Chapter 2
Hudson
The ring of the doorbell cuts through the kitchen.
Mom is already moving toward the front door, a wide smile on her face. She’s been looking forward to Christmas since Stacy announced that she and Joe were coming with the kids back in September.
Dad pours his favorite red wine into glasses on the kitchen island. Stacy is on the phone, confirming her family’s arrival with worried friends back in the UK. Joe is sitting in the living room, working on a puzzle with my adorable niece and nephew.
And I’m reeling.
It’s been a few hours since Piper Lafontaine straight-up schooled me and still, I haven’t gotten over it. Stacy and her family filled Mom and Dad’s house with laughter and bustle while my mind stayed stuck on Piper’s reaction to seeing me.
She didn’t laugh when I tossed a snowball her way, even though the girl I’ve known my entire life would’ve cracked up.
She didn’t look at me with warmth and laughter filling her dark, vibrant chocolate eyes. Her sunny smile was pressed into a flat line. In short, she was nothing like the girl—the best friend—I remember.
Her reaction to seeing me made me feel like I did something wrong.
I know it’s been years and I should have done a better job of keeping in touch with her but…
we never had a falling out. We never exchanged harsh words or ignored each other.
Sure, we had that one awkward moment the night before graduation.
But I wasn’t going to hook up with Piper and then bounce.
She wasn’t the kind of girl I could do a casual, one-night-only arrangement with.
I haven’t seen her much since I went to Michigan and she moved out West. Our paths crossed a few times, over holidays and summer breaks, but other than friendly pleasantries, we haven’t hung out since high school.
So, what gives?
I don’t recall Piper ever being hostile toward me. As if I did something wrong. As if I hurt her in some way.
My stomach twists at the thought. The last thing I’d ever want to do is hurt someone as funny, sincere, and loving as Piper.
Christ, even seeing her in winter boots and a beanie pulled me up short. Even with her glacial glare and snarky attitude, she was as beautiful as I remember. Classically pretty in a way that makes strangers stop and stare. In a way that allows her to have no idea how stunning she is.
“Here you are.” Dad passes a wine glass to Bruce. “And for you.” He hands one to Piper and kisses her temple, the way he would Stacy. “Merry Christmas, Piper.”
“Thanks, Bruce.” She beams at him. The smile I’ve been searching for is still there, just not aimed at me.
I work a swallow, my confusion rising along with my frustration. What the hell did I do?
“I’m happy to be home,” Piper continues.
Is she? She didn’t look happy this afternoon.
“Yeah, your dad’s been telling me about your job. Sounds intense,” Dad comments.
I frown. What does Piper do for work again? My mom must have told me at some point. She works in communications? Or Public Relations?
My best friend and former teammate, Leif, always laughs that my inattention to details will bite me in the ass.
Right now, I can hear his voice muttering “told you so” in my head.
Too bad he’s not here to witness Piper shutting me down since he was traded right before the NHL Christmas trade freeze to the Tennessee Thunderbolts.
“It’s been a lot. This break…” She sighs. “It came at a good time.”
Dad gives her a sympathetic smile and a shoulder squeeze.
A flicker of concern kicks up at the forlorn expression on Piper’s face. She looks utterly exhausted. Drained in a way that speaks to more than a poor night’s sleep.
I study her carefully, hating how little I know about the woman standing before me. When did that happen? When did Piper and I grow so far apart, we became strangers?
I swallow back my unease, my stomach souring at the realization. Have I been so caught up in hockey that I didn’t even realize the shift? Or did I take her, and her friendship, for granted, unable to process the fact that she outgrew me?
Both options are upsetting.
“Ooh, I’d love a glass of wine,” my sister announces, bounding into the kitchen. She swipes up a glass and passes one to me. “Here, take the edge off.”
I snort. “What edge?”
Her eyes dance knowingly. “You tell me.”
I smirk. Stacy is two years older than I am. We haven’t lived at Mom and Dad’s together in years and still, the second I see her, it’s as if we’re still in high school. We revert to our always childish, pranking, teasing ways and annoy the hell out of each other.
It’s how we show our love.
It’s easy and instant and constant. I tilt my head. Is that why I assumed things would be the same with Piper?
Behind Stacy’s head, Piper glares at me.
They’re clearly not.
I take a large gulp of wine. My sister laughs.
“How’ve you been, Piper?” Stacy asks, leaning over the kitchen island.
Our parents relocate to the living room and sit down in front of the fireplace. The coffee table boasts an impressive spread, and Frankie runs past every few seconds for a cube of cheese.
