Chapter Two
CHAPTER TWO
MAC
“ O f course it’s not how we wanted our season to end, but I’m proud of how well the Wolves performed. We have a lot of young talent, and I’m looking forward to coming back even better in the fall.”
I want to physically give myself a pat on the back for my acceptable and appropriate answer. It certainly beats throwing myself on the floor in a tantrum over losing in the second round of the playoffs. I’ll save that for when I’m home alone and not in front of reporters.
The press then directed their questions to my teammate Will and finally to our coach, Jake. I know we’re all feeling the heaviness of the loss, but we’re professionals and we know how to show up in every situation. And right now we’re gracious losers. No one can deny the fact that we fought hard, despite being defeated by one goal in the final period. This is the reality of professional sports and something that never seems to get easier no matter how many games I play in.
“It was a good season,” Weston says, clearing his throat, even though the guy looks like he might cry .
I give a slight nod. “I know, but man, I hate losing.”
“It’s what we signed up for,” Weston mumbles. “I wish I could’ve been here longer to play with the team.”
Weston Smith has only been with the Tennessee Wolves a few months after being moved up from the minors due to the injury of one of our defensive players.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be back next season,” I say just as coach Jake finishes talking to the press. They finally move on, putting us out of our misery. I watch as Jake’s girlfriend, Sophie, hurries over to him. Admittedly it still stings a little that she picked him over me. My ego took quite a hit last Christmas, and what makes it even worse is that it happened in front of my teammates.
Sophie came to visit her best friend Blair, who happens to be my teammate Cooper’s publicist and girlfriend. When Sophie arrived in Tennessee, I immediately put on the charm I thought I possessed. I believed I’d have no problem with my witty personality and the magic of the Christmas season. Long story short, my attempts to impress her failed, and she instantly fell for my coach. Truthfully, Jake is one of the best guys I know, so it wasn’t a complete shock. And even I can admit I probably needed to be humbled some.
“What are your plans for the off season?” I ask Weston, distracting myself from Jake and Sophie embracing.
“Traveling, visiting family, watching TV,” he replies. “You?”
“I’m heading back to the Windy City for a while.”
“Is that where you’re from?”
I nod. “Just outside. Most of my family and some friends are still in the area. As much as this loss stings, I could use a break.” I admit.
I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud. Taking breaks isn’t something I do. I’m lucky to sit still for minutes at a time. If I’m not playing hockey, I’m skiing or running or studying the stock market. I enjoy the stuff that makes my heart rate skyrocket and my mother’s blood pressure soar. Don’t get me wrong, she’s always been supportive of my career, but she never fails to remind me how she spends every minute of my games on the edge of her seat. I guess being the mother of an athlete is stressful.
I always knew hockey was my calling—I still remember the first time I stood in a goal box. No other source of adrenaline could compare, and I still feel it every time I step on the ice. It never gets old, and I love every second of it, even after losing a playoff game like tonight.
Our season can last up to nine months of the year, so it’ll be good to spend some time with my parents and my best friend, Kyle. We became friends well before our voices changed. He has some stories about me that I hope will never see the light of day, and I have a few about him.
It’ll be different now that he’s in a serious relationship. I just hope she’s ready to share him for a few months. Of course Kyle told me they’re already making plans to introduce me to some if Addi’s single friends. I haven’t agreed to anything yet because I’m wondering if my well-deserved break should include a break from women too.
Whoa. Maybe this is what an early midlife crisis feels like. Is twenty-six too young to have one? I’m not sure what the reasonable timeline is.
I’ve dated a lot over the past year but nothing has lasted for an extended length of time. The last woman I dated was smart, gorgeous, and a successful veterinarian. Things seemed to be going well until they were going too well. Yep, I panicked, and I’m not proud of it. Plus there were the cats. I like cats—but when she told me she could have four or more at her house at any given time, that was it for me. My teammates are always on me about intentionally looking for things to be wrong when my relationships get serious, which isn’t true. Well except for when I dated Emma who was obsessed with the Gilmore Girls. It was all she wanted to watch when we were together. She’d give me a very detailed rundown of all the characters as we watched, and honestly, I still don’t get the hype. We had a short-lived romance, even though she came from a family of hockey fans. A TV show might’ve been a dumb reason to end things but isn’t it important to enjoy each other’s interests? I couldn’t sit through any more episodes of the diner guy not telling Lorelai how he felt. Come on man, make a move.
So between the vet, the Gilmore Girls fan, and a few others, I need to clear my head.
I’m pulled out of my thoughts when I see my teammate, Cooper, and his girlfriend, Blair, join Jake and Sophie. Everyone is excitedly talking about the end of season party, except Cooper. He’s the only person I’ve ever met who hates parties and most social gatherings as well as hype, attention, and press. He’s here to play the sport, and he’s good at it. While I love playing, I enjoy the attention and adoration of the fans that comes with it.
