“Think of it as a way to test the waters.”
Or to fuck myself over in the process.
“She’s not ready to date. And even if she were, who’s to say she’d be interested in me?”
“You’re joking, right?” He stared at me. “Of course she’s interested in you.”
I jerked my head back. “She told you that?”
“She didn’t have to, Fiz. It’s written all over her face. Both your faces, actually, any time you’re together.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets, my mind spinning. I thought about the way she looked at me sometimes, her pupils darkening. I thought about the things she did, the effort she put into my needs. Sharing the dogs, making meals, immediately considering what I might need if I went with her to Anguilla.
My ex had assumed that the off-season meant I wasoff.Sheree had always griped that I’d had to continue training and focusing on my recovery. But Bryn not only understood my needs, she had gone out of her way to make sure they’d be met.
“Did she tell you she wasn’t ready to date?” Gabe asked.
“Not in so many words.” I wasn’t going to betray her trust by telling him how Bryn really felt about it.
“What exactly did she say?”
That she was sick of her family trying to set her up on dates. And she’d already had her love story.
He waved his hands in the air. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that she was with the same guy for almost a decade. She hasn’t dated in a long-ass time. She probably doesn’t even remember what a date is.”
I rolled my eyes, though I knew there was some truth to what he said.
“I know you guys hang out a lot, and that’s great. But maybe you need to do a little more wooing.”
“Wooing?” I coughed on the word.
“My sister forced me to watchBridgertonwith her after her last breakup. It was brutal. Point is, wooing works.”
I chuckled. “Wooing,” I said again. “I’m not sure Bryn wants to be wooed.”
“Every woman wants to be wooed.”
“Right. And you know this because you’re such an expert,” I teased. Gabe had been single for as long as I’d been, maybe even longer.
“Let me ask you something,” Gabe said. “If something weren’t working for you on the ice, what would you do?”
“Ask for help from Price.” The goalie coach. “Practice more.”
“Yes, but…” Gabe huffed. “If someone kept scoring on you. Say, in the five-hole, would you just keep doing the same thing? Or would you change it up?”
“I’d change it up.”Obviously.
“So, with Bryn. Has your approach been getting the results you want?”
I frowned. We both knew the answer to that. I shook my head.
“Then maybe—” he clapped a hand on my shoulder and stood “—it’s time to shake things up.”
Gabe was right. It was time to shake things up. No more “just getting through.” No more regrets.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Five days until my wedding!” my sister squealed through my earbuds. “I’m so excited that I get to see you tomorrow!”
