Chapter Eight
AUSTIN
Ineeded a day off more than I realized. Between the road trip, a full day of practices and meetings, and the game last night, I’ve been running on fumes.
The Bears have earned this break. It’s only two days, but I’ll take it.
At least we managed to pull out a win last night, which made the exhaustion a bit more bearable.
Admittedly, I kept looking for Isabella in the crowd, but no luck.
Maybe she was there and I missed her. Abby was waiting for Nick after the game, but Isabella wasn’t with her.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t bummed about it.
The good news is I’ll see her tonight on this group outing Abby organized.
I don’t know if I can call it a date yet—not until I talk to Isabella myself instead of relying on everyone else to play the go-between.
I still can’t believe I never asked for her number.
It feels ridiculous now, especially because she’s been on my mind a lot.
This is a nice change from the constant focus and demands of my career.
Hockey always has a way of consuming every part of my life.
With practices, travel, and workouts, it’s easy to convince myself there’s always time for everything else later.
But with Isabella, I don’t want to put it off, especially because I have no idea when she’ll be leaving.
There’s something about her that keeps pulling me in. Maybe it’s how easy she is to talk to, or her smile. Whatever it is, I’m intrigued. And tonight, I’m hoping I finally get the chance to know her beyond the quick conversations we’ve had at the game or the fall fest.
After a quick stop at the gym and a few loads of laundry, I spend the rest of the afternoon trying to relax.
I need some time to not think about stats or potential trades.
Of course this isn’t easy. By the time I’m getting ready to leave for the Coffee Corner Café, I already feel that nervous anticipation building.
And this isn’t the same feeling I get on game days.
Admittedly I looked up some details about Isabella and watched some clips of her dancing.
She’s so talented, and you can tell she’s worked to get to where she is.
From what I saw, she could’ve gone all the way and won the Ballroom Dance America competition.
And then the Achilles injury happened. From years of playing a sport, I know how absolutely devasting that moment can feel.
The heartbreak of everything you worked for being gone in a flash.
While I haven’t personally had a career threatening injury, I’ve seen it happen with my teammates and other players in the league.
I can’t imagine how difficult this is for Isabella.
I truly admire the hard work and drive that inspired her to try out for the new show, make it more than halfway through the comp, and then disaster struck.
The sound of my phone buzzing pulls me out of my thoughts. It’s a text from my brother Logan.
Call me when you get a chance, but not before 6 am pacific standard time.
I chuckle to myself as I click on his number.
“That was fast,” he answers after the first ring.
“I thought about calling you in the morning, but I’m feeling generous today.”
“I appreciate that,” he says.
“What can I say, you caught me on a day off, so I’m feeling good,” I tell him.
I don’t mention my date, but that’s a big part of it for sure.
“Yes. Good game last night,” he says.
Oh yeah, that too.
“And I’m about to make your day even better,” he continues.
Hmm…this should be interesting. “How are you going to do that?”
He clears his throat. “By asking you to be a best man in my wedding.”
Suddenly a rush of emotions washes over me. I guess these are the feelings you get when your brother is asking you to be his best man.
“Wow,” I say, my voice shaking slightly. “Yes. I’d be honored.”
“Thanks. Of course you will be sharing the role with your second favorite brother.”
“You are my second favorite brother,” I tell him.
“Yeah right. I’m talking about Brendan.”
I laugh. Our brother Brendan is the true baby of the family. He’s currently in medical school and in his own world.
“I’ll be happy to share the best man role,” I tell him.
“Thanks.”
“We haven’t set a date, but it will be next summer, so it’ll be after the season is over.”
Hearing this is a relief. The demands of my job can interfere with big events like this.
“Good. I don’t want to miss such an important day. I miss enough stuff.”
I often feel a lot of guilt about this, but thankfully my family has always been understanding.
“We know,” he assures me. “And with my big day being in the summer, that’s plenty of time for you to find a plus-one.”
I chuckle. “Oh yeah. But what if my best man duties have me too busy. Would that really be fair to a plus-one?”
“They won’t,” he says. “And there will be two of you, so sharing the responsibilities will allow plenty of time to dance the night away with your date.”
Dancing? Admittedly this makes my brain shift to Isabella. And to the fact that I’m not a very good dancer. Maybe she could teach me…
“Austin?” he calls, dragging me out of my thoughts.
“Sorry, I’m here. I was daydreaming?”
“About my wedding? Are there any prospects on the horizon?”
