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  “Ryne.”

  “Well, I do and I enjoy being in your company.”

  “After I almost ran you over.”

  “Yeah, even after that.” He grinned and clasped her hand in his. “I don’t want to be presumptuous here, but will you go on a date with me? I have to be honest. I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind since we first met. I want you to know that I’m a little nervous assisting you in the fundraiser since I’ve never done anything like that before, but I’m also overjoyed because I’ll be able to spend time with you.”

  He thought she’d turned a little shy as she became quiet. “Did I overstep myself here? Was I misreading this,” he said pointing back and forth between them. “I feel something here between us, what about you?”

  She squeezed his hand. “Yeah, I feel it too. And yes, I’d love to go out with you.”

  “Good. On that note, let’s try the rest of our dinner. I can’t wait to cut into that cheesecake.” He withdrew his hand, smiling at her as he pulled out their meals and opened the containers. He glanced up and saw her bright smile. Thankfully, he’d read her mannerisms well enough and didn’t think that he’d said the wrong thing.

  After dinner, he followed her through the house as she gave him the complete tour. It was a gorgeous home. It had five bedrooms, a formal living room and dining room, a game room, media room, and more bathrooms than he could count. “You live here all by yourself.” She nodded and pulled away. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “Of course not. It’s just hard sometimes. My parents…” A look of despair crossed her face, and he pulled her into his arms. He hoped he didn’t misread her need for a hug. It took her a moment before she wrapped her arms around his waist. He held her until she pulled away. He could see the tears in her eyes.

  Ryne reached his hand up and caressed the side of her face. “Hey, forget that I asked, okay? I don’t want to bring sadness into this evening.”

  She inhaled deeply and blew out a breath through her mouth. “No, it’s okay. I don’t know why I get this way, but sometimes the memories are just too much.” She grabbed his hand, and he followed her into the family room where she sat down on the sofa. She pulled in close to him and clasped her hands around his forearm. “I need to tell you this so it might as well be right now.” Ryne watched her hand as she fiddled with the cuff of his shirt. “It was the night of my high school graduation. My dad was running late. He’d had a photo shoot that ran long, and my mom decided to wait for him. I had to be at the auditorium for pictures, and I can’t remember what else, but I had to be there like two hours before.”

  “I can’t imagine pictures taking that long…”

  “Well, they did,” she said, smiling at him, remembering the day. “I was ecstatic to graduate and move on with my life. I couldn’t wait to head off to college. I was taking every minute in, burning it to memory, knowing this would be the last time I’d be in the same room with some of my classmates. I remember laughing at something trivial one of my friends said, and then I saw the look on the administrator’s face. I knew something was wrong, especially when he approached me. My heart dropped. I imagined the worst and, in fact, it came true.” She stopped speaking and grasped his hand tightly in hers. He knew she was reliving that night and didn’t want to push her, so he sat silently waiting for her to continue. Several minutes passed before she spoke again.

  “I vividly recall the way he approached me, reaching out his hand. The look in his eyes, the expression on his face. I can hear every word as he asked to speak with me. I remember being escorted into a room, and there before me were my grandparents. Tears were pouring down my grandmother’s face. I didn’t know what happened or why she was crying. Then my grandfather Steele approached me. They live in the northeast and had come to town for my graduation.

  “He reached for my hand and led me to a chair. I can still hear the leather as it creaked and groaned as I sat down. I felt like the chair consumed me. My grandfather kneeled down in front of me and grasped my hands. A horrible look crossed his face, and then he broke the news. My parents had been killed in a car accident.”

  Ryne sat still, not moving or speaking. She was his focus, and he wanted her to know she had his full attention. A tear careened down her face, then another and another. He couldn’t sit still any longer. He pulled her into his arms, wanting to comfort her anyway that he could. Take the sadness away. He knew he couldn’t do that, but he wanted to lessen her pain, if possible.

