“I want to be mad that you never said anything, but I can’t because I’m just so happy!” Kat pulls back, and sure enough, her eyes are shining. What the goddamn hell is going on?
“You dating one of my brothers was literally what I used to wish for when we were younger. I didn’t even care which one.” She laughs and sniffs away a tear, and that’s when I catch on.
Ah, shit. But before I can say anything and rescue Lily, who’s frozen with shock, Kat continues.
“Then again, I should’ve known it would be Jude. You guys have so much in common. Ooh, Lil! We could be sisters forrealone day!”
“Seriously, Kat?” I croak out as I manage to find my voice at last.
But that was a mistake. Because my sister is never more fired up than when she’s defending someone she loves. And right now, that love is directed at Lily. Which means the defending part is directed at me.
“If you hurt her, so help me, I’ll kill you. I’ve got three other brothers; I can afford to lose one. But there’s only one Lily, and she’s everything to me. You need to treat her like gold. No more grumpy Jude, okay?”
She spins back to Lily and pulls her in for another hug. The poor woman is still too stunned to do or say anything, and I don’t blame her. I’m feeling pretty floored myself.
“Okay. I have to go, thank you both for meeting me here and making my dreams come true. Love you guys!”
Kat grabs her things and disappears out the door of the café and then it’s just Lily and I, staring at each other.
“What…” Lily clears her throat and turns panic-filled eyes to mine. “What was that?”
“Thatwas hurricane Kat jumping to some wild conclusions.” I exhale loudly, raking my hand through my hair. “Shit, I can’t believe she just went crazy like that.”
Lily slowly lowers herself into her chair. “What are we going to do about her?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
Her tongue darts out to moisten her lips and my eyes follow the movement greedily. Fuck, that mouth of hers. My only regret from the other morning is that I didn’t get to experience more of her.
Which is entirely the problem. I can’t be having those feelings about her. She deserves way more than a grumpy, washed-up hockey player. Kat’s not the only one who would kill me if I ever hurt Lily. Guaranteed, my entire family would. And there’s nothing that I can offer her. Which means, eventually, she’d be disappointed by me.
“I’ll talk to her, set her straight. It’s okay.”
Lily sags back against her chair and picks up the coffee cup in front of her.
“Yeah, I should talk to her as well. I can’t believe she actually thought you and I…” Lily gestures between us.
“Right,” I say. But inside, a small voice is asking, why is that so unbelievable?
And why do I wish it wasn’t?
The conversation with Kat and Lily leaves me unsettled all morning. So, when Stefan calls to ask if I’ve signed the buyout paperwork, I snap at him. He doesn’t deserve my wrath, but there’s no one else around, so he gets it.
After that call, I mope around the apartment for a while. When my phone vibrates with a text message, I glance at it out of habit. But seeing my dad’s name on the display actually makes me pause. Dad’s like me — quiet and happier staying out of the chaos. He’s the one who would take me to practice every morning, I suspect to escape the noisy madness that was our house each day. It’s not unheard of for him to text me, but it’s also not very common.
DAD: Hey son, got time for your old man later today?
I have no idea why he wants to meet up, but suddenly, that sounds like exactly what I need.
JUDE: Yeah. 2 pm?
DAD: That works, your mom will be out with Violet so the house will be quiet.
A slight frown crosses my face. I barely know my cousin Leo’s daughter, but she’s become a close member of our family, thanks to my mom babysitting her. I realize I’ve isolated myself since being back, and my family has done their best to give me that space. But maybe it’s time I stopped being such a loner.
I confirm plans with Dad, then decide to take a shower. It’s a lot easier now that I can stand and bear weight on my leg. I have to admit, a lot of that is thanks to Lily. She’s got great instincts for knowing just how far to push my body and my recovery without taking it past a safe limit. Combined with the stretching and exercises I’m doing at home, the hot-cold therapy she’s introduced recently, and that goddamn massage she starts every session with, and my leg is feeling stronger and steadier every day.
I’m determined to ditch the cane this week, and Lily’s agreed to up the strengthening aspect of my rehab so we can progress my conditioning. I miss being on the ice. Even if I never get back to my former level, I miss skating.
