Chapter 14
ATLAS
“So you’re all packed up.”
I looked over at Will and nodded, my throat tight. “Thankfully, I don’t have to take my goalie bag, because all that shit’s in Portland.”
Will stuffed his hands into his pockets, his hair falling over his face. He needed a haircut, but I wasn’t about to tell a teenager that. That would only lead to a fight. Or a roll of eyes. Even now.
“Because Portland’s your home.”
“It’s where I live and work right now. But you’re standing in my other home.”
“Yeah. I guess I am.”
“You have the keys, the emergency number, all the places to call in case something needs to be fixed.”
“In other words, I have Finnan’s number.”
“You know, we’re going to have to fight about that,” I tried to tease, but I knew things were still a little awkward, a little fearful.
“Dobson is going to be behind bars for a whole hell of a long time.” Watching the Narcan bring him back to life had been a hell of a thing. And while life would have been simpler if he had stayed dead, I was glad he was paying for his crimes in jail.
“Only because they found enough drugs on him to be considered dealing. Not because he beat me, or hurt Ms. E. No, he kept getting out on bail or lesser charges for all that shit.”
“I’m really not a fan of the legal system right now as it is.”
“I know that Dobson is going to be behind bars, and he’s not going to come after us again. I’ll just never understand why he kept trying anyway.”
“Because he was an alcoholic and a drug addict, who decided to blame you and Lizzie for his own problems. It was easier to punish you than it was to deal with the fact that his wife was dead, and he couldn’t make a good decision to save his life.
I’m not going to be sorry that he’s behind bars. I just wish it were longer.”
Or he was six feet under, but I wasn’t going to say that aloud.
“I’m going to need you to take care of Lizzie when I’m gone.”
“I can do that, but it’s going to suck with you not here.”
I swallowed hard, knowing that feeling was only going to get worse over time. “I know. I don’t want to think about it either, but we’re going to figure out this year.”
“Are you sure you can’t just form an Ashford Creek NHL team?”
I snorted. “I’m not quite sure that’s how things work. But you and Lizzie are going to come out to Denver whenever we play, even on a school night.”
“I was going to say I’m not in school yet, but then again, that’s Ms. E.”
“I’m sure you can call her Elizabeth by now. She’s even said so.”
“Maybe I should just call her Lizzie.”
“Will,” I teased.
“I know, I know. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on her.”
“It’s going to be a hard year, but we’ll figure things out,” I repeated to reassure him.
“Because you live in Portland.”
I paused, hating that I was about to leave to do something that I loved. What an odd thing to think.
“Yes, I live in Portland. Not forever. Just until we figure shit out.”
“How long do you think you have left in the NHL?”
“Do you really think I’m going to tell you that before I tell Lizzie or the rest of the world?”
It had been a question all over the media, social media, and everyone else’s lips in town. I thought I knew the answer, but until I got on the ice and Lizzie and I had time together, I wasn’t going to have that answer.
But we would make it through this year. We had to. Because I loved skating. I loved being a fucking hockey player. But I didn’t always like being in the NHL.
“Make sure you do some weird shit for social media. You know how everyone freaks out about all the goalie superstitions.”
“I’ll have you know, there’s nothing weird about my goalie superstitions.”
“Don’t you talk to the pucks?”
“As does any sane individual. It is a process.”
“Whatever you say, old man.”
I rolled my eyes and brought the kid in for a hug. He stiffened for a minute before wrapping his arms around me and hugging me tight.
“Thank you. For everything.”
I pulled back, my throat tight. “It’s no problem, kid. You’re stuck with the Carters now.”
“Are you really sure that I can stay here when you’re gone? I mean, it’s not going to be a problem?”
“Of course it’s not going to be a problem, Will. We’ve been over this. You have a good system here, and you can call anybody you need for help. If there’s something wrong with the house, you know who to call.”
“Finnian for sure.”
I flipped him off. “Excuse me.”
“What? Are you jealous?”
“I am not going to answer that.”
“Ms. E only has eyes for you.”
“Damn straight she does. But really, if staying under this roof alone is weird, my parents are happy too. You’ve sort of been adopted into the Carters. It’s a little scary.”
“I like your parents a lot. They’re badass.”
“I really want you to tell my mother that to her face.”
He snorted. “No fucking way,” he teased. “I’m not going to curse in front of your mom, I know better.”
“I curse all the time.”
