Lucky Goal

by Kristen Echo

  Cam missed the shade Benny had thrown her way, but she didn’t. “That was smart of Martin. It’s good you’re here,” he said, looking around the room.

  “I’ll be right back. Benny, follow me. Right now!” Her tone was sharp, surprising her date.

  She let go of Cam’s arm and marched towards the back of the restaurant. She found an open office. He followed her in, and she slammed the door behind them.

  “You self-righteous, arrogant prick. How dare you call me a slut when you’ve probably fucked half the country since we broke up?” Blood pumped through her veins at breakneck speed, whooshing in her ears.

  He gripped her hand, preventing the slap she was about to deliver. “Zero. I haven’t been with a soul since you. Don’t you get it? You’re the only woman I want. I’ll be damned if I let another asshole touch you.” Tucking her arm behind her back, he pulled their bodies flush together.

  There’s no way he’d abstained. Benny had never been a liar, but she couldn’t trust him anymore. “Bullshit!”

  “I will prove I’m not the same coward I was a few years ago.”

  Their lips collided. It took her by surprise, but she responded. Their tongues dueled, and it blew her away. He made her feel more alive than she had in ages.

  One minute she hated him and was screaming, and then next they were twisting tongues and panting. She was so confused, but her body wasn’t. She needed more. Using her free hand, she gripped his ass. His erection pressed against her stomach. Clothing got in the way.

  She wanted him. Only he wanted more than she could give. He told her he wanted everything, including her heart. He wanted them to try again; to be in love again. That would never happen. She couldn’t trust him. She pulled away.

  “That’s just it. You were the strongest person I knew; besides, my dad. Then you both left me. There’s nothing you can do to change the past. You weren’t there when I needed—”

  “Fuck!” He pressed his forehead against hers. “I know I screwed up. Losing your dad, wasn’t something I handled well, and you felt the brunt of it. I made the biggest mistake by shutting you out. By the time I came to my senses you had packed up and left. It took me months to track you down here. Why Winnipeg? It’s so bloody cold here.”

  She laughed. As soon as anyone discovered she wasn’t born in Winnipeg, they always asked why. It was a great city. “Why did you move here?”

  “To be with you again and to win another Cup,” he answered as if it were obvious.

  Beth rolled her eyes. “You had no idea I was here, so don’t lie to me. Your life revolves around hockey and it was a good career move. I moved here to get away from you and the memories. The University of Manitoba accepted my late application.”

  He brought her hands together in front of them and stared into her eyes. “I’ve known you were here for the past year. That’s why I kept my contract the way I did. When the chance to come here opened, my people made it happen. It’s not a coincidence.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “You… how did you know where I was?”

  “I hired a private investigator to track you down. But there was no point trying to get you back until we could give it a shot. Long distance wouldn’t cut it. We had to be in the same city. I needed us to be face to face when I begged you to forgive me.” He gave her a moment to process his words.

  It was a lot to digest. She couldn’t speak. For weeks she’d dreamed he would come to his senses and come back to her. It never happened. She found a way to pick up the pieces of her life. Now here he was saying all the right things.

  “Give us another chance. I’m so fucking sorry I hurt you, and I promise I’ll never hurt you again.” He crossed his heart with his finger.

  “Even as you tell me as this, I’m torn between elation and revulsion. Damn, Benny. You knew I was here and you stayed away. That’s so fucked up.” Her eyes brimmed with tears. “How can I trust you again?” She’d loved this man so completely once, but she was afraid to let that happen again.

  Benny smiled. “You’re the one becoming a psychiatrist. Tell me what to do and consider it done.”

  “I’ve only taken intro classes. I have no idea how to fix what you broke.” She straightened her posture and blinked the tears away. “Trust takes time to build. We can’t repair the damage with one conversation or one kiss.” She traced her swollen lips.

  “I don’t expect it to happen overnight, but go out with me. One date and if you don’t have fun, I’ll back off.”

