by Toni Aleo
“Okay, I will,” she said softly in the phone, making it hard to hang up.
“Will you be at the game this afternoon?”
She paused. “Maybe.”
“Maybe I’ll look for you.”
“Maybe I’ll like that.”
He smiled. “All right, talk to you later.”
“Bye, Karson.”
Before he could say, “I love you,” he said, “Bye, baby,” then quickly hung up. He didn’t want to say something that would scare her off, but he was pretty sure she knew he was still completely in love with her. So really, he should have just said it and hoped that she said it back. Rolling his eyes as he thought he was acting like a lovesick fool, he finished getting ready before heading to the media room with a little more pep to his step than normal. It was to be expected though; he was on the road to having his love back.
He was almost to the room when he heard, “Hey, King.”
He stopped and turned back to see the captain of the Assassins coming toward him. Shea Adler took up most of the room wherever he stood, being bigger than Karson. Most of the guys feared him, but thankfully, Karson had gotten in good with the captain and stayed on his good side. There wasn’t a Sunday during the off-season when he wasn’t at the Adler home, enjoying a home-cooked meal by Mrs. Adler and playing with the many Adler kiddos.
“Adler, what’s up?”
“Hey, I don’t know if Elli told you, but they are asking all of us about the new jerseys and shit. Make sure you say you like them.”
Karson was a little confused. The jerseys had come out during the summer and were a hit with the fans. He was partial to the new one, thought the logo of the Assassin with the Nashville Skyline surrounding him instead of coming out of his arms was a little more believable and way more badass. More like the Assassin was protecting the city from the other hockey teams that came to steal their chances at the Cup. At least, that’s the way he thought. They were still the signature purple and black, so he really didn’t see a problem.
Nodding his head to reassure his captain, he said, “I do like them.”
Shea paused. “Oh, good, then say that.”
Karson laughed. “Will do.”
“Good, and you’re not flying to St. Louis with us?”
He shook his head. “Nope, I have some business to take care of here.”
“Cool,” he said with a nod. “Can I ask what? It’s not your sister, right?”
Karson nodded with a grin growing on his face. Shea was that kind of guy, always making sure his people were good. Karson liked that. “Yeah, my sister isn’t here right now. She is back in Wisconsin, training for the Olympics.”
“Oh, cool, so why are you flying on your own?”
“I met up with an old friend. Wanted to spend some time with her.”
Shea smiled. “Good enough reason, I’d say.”
“The best, I think.”
“Awesome, you did good this morning. Way better than yesterday.”
No clue why, he thought with a grin.
“Thanks. Got my head on straight last night.”
And he hoped it stayed that way.
“Old friend?”
Karson laughed. “Yup.”
“Well, God bless her and keep her around. I want to win tonight,” he said before clapping him on the shoulder.
“That’s the plan.”
With a nod, he asked, “Are you coming to lunch with us?”
Karson shrugged. He hadn’t planned to, but he was always hungry. “Sure.”
“Good, I’ll text you the address.”
“Thanks, see you in a bit,” Karson said as Shea walked away.
Walking the rest of the way to the media room, he thought about calling Lacey and seeing if she wanted to go to lunch, but she probably had to work or something, and it was tradition to eat with the guys. Reaching the door, he went to open it, but before he could, it opened and before him stood over two hundred pounds of anger.
“Grady,” he said, meeting the gaze of his ex-best friend and Lacey’s big brother.
Grady was his right-hand man when they were younger. Karson could sail the puck up the ice, and Grady would be there to get it before scoring perfectly. They were the dynamic duo, as Coach had called them, but that ended quickly when he started dating Grady’s baby sister. Grady didn’t want anything to do with Karson as soon as that happened, and since Karson decided that Lacey was more important than his friendship with her brother, he didn’t mourn the loss. He figured if Grady really was his friend, he would have supported them, but he did the opposite and that was fine. What wasn’t fine was the fact that he’d kept Lacey from him, and because of that, there was no love lost between the two.
“Fuck off, King.”
Karson nodded as he stepped out of the way for him. “Nice to see you too.”
He glared back at him before heading down the hall. If Lacey and he did get back together, it wasn’t going to be easy, not with him being the center of her brother’s and father’s hatred. He knew how much her family meant to her. That’s why he’d never told her the real reason he left her all those years ago. But tonight he would have to; he had promised her he would.
And he would be lying if he said he wasn’t scared out of his mind.
“You’re a dick, dude.”
Karson laughed as he looked over at JT. “Why is that?” he asked as they headed toward the restaurant that Shea had texted him. He’d had a great interview and felt good about his response about the jersey. He hoped Mrs. Adler was happy with him. Always wanted to stay in her good graces.
Happy owner, not a goner, was his motto.
But Elli was pretty great to work for, if you called playing hockey work. She was very supportive and everyone loved her; it was hard not to. Burrowing tighter in his jacket, he took in a deep breath before letting it out, a little cloud forming around his mouth. The air was frigid, but it was expected since it was the beginning of winter in Chicago.
