“I can be nice,” he murmurs, and jumps back when a door down the hall flings open hard enough to hit the wall. “Shit,” he curses, guilt all over his face when his eyes meet mine. “Sorry about that. I shouldn’t have…”
He stops talking and I nod, once again grateful that we’re not alone.
I glance at the bandage. “Thanks for taking care of my hand.”
“What’s this?” he asks, his attention going to the textbooks on my table. I gulp, jump to my feet and quickly begin to gather them up. “You’re taking classes?”
I try to brush his question off. “I…uh…yeah, it’s nothing.”
His hand touches mine, stopping me. “It’s not nothing, Maria.”
Something in his voice, something warm and understanding, and maybe even gentle pride, stops me. I drop back into my chair and take in his suddenly hurt look as he gives a fast shake of his head, like he just realized my life was not his business. “Never mind. You don’t have to tell me anything.”
“No, it’s okay.” I lightly touch his hand, and when his eyes lock on mine, I pull it back. “You just…you don’t think it’s crazy?” I ask, my gaze searching his face. “Going back to school at my age?”
“Hell, no. It’s never too late to go to school, or pursue your dreams.”
I glance down and toy with the pages. “I just…I haven’t said anything to anyone, other than my family.”
“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” Our eyes meet, and our words fall off. Silence hovers again, as we just look at one another, but this time it’s comfortable, easy, as familiar and welcomed as the quiet that enveloped us after that night in the café. I don’t remember the last time I’d ever felt so at peace…content.
“What are your dreams, Maria?”
I swallow and think back to California, to my husband, a prominent doctor with a lot of pull and influence. I ran away to Boston with the boys, getting nothing in the divorce—other than peace of mind, and full custody. I want to be there to help other women when life knocks them on their ass.
“I’d like to go to law school someday. Help the underdog.” I force a smile and he returns it gently
“I think that’s a great idea. My sister is a lawyer. I think you two would hit it off.”
That takes me by surprise. “No way.”
Honestly, it would be nice to have a friend, someone with the same interests as me. While I love the WAGs with my whole heart, and they’ve readily brought me into their circle, I still feel like I don’t truly belong. Maybe that’s why I don’t join in the family events, and ask Mom and Grant to help out. Gina’s daughter Zoe is Lucas and Josh’s half-sister, and I want them to feel a part of the hockey family.
“Does she live here?”
“No, she’s back in Nova Scotia. She’s a bit younger than I am. Practicing family law. I might live in Boston now, but we’re still close.”
I groan as I think about his younger sister, an already established lawyer. “Maybe this is all crazy.” I wrap my arms around myself and hug tight. “I mean, I have two teenage boys who have school functions and hockey and I work full time. Sure, I have Mom and Grant to help with their activities, like today’s family skate, but they’re getting older and I don’t want to put a lot of responsibility on them.”
I go back to flipping the pages on one of my books. Another big reason I want an education is so I can carve out my own identity, my own independence. Not that I’ll ever be blindsided by a man again—lessons learned and all—but I want a life that’s mine, something that can’t be swept away in the blink of an eye. I owe my boys stability, and a house of our own, eventually.
“Maria…I…I can help you out. I mean. The boys. I don’t know...”
There’s fear in his eyes as those words leave his mouth, and I inch back. “God, no,” I blurt out with a laugh, and the wave of pain that moves over his face makes my blood run cold. That pain…I don’t think it’s from my fast refusal…I think it’s from something else. Something from the past. This man has secrets and he holds them close.
Not your business, Maria.
“Hey Mom,” Lucas calls out from the hall, and we both inch away from each other, like kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
I clear my throat and try to sound normal. “In here.”
The room cools, the energy between Tuck and me shifting, as Lucas pokes his head into the kitchen. His gaze goes back and forth between the two of us, like he can feel the dissipating heat.
He jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “I finished my homework, and I’m going over to Levi’s to game. What time is dinner?”
“Oh, uh…” I glance at the clock. “Be home by six.”
“Thanks for the ride, Tuck.” Before Tuck can even respond, the door slams shut and feet pound down the outside stairs.
