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I blow out a breath. “Yes, I am aware of that thing where we are giving each other space.”

“Do you think maybe we could not do that? Or at least not do it as much?” she asks.

I’m surprised by the intensity of the relief that rushes through me. “I would love that. I miss you.”

“I miss you too. When can I come see you?”

“Really? You want to come down here to Rebel? Because I’m telling you, like I explained at Christmas, this hockey down here will kind of make you nuts.”

She laughs. “I have actually looked you up online and watched a few games.”

I realize I’m not surprised, but I am touched. “What do you think?”

“It’s actually kind of fun. If you go in, knowing that it’s not really hockey, it’s not so bad.”

I chuckle. “That’s how I’ve had to learn to approach it.”

“So I can come down and hang out and see a game?”

“Anytime,” I tell her. “But, fair warning, the Landrys that live over in Autre…the ones who are somehow related to Grandpa?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, Leo, their grandpa, comes to all our games and he keeps saying he wants me to come have dinner and get to know everyone and he will find out who you are and…”

She laughs. “I’ll get a dinner invitation too?”

“You might get kidnapped.”

“Hey, a bunch of rowdy cousins with an animal park sounds pretty great, actually.”

“You know about the animal park in Autre?” I ask, surprised.

I can practically hear her eye roll when she says, “Law, it’s pretty famous. And besides, I looked up all your teammates and definitely noted that Zeke’s last name is Landry. Yes, I know about the Autre Landrys.”

Of course she does. “Well, then, you’ve been warned. Come down anytime.”

I would make the trip to Autre if she was with me. I’ve just been a little hesitant to face an enormous family like that on my own. Hell, my sister and I have been trying to figure out our relationship, and we don’t have any other cousins we’re close to. I’m not really sure how to do the big, close family thing.

“Awesome. Because I am definitely going to need to meet Sutton ASAP.”

I roll my eyes but still grin. “It’s not what you think. I can’t date her. She’s a teammate’s sister.”

“Oh, okay. I see there’s some more stuff you need to talk to that therapist about.”

“No, it’s not…” I sigh. “It’s not me. It’s her brother.”

“And you agree with him. Deep down anyway. Because of me.”

I start to deny that, but then take a moment, let my therapy work a little, and let myself admit, “Yeah. I do.”

“But she is not me and you are not Jake, Lawson,” Lydia says firmly.

My gut clenches at the name of the man who hurt my sister. She’s okay now, but I can’t honestly say I’m completely over what happened. I probably will never be.

“No, but I understand Beckett,” I say. “I get where he’s coming from, not wanting a teammate involved with his sister. We’re supposed to trust each other, support each other. Sisters make that…complicated.”

Lydia is quiet for a moment. Complicated is a mild word for how things went between her, Jake, and me, and I know she has some guilt about that, despite her own therapy sessions.