Throwing his hands up, JT exclaimed, “You just left last night. I had to take two girls back to the room to make sure you got one, and then you weren’t even there? What happened to you?”
Karson scoffed. “I bet that was such a hardship. Thanks for taking one for the team,” he said, but JT must have not heard the sarcasm dripping from his words.
“No problem, anytime,” he said with a grin. “But really, what happened? You came to practice in the same clothes you wore out last night, which meant you slept somewhere else, but I thought you didn’t sleep with anyone in this town because of that Laney chick.”
“Lacey, and I don’t.”
“Then who were you with?”
His grin grew. “Lacey.”
JT stopped, his brows coming in as he stroked his long beard. “You slept with the same girl who has had you fucked up for the last nine years?”
Karson nodded. “Yeah.”
“’Cause that is normal. How the hell did that happen?”
Karson laughed. “I got in the cab and she was there.”
“So you slept with her?”
“Not there, but I kissed her and she took me back to her place.”
“Holy fuck, it wasn’t weird?”
He shook his head. “Hell no, it was great. It was like we hadn’t been apart for the last nine years. She was mine again.”
“That’s so bizarre,” JT said with a shake of his head. “That doesn’t happen, you know? It’s like a fluke. I hope you aren’t thinking it’s for real. It was probably just a final bang-out.”
Karson was shaking his head before JT even finished talking. “It is real. We’re meeting again tonight.”
“So that’s why you aren’t flying with us,” he said and Karson nodded.
“I have to see where this goes. We have to discuss some shit and see if we can make it work. I want her, JT, like seriously. She is my one regret. I can’t let her go.”
“Why is she your regret though? You could have gone after her.”
JT laughed. “So you think this is it? You’re not scared anymore? You believe again?”
Karson glared. JT was such a cynic, didn’t believe in shit but falling cock-first in any willing female. He wasn’t one to judge though, he’d done the same thing since walking away from Lacey, but at least he believed in love. JT didn’t.
“I never stopped believing, asshole.”
“You should, like a pussy,” he said, deadpan. “So I guess my partner in crime is done for? You’re going to marry the girl, have little Karsons, and forget all about me, huh?”
Karson grinned. “Jealous much?”
“Not at all. I just know the truth and know how much this chick means to you. You’ve done nothing but say, ‘She’s the one I let go, and when I see her again, I won’t let her go. I’ll marry her and make her mine.’”
He did say that a lot, especially when he was drunk or in Chicago.
Scoffing, JT said, “I am kissing our relationship goodbye now. We should probably start spending less time together.”
“You’re an asshole,” Karson said with a shake of his head.
“Whatever, you know I’m right. You might as well go into that Tiffany’s and get the girl a ring. You know you want to,” he said, pointing to the Tiffany store that was across the street from the restaurant Shea and some of the guys were waiting at.
“You’re fucking nuts,” he laughed.
It wasn’t that the thought hadn’t passed through his brain. It would be so easy to ask her to marry him and be his. It would be a blessing, but how could he expect that? They didn’t even know each other now. Okay, that wasn’t entirely true; he knew he still loved her, so that was enough, but there was no way he was asking her to marry him. That was insane.
Right?
JT laughed. “Oh, lookie here, maybe it isn’t real. Maybe you are just in it for the pussy.”
Karson’s blood went hot. Taking a step toward JT, he sneered, “Fuck you, dude. I love her.”
JT’s hand shot up in defense. “Prove it. Put your money where your mouth is. You’ve been talking about this chick since I met you. She is ‘the one,’ so do what you know you want to and stop being a pussy.”
Rolling his eyes, Karson took a step back and reached for the door. Looking back at him, he said, “Why do you even care? You obviously don’t believe in this shit.”
JT shrugged, his fingers threading in the woodsman beard of his. “I want my friends to be happy, and contrary to your belief, you are the only best friend I got. Apparently, I come off as an asshole.”
“You do.”
“Yeah, so I know what makes you happy, and nothing has for the last three years I’ve known you. But when you talk about that girl, you’re happy. Don’t lose that, dude, or you’ll end up alone.”
He’d never expected JT to say that and couldn’t help but think he was speaking from experience, not that JT would ever tell him if he had. JT was a private kind of guy, didn’t let anyone in, and it was surprising that he considered Karson a best friend. But maybe he was right. Looking down at the ground, he took in a deep breath and let it out.
“She probably doesn’t even love me anymore. I would be dumb to assume she would marry me.”
“You’d be dumb to assume she wouldn’t. She obviously loves you. Girls like her don’t sleep around for the hell of it. You forget that we’ve been drunk a lot together, and I know yours and her story.”
He did know. He knew everything, the cancer, the whirlwind romance, and the soul-deep connection. Lacey was—is—his everything. Looking past JT to the Tiffany’s, he let out another breath.
Maybe he was right.
Or maybe he was a complete idiot.
Karson wasn’t sure, but for some crazy reason, his feet started moving and he brushed past JT, heading straight for the jewelry story that possibly held the ring he’d give to Lacey.
