Kane (Arizona Vengeance 8)

Jim laughs. “It’s a multi-purpose game. Lucy and I play sometimes. When she’s talking to me, that is.”

“I know that’s tough,” I commiserate.

Jim shrugs. “I guess it’s what thirteen-year-olds do when they can’t understand why their parents aren’t together, and they need to blame someone.”

I hesitate before asking, not wanting to pry too much. “Is Ella trying to poison her against you?”

Shaking his head in empathic denial, he says, “No. Quite the opposite. She’s constantly correcting Lucy’s surly behavior toward me, and actually encouraging her to treat me with the same love and respect she gives Ella.”

“Then what do you think the problem is?” I ask.

Jim takes a sip of beer, twisting to look over. “Because Lucy’s a smart kid. She knows damn well it’s my fault Ella and I are separated.”

I blink in surprise. I’ve never heard Jim talk about the reasons he and Ella are no longer together. I just assumed life with constant separations became too tough, but that’s so general. Now, I realize there has to be something more to it.

And in an effort to make sure that I don’t fall into the same pitfalls, I poke deeper with my curiosity. “Mind me asking what you did?”

Jim gives a bark of mirthless laughter. “It’s what I didn’t do, Kane.”

“What didn’t you do?”

“I stopped paying attention to my wife. I got caught up in being a professional hockey player. Loved the fame and the high of recognition. The traveling for away games she understood, but it was when I was home and hanging out more with teammates than with my family that she couldn’t forgive. And what little time I had left, I gave to Lucy. I think I just stupidly assumed Ella would always be there for me, no matter what. I mean, she knew what it was like to be with a professional athlete.”

I let out a low whistle, in disbelief that Jim could let things get so bad. From what I know of him, he’s an upstanding guy. He has integrity, as evidenced by the fact he’s shouldering the blame for his marital failures.

But I’ve only known him since he’s been separated. I didn’t know the man he was before.

“Was there any infidelity?” I ask. It’s something that can be a rampant problem in professional sports since women will literally throw themselves at our feet for a bit of attention. They don’t care if we’re married or not. Many of the married guys don’t seem to care either.

Without a doubt, I know that will never be me. Mollie is more than woman enough.

Once again, Jim shakes his head hard. “No way. Ironically, my sex life with Ella didn’t diminish. We were always combustible in bed. My mistake was in thinking that was enough for her, so my advice to you is don’t ever let that be your mistake. Make Mollie your priority, even over hockey. It’s a lesson I learned too late.”

The melancholy in his voice hits me hard. “Is there no way to salvage your marriage?”

Jim shrugs. “Maybe. I don’t know. But man… you saw her in that restaurant. She was clearly on a lunch date with someone. They were fucking holding hands.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” I point out. “Take her back.”

He blinks in surprise. “What…you mean fight for her?”

“Well, yeah… sure. I mean, you have to know what you’re fighting first. I would suggest doing some investigating into this guy. Find out how serious it is. Would Lucy know?”

“Even if she did, she wouldn’t tell me. Her loyalty is to her mother.”

“Then you might have to do some reconnaissance of your own,” I suggest with a sly grin. “I’ll be glad to help.”

“Like we follow her or something?” Jim asks.

I shrug. “Or something. Figure out more about the guy she’s dating and what he’s doing for her that you didn’t do, then figure out how to do it.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s paying attention to her,” Jim mutters.

“Listen, man… if you want to save your marriage, get off your ass and make it work. You said you two are great in the sack… maybe you just need to fuck some sense back into her. And lots of flowers and nice romantic dinners out, too. I hear poems are nice. Compliments. Chocolate.”

Jim laughs. “Okay, okay… I get it. If I want this to work, quit sitting back and lamenting over her seeming to have moved on and put myself back within her notice.”

“Maybe even recruit Lucy to help,” I suggest. “You’ve already got bonus points by letting her watch Samson. You said she wants you back together with her mom. Make her part of the plan.”

Jim scratches his chin. “That idea actually has merit.”

“There you go,” I say, pointing my finger across the distance between our two beds. “And, if you buy her a fucking dog, she’ll be in your hip pocket.”