  He pulled back slightly and wiped each tear that fell from her eyes. No words were needed. He felt her never-ending pain and loss. Silence ensued until she finally gathered her emotions and began to speak again. “After they died, I pretty much went to pieces. After the funeral, I spent the summer with my grandparents. Being away helped but when I returned home for college, I had a rough go of it. My dad had some wonderful friends— Ed being one of them. He jumped in and became my support and still is to this day. My maternal grandparents were here, too, taking care of me. They are close by and check on me regularly. It was difficult at first, rambling around this house all by myself, but eventually I got used to it. Now, I can’t imagine not living here.”

  “Jen, I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

  “Thank you. It seems like a long time ago and then it seems like only yesterday. It’ll be eight years soon. There are days when I can’t remember the sound of their voices or what it felt like to be in their arms. What I learned was never take a day for granted. If you love someone, don’t hesitate to tell them. Bad things can happen in the blink of an eye, and you can’t get back a feeling or a time or sometimes even a remembrance. Time passes too quickly. You need to embrace each and every moment because you never know when that’ll be the last time you can tell someone how you feel.”

  He didn’t know what came over him, but he reached down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. He wanted her to know that she was turning into someone special in his life, and he was taking that moment in time to tell her that with his kiss.

  As he pulled away, a surprised look crossed her face. “Sorry if I overstepped myself. I listened to what you said and I wanted you to know that you’re someone special in my life.”

  Her lips curved upward as she smiled back at him through her remaining tears. “I feel the same way,” and then she reciprocated with a kiss herself.

  Chapter Seven

  A week had passed since Ryne and Jennifer had shared their special moment. He’d gone on the road for two games which the Generals easily won. He’d texted and left her several messages since leaving but they hadn’t had a chance to talk. They had an unusual Saturday afternoon game. He was thankful for that since he had plans. He wanted to take Jen out for dinner, brainstorm about the fundraiser, and spend time getting to know her.

  He phoned her bright and early right before he walked over to the dome. Since his hotel was just blocks away, he liked to clear his mind and get in the zone before hitting the ice.

  Surprisingly, she answered right away. Her voice sounded gravelly.

  “Did I wake you?” he asked as he walked out of the hotel.

  Clearing her voice she croaked, “No, I’ve got a cold, that’s all.”

  “Sorry to hear that. Are you coming to the game today?”

  “As of this moment I am. I never miss a game, but I’ll have to see how I feel.”

  “I have a proposition for you.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  “If you feel up to it, I’d like to take you out. Remember, you promised me a date.”

  “How could I forget,” she said, sighing. “In fact, I couldn’t wait for you to return from your road trip. I’d hoped you’d call. But this cold…”

  “Let’s play it by ear. If you feel up to it we can go out. Otherwise, maybe you’d feel up to just having dinner at your place where you can take it easy. In all honesty, I just really want to see you.”

  “I hate to admit it, but I missed you while you were gone. I apologize tha
t we couldn’t connect. It seems like it’s been forever since I last saw you.”

  “I feel that same way. As I said, let’s play it by ear. If I see you at the game, great. If not, I’ll plan on stopping by with dinner shortly thereafter.”

  “Sounds like a plan. And Ryne, I can’t wait to see you.”

  “Right back at you, Jen.” He picked up his step as he turned the corner. Crossing his fingers, he hoped he’d see her in the stands, cheering him on.

  Ryne went through his normal pregame ritual. He was excited to see Derek’s name on the list of available players. He’d missed having him as his line mate. He walked into the locker room. Carson sat in front of his locker hanging his head. “Hey Carson, what’s up? Looks like you had a rough night.”

  “You could say that a thousand times over, and it wouldn’t even begin to touch the night I had.”

  “Your daughter?” He nodded trying to suppress a yawn.

  “Right on. She still has that earache,” he grumbled. “I told my wife I can’t go through another night like that.”

  “I can imagine, but think of her and what she’s endured while you’ve been on the road.”

