Chapter 37
TJ
Every muscle in my body tenses when Lucy says she wants to disappear.
She places a hand on my forearm. “I’m going to go back to California. I already planned on visiting my family between Christmas and New Year’s. I was going to leave on Wednesday. I can move up my flight and get there late tonight.”
My grip tightens around her shoulder. “How long would you stay?”
“Indefinitely. Long enough to give things a chance to quiet down around here. I don’t want you to have to deal with extra media attention and the distraction of all this at the end of your season.”
There’s resolve in her gaze. She thinks this is for the best. I grit my teeth and attempt to keep the look on my face one of support, even though I hate the thought of her being half a country away from me.
I don’t want her to go. I want her to stay here and face this.
I’ll be by her side through everything, if she’ll let me.
But I also don’t want her to think I’m trying to tell her what to do. So much is out of her control right now, and the last thing I want to do is tell her what I think is best for her.
“You know what’s best for you, Lu,” I say. “I’m behind you the entire way. Whatever you need.”
She sinks further into my side. “Thanks for understanding.”
Poe clears his throat from across the room. “Will you come back to the Green Bay area when everything calms down, or … ?” He flicks his gaze from me to Lu and back again. My pulse picks up. I’m at once anticipating and dreading Lucy’s response.
“I honestly don’t know.” She looks up at me.
I squeeze her arm again. “We’ll figure it out.”
She nods, but she doesn’t look convinced. She looks overwhelmed and fragile, and I want to go back to earlier this morning when everything was blissful and the future looked bright and full of sweet moments to be spent with Lucy by my side.
As much as I hate that Poe voiced it, he’s not wrong in asking what’s next for her. My life is in Green Bay. My contract with the River Foxes is for another four years, at least. Four years is a long time to live apart if she doesn’t plan to be in this area.
I suck in a deep breath. I need to slow my roll. “One day at a time, that’s all we can do.”
The door to Poe’s condo opens and Anton and Rose join us, followed by Del.
“Reinforcements have arrived.” Anton sets a tray of smoothies on the island in Poe’s kitchen. “With sustenance.”
Del grabs one and takes a sip. “I’m here for moral support. Hope you don’t mind, Lucy. We’re real sorry about this.”
Lucy manages a smile, and I make a mental note to thank my friends later. They’re the best, and the fact that they’re showing up for Lucy, making her feel cared for, means the world to me.
Rose opens her arms to Lucy, and Lucy accepts her hug.
Even though my heart is still pinched at the continued stress lines on Lucy’s face and the apprehensive flicker in her gaze, I can’t help but feel a tickle of happiness that she gets along so well with Anton’s girlfriend.
It’s a boost to my confidence—and my resolve.
Lucy and I fit. She fits with my family and my friends and my friends’ girlfriends …
or girlfriend, at least. I’m determined to make this work.
Rose rolls a suitcase in front of Lucy. “I had my sister grab as much as she could. I hope you don’t mind that Poppy went through your room.”
I hold my breath as my mind flies to Lucy’s writing notes and her secret career.
She’s been so careful, and if her author life gets out before she’s ready to go public with her work, I worry that it’ll be devastating for her.
I keep my gaze fixed on Rose. If Poppy saw anything that pertained to Lucy’s books, she would have for sure told her.
They’re super close, and they all read romance novels, so it’s not like Poppy wouldn’t have known what she was seeing if any Ava Reese remnants were lying around Lucy’s room.
“Good thing I cleaned my room this morning.” Lucy shoots me a reassuring look, as if she knows I was panicking on her behalf. I breathe a sigh of relief, but then dread snakes through me as she takes the handle of the suitcase. “I can’t thank you and your sister enough,” she tells Rose.
“It’s no problem at all. Daisy is keeping everyone out of the Inn.
She told the reporters that, unless they had a reservation, they weren’t allowed on her property.
She’s not confirming that you’ve stayed there, just telling everyone reservation records aren’t publicly available.
She also told a couple of paps who were trying to book a room that she was full. ”
Lucy frowns. “She’s not full. I talked to her the day before Christmas, and she said she had at least three rooms opening up today.”
Rose offers Lucy a knowing smile. “If Daisy says she’s full, she’s full.”
Lucy’s eyes well with tears. “You all are being so kind to me, I … I don’t deserve any of this.”
I pull her into my arms. She takes a shuddering breath and lets me hold her for a second—not nearly long enough—and then pulls back and swipes at the mascara leaking beneath her eyes.
“Sorry. I’m fine.” She squares her shoulders and interlocks her fingers with mine. “Everything’s going to be fine. I’m going to make some calls to figure out my flights and try to avoid attention while traveling, and I’ve got to let my family know I’m coming.”
