Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
My mouth tumbles open. “You have?”
“I’ve always seen the way he looked at you, Jules. The way he’d stare when he thought no one was watching. It was sweet.”
Those comments have my throat closing up, making it impossible to breathe.
“So, I’m right? This has something to do with Ryder?”
“Yeah.”
“Were you two seeing each other?” she ventures with a guess.
“For a little bit, but I broke it off.”
Her brows draw together as she pauses her prep. “How come?”
I jerk my shoulders and shift restlessly on the stool. “I don’t want to be a distraction. You heard Dad at lunch. Ryder needs to be one hundred percent focused on hockey.” Even though it hurts my heart, I force out the rest. “Not me.”
She sets the knife down on the plastic cutting board before rounding the massive island and slipping onto the stool next to me. “You’re absolutely right. Ryder needs to focus on his priorities. But I think you’re one of them, sweetie. And that’s not a decision you should make for him. He’s a grown man.” There’s a lengthy pause as she searches my eyes. “I made a similar mistake when your father and I got serious. I broke up with him because I’d thought I was making the right decision, and you know what? It turned out to be the wrong one. For both of us.”
“You did? Really?” This is one part of their story I’ve never heard before. I’d assumed that once they got together it was all roses and rainbows.
Her expression grows solemn. “Yup. It’s one of the worst mistakes I ever made.”
I lean closer. “How did you resolve it?”
“Once I finally realized what I’d done, I booked a ticket to Milwaukee. Then I tracked him down at the hotel where he was staying with your grandfather and begged him to forgive me.”
My lips lift as I imagine the scenario playing out. Mom rushing through an airport and then hauling ass to the hotel. “Since you’ve been married for almost twenty-five years, I assume he forgave you?”
A chuckle escapes from her before she sobers. “He did. But I could have easily ruined the best relationship of my life because I allowed outside influences to get in my head. What I should have done was sit down and discuss the situation with him like a grown adult.”
Everything she just admitted churns inside my brain. Even though I’d been so sure I was making the best decision for both of us, now I’m not so sure.
“Do you think I made a mistake?” I ask softly, almost afraid of the answer.
Her hand flutters over mine. “I don’t know. That’s something you’ll have to decide for yourself.”
I release a steady breath until my lungs are completely empty. For the first time since I broke off my relationship with Ryder, I feel like I have clarity. “Thanks, Mom.”
As she pulls me in for another hug, the door in the mudroom bursts open before slamming shut as Dad’s loud voice booms throughout the kitchen.
“I smell stroganoff! My guess is that someone’s looking to get lucky tonight!”
Mom presses her lips together as her shoulders shake with silent mirth.
Just as Dad rounds the corner, he grinds to an abrupt halt when he catches sight of me in Mom’s arms.
“Oh.” He glances from me to Mom and then back again as a dull flush crawls up his cheeks. “Well…this is certainly awkward.”
Unable to contain ourselves any longer, we burst out laughing.
CHAPTER 35
RYDER
I toss my stick into the holder before unsnapping the strap on my helmet and yanking it off my head. My practice jersey is the next to go before I rip off the pads and toss them inside my locker. Even though the past couple of days have sucked major ass, practice has gone better than expected. The talks I had with both Coach and Brody have helped me to find my footing once again. Instead of second guessing every move I make, I try to follow my instincts and play with the confidence I’ve always had on the ice. Once I started doing that, everything else seemed to fall back into place.
Am I still making mistakes?
Yeah.
But not like before. I’m not freezing up and dumping the puck. I’m able to slow the game down in my head, evaluate my choices and make the best decision I can.
It’s a relief.
More surprising than that, Coach actually complimented me. The first time it happened, I nearly stumbled and ate the ice.
And school’s fine. I’m passing all of my classes. I’ve never been an A student. But I have a solid B GPA and I’m good with it.
So, yeah…
I should be flying high.
The problem is that I’m not.
In fact, I’ve never felt lower.
I drop onto the bench to unlace my skates. As I do, someone grinds to a halt in front of me. I don’t have to glance up to know who it is. I’d recognize Maverick’s scuffed-up Bauers anywhere. The guy could afford the best ones money could buy every six months if he wanted.