  “You’ve got a point there. Thanks. I think I need to apologize. I wasn’t the nicest when I walked out of the house today.”

  Remembering Jen’s story about her parents he added, “You need to call her and apologize right away. Don’t let the last words you said to her be something you’ll regret.” Carson rolled his eyes at Ryne, not quite understanding the underlying meaning. “Just do it, okay?” He didn’t want to get into any specifics so he added, “You know the saying ‘don’t go to bed mad.’ Well, treat this episode like that— don’t leave without telling her you love her.” He walked away as Carson reached for his phone.

  “Thanks, man. I know and I get it.”

  He’d learned a lot from Jen and knew that he would never walk away from her, especially with words left unspoken. He wasn’t one to proclaim openly how he felt in a relationship, but after his conversation with her he definitely learned a lesson.

  Ryne sat staring into his locker and thought about Whitney, his ex-fiancée. He wrung his hands remembering but also trying to forget their brief relationship. She was Derek’s sister. They’d met while he played with the Eagles and hadn’t dated long before becoming engaged. She was beautiful and had sought him out several times before he broke down and went out with her. He didn’t know how it happened, but in the blink of an eye he’d found himself engaged.

  When he thought back to that six-month period in his life, he realized he’d never loved her. She’d been the one to push their relationship, and she’d been the one to push the engagement. Thankfully, he’d come around before he’d broken the news to his family. He’d found her in the arms of another man, and that did it for him. When he’d confronted her, she batted her hand in mid-air, indicating that she’d been playing him for a fool and knew that he’d eventually figure out that they weren’t meant to be together.

  When Derek discovered what his sister had done, he was livid. He’d known she’d been a player but thought she’d settled down when she began dating Ryne. Derek was so disgusted with his sister that they hadn’t spoken in years.

  When Ryne had first joined the Generals, he’d been unsure how welcoming Derek would be, being captain and all. Derek had been traded away from the Eagles shortly after Ryne’s breakup with Whitney and they’d lost touch. He’d surprised Ryne and acted as though the incident with his sister had never happened. Ryne knew at some point they’d need to discuss it, especially if he and Jen became an item.

  After the break-up with Whitney, he’d elected not to do the relationship thing again. There was the possibility of being traded and he used that as his excuse. Now, he didn’t know what he’d do. From out of nowhere, he’d started having feelings for Jen. Feelings that he needed to put aside but wasn’t sure he could. He’d already told her she meant something to him. He didn’t know why or how that had slipped out, but it had. Maybe she’s different. Maybe all women aren’t like Whitney.

  Ryne heard a voice and realized it was Trevor’s, indicating it was time to take the ice for their pregame warm-up. He slipped on his protective gear, grabbed his stick, and headed down the tunnel towards the rink. Jen’s face was all he saw as he hit the ice. He hoped he’d see her hovering in the stands.

  He skated around the rink, warming his legs before taking part in the pre-game drills. He gazed towards the stands and didn’t see her. In fact, her seats were empty. I guess she’s not coming. He practiced his passing and slap shots and before leaving the ice took another glance towards her seats. Still no Jen. He was dismayed. In the few games he’d played at the dome since being traded, she’d always cheered him on. He’d felt energized with her presence, knowing he had a cheering section. He was sorry to hear she was ill, especially since he was looking forward to their first real date. In time.

  The Generals took the ice as did the Eagles. It was the first game he’d played against them since being traded. He had good friends on the team, but he also knew he had a game to play, and he couldn’t let their friendship affect it. And it didn’t. Almost as soon as the puck was dropped, Ryne was upended, flying feet first into the boards. He was stunned momentarily and when he got his wits about himself made his way from the ice shouting a not-so-friendly reminder to his former teammates.

  Trevor recognized that he needed a few moments and stopped him from returning to the ice “I’m going to have you sit out a few,” he called to him as he watched Derek fly into the boards.

  “You played for them?” Trevor shouted as they watched Derek limp from the ice.