  She doubted he’d ever quit. Benny wasn’t wired that way. If he wanted her back, he’d have to work for it. She had no intention of making life easy for him. “You make it sound easy, but what you want might not be possible. Not everyone gets a second chance.”

  “We can be happy again. Give it a shot. That’s all I’m asking for.”

  “I’m not saying yes. Let me do some research and think about it.” She reached up on the tip of her toes and brushed her lips against his. The feather light kiss sent a renewed surge through her, but she refused to act on it. Not tonight and maybe never again.

  “I’m intrigued.” He leaned against the wall.

  Beth wiped the lipstick off his lips. “I’m going back to my date, with my friend Cam. Tonight, isn’t about us, so keep your distance. Give me time. I’ll be in touch.” She walked towards the door and looked back with a tentative smile.

  He pushed off the wall and stalked towards her. “Does that mean I can’t interrupt your date and sit with you? I’d rather spend my night with you than anyone here.” His fingers caressed the edge of her lip.

  Goosebumps erupted across her arms. “You’re here to mingle, and I’m here to hang out with my friend. Don’t push your luck. So, like I said, I’ll be in touch.” Beth removed his hand and opened the door. Glancing over her shoulder wasn’t an option. She didn’t want to give him the impression she cared, so she hurried back to Cam’s table.

  Benny respected her wishes and stayed away for the rest of the dinner. That didn’t stop her from sneaking peeks at him every other minute. She was still drawn to him and each kiss revved her engines. The sexual chemistry hadn’t changed, but everything else had. Trust was an integral part of any relationship, and she wasn’t sure they could rebuild that.

  Watching his more admirable qualities shine as he worked the room, made her smile. The way he treated everyone as equals regardless of their status or background. He spent more time talking with the kids than adults. Reminding her that despite the way they ended their relationship, he was a good man at heart. He was worth the effort. If she gave him a chance, she prayed he wouldn’t make a fool of her twice.

  “Can’t take your eyes off him, heh?” Cam nudged her shoulder.

  She snapped her attention back to her date. “Sorry. I’m trying to decide if he’s a good guy or not. We used to date, and he wants us to try again.”

  There was no point in not putting it out there. Cameron might offer a different perspective or insight. As long as he didn’t tell her she was nuts, she’d be happy.

  “I gathered as much when you two disappeared for a while. Does he make you happy?”

  The question loomed, causing uncertainty. “I don’t know. He used to. I’m attracted to him, but he hurt me. A lot. It’s not something I can let go of easily.”

  Cam’s expression turned pensive, as if he carried his own pain. “It might not be about letting it go, so much as finding your way past it. April’s mom and I… it’s a long story for another time. I won’t bore you with the details, but I’ve learned to trust my gut. What’s yours telling you?”

  “My gut? It’s telling me to finish the tiramisu.” She picked up her fork and took a bite. It was a ploy to buy time, and they both knew it.

  “You’re a smart ass. Anyone ever tell you that?” He used his own fork to steal the last bite from her plate.

  Her dad used to call her that all the time. Her chest ached. “You’re not the first. Are you ready to go?”

  He smiled,
and those dimples made a reappearance. Cam had the boy next door look down. “I am. Thanks for coming with me. I wasn’t in the mood to schmooze. When you’re not staring at other dudes, you’re not a bad date.”

  A blush coated her cheeks, and the heat traveled down her neck. “Let’s get out of here.” She stood up and took his offered arm.

  Once she arrived home, she unblocked Benny’s number and sent him a text. She wrote from the heart.

  “It was good to see you.”

  As soon as it showed delivered, she shut off her phone. She pulled out her laptop and typed trust exercises in the search bar. If there was a way to rebuild a broken relationship, she hoped she’d find it.

  CHAPTER NINE

  S he had passed out with her nose on her keyboard. It wasn’t the first time that’d happened and she imagined it wouldn’t be the last as midterms loomed. Only her research had nothing to do with school. As a kid, Beth struggled with school. Every A had been hard earned. She envied the students who rarely studied and still managed a killer GPA.