“And you have a Stanley Cup.”
“That is very true,” I teased before swallowing hard and heading back to my porch. Everything was stuffed in the car, though I had an entire wardrobe and life at my place in Portland.
I had already jogged this morning, trying to exercise out my anxiety, and that hadn’t helped. I just wanted this to start, so we could figure out exactly how the year was going to go, but I needed to be on the ice again. And I needed to be with Lizzie.
Finding the middle ground on that was always our flaw.
Will headed out after our goodbyes, and we knew he’d be in good hands.
My family wasn’t going to let him drown.
And I had a feeling that my mother already had a plan to help out anyone else who needed it once they were out of high school.
She was always like that, a better person than I was.
Ashford Creek had its issues, and I knew we were trying to fix some of them, but it wasn’t always going to work.
“Hey, I thought you would already be gone.”
I turned to see Thatcher coming up to me, and realized he had parked out on the main road.
I stuck my hands in my pockets, still feeling awkward around him. Yes, he had called to tell us about the accident, but we hadn’t had a conversation since we had been in the hospital employee room.
“I’m leaving soon. I’m just putting it off because I don’t want to say goodbye to Lizzie.”
“I take it you already said your goodbyes to your parents and family.”
“I did. It sucks all the time. Everybody ended up back here, and I’m still out on the road most days of the year.”
“I don’t know how you do it.”
“I don’t know how you raise three kids on your own.”
“I’ve got help,” he countered.
“Maybe, but not all the help. You still do a shit ton on your own.”
“I do, but they’re family.”
“Yeah, they are.”
“Hey, I just wanted to say sorry.”
I frowned, surprised that he would even bring it up. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t bullshit me.”
“Okay, I won’t bullshit you.”
His lips twitched. “I’m sorry for being a jerk.
Long hours, said mentioned kids, and just life.
Well, I am a jerk sometimes. An asshole, to be fair.
So I’m sorry for lashing out at you. You’re just trying to figure out how to help this town, and it’s not like you’re trying to take credit for shit. You know?”
“I’m not some savior for Ashford Creek. I just have a shit ton of money I don’t know what to do with.”
“I take it you’re not going to buy a yacht for the lake?”
“Oh yes, the Ashford Creek yacht. That would totally go over well with our environmental committee.”
“That wouldn’t even go over well with your mother,” Thatcher said dryly.
“Considering she’s Treasurer of the Environmental Committee…” I let my voice trail off, feeling awkward as hell.
And then Thatcher moved forward, arms outstretched. I hugged him back tightly, slapping his back before he took the step down off the porch again.
Something was going on with Thatcher, and I would figure it out. When I got home.
To this small town that would be my own again.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Thatcher asked, his eyes narrowed.
“No reason. Just dreading things.”
“You’re going to need to make a choice, you know.”
My gaze shot to his, and I frowned. “What?”
“You’re going to need to make a choice. It sucks, and I hate that you do. But you and Elizabeth are strong, and you’ll weather this. I don’t know why you didn’t when you were younger, but then again, we all make stupid decisions when we’re kids. And you were kids.”
Considering Thatcher had twins when he was eighteen, I knew that he was speaking from experience.
“I know. Lizzie and I are working on it.”
“You’re going to figure out a way to make it work, but you’re going to have to get out of your own head to do so. Other people depend on you.”
“You don’t have to tell me that, I know.
” I shook my head. “Between my agent, all of the staff that helped me get through this whole process, the team, the organization itself, my coach, everybody. Hell, we even hired another trainer this past year..” I gestured to my knee.
“We even have two trainers who work solely with goalies most days.”
“You guys have pucks coming at your head more often than not. You have to do the fucking splits on the ice.”
“Hey, being flexible doesn’t hurt.”
Thatcher rolled his eyes. “I really don’t want to hear that.”
“I’m just saying. I’m going to keep Lizzie. I’m going to figure this out.”
“If you’re saying that I need to get laid, you don’t have to tell me that.
” Thatcher ran his hand over his clean-shaven face.
“But this isn’t about me. Lizzie’s not going to blame you for leaving.
She didn’t before. She never once said a bad thing about you.
Yes, she growled sometimes, but I think that’s just an Elizabeth thing. ”
“You sure seem to know a lot about my woman,” I said, my eyes narrowed.
“Don’t get jealous on me. I know that’s all for Finnian.”