Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55599 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55599 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“Ew, Eric.”
I walk down the stairs. I’ll use the downstairs bathroom instead. I hear Dad’s voice from his office when I reach the bottom step. He’s still in there?
I creep—that’s right, creep, this is so wrong—toward the office. The door is slightly open, a triangle of lamplight coming from inside. The closer I get, the louder Dad’s voice becomes, though it’s still low, a secret hiss. He probably doesn’t think anybody will be awake or, at least, downstairs at this hour, hence the open door.
“That’s not what I’m saying, Logan.”
What. The. Fuck? Dad is talking with Logan? Since when?
I crouch down next to the door. If somebody somewhere is keeping a list of all my daughterly infractions, they can definitely add eavesdropping to the list.
“No, I know. I know, Logan.” Dad sounds pissed. Has Logan already told him about us? I don’t get it. “We can’t solve this by arguing.”
Crap. A floorboard just creaked. Dad trails off. I hear his footsteps, quieter but still angry as earlier, walking toward the door. I hurry into the hallway. Dad leaves the office and looks up and down, clearly hiding something. I peep through the gap in the stair rail.
Dad frowns, turns, and goes back inside. I want to hear the rest of the conversation but can’t risk getting caught.
We can’t solve this by arguing…
Logan wouldn’t have told him, would he? Not without warning me?
CHAPTER TWENTY
Logan
“Got ya,” Chuck says, jogging after me in the hotel lobby.
It’s the middle of the night, and I’ve got an overnight bag gripped in my hand. I could throw the straps over my shoulders, but I’d rather hold it like this. Squeeze it tight. Let out some of the rage. The anger at the phone call, at what Michel said.
“I thought I heard your door open,” Chuck says. “Disappearing on us again?”
“I’ll be back in time for the game,” I tell him, “but I need to take care of something.”
Chuck runs a hand through his wild red hair. “Listen, man. If you don’t want to tell the others what’s going on, that’s cool, but we’re the old men of hockey. We owe it to each other.”
“You’re going to be the old man soon, my friend,” I reply.
“Wait, you’re retiring?”
“I’m finishing the season, but then, yes. Yes, I am.” I let out a breath. Maybe it’s the idea of seeing my woman again after what feels like years. The fact it’s only been two weeks seems ridiculous to me. “In fact, I’m going to have a baby with the love of my life.”
Chuck gawps. “Holy… Whoa, man! That’s great!” He leaps forward and throws his arms around me. “That’s seriously great news.”
After a pause, I awkwardly return the hug. “Don’t tell anybody. I mean it. It’s complicated. I need to handle some things before anybody can know.”
“Say no more, partner,” Chuck says, miming zipping his lips, “but I mean it. Hell yeah. A kid! Look at you, man. You’re smiling again. She must be one special lady.”
I let the smile grow wider. “Yeah, she is. She’s perfect.”
I’m not smiling when the plane lands in Cali. I’ve spent the flight handling business and making arrangements. On-plane Wi-Fi has helped me get a lot done. Hopefully, all the nasty pieces are in place.
As I disembark the plane, I think about what I’ve got to do and the path ahead. Michael believes something like this can be settled with money. He thinks the big superstar Logan Ice can throw cash at the problem, and suddenly, like magic, there’s no problem anymore.
He’s wrong. I’m not settling this with cash. There are some things money can’t solve, and this is one of them. Walking through the airport in my shades and hat, I’m relieved I managed to sneak through without being recognized.
Michael is waiting for me, awkwardly standing beside his car. I remember what Emma said about him telling her about my mom. I wouldn’t have opened up to his daughter had he never done that. I never would’ve felt so fused to her that night. The night we revealed the truth. We both want this. Need this. We’re both going to fight for it.
I swallow guiltily when I reach Michael. From where he stands in the early morning sun, I can see how pale his cheeks are. He looks like he’s on the verge of a breakdown. Or slowly recovering from one. He looks far worse than the last time I saw him, the night I took his daughter’s virginity.
“You didn’t have to come,” he says, stepping forward.
I raise my hand, clap him on the arm, and do my best to smile. There’s so much he doesn’t know, like inside jokes with his daughter and the heat we’ve shared. As we stand in the Cali sun together, I remember the lake. The long games of hockey. You’re an animal, Logan. It’s funny. He didn’t call me Logan when we were kids, but in my memory, that’s the name I hear—the name I chose. Maybe for childish reasons, but it’s still mine.