Chapter 12 Caleb
CALEB
Tomorrow marks a week since we’ve been snowed in. With one week left until Christmas, I don’t know how much longer I have to win Holly’s heart before the roads are cleared. I thought I came close the few times when we’ve almost kissed, but she’s holding back.
I’m not afraid to work for it. She’s worth it in every way.
My skates carve smoothly through the ice on the frozen pond. I found one of my old sticks in the storage shed and a game puck I’d forgotten was in my equipment bag. Muscle memory takes over as I circle the makeshift rink.
My lips tug into a wry smirk when I consider the state of the art arena I was skating in last week. Instead of the sick twist of my stomach, I’m relaxed. It’s nice to just skate for once. I can’t remember the last time I just chilled like this.
Once my legs are warmed up, I flick a wrister to an imaginary goal. It’s a beauty, lighting the lamp in my head when it soars into the net. I retrieve the puck and line up another shot on my makeshift goal line.
The whoop I let out echoes off the treetops. I forgot this freedom that made me fall in love with the game in the first place.
The reason I’m in such good spirits has a lot to do with news I got from my agent early this morning while I was cooking something special for my girl before she woke up.
Trevon was surprised I answered the phone.
I took his ball busting and pressed him about the teams he’s been talking to.
I nearly dropped the cranberry cornbread skillet I was putting in the oven when he grimly said the Metropolitan and Atlantic Division teams were lowballing offers.
He put me out of my misery as he continued, letting me know he got a surprising call from an old teammate of his who wants a meeting.
It’s not officially announced yet, but there’s a new team being developed to join the NHL based in Massachusetts. And they’re interested in me.
Sports news has been speculating about a league expansion with an increase in teams over the next few years. Me and a lot of the guys I know in the league have been following the possibility with interest.
Trevon wouldn’t tell me any more than the bare bones, but he’s hooked my curiosity. As soon as the roads on the mountain are open, I’ll be ready to set up a meeting.
I speed up, driving the puck down the side of the pond. In my head, I’m in a brand new jersey with a second chance at glory. An unseen crowd cheers as I close in on the net and slam the puck in with a slap shot.
There’s no doubt in my mind. I’ve got more to give. To the game. To myself. To the people most important to me in my life.
I’m feeling good about what lies ahead for me. Much better than I was boarding the flight from Seattle believing I was abruptly leaving my professional hockey career behind, cut off on a sour note that tarnished everything I poured into it.
Except there’s something I want more than getting back on NHL ice.
Holly by my side.
I won’t leave the cabin regretting the life we could have together for another seven years of radio silence. Not when I have her back now. I’m holding on to her, and I won’t ever let her go again.
If I thought she’d accept without thinking I was being wildly impulsive, I’d get down on one knee and put my ring on her finger right now.
The future I want with her as my wife flashes through my head. Playing hockey knowing she’s rooting for me. Being at her bakery to watch in awe of her in her element. Dedicating myself to caring for her in every way she needs. I crave all of it, as long as it’s with her.
As if thinking about how much I want her summons her, I loop around to find her watching from the edge of the pond. The warmth expanding in my chest whenever I have her attention is becoming familiar again. I can’t get enough of it.
The ends of the bow in her hair blow in the breeze. She’s wearing pink pajama pants with Christmas cookies printed on them stuffed into her boots. Best of all, she borrowed my hoodie. Damn, it looks great. I like seeing her bundled in my clothes.
Waving with a grin, I show off for her.
I pull out all my slickest moves, speeding across the ice like I’m evading defense. She chirps like the best of the fans at first.
“You call that hockey? My grandma plays better than that,” she calls.
My mouth tilts and I skate by her with a wink, blowing her a kiss. “You want to see something? I’ll give you something to cheer about.”
“Oh yeah? That’s some big talk.” She bites her lip, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Watch me.”
I give her my finest skating, flipping backwards, crossing over, passing the puck between my legs and bouncing it off my blades. She forgets she was teasing me and gets into it.
“Go, go, score! Yes!” She bounces in celebration when I hit the puck and it zooms into the imaginary net.
I can’t help picturing what it would be like to have her at my games. If I hadn’t let her slip through my fingers and she’d been with me my whole career.
Knowing she’s watching me, cheering for me. Dedicating every goal to her. Kissing her on the ice after we win.
Her wearing my jersey. My number. My name.
My head swims from how strongly I want all those things with her. I close my eyes and blow out a breath to weather the force of my desire for her.
“Okay, I admit it. You looked really cool doing that,” Holly says.
Soft laughter escapes me. Coming to a stop near her, I lean on my stick and run my fingers through my hair.
“Want to skate with me?”
She brightens. “That sounds fun.”
I duck my face with a broad smile. “I brought a spare pair with me in case you came down. Here, sit on my bag and I’ll help you put them on.”
