30. Luke
CHAPTER 30
LUKE
I ’ve never been so anxious for a game to finish. On the other hand, I’m nervous that the end of this game will also lead to the end of Soph and me. I want a shot at doing things right this time.
What if I walk out the door and she’s not there?
No, she said she would wait, so I’m believing and trusting she’ll be there. And hopefully, what I plan to show her will also convince her to give us a chance…like I’ve given my father.
We’ve done a lot of talking over the last couple of days. I admit, I blew up a few times, but now I have a better understanding of the demons he was fighting—how drugs became his only way of coping with what turned out to be an undiagnosed bipolar disorder and drug trafficking paid for them. This was also the real reason why he left—he was protecting us.
Prison helped sober him up and revealed he needed help, something the prison system managed to actually do for him. Never thought I’d hear someone say they were thankful they got put away.
And he made good use of his time, studying and learning how to be a plumber, which will come handy when he’s released from the halfway house to live with me in Clearwater. Mom’s house could use some work, and he needs a place to land. So it’s a win-win for both of us.
Seeing Kinsley warm up to him was part of what pushed me to give him a chance. And to see Sophie was right. Family is precious, even if it isn’t perfect, convenient, or ideal. Ours is a little messy at the moment, but we’re getting there. We have an opportunity to build something new and to be the family none of us thought possible.
Doesn’t mean it will be easy. I still have some anger to deal with and plan to get help with that. But the most important thing is, we have time.
I search out the seats where I know Kinsley and my father are watching and wave as I skate around the net and take position for a faceoff. We’re down a point and need to win this one to make it into the Kelly Cup playoffs.
Kinsley does her usual ‘I’m over it’ casual wave with her elbow resting on her knee. No eye roll though and a big grin. I think this is the happiest I’ve seen her since our mother died. And I have to say, seeing my father grinning and clapping for me is…surreal. Not something I ever imagined would happen, let alone be possible.
I take position and wait for the ref to drop the puck. My opponent jumps at it, but I’m faster. After I pass the blue line, I pass the puck to Ethan, who may just have his head more centered on leaving for his honeymoon tomorrow than the game, but he’s open and I need help.
He swipes it to Jayce who shoots it to Payton, making me grin inside my helmet. The kid’s come a long way in a short time. Kind of ironic to think of him in that light, considering I’m in a similar place. I have a lot to learn, but I’m ready and willing to leave the past in the past, and start living my life forward.
The crowd starts chanting.
Let’s go Sun Kings! Let’s go Sun Kings!
The puck zings back my way. I take the shot, sending it under the opposing team’s goalie before he can bounce down to block it. The crowd’s roar is almost deafening and many are jumping up and down in front of their seats as the guys and I make our pass by the players’ bench, bumping gloves.
I do a sweep of the perimeter, just in cast Sophie’s at one of the camera holes. When I don’t see her, I try to catch a glimpse of her up near the press box, but still no sign of her. My heart thumps even harder, anxious to prove to her I’m making better choices and taking steps for a future I’m desperate for her to be part of.
I want to make her proud.
That thought gives me pause as I take a turn on the players’ bench. My mother was always the one I wanted to make proud. Kins likes to pretend she couldn’t care less, but I always know she’s rooting for me. And now my father is too.
But Sophie’s the one I want cheering for me. And I want to be there for her too, encouraging her to keep reaching for her dream and celebrating when she does. Because I know she will. The people she works for are fools if they don’t see how talented she is.
Gabe pats my shoulder. I shoot a grin his way. With only minutes left in the third period, I climb over the wall to take another turn on the ice. The score is tied, and I’d prefer this didn’t go into overtime for obvious reasons. I’ve rehearsed what I need to say to Sophie so many times that if I don’t get it out of my head, I’ll explode.
Payton flies after the puck, steals it, and does a breakaway. Ethan and I have his back as we skate after him. The opposing team can’t keep up, so Pay makes an easy shot two seconds before the end. The horn sounds, announcing our goal, and the crowd goes nuts almost drowning out the whistle blow signaling the end of the game.
Wade flies down the ice to join the celly along with the rest of the team as we exchange hugs, pat backs and helmets, and grin like we just won the Kelly Cup. We’re one game closer in our winning streak and feeling good about the future.
All the bad press about the Sun Kings is a thing of the past, thanks to how these guys have joined together as a team, and Sophie’s articles. Kind of symbolic when I think about it. We’re moving forward too, as a team united.
I can’t wait to share that with Sophie, too.
That, and few other things…
I check my hair and suit one more time in the mirror.
Wade bumps me on the back. “Great game, my friend.”
I chuckle at his exaggerated drawl as I adjust my tie. “Yes, it was.”