When he heard the footsteps behind him, he found JT running to catch up. Smiling at him, he said, “I get to pick it out.”
Karson rolled his eyes. “I’m not getting anything. Just checking things out.”
“Sure you are, but really, I get to pick it.”
“Fuck off, Thomas, you aren’t picking anything.”
JT laughed. “No, I am, and when you give it to her, make sure you let her know that your firstborn will be named Jordie.”
“You are fucking unbelievable,” Karson groaned as he pulled open the door to Tiffany’s.
JT’s laughter followed Karson in before he said, “What’s unbelievable is the fact that I convinced you to get a ring for a girl you haven’t seen in almost ten years!”
Yup, Jordie Thomas was an asshole.
And Karson might be an idiot for listening to him, but he couldn’t help but feel like his best friend was right. Now all he could do was hope and pray that Lacey would be on board.
In her trusty Martin, number twenty-one jersey, Lacey bit the inside of her cheek as she headed out the side door to the elevator that took her to the box where her father and Rachel and the boys would be. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She knew as soon as she got up there, everyone would know that something was up, and that made her body quiver with nerves. She really didn’t know what she was doing here because if her dad found out that something was going on with Karson, he would flip his lid. He had made it known through the years when she would bring him up or if he came up in conversation that he would die before he would let Karson King near his baby girl again.
Well, sorry, Daddy, but I’m in deep with whom you consider to be the devil.
And she didn’t feel the least bit wrong for it. She did, however, spend the whole day in knots about coming not only to the arena but going out for drinks afterward. She was nervous. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen. What he was going to say. What she was going to say. But she knew she had to go. Needed to go. After cleaning herself up and then being mad at herself for doubting him, she’d decided to take a trip down memory lane. She wasn’t sure why she did that, but for some reason, she felt the undying need to.
Getting out the red and black box she had decorated with pictures of them, she sat in the middle of her bed and looked at each picture, every single letter, email, and everything that had anything to do with their relationship. It was like she relived their relationship all over again through all the documentation she had. When she got to the bottom of the box that held the shirt she went home in after they had sex for the first and only time, her body caught on fire with the memory of that moment. She still remembered it like it was only yesterday.
“Karson,” Lacey whispered. He looked down to see her and smiled.
“Yeah?”
“If you asked me to go with you when you leave, I’d go without hesitation.”
She could see that that surprised him. “Really?”
She nodded. “I don’t want to be apart from you, and I can go to school wherever you get picked up. I’ll take out loans and get a job. It will work as long as we have each other, right?”
“Yeah, it will.”
With a grin, she said, “Good, ’cause I think so, too.”
As she cuddled into him, Karson wrapped his arms a little tighter around her, placing sweet kisses against her chest and then her neck before looking up into her eyes. “Hey, Lacey?”
“Yeah?” she whispered against his lips.
“Will you go with me wherever I go?”
She didn’t even hesitate; looking into the eyes she loved more than anything, she said, “Yes.”
“Good, baby,” he said against her lips, kissing her over and over again. She felt immersed in his love but yet scared for their future. It might be hard; it could go all wrong, but she couldn’t help but feel it would be all worth it
as long as it was with him.
Kissing her chest, he ran his finger down the center on it, right down the spot that would be a valley if she had breasts. When he looked up at her, all she saw was love, and it left her breathless as he said, “As much as I want to sit here and just memorize your gorgeous body, I need you to get dressed before Grady gets back.”
She smiled as she agreed. He was right, and if Grady did find them like this, he would lose his shit. Getting out of the bed, she helped him get dressed and then he did the same to her, but instead of reaching for her shirt, he reached for his Chicago Cats tee that had his number on the back. Sliding it over her body, he smiled when he met her gaze.
“I love seeing my number on you.”
She cuddled into the large shirt before cuddling into his chest. “I love you so much.”
He moved his nose slowly up hers, his eyes never leaving hers as he whispered, “Nothing could ever measure the amount of love I have for you, and nothing in this world could change that. I love you, Lacey Martin, and I am going to give you the life you deserve. Me and you, against everything.”
Pausing at the door, Lacey let her head drop back as she swallowed the tears that were begging to fall. It had all seemed so perfect, almost magical, and honestly she didn’t know how it went so fucking wrong. Shaking her head, she took in a deep breath before reaching for the door that led to the box where her family would be. As soon as the door opened, everyone turned to look, and while the boys were happy to see her, her father and Rachel both looked as if they had just seen a ghost.
“Aunt Lacey!” the boys chimed as they ran to her, hugging her tightly around the legs. She grinned as she bent down, kissing them both on their noses. They both wore their daddy’s jersey, matching Lacey and Rachel. Her father wore an expensive, Italian suit, always wanting to make an impression.
“Hey guys,” she said, kissing them again. “Ready for the game?”
They both nodded quickly. “We are gonna win!” Zander exclaimed.
“Daddy is going to score us a goal!” Flynn informed her.