Damien: I’m his coach. That puts me in a position of power, so I think I’m in the wrong here. But you know what’s worse? It wasn’t a one-time thing. I’m seeing him Saturday. I can’t help myself.
Selwin: Whoa, wait. You two are, like, dating? Ugh, bud, I don’t have any advice for that.
Damien: Are you kidding me? You’re the one who encouraged me to do this.
Selwin: Oops?
Damien: When you’re here in three weeks, I’m going to make you run drills until you pass out.
Selwin: My agent won’t like that LOL. But, in all seriousness, this sounds like more than sex. You like him. Silas likes you, too?
Like wasn’t a strong enough word for how I was feeling.
Damien: I’ve never felt like this about anyone. Not even my ex. I’m throwing away the rulebook without thinking twice. Me.
Selwin: Be discreet and let this thing run its course. As long as you’re both mature about it, who are you hurting?
Damien: No one. I guess.
I put my phone down, but I didn’t have any more clarity about the situation I was in. This was more than one and done, and more than complicated. Somehow, someway, my stupid heart was involved. I swore the damn thing froze when Eloise left, and I thought for sure it would never thaw again. But lo and behold, it was beating again. All it took was one ruthless defenseman…
Shaking off my unease, I forced myself to work on administrative tasks. With two professional hockey playersvisiting our training camp this summer came a mountain of related paperwork, including contracts and NDAs.
By five, I was ready to pack up and head for home when there was a sudden knock at my door. Was it Silas? Not that I was expecting him. Clearly, he was respecting our boundaries, and I was grateful. Grateful and frustrated. Then I reminded myself that Saturday, we’d have the night to ourselves. We could talk, and maybe I’d finally figure out what the hell I was doing.
“Come in!” I yelled out and closed my laptop.
When the door open, it wasn’t Silas standing on the other side, and I couldn’t help but feel totally disappointed.
Jesus, listen to yourself.
Finn stepped into my office and paced back and forth in front of my desk, shoving his hands in his pockets. Something was obviously troubling him.
“Hey, Finn, what’s up?” I asked.
“Um, I just got a phone call from my folks. I’m going to have to skip camp on Friday and fly back home to Nebraska,” Finn replied.
“What’s going on?”
“So, my mom’s having surgery.” Finn shook his head, his face pale. “It’s kind of… unexpected. They found a lump in her neck.”
Oh shit.
“Family and health always come first,” I replied. “You’re only missing one day.”
“They don’t want me to fly home at all and miss any of my hockey training. But I want to be there.”
“Of course. And if you need to skip next week, let me know. We can work something out. You can make up the days when you get back.”
“Thanks, Coach.” Finn exhaled, looking a little calmer. “I appreciate it.”
“Of course. Have a safe trip home. Let me know what happens and when you’re returning, all right?”
“Will do.”
Finn quietly left, and I sat back in my chair. Fuck, I hope to God his mom didn’t have cancer. My dad passed from leukemia when he was fifty-one, going from diagnosis to terminal in only eight months. I’d been twenty-six at the time, rebuilding my life as a new college coach in Washington, when he died. I was starting to get back up on my feet when grief knocked me right back down again. Only, his loss was worse than any physical pain I’d endured.
I was so caught up in my memories of the past that I didn’t even hear the knock on my door. Or the door opening again.
