“Why don’t you at least talk to him about it? You’ve always put the kids first, maybe they’ll agree it’s time to do something for you.”
I pin my nametag on my shirt and say, “Vi is lobbying hard for them to move in with Jenna so I can run off to Chicago and be with Erik.”
Kelly’s eyes widen with surprise. “You’re not thinking about it, are you?”
“No way. Not a chance.” I look at the flowers again and say, “If Erik had come back home a year from now, things might be different.”
“Just talk to the kids about it, would you?”
I nod while pouring myself half a cup of coffee, getting in a few sips before it’s time to hit the store floor.
Kelly’s right. It was easier to forget how much I loved Erik when he was gone and I figured he hated me for ending things. But now that he’s back, and I know he loves me, I have to at least try to find a way.
Maybe I can have it all.SeventeenEasyI slow to a light jog and come to a stop as I reach Aunt Jo’s house, bending at the waist and then standing up, hands behind my head, to catch my breath. I loop my sweaty T-shirt around my neck and walk for a few minutes up the sidewalk, still winded.
Today I ran faster than usual, probably because I’m so excited about seeing Allie at lunchtime. Aunt Jo is progressing well in occupational therapy, moving through daily tasks slowly with the help of the therapist, which is good but also means my time in Greentree Falls is coming to an end.
I’ll stay as long as I possibly can, but what then? I’ve got plenty of money in the bank. I don’t have to play hockey to remain financially stable, but I can’t imagine retiring now, when I still have some good years left in my body.
I made it to the top, which was a big accomplishment for a player who never even touched a hockey stick until high school. The thrill of skating onto the ice at the start of a game has never faded for me—I’ve always planned to play as long as my body will allow.
The guys on my team are my second family. I’m not ready to quit the game, not even close, but if it comes down to a choice between the NHL or Allie…what will I do?
“Hey,” a female voice says behind me.
When I turn, I see Allie’s sister Jenna jogging toward me.
“You run? So do I,” she says, smiling.
She’s wearing makeup and a matching little top and shorts, her blond hair pulled back through the back of a baseball cap. Given her appearance and the fact that she’s not sweating, I’m immediately suspicious.
“Well, have a good one,” I say, sitting down to stretch my legs.
“Oh, are you done running?” She sits down beside me. “Me too.”
Jenna upset Allie the other night. She already wasn’t my favorite person, but now she’s actually on my shit list.
“What do you want?” I ask gruffly.
She shrugs. “Just chatting. It has to be hard to come home and see Allie after what she did.”
I’m not sure what Jenna’s endgame is, but I think she might be planning to use me to convince Allie to let the kids move in with her. I remember how manipulative she always was when Allie and I were together, and I don’t plan to play her games, but in order to figure out what game she’s playing, I don’t tell her to fuck off like I’d like to.
“She’s happy,” I say, shrugging. “I’m happy for her.”
“My kids have been lucky to have her. She’s pretty amazing.”
I stand up and nod. Jenna scrambles to her feet.
“I’ve always been more of a free spirit,” she says, giving me a coy smile.
That’s a polite way of describing the way she makes bad decisions, shirks responsibility, and lies to get her way. She used to come home to her parents’ house wasted when Max was a baby, barely sparing him a look before she went to crash in her room.
They finally kicked her out, though it broke their hearts. Then she got pregnant again and kept partying, leaving her parents worried sick about the two lives growing inside her.
“So how much longer are you in town?” she asks me.
“I’m not sure.”
“There’s a new place over by the dollar store, a bar and grill. Have you been?”
“Nope.”
She pretends to stretch, pushing her chest in my direction. “Well, I think I’m going there tonight. You should stop by.”
This bitch. She’s hitting on me, hoping I’ll screw her and break Allie’s heart. It’s not fair that Allie’s parents were taken from her in that car accident and this is her only sibling.
“Yeah?” I play along. “What if I do?”