  “Stop smelling the flowers. We’ll be late if you don’t hurry,” Carly said, waiting by the door. She already had her coat and mittens on.

  Beth zipped her backpack and inhaled the flowers one last time. She’d put the bouquet in a vase on her dresser. Carly had suggested she toss them in the garbage, but she couldn’t. The delicate purple flowers had done nothing wrong.

  “We’ve got plenty of time, but I’m ready.” She pulled on her coat. “Did you check the temperature?” It had been miserably cold the past few days. She held up the thick wool neck warmer and a lighter, more fashionable violet colored scarf.

  “It’s snowing,” Carly answered with a smile. Ever since her roommate got trapped by a blizzard, she smiled every time it snowed. “I don’t trust forecasts anymore, but they said mild. Go with the scarf; it matches your eyes.”

  Her eyes were blue and had a purple hue depending what she wore. “All right. I’m all set,” she replied, wrapping the light cotton around her neck.

  The light flurries dusted everything in white. It added a few extra minutes to their commute, which wasn’t far. They walked into their first class with minutes to spare. She sat down, pulled out her phone and bookmarked a website. It seemed there were plenty of ways to work on trust. She smiled before turning it off.

  “What are you looking up? You’ve been glued to that thing all morning.” Carly tried to swipe the phone from her hand and failed.

  The truth wasn’t going to make her friend happy. Beth wavered back and forth whether to go out with Benny again. He wanted one date. The more she thought about it, the more the idea grew on her, but she wasn’t completely convinced.

  “Don’t hate me, but I’m talking with Benny.” She scrunched her brows and waited for her friend to rip into her.

  “What the fuck for? Wait; let me see if I’ve got this right. He ditched you. Now, years later, he sees you again. You’re looking hotter than ever and he wants a piece. Of course he does. You’re amazing. The part I don’t get is why you’d even give him the time of day,” Carly said, living up to Beth’s expectation.

  “It’s not as simple as you make it seem. We’ve got a lot of history. Plus, we’re both attracted to each other. It’s not one-sided.” She didn’t expect Carly to understand, but she didn’t want it to cause a rift between them.

  Carly pulled her notepad out and tapped her pen against it. “You’re smarter than this. He says he’s sorry and won’t do it again. And you buy it, falling right back onto his cock like nothing ever happened. That’s bullshit. I know you need to get laid but find someone else.”

  “Don’t hold back any punches. Damn. Not that it’s your business, but we haven’t had sex. I have no intention of falling…” In love or otherwise, but she kept that part to herself. “We’re talking. That’s it.”

  Her friend turned and faced her, twirling auburn strands of hair around her pen. “It’s not my place to judge. I’m sure him being in this city is hard for you. Think it through long and hard before you take him back. Make sure he’s worked through whatever demons caused him to be a royal asshole in the first place.”

  Beth laughed at Carly’s choice of words. “Royal heh? He does think he’s king shit sometimes.”

  “All those guys do. I think in order to make it pro they’ve had to accept that they are better than like ninety-nine percent of the other men out there; on the ice. They seem to forget their awesomeness only applies to hockey.”

  “We disagree on that part. It’s not only hockey. Most and I’m not saying all, but a majority of those men kick ass off the ice too. Cameron Smith took me to an event last night where they leverage their names to raise money to help people with disabilities. That’s one of ten charities he supports. I’m sure Theo’s the same. Benny used to do a lot as well. Look at what the Northcote’s do to support mental health.”

  Spence Northcote owned the NHL team in their city and was one of the biggest philanthropists in North America. All the players and staff regarded him with the highest praise. His daughter, Caroline, had a heart as big as her father’s. She was another strong woman Beth admired for chasing her dreams.

  “I’m just saying, someone who only cared about themselves wouldn’t take the time or energy those guys do, to help their communities. Benny was there too. And before you say it’s about the press; it’s not. Outside of the sport they play, they are good people.” Beth was nearly out of breath after her tirade.

