Easy (Chicago Blaze 6)

Cade Donovan isn’t family by blood, but he’s like a brother to me. We had lots of good times together in high school, playing hockey and hanging out on the weekends. I’ve invited him to Chicago for games every year since I signed with the Blaze, but when I park in front of his garage and see him stand up from the lawn chair he’s sitting in and grin at me, it feels just like old times.

“Hey, man,” he says, meeting me in the driveway, holding out his hand for a handshake.

“Nah, you know you’re getting a hug,” I say, going in for a back-slapping embrace instead. “How’s it going?”

“Not bad. How are your mom and aunt doing?”

“They’re both in bed for the night. Thanks for checking on them earlier and helping my mom get home.”

“No problem.”

He leads the way into his garage, where there’s music playing on low volume and another lawn chair next to the one he was sitting in.

“You want a beer?” he asks, opening a refrigerator covered with stickers of logos for national parks.

“Sure, thanks.”

We sit down and discuss the end of my team’s season over a couple bottles of Budweiser.

“Did you watch the first game of the Stanley Cup finals?” Cade asks me.

“Oh yeah. A bunch of us watched it over at Anton’s house. Hell of a game.”

“If you guys couldn’t go all the way, I wanted LA to make it to the finals.”

I shrug. “I like most of the guys on that team, but their goalie is a real asshole.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he’s a real prick. But let’s not waste time talking about him. How’s it going with you?”

“Can’t complain. Kayla and the kids are good, and the rec center is doing well too. We’ve grown enrollment by more than ten percent in the last year.”

“That’s great.”

“Yeah, makes me happy to see more kids out there playing sports.” He lowers his brows in question. “Which reminds me, how long are you gonna be here?”

I shrug. “Originally, a couple weeks. But now, a month, I think.”

“Good. I was hoping you’d say at least a few weeks. How would you feel about helping me coach the Greentree Falls Rec Center’s Youth hockey team? It’s co-ed. The kids would absolutely love to see you out there on the ice.”

“Me? I’ve never coached before.”

“You’d be great. And Kayla said she’ll help out with your mom and aunt while you’re at the rink if you need her to.”

I laugh. “Sounds like you and your wife got this all figured out, man.”

“So…you’ll do it?”

“Of course I will.”

He clinks his beer bottle against mine, saying, “Thanks, man.”

“But…I’m the head coach, right? Not an assistant?”

Cade holds my gaze for a couple seconds, gauging to see if I’m serious, and I burst out laughing.

“You’re still an asshole,” he mutters.

“I’m gonna need a whistle.”

“Yeah, I’ve got your whistle right here.”

Cade catches me up on the latest in Greentree Falls, not mentioning Allie. I’m always so adamant that people don’t talk about her, but I sometimes wish he’d let something slip and I hate myself for it.

I find myself secretly hoping she hasn’t gotten married and moved away. As hard as it would be to run into her around town, that would be worse. But Cade never brings her up, and I’ve got too much pride to tell him I’m thinking of her.

When I drive back to Aunt Jo’s and quietly sneak into her house and onto the couch a couple hours later, though, Allie is still on my mind.FourAllie“I don’t want to see her.” Hazel stares out the passenger window of my car, her tone flat.

I sigh softly. “I get it. I’m really not that crazy about her visiting, either. But she never stays long, so at least there’s that.”

“No.” Hazel turns to face me, her voice brimming with emotion now. “She shows up once a year and makes us take a bunch of pictures with her so she looks like mom of the year on Facebook. I’m not doing it.”

My heart cracks in half as she furiously wipes her cheeks. Hazel is usually my strong, silent kid. But when it comes to her mother, she’s always been the one who hurts the most.

Max is pretty indifferent about Jenna—he’s told me many times he doesn’t even think of her as his mom. I’m his mom, he says, and it brings me to tears every time.

Vi laps up every crumb Jenna feeds her, believing her stories about globetrotting on the arms of successful men. Our therapist told me it’s part of how Vi copes. Being abandoned by your mom is the ultimate kick in the gut, and if Vi believes Jenna is off living a fancy, exciting life, it helps justify her mom not wanting her own children around.

Hazel pretends to be indifferent like her brother, but she’s not. And when I see the pain on her face over Jenna, I despise my sister for it.