  “Hey man, what’s with it? I thought they’d take it a little easier on us,” Derek exclaimed as he fell onto the bench beside him.

  Laughing, Ryne smacked Derek on the back. “Ya think? They want to show us who’s boss, but I say we return the favor.”

  Ryne returned with a vengeance. He wasn’t going to let his friends play him for a fool. Before he knew it, he was being sent to the penalty box after slashing one of his ‘so-called’ friends.

  While he sat in the box, he took a second to look up into the stands. They were already half-way through the first period, and Jen was still a no-show. His mind quickly returned to the game. Carson went to retrieve the puck in front of him and was knocked hard into the plexiglass. Ryne heard the loud grunt that accompanied it. He hoped Carson had made things right with his wife. He didn’t need to get injured and have that hanging over his head.

  Ryne’s two minutes were up. The doors opened and he flew back onto the ice. Derek had played it just right, and as Ryne skated out, he passed the puck to him. He had a break-away. Raising his stick high above his head, he slapped the puck which flew past the goalie. He was surrounded by his teammates as they celebrated Ryne’s goal.

  The game became more physical as the minutes passed. They were well into the third period and the score was tied. Ryne had become so focused on the game; he hadn’t had a chance to glance towards the stands. That is until he found himself lying flat on the ice. He didn’t know how it happened but he was circling the net behind his goal. He broke out with the puck past the blue line and headed into Eagles territory. He remembered passing the puck to Carson and then everything went black.

  Next thing he realized, Stafford Beck, the Generals’ trainer, was leaning over him. Ryne blinked several times at first unsure where he was. Then he felt the cold of the ice against his back and Stafford calling his name. He tried to sit up and Stafford held him down. “Take a moment.”

  Ryne lay there listening to the hush of the crowd. Something caught his attention, and he turned his head towards the stands. Raising his eyes, he saw her. On the edge of her seat with her hand covering her mouth sat Jen. He knew he needed to move— let her know he was alright. He took a deep breath, blowing it out through his mouth. “I’m okay.”

  He sat up and then took a hand from Perry Zaney, another of his line
mates. Between Perry and Stafford, Ryne was standing and being helped from the ice. With less than five minutes remaining in the third period, Stafford escorted him back to the locker room to examine him and check for concussion.

  As he skated off, he nodded towards Jen who acknowledged him. Thankfully, Stafford ruled out a concussion. He was sore from the hit that had come out of nowhere. He had no clue as to who upended him.

  After Stafford cleared him, he showered and changed. He texted Jen that he was okay, and asked for her to meet him outside the locker room. He’d assumed she was feeling better since she’d chosen to attend the game. Just as he finished texting her message, he heard the crowd erupt. He knew they’d broken the tie and had won in the final seconds of the game, especially when he heard the buzzer sound moments later. He congratulated his team mates and left the room. As he walked through the doorway, he saw her. He took one look at her, knowing that she wasn’t feeling well but also knowing that he wanted to take care of her.

  Ryne strolled to her side, reached down and kissed her forehead. “Feeling better?”

  “I am but what about you? That was some hit you took.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t see it coming either, so I couldn’t prepare myself. Next thing I knew I was looking up at Stafford. I guess I blacked out for a few seconds.”

  “Do you have a concussion?”

  “Nope. Not sure what happened although I am sore— that’s for sure.”

  “Since we’re both not feeling our best, let’s put this date on hold.”

  He reached down and ran his hand along her jawline. “I want to spend time with you. I’ve missed you.” He waited for her to react. He saw her take a breath, but she didn’t say a word. “Let’s get something to eat and go back to your house. That way we both can relax for the night.”

  “That sounds nice. I, ah, took a cab here…”

  He smiled at her, realizing that she planned on spending the night with him. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.” He reached for her hand and led her out of the dome. “My hotel’s just a short walk. We can get room service, or we can grab carryout and go back to your place.”