  Carly clapped her hands together quietly as the students filled in the last of the empty chairs. “Okay, they walk on water. Regardless, he’s a guy. He’s made mistakes and he’ll make them again. Theo’s an outlier. They don’t make men like him these days. I’m not saying I caught the only good one. I’m trying to get you to protect yourself.”

  She reached over and squeezed her friend’s hand. “I love you for it. But I’ve got my eyes wide open. If he’s serious about a second chance, then he will have to work for it. I’m not going to let my sexual feelings confuse matters. No sex until I’m sure this isn’t a ploy to play me. He has to regain my trust. If he can’t then we’ll be friends.”

  “Good luck with that,” Carly said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “I’m not saying that flippantly either. I want you to be happy. You deserve a good guy and if you think Benny Wilder is one, then I’ll support you any way I can.”

  Hearing her friend offer her support, meant the world to Beth. “Thank you. I haven’t told him yes yet, but I am seriously leaning towards going on a date with him.”

  “Do what you must. I don’t want to say I told you so though.”

  Beth beamed for the rest of the class and throughout the morning. She hadn’t heard from Benny which meant he was giving her the space she asked for. She wanted to have a plan in place for when she would see him next. After spending most of her night researching trust and methods of rebuilding it she was emotionally exhausted.

  Actions had consequences and she refused to pretend his actions hadn’t had a major impact on her psyche. Being abandoned by your partner in your hour of need apparently happened more often than Beth realized. For whatever reason, the human reaction of fight or flight was often beyond control.

  Beth was a fighter. Every difficult situation she’d encountered in life, she’d met head on and fought through it. Benny was a runner. When his dad died unexpectedly, he’d shut down and hid behind the crease. The hockey world gave him the perfect place to disappear.

  Knowing this information helped her understand his decision more. However, it left her thinking she might never be able to depend on him. She didn’t want to have a partner who wouldn’t be there when things got tough. This physiological reaction wasn’t likely to change.

  Once her class finished, she planned to hit the library again and research this reaction in more detail. The more she could learn about why people reacted this way, the more likely they could find a solution. She didn’t want to change Benny, but he couldn’t
repeat this pattern every time life tossed them a roadblock.

  She exited the science building and came face to face with the man she’d been thinking about all day. His good-looks and fame brought the crowds. Despite the snow, there were still dozens of people surrounding his car. Once he spotted her, he stalked towards her. The seas parted giving him direct access. Damn him for coming to her before she was ready.

  “I said I’d be in touch. This is—”

  He lifted her into his arms and kissed her. The kiss was open mouthed and passionate. A kiss meant to show the world they were together. She heard catcalls from the crowd, but she sloughed them off. The slight hair on his face scratched against her cheeks. His lips reminded her of the happiness they’d lost. It hurt, but her body vibrated for more. When he put her back on her feet, her legs wobbled.

  “Hi,” he said. His smile was confident and sexy.

  Her lips tingled. “This is unexpected.” She wanted to be happy to see him, but she wasn’t. This confirmed his lack of respect for her needs. “Why are you here?”

  He threaded their fingers together. If his kiss hadn’t been his way of staking his claim, the handholding confirmed his intentions. “As soon as practice ended, I wanted to see you; even if it’s only for a few minutes. We’ve been apart for so long; I don’t want to miss another moment.”

  No sweeter words had been said to her. Her heart did a happy dance. Her brain and her heart were still at war. “I asked for time, yet here you are.”

  He tried to pull her towards his car, but she dug in her heels and refused to move. “Can we talk without prying eyes?”

  They both looked at the sea of onlookers. His fame had never bothered her, until now. She wasn’t ready to see him, but part of her was ecstatic that he was there. Her emotions were all over the place and she wanted him to be just as rattled.

  A click of a button later and his silver Audi SUV roared to life. He assumed she’d go along with his request. She used to do everything he said, but out of principal she refused to let him dictate the terms of their union.