“You can use my office if you want some privacy.” Poe motions for Lucy to follow him, and I watch her trail him down the hallway.
When Poe returns, the entire room turns and looks at me. They’re quiet for a second, and then everyone starts talking at once.
“What are you going to do?”
“What do you need?”
“Can you go with her?”
“How’s this going to work?”
I hold up my hands. “I don’t know, guys. I can’t go with her … you know that. I have to be at practice tomorrow morning, and we have an away game this weekend.”
I don’t add that Tess’s benefit is the following Monday night.
My chest tightens. Lucy was never going to be my plus one.
An event like that is more public-facing and attention-garnering than she wants to be right now, not to mention that it’s for my former girlfriend.
Tess’s family has said over and over again that they’d want to meet anyone I date in the future, but still.
Lucy isn’t ready, and I’m not going to push her.
I was looking forward to her being here, in the Green Bay area, when I got back, but I will not feel sorry for myself.
Lucy has bigger things to contend with than being the open arms I was hoping to come home to after an emotional night.
I blink, focusing on my friends. Anton and Poe’s mouths are set in hard lines. Rose looks thoughtful. Del looks emotional.
“I’m going to fight for her and for us,” I tell them. “I’m not sure what that looks like right now, but she’s too important to me to let her go. This is a hiccup. A roadblock. It’s temporary.”
I don’t know if I’m trying to convince them, or myself. The thought of Lucy not coming back to Green Bay makes me feel like my lungs are going through a paper shredder.
“How did they find her, anyway?” Del asks, his voice wobbly.
Rose raises her hand. “I can answer that.” She pulls out her phone.
“There was an article published after your game last night, and it had photos of me in the box. Lucy was in the background. One commenter suggested that the bundled-up woman reminded her of Lucy Dupree. The idea caught on like wildfire, and when I was mingling with the paps this morning—”
“You what?” Anton raises his voice.
“Don’t worry.” Rose rolls her eyes. “I was incognito.” She turns to me. “One of them said a guest at the Inn confirmed a Lucy and TJ sighting yesterday morning.”
“I didn’t think the family whose autographs I signed yesterday noticed Lu.” I scrub a hand over my face. “This is my fault.”
“Stop, Teej. It is not.” Poe’s dry tone is sincere.
The door to Poe’s office opens, and we all turn as Lucy rejoins us. She immediately comes to my side, tucking herself under my arm, and my heart squeezes.
“All set?” I ask her. “What do you need?”
“A ride to the airport would be good.” She offers me a brief smile before turning to my friends.
“I truly can’t thank you enough. I hope I can repay you someday.
None of you owe me anything, and I’m sure you’ve all seen my comments.
I hope you’ll believe me when I tell you what I told TJ.
I shouldn’t have told anyone they didn’t matter, and I’m deeply sorry if any of you watched my outburst and took it personally. ”
“We didn’t,” Rose assures her. “Right, guys?”
“Absolutely.”
“Right.”
“I thought you were great. I like a woman who speaks her mind,” Del says with a good-natured smile, and I could kiss his bearded face for making Lucy chuckle.
“Thank you all. I hope to see you again.”
“You will,” Rose says with a smile.
My phone starts ringing, and it’s the special sound I have set for both my grandparents. “It’s Gram. Gimme one sec.”
I accept the call, stepping into the hallway beyond Poe’s kitchen as my grandma starts rapid-fire questioning me about Lucy.
“Why is our Lu all over the internet news homepage, Teej? Went to check the weather and there she is! Is she alright? They keep showing this clip of her at some award show. She told us something about this, but I’d sort of forgotten.
” My grandma prattles on, and I’m half-listening while also trying to keep an eye and ear on the huddle in the living room.
I can’t hear what they’re saying. Lucy is doing a lot of talking, and I just want to be close to her.
But I owe my grandma my time and focus, so I tune back in, explaining the situation and how Lucy is headed to California.
“You give her a hug for us, Teej. Tell her she’s welcome back any time, and she’s always got a place at our table.”
“I’ll tell her, Gram. Thanks.”
Gram sniffs on the other end of the line. “Take care of our girl, TJ.”
“I’m doing my best,” I say, even though I feel helpless. She’s about to walk out of my life … at least for the foreseeable future.
No.
I’m not going to think negatively. I’ll figure out how to be supportive and present … even from a distance. I end the call with my grandma, promising to keep her posted, and walk into the living room as Lucy hugs all my friends.
“All good?” I ask as she joins me. I wrap my arm around her waist.
My friends nod, and Lucy smiles up at me. “I’m ready.”
I force a smile. “Let’s get you to the airport.”