Setting aside my stick and puck, I crouch at her feet and tug off her shoes.
She wrinkles her toes against the chill.
I rub them to warm her up. She blushes, darting her gaze to the side when I glance up.
The urge to keep touching her simmers in my gut, tempting me to slide a hand up to stroke her calves.
After I’ve laced her skates, I take her hand and help her keep her balance stepping onto the frozen pond. She wobbles, clutching me when I catch her waist.
“I’ve got you,” I promise.
“I can’t remember the last time I went ice skating,” she muses. “I feel like I’ve got fawn legs and any second I’ll wipe out. How did this used to be so easy?”
“Confidence is the key. Muscle memory comes second,” I answer.
“Okay, Mister I Wear Sharp Knife Boots and fly around the ice at top speed for a living. Easy for you to say,” she jibes as we make slow progression.
“You can do it. I won’t let you fall.”
“You swear you’ll catch me?”
Her grip on my hand tightens. I squeeze back.
“Always.”
She trusts me and allows herself to relax enough to find her rhythm. I match my pace to hers. We fall into sync together as we circle the pond.
“Better?” I ask.
“Yeah. Now I’m getting the hang of it again.”
“Should I leave hockey behind so we can register as pairs skaters?” I tease.
She scoffs out a laugh. “What? No. Be serious. I’m born to bake, and there’s not a soul in the world who would believe you weren’t born to do anything but play hockey.
” She bumps her hip against mine. “You can see it all over your face when you’re on the ice, you know. How much you obviously love it.”
“Yeah?” The swell in my chest makes me feel like I could soar hearing her say that.
“Although you looked like you were having more fun just messing around on the pond than the last few times I’ve caught recaps of your games,” she muses.
I jerk to a stop. “You’ve seen them?”
A caught out expression crosses her face and her cheeks flush. I try to tamp down on the flood of emotion strong enough to knock me over, shock and elation fighting to win out.
“Um, yes,” she replies with a rueful chuckle. “I’ve…sort of been following you as a player the whole time. Oh, god, this is embarrassing to confess, but what the hell. I have an alert on my phone for hockey news just so I could keep up with you.”
My world shatters and rearranges.
This whole time—the nights I’ve spent in hotel rooms, on team flights, in my own empty bed rereading the old texts we’ve sent each other wishing I could reach out to her—she’s been watching me.
Does it mean—?
Has she been in the same boat as me the entire time, longing for us to reunite?
My thoughts collide, coming too quickly to separate. I breathe harder, then sputter when one glaring possibility crosses my mind.
“So, you’ve seen the news about me then?” I venture, voice flat and empty.
She scrunches her nose in confusion. “What news? I’ve been up to my elbows in cookie dough and sugar to meet the holiday rush.”
Relief spills through me. She doesn’t have the lies those articles have spread about me being a loose canon tainting her view of me. I get to be the one to tell her the truth.
I start skating again and tug her with me. “Well, you remember how I said I was on leave?”
“Yes.”
I sigh. “It’s not entirely true. My contract was terminated last week.”
Her head whips around. “What? Can they do that?”
“Unfortunately, it does happen. And in my case, it was my word against another player’s with more value in the eyes of the team’s ownership.”
Holly pulls a disgusted face. “That’s unbelievable. Can’t you fight back?”
“If it were a private incident, yeah. But there’s been a PR storm since the story broke.”
I ruffle the hair on my nape with a sigh, explaining the whole story of how I found Chet and the girl he was harassing, how it led to the fight and the subsequent paparazzi stories setting the situation on fire before I was forced off the team.
“Oh my god,” she whispers.
“I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. I just…wasn’t ready to face your reaction yet.”
She hugs my arm and rests her head on my shoulder. “Don’t be. I’ve known you my whole life. You’re not anything like that guy, and you never will be. I’m pissed for you.”
“At this point, I want to move on and put Seattle behind me. The other guys on the team are nice enough, but I only stayed with them as long as I did because it took me a long ass time to work my way to the regular roster. I was so focused on helping the team make the playoffs for a chance at the cup, I lost myself and what I wanted.”
“So what happens now?” she asks.
“My agent has something lined up for me with a team that’s based here.”
Even though I only have a little information about this new team that wants me on their roster, my gut tells me it’s meant to be. I don’t care what their offer is, I’m ready to accept it.
I glide to a stop and hold both Holly’s hands in mine. Her eyes bounce back and forth. My heartbeat kicks up a notch, drumming faster with all the pent-up desire I’ve carried while waiting for this chance to come back to my girl. I lay it all on the table for her.
“If there’s a chance for me to stay in New England, I’m taking it. Because this is where I want to be.” I pull her closer, her chest brushing mine. “Right here.”