A grin spreads across my face. “Funny you should ask…”
“Really? Have you been holding out on me? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Well, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because you were talking about your engagement and asking me to be your best man.”
“So? Who is she, and where did you meet? How long have you been dating?
He’s firing off questions so quickly it takes me a second to even get a word in.
“We aren’t dating,” I say finally. “We’re going out for the first time tonight. And we will be with Nick, his fiancée, and a few other friends.”
“So you’re getting set up? Have you even met her yet?”
I tell him about how I met Isabella after the game and the few conversations we’ve had.
“Oh, this is good,” he says. “What does she do? Is she local?”
How do I explain Isabella’s current situation?
“She’s staying with her family for a while,” I tell him. “She’s on leave from her job.”
This is all true.
“Nice. So you will be able to spend time together,” he says. “I know that can be an issue with how crazy your career is.”
“Exactly,” I agree. “And on that note, I need to get ready for my evening out.”
“I’m sure it will go well. Women love hockey players,” he teases.
I snort. “Not all of them. But we’ll see.”
“I’ll expect a full report on my desk in the morning,” he adds.
“You wish,” I reply.
“Have fun.”
I disconnect the call and smile to myself. A fun night out sounds good to me.
When I arrive at the Coffee Corner Café, the storefront is completely decorated for the season with pumpkins, gourds, and garlands of leaves framing the windows. As soon as I reach the door, I smell espresso, cinnamon, and freshly baked pastries drifting from inside.
Almost immediately, I spot Isabella seated at one of the corner tables. She’s deep in conversation with Abby, the café owner Eloise, and her husband, Brad. Isabella laughs at something, and the sound instantly draws my attention. For a moment, I stand still watching her smile.
“Hi, everyone,” I call as I walk in, my attention locking onto Isabella.
She looks beautiful as always. Tonight she’s wearing a white sweater dress that falls just above her knees, one brown boot, and the bulky gray medical boot covering her injured foot. Even with that, she looks stunning.
“Hi, Austin,” she says warmly, her smile lighting up her face.
“Hey.” I step closer to her, already feeling the anticipation of the night ahead. “How are you doing?”
“We’re just waiting on Nick,” Abby says.
I laugh under my breath. “Why does that not surprise me?”
“I heard that,” Nick calls as he pushes through the front door.
Abby bursts out laughing. “He only says that because he knows you.”
I nod. “Exactly. Listen to your fiancée.
Nick shrugs. “I’m not late. I’m right on time.”
“Anyway,” Abby continues before he can defend himself, “now that everyone’s arrived, here’s the plan. I made reservations at the Nova Table, and after dinner we’re doing an escape room adventure.”
Nick groans loudly enough that Eloise laughs from behind the counter.
“That was my reaction when Abby told me about the escape room,” she says.
“Oh, stop complaining,” Abby says, nudging Nick with her elbow. “And you, too.” She points at Eloise. “Nick thinks escape rooms are too much work, but I love them.”
“They are,” Nick mutters. “Trying to solve puzzles under pressure? That’s work labeled as entertainment.”
“I’m in if you are,” I tell Isabella, mostly because I enjoy irritating Nick whenever I have a chance.
She smiles immediately. “Definitely. I’ve never done an escape room before.”
“Seriously?” Abby says excitedly. “You’re going to love it.”
Nick points at her. “You don’t know that for sure.”
Abby ignores him completely. “Perfect. Let’s go.”
I clap Nick on the shoulder as we head toward the door. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”
He sighs dramatically. There’s no point arguing when the rest of us are clearly on Abby’s side.
The evening air is cool and crisp, a typical fall night. I slow my pace automatically to stay with Isabella as she walks slowly in her boot.
“I hate this thing,” she says quietly as the others move ahead of us. “But at least I’m finally off the crutches.”
“What did you do with them?” I ask.
“Nothing. They’re sitting in my parents’ garage.”
I grin. “Good. They can stay there permanently.”
“Exactly,” she says with a laugh.
When we reach Abby’s SUV, I offer Isabella my arm to help her climb inside.
She places her hand lightly on my arm. “Thank you. I’m usually a lot more graceful than this.”
“You’re doing great,” I tell her.
The moment her fingers curl around my arm, something shifts in my chest.
Suddenly I wish this wasn’t a group outing. I wish it were just the two of us heading to dinner alone, with no interruptions. Just Isabella and I spending the evening getting to know each other better.
And judging by the way she keeps smiling at me, I have a feeling this is going to be a very good night.