“Don’t look so excited, Coop.” I say with a chuckle.
He makes a face.
“Come on, Blair, I thought you were making some progress with this guy,” I tease.
She laughs. “I have made progress.”
“It’s true. I’m going to the party, and I’ll stay the entire time,” Cooper adds.
“You’re a new man,” I exclaim, pretending to be shocked.
Cooper cracks a smirk.
“So what are your plans for the next few months, Evans?” Cooper asks. “A safari? Backpacking in Europe? ”
“Neither of those,” I announce. “I’m going home to Chicago.”
“And?”
“And that’s it. I’m taking it easy.”
Jake and Cooper exchange a glance.
“I know what you’re thinking,” I say. “But I think I’m overdue for some downtime in my hometown.”
“That’s a great idea,” Sophie says with a warm smile. “Have fun.”
“Thanks.”
We all head toward the exit of the Wolves Den. Admittedly I feel like a fifth wheel in this moment, though I only have myself to blame. I’m the reason I don’t have an amazing woman by my side to celebrate our successful season.
Now more than ever, it’s becoming clear that I need to take some time to sort out my priorities. I’m going home.
As I move through the tree lined roads, a rush of memories flood through my mind. It’s been a while since I’ve been home for longer than a quick weekend at a time. My parents usually travel to attend my games in Tennessee and all over the country, so visits here are few and far between. Jeannie and Bobby Evans are the best people I know—they must be to have put up with me all these years. They’ve always been there for me, even when I probably didn’t deserve it. That’s unconditional love, and I don’t show my gratitude to them enough. I’ll add that to the list of things I need to work on.
It's been two days since our final playoff game. Our end of season party was uneventful—it was the typical food, drinks, photos, profound speeches, and discussion of goals for our next season. I usually enjoy those events, but this year I was ready to get it over with. Ugh, maybe Cooper Montgomery has been rubbing off on me.
As soon as I turn onto Rollinwoods Lane, exhilaration takes over. It hasn’t changed much over the years, and this is a good thing. I’ve been lucky to travel to many destinations, but it’s a good feeling to be back on this street. I pull into my parents’ driveway and continue around to the back of the house. The basketball hoop still hangs over the garage door. I spent a lot of my free time in this backyard shooting hoops with Kyle and our friends when we were younger. Life was so carefree and easy in those days.
I park off to the side and get my bags out. There’s a finished guest apartment above the garage where I will be staying while I’m home. I drop my bags at the door and head to the house.
“Hello, Mom?” I call as soon as I walk into the kitchen. The familiar aroma of coffee fills my nostrils. It’s a welcome smell.
“Ooh, you’re here,” she calls. “I’m in the office.”
I grab a muffin from the counter and go to greet my mom.
“I was just talking about you,” she says as she jumps to her feet.
“Oh no. Should I be worried?”
She throws her thin arms around me and hugs me tightly.
“No—unless you did something you shouldn’t have.”
I snort. “Not recently.”
“I was talking to Laura Thomason, and she was asking when you’d be home. They all want to see you.”
I smile. Laura is Kyle’s mom and like a second mother to me. Their house always had an open-door policy for Kyle’s and Katie’s friends. They had a huge basement with a pool table and theater room. It was the best place to hang out.
“I can’t wait to see Laura and everyone. Kyle and I are supposed to hang out soon.”
“Laura says Kyle and his girlfriend are getting serious. Have you met her?”
“Not yet,” I say.
“Katie has a serious boyfriend too…”
I nod. “I heard.”
She doesn’t say anything else because she’s not the meddling type, but I know she worries I don’t stay in relationships very long. She’d never tell me that though.
“Anyway, Laura is planning a barbeque and has enlisted my help. It’ll be the perfect way for you to see everyone.”
“Great. I love a good barbeque.”
“I’m sure you’ll be the center of attention,” she adds.
“And I love attention,” I exclaim, throwing my hands in the air.
She laughs. “You always did.”
“It’s nice to be home,” I tell her.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she says placing her hand on my cheek.
I spend the rest of the day with my mom, catching up, and when my father comes home, we order pizza. I didn’t realize how much I missed this until today. As much as I love to travel, nothing beats pizza with my parents.
When I finally look at my phone, I have a text from Kyle.
You make it? Bored yet?
I snort as I type a reply.
Nope. Just had dinner with the parents. Looking forward to sleeping for many hours.
I love to sleep, but sometimes it’s hard to get when we’re on the road for long stretches. And during the season we have early conditioning, practices, and meetings. I can’t remember the last time I slept in without having some sort of commitment.
So racquetball in the morning is out?
I groan. He knows I’d never pass on the chance to beat him in a friendly game. It’s just not who I am.
Before I have a chance to change my mind, we plan to meet at the courts at seven. So much for sleeping in. I could always take a nap later. Wow—what a concept.
It’s good to be home.