“Pretty good,” Piper replies cordially.
“Dating anyone?” Stacy digs for information. “I imagine all the guys out West as hulking lumberjack types. Or cowboys. Men who know what to do with big hands and—”
“My hands are big enough,” Joe interjects, coming up behind my sister and wrapping an arm around her waist.
She laughs and melts into him as he presses a kiss to her cheek.
Everyone glances at a blushing Piper.
She sighs, looking down. “No, not dating anyone at the moment.”
“Oh.” Stacy straightens, biting her bottom lip. “Sorry, I just assumed—”
“I’m really busy at work,” Piper cuts her off, dipping her head sheepishly. “There’s no time for dating.”
Stacy nods sympathetically. “Hopefully things settle down soon then. I can’t imagine how long the line of men waiting in the wings to snap you up is.”
My molars grind at the visual Stacy painted. I glare at my sister before snapping my gaze to Piper.
She laughs and takes a sip of wine, her delicate neck on display as she swallows.
I look away, my hand not holding the wine glass curls into a fist.
What the fuck is happening? Shouldn’t I be happy if Piper found a good guy? Why do I hate the thought of men lining up to shoot their shot with her?
Because you still haven’t shot yours.
The thought rolls through my mind like a siren.
I refocus my gaze on Piper.
She was always out of my league. Head and shoulders above me. The best in school, on student council, a goalie on the soccer team. She could balance academics and sports and extracurriculars in a way I couldn’t.
Our classmates liked her, voting her friendliest our senior year of high school. Teachers adored her, writing long, flowery notes in her yearbook. My parents love her, hailing her as a second daughter.
And she’s here, in my mom’s kitchen, glowering at me like she can’t stand me anymore.
What the hell happened? The night before we graduated, I told Piper we shouldn’t ruin a good thing.
I was the guy who had random hookups and she was the kind of girl you properly dated.
I didn’t want to mess with that. Or ruin our friendship.
But right now, it’s clear that what I viewed as a misunderstanding, she took to heart.
The realization makes me nauseous. Is that why our paths haven’t crossed in so long? I thought we were both just busy but one day…one day, what? I’d shoot my shot with her.
“I thought you were seeing someone in Denver,” my sister muses, her wine glass hovering below her chin.
What? My gaze darts from Piper to Stacy. They’re having girl talk the way they used to, unabashedly and out in the open. But back then, I was privy to Piper’s life. Her secrets. Nothing she and my sister discussed ever shocked me.
This conversation is straight-up unnerving.
“It didn’t work out,” Piper says, shrugging. But I see the pinch of hurt that dips between her eyes. I note how her shoulders roll forward as though she’s embarrassed by the fact that her relationship ended.
A rumble of anger burns through me. Firstly, who the hell was the guy that she liked enough to try out long-distance? Secondly, what the fuck is wrong with him for hurting her? And thirdly, how did I not know any of this?
Mom and Misty are best friends. Mom must have known and… Why didn’t she tell me? When did I stop hearing tidbits of Piper’s life? And how have I not noticed when that shift occurred?
Leif’s annoying chuckle reverberates in my head. In this case, I missed more than mere details. I missed the whole damn picture.
I look at my first friend and really see her. Note how she keeps avoiding my eyes, even though she turns that sunny smile on everyone else. Recall the way she looked for junior prom and how I cleared my throat three times before I could admit that she looked nice dressed up like a girl.
All those old, complicated feelings come rushing back. For an instant, the present clashes with the past. She’s here, hanging out and chatting with my sister, in Mom’s kitchen; it’s the way it always was and hasn’t been in a long time. Too long.
I shake my head, feeling unsettled. Unnerved. Completely out of sorts.
I don’t like it.
“I’m sorry.” My sister reaches across the island and pats her hand.
“All good,” Piper laughs it off.
Stacy moves to top up Joe’s wine glass and, at Kimmy calling for them, they join our parents in the living room.
“Sounds like an asshole,” I mutter, tossing my two cents into the conversation.
Piper’s eyebrows lift. “Who? Jeff?”
I snort. “Is that the ex?”
Piper lets out an exhale. “Yeah. It was over a year ago.”
“You still torn up about it?” My voice comes out harsher than I intend.
Piper sighs, a wave of hurt rolling over her expression. She swipes a hand over her forehead. “No. I’m not,” she says truthfully, even though her face tells a different story.
Is she pining for this guy? Or has another guy broken her heart? Or is it not about a man at all?