. Your injuries aren’t what’s been keeping you off the ice. It’s seeing Jack.”
The air in my lungs feels trapped, the pressure mounting.
I was right. She did know.
“When I fell into the pond, you didn’t hesitate,” she says, her voice soft and full of pride and gratitude. “Your fear of getting on the ice didn’t stop you from getting to me. After we talked, I thought maybe you just needed a little help seeing that youcando it and not just when someone’s in danger.”
I stare at her, unblinking.
“Erin, I?—”
“Not interrupting anything, am I?” Coach Avery asks, stopping me from responding.
“Not at all, Coach. He’s all yours,” Erin says.
She walks away before I can stop her.
“She cares about you. That one reminds me of my Marla when we first met. Your friend was about ten seconds from passing out when Valerie left her alone with me to talk, but she held strong. Hell, I don’t even know the girl, and I was proud of her for getting through it without throwing up.”
“She threw up when she left, didn’t she?”
He chuckles. “Right outside the door. She’s a nervous little thing, but I think you make her want to be brave. Anyone who fights for my family as hard as Erin did when she came into my office will always get my attention.”
I know the feeling well because that girl occupies my every thought.
“Mark and I aren’t stupid, Chase. We know the reason you’ve missed your ice evaluations hasn’t been about physical pain,” he says gently, and I can tell he’s not mad, just disappointed. “You should have come to us. We would have supported you. We still will. We’re not just a team, Chase. We’re a family. Maybe you forgot that for a little while, and that’s okay, but from now on, I need your honesty. Nothing else will be acceptable.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What happened to Jack was not your fault.Youwere not responsible. You’re the only one who blames yourself for what happened last year. I can’t tell you what to believe, but I do know that if Jack were here, he’d tell you the same thing. So, it’s time to get back to where you belong. Play the game you were born to play for yourself. And for Jack.”
Coach Avery’swords echo in my mind as I pull up outside of Erin’s place, the sound of skates on ice still ringing in my ears. As I walk to her door, I find Bella walking up the steps with a bag of food.
“Hey,” I say.
She grins at me. “My sister told me you were looking pretty hot out on the ice earlier.”
I chuckle and shake my head.
I’ll never get enough of Erin’s cuteness.
Bella’s teasing tone eases. “My sister’s been through hell, and it means a lot to me that you’re showing up for her. That you’ll be here when we’re in California.”
“You can count on it,” I reassure her.
“I know what she did for you today, and I’ve never seen her want to help someone more than she wanted to help you. That tells me a lot, Hockey Boy,” she says, and a rush of satisfaction hits me. “Erin’s been guarded for as long as I’ve known her, but with you…” Bella pauses, and the silence carries a certain type of weight as if she’s using the time to pick the perfect words. “I think part of her believes she might be able to be…free. And if Iknow my sister, that feeling will terrify her at some point and try to scare her off. So, I need you to make me a promise.”
“Anything.”