“You joining us over at the Turtle Tide to celebrate?”
“Maybe later. There’s something I need to do first.”
“Does that involve a certain brown-eyed news journalist that has a love for pink?”
I temper my reaction to Wade’s keen observations. I know him well enough that he wouldn’t do anything but still, that he noticed Sophie elicits something primal in me.
“Most definitely.”
“I’m rootin’ for ya, bro.”
I meet his gaze in the mirror. “Thanks. I’m gonna need it.”
He pats my shoulder, then rests his hand there. “She’d be a fool to not want to be with you, don’t ya think?”
“I’m hoping.” I shoot Kinsley a text to let her know I’m about to walk out—our plan to time things so that I have a moment with Sophie before they show up.
With a deep breath for courage, I head toward the exit, but I hesitate when my doubt makes an appearance.
What if she’s not there?
But what if she is ?
I push the door open…and there she is.
Her smile is tentative at first, then widens some. “Hi.”
I close the gap between us, but leave some space so she won’t feel like I’m pushing her too fast. She said she needed time, and I plan to honor that, but I want her to have all the facts before she makes a final decision about us.
“Hi there.” I fist my hands at my sides, resisting the urge to touch her face. “Thank you for waiting for me.”
“Sure. Was there something you wanted to tell me?”
Is that hope I see in her eyes? I hold my hand out as an offering, letting her make the choice whether to take it or not. “Can we go somewhere more private?”
“Um, sure.” She slips her fingers into mine, which amps up my hope meter.
The warmth of her touch settles the nervous energy ripping through me somewhat. This feels like a victory—like that moment when I hit the puck and hold my breath, waiting to see if I make the goal.
I lead her out the door and around the arena along the same route we walked before. As we turn the corner of the building, Kinsley and my father walk toward us.
When I look down at Sophie, her brows draw together for a moment. She smiles, then glances up at me. “Luke, is that?—?”
“Yeah.”
As we stop, I hold my hand out to my father. “Sophie, I’d like you to meet my dad, Theodore Jameson.”
He takes Sophie’s hand and shakes it. “Just Ted, okay?”
Her smile flashes again, making her eyes tilt in that way I’ve come to appreciate…and love. “So great to meet you, Ted.”
Kinsley rushes Sophie with a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Her expression turns tender as she wraps her arms around my sister. “Me too.”
An ache hits my chest as I watch Sophie and Kinsley together. Right here, this is what I want. I know we still have a lot of things to work out with my dad, but family is everything and worth fighting for. So is Sophie.
My father gestures to Sophie. “I loved the article you wrote about Luke.”
She blushes. “Thank you.”
A twinkle gleams in his eyes. “She’s quite the writer.”
“Yes, she is.” I turn to face her. “She’s also the woman I’m in love with.”
Sophie’s eyes widen with her stare. Her mouth opens, shuts, then opens again, but she’s not saying anything. As I reach out and entwine my fingers with hers, Kinsley tugs our father down the sidewalk to give us some space.
I didn’t plan this part. I intend to tell my sister she can have anything she wants—including a car if I make it to the NHL—as a thank you for giving us this moment. But deep down, I’m afraid of losing Sophie. More than I realized. Something I’ll probably need therapy for too, but I need her to know how I feel. No matter what.
She tightens her fingers with mine. “You love me?”
I lift our joined hands and kiss her fingers. “I hope that’s okay.”
Her eyes dart back and forth as she searches my face. Then she launches herself at me, hands wrapped around my neck as she presses her lips to mine. Instinctively, I crush her against me, returning her kiss with equal passion.
Our kiss turns tender, but then she buries her face against my chest and she’s shaking. Is she crying?
I lower my mouth to her ear and whisper, “Soph, are you okay?
She nods vigorously.
“Are you crying?”
She nods again, then leans her head back to look at me. “You really love me?”
“I do.” I smile as I run my finger along the edge of her bangs and down her cheek, memorizing every detail of her face. But it’s what I see in her eyes that finishes me off. Sophie loves without reservations, qualifications or assumptions. I should be the one having a hard time believing she loves me despite all I’ve put her through.
“Are you sure, Iceman?” She runs a finger over the shape of my lips, sending heat through me.
I dip my head for another taste of her lips and hopefully convince her she’s the only one I want. “Surer than sure.”
She holds my face between her hands. “I love you too. You know that, right?”
“I do now.” I tilt my grin. “I didn’t want to assume.”
She blurts a watery laugh and kisses me. “This time, assumptions are okay.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, leaning in to kiss and nip at her beautiful lips.
Her eyes tell me all I need to know. “Yes, surer than sure.”