Chapter 47
LOGAN
I start to resent the narrative that we’re winning more than we’re losing because I’m pouring everything into hockey. For one thing, I have always done that. And for another, I’m actually giving a lot of my energy into secretly making sure the coach’s estranged daughter has a daily dose of orgasms.
And being the superstitious man that I am, I’m convinced that being a good husband is the key that unlocked this next level of play.
Since I never told anyone about my curse, I shouldn’t feel the need to broadcast the reason for the change in my luck, but it’s feeling more and more wrong to keep Frankie a secret. Especially when her father makes pointed comments about how keeping my personal life clean is helping.
It’s not fucking helping.
And having to keep our relationship a secret gets more complicated when she texts me in the middle of a team meeting, a time she is usually head down at work at the hospital.
Frankie
not working today, I was in a little fender bender this morning
Logan
What?
Frankie
I’m fine!
Logan
Where are you?
Frankie
I’m at home
I’m on my feet, not caring that Wilson is shooting daggers my way.
“Sorry, emergency,” I mutter to one of the assistant coaches as I head into the hallway, stabbing my thumb against the call button.
“I’m fine,” she repeats as soon as she answers. “Please don’t worry.”
“Did someone hit you with their car?”
“Not exactly.”
“How not exactly?”
“I jumped out of the way. But they mangled my bike.”
“You—” I count backwards from ten, my pulse racing. “Francesca.”
“Yes?” She sounds pleased that I’m concerned.
“Please be safe.”
“I’m going to get a replacement bike this afternoon. I’m going to get some knee and elbow pads, too.”
Knee pads.
Fucking hell, that’s not the kind of protective gear she needs. “I’m going to arrange for a car for you.”
“I don’t need—”
“Unless you want me to buy you a house right next to the hospital so you can run back and forth and never have to risk crossing a road again, yes you do need a car.”
“Please don’t over react.”
“I think I’m under reacting, since I’m not getting on an airplane right now.”
“You have a game tonight.”
“I wish you were here.”
She doesn’t answer that. Of course she doesn’t. There’s no part of her that wishes she was in Buffalo with me.
So I change the subject. “You sure you aren’t hurt? Did you get checked out?”
“Does Sloane giving me a once over for road rash count?”
“No.”
“Then no, I didn’t get checked out, because I wasn’t actually hurt, and I’m not going to take up a spot in the Emergency room.”
I drag in a long, sobering breath. “Frankie, I don’t want anything to happen to you. You’re important to me.”
She makes a little surprised sound.
“You know that,” I say, lowering my voice. My pulse pounding again, now, for a different reason.
“I…yes, I do.”
“You’re the most important to me.”
“I feel the same way.” She hums in my ear, trying to soothe me. “I’m going to watch you play tonight. I’ll be cheering for you.”
I rub my chest. “Is Sloane there? Or Liz?”
“Yeah, Sloane is.”
“Let me talk to her for a minute.”
“You don’t need to get all protective and bossy.”
“Yes I fucking do, Fra—” I cut myself off as the door behind me opens up. I hold up my finger indicating that I’m still on the call as Frankie carries her phone somewhere else in the house.
“He wants to tell you not to let me buy a new bicycle,” she says, clear as a bell.
“Hey Logan,” Sloane says.
“Do not let her buy another bike,” I growl. “I am going to arrange for a car to show up, hopefully by the afternoon.”
“She is fine, you know.”
“She’s not a cat. She doesn’t have nine lives. And this one that she does have is incredibly valuable, so I’m going to wrap her in the safest Subaru or whatever I can find in the greater Los Angeles area. Sit on her until it gets there.”
“Yeah, okay.”
I stalk further down the hall, finding some privacy again. “Frankie, are you listening?”
“Yes.” It sounds like she’s smiling. I hope she’s smiling.
“Please let me take care of you. I’ll call you as soon as I get home.”
“Shit, are you at work?”
“It’s fine. Actually fine, not was almost hit by a car fine.” I press my phone hard to the side of my head.
There is a strong part of me that wants to say fuck it and get on a plane anyway, but I know that would have a spiral of consequences that Frankie wouldn’t want me to bring upon us.
I head back into the meeting, but I’m on my phone the whole time.
“Family emergency,” I say, which is true.
I text Tom first.
Logan
We need to talk soon.
Tom
Urgent?
Logan
Not imminently urgent? But soon.
Then I send my sister an SOS message, because she’s the only person who knows about Frankie in any way yet.
Logan
If you aren’t in labour, can I ask you for a huge favour?
Emery
I am not in labour, shoot
Logan
I need to buy someone in California a car, today
Emery
No
Logan
It’s not a scam
Emery
You’re an idiot
Logan
I’m in a team meeting and I just need to know which Subaru dealerships have something on the lot that could be licensed and insured today, in my name is fine
Emery
That’s very specific for a scam artist
Logan
She’s not a scam artist, she’s a stubborn medical student who rides a bike to and from the hospital, and it got crunched under a car today
Emery
OMG
Logan
So I need to give her something safer
Logan
She didn’t ask me for a car, Em
Logan
Fuck it, I’ll get myself out of this meeting
Emery
Settle your tits, I’m making some calls
Logan
I love you, thank you
By the time I can get away without causing too much of a scene, Emery has a dealership waiting for my phone call.
Two hours later, when I should be taking a nap, but I’m talking to Frankie on a video call because I need to see for myself that she’s all right, Sloane appears in her bedroom doorway. “You have a delivery. And it’s big enough that it can’t come inside.”
Frankie winces as she gets off the bed.
We both notice it.
“I’m fine,” she says with a sigh.
But she’s moving stiffly as we head outside. Which is hard to fucking think about, even as she gasps in appreciation for the nimble SUV I’ve bought her, with top of the line safety features.
She signs for it, then slides behind the wheel, propping me up on the dashboard. Pain pinches at her face.
“You’re stiff.”
She waves it off, then rubs her hands over the steering wheel.
“You really didn’t have to do this.” But her face is soft, pleased, and her lovely mouth is pulling into a smile she doesn’t try to hold back. “I love it, you silly man. I love it so much.”
“Good. If you change your mind, you can give it back to me when I arrive in the summer, because I don’t know that my truck will make that much sense out there.”
“Happy to share it.” She does a little happy dance, but winces again as her shoulders hunch up.
“Where is Sloane?”
Frankie sighs and gets out of the car. “I’ll make an appointment at Student Health to get checked out, okay? I’m going to the hospital tonight for a night shift anyway, so I’ll be on campus.”
“Thank you for humoring me. What is the night shift?”
Her eyes light up. “I’m shadowing an interventional radiologist fellow who is on the trauma team. It’s very aligned with emergency medicine.”
“Wow. That’s very cool. I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
“I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. Have a good game.” She blows me a kiss and I reluctantly end the call.
If I didn’t need to rest before the game, I’d insist on staying on the call with her. But it’s not safe for her to be distracted by her long-distance husband while she’s driving, either.
At some point I have to trust that she’s going to be okay.
It’s very fucking hard to have my heart all the way on the other side of the continent.