by Lane Martin
“You can go,” I told my roomie with a scowl, before turning my attention back to a glassy-eyed Eden.
“Don’t you need a ride home?” The smirk on his face told me he was enjoying this far too much.
“I’m not going anywhere, but you are. Bye, Vanz.” He snatched the bottle of tequila off the table before saluting us with his middle finger as he walked out the door.
Devin lifted Kassie off the couch. “Let’s get you home, gorgeous.”
“And naked.” She giggled before dropping her head on his chest and mumbling something about his “big stick.”
“Jesus, babe.” Devin grinned at her, then turned to me and said, “That one is all yours,” as he tilted his head toward Eden. Yes, she was.
“Let’s get you to bed, sweetheart.” When Barrett lifted his girl off the sofa, she sighed and snuggled into him. Meanwhile, Eden and I just stared at each other. Barrett nudged my shoulder with his as he walked by with Adelaide in his arms and said, “Take the shot. It’ll be worth it.”
“Planning on it, Cap.” I knew being with Eden wouldn’t be easy. But I also knew, if she just let me in, it would be so worth it. Alone in the McGills’ living room, I moved toward her. “Let’s go.” My voice was gruffer than I meant it to be, but honestly, I was tired of the nonsense and tired of missing my girl.
“Are you going to spank me for being a naughty girl?” Eden stumbled as she got off the sofa but righted herself before crossing her arms over her flat stomach and pouting out her bottom lip like a petulant child. My cock swelled at her provocative suggestion in that sexy voice. He perked right up like a dog when he heard its master, which pissed me the hell off. As much as my dick didn’t mind Eden playing games, my heart couldn’t take it. And I wasn’t about to let her cheapen what we had by making it about sex. Sure, it might have started that way when I equated Eden to the words naked and sin, but it sure wasn’t how I felt now.
Sex was easy. Insert tab A into slot B. It was the other pieces that were complicated, and Eden Snow was a puzzle with thousands of pieces. The problem was I didn’t have the complete picture of what I was working on yet.
She swayed a little as she made her way out the back door in front of me and I groaned. Her ass wiggling in front of me wasn’t helping anything. Down, boy.
“You’d probably like it if I did put you over my knee.” She started at my words, which caused her to stumble on the stairs going up to her apartment. I caught her around the waist and steadied her. “Easy, baby.” Eden melted into me. I was a step lower, putting her ear directly at my mouth. “I’m not going to let you push me away, Eden,” I whispered before sucking her ear lobe into my mouth and lifting her into my arms. I didn’t stop until I set her down on her bed. She protested with a whimper when I backed away.
“Where are you going?” God, she looked sexy as hell sprawled out on her bed.
“To get you some water and Tylenol. You and Don Julio might be best friends right now, but in the morning, he'll be gone and you’ll be cursing all things Hecho in Mexico.”
“Never. Tacos are life.” She giggled before going serious and falling back on her bed and covering her face. “You’ll be the one that’s gone.” What the actual fuck? I wasn’t going anywhere.
I tried to calm myself as I poured her a glass of water. I remembered what Beau had told me one night after our nightly reading of Harry Potter. He said, “One day, you will have a love so powerful it will leave a mark.” Of course, at the time, I thought it was ridiculous. All I could imagine was the lightning bolt scar on Harry’s forehead. Beau told me I might not be able to see it outwardly, but he assured me I would feel it. My brother wasn’t wrong. Eden had already left her mark on me. Not for the first time, it made me wonder if Beau had ever felt that kind of love himself or if he’d never had the chance to find it. Beau had so much more life to live. It wasn't fair, but it was reality. I couldn’t do anything to bring my brother back, but I could live my life without regrets and what-ifs. Now if I could just get to the bottom of why Eden refused to believe she deserved love and why she was so sure I wouldn’t be there for her.
“Eden?” Jesus, except for a little triangle of lace covering the junction between her legs, she was naked and passed out in her bed. “Well, shit,” I cursed as I kicked off my shoes and stripped out of my jeans and shirt before climbing into bed with her and pulling her close to me. I was determined to get this resolved before we ever left this bed again.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I moved cautiously as to not wake Eden and fished it out of my jeans. The text from our coach was exactly what I had been waiting for, but his timing fucking sucked.
Perkins: Belenov will be a game-time decision. We leave at seven.
Holy shit! My NHL debut might have been only hours away. It was five in the morning and Eden was still curled up against me. It should have been the best feeling in the world, except we still hadn’t talked, and I needed to roll if I was going to make it by seven.
“Eden.” I kissed the top of her head, and she snuggled closer, which wasn’t exactly the reaction I was hoping for. I tried again. “Baby I love you, but I need to go. Chances are, I might be playing tonight.” I pressed my lips against her temple. She still didn’t wake. I was running out of options. Carefully I extracted myself from her hold and quickly got dressed. I refilled the water on her bedside table, left her two Tylenol, and a note.
I didn’t know what was worse, the hangover or the reminder that he’d left me with just a glass of water and painkillers on my nightstand. The pills might help my head, but they wouldn’t help my heart. Nothing would. I must have been dreaming when I thought he’d held me in his arms and told me he loved me.
I checked my phone. Nothing. Just what I was expecting. It was the story of my life. I drank down the water and tossed the pills in my mouth before making my way to the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like hell. It seemed like an eternity since I had been gushing with my girlfriends the night before about Rhett. We laughed and laughed, and for once I started to believe that, like Adelaide and Kassie, maybe I could have it all too. “You don’t get the happily ever after,” I told the pathetic girl I saw looking back at me in the mirror before I jumped in the shower and washed away the tequila and any hope of a future with Rhett.
“Today’s a big day!” One we had been really working hard on. I loved Kassie’s passion for helping kids. I was lucky to be working with her, let alone earning college credits for it. Her foundation meant the world to me. It had been fantastic working with her, and I loved the fact that I had been involved from the very beginning. While she was busy working out the logistics and money, my focus had been on the participants. Today we were taking applications for the initial test group at a local school. We had a program application, but we didn’t want it to deter those who could benefit most from the program. From personal experience, I appreciated just how hard it could be to ask for help.
I hadn’t heard from Rhett in three days. Adelaide told me he was traveling with the team because the starting goalie, Alex Belenov, was fighting an injury that could sideline him. Rhett hadn’t played yet, and I was mad at myself for knowing that tidbit of information. Hurt caused by his radio silence quickly morphed into anger. The team was home, and I would see him face to face later that day because Kassie had asked Rhett to be a part of the selection committee since he designed the educational plan for the program. Our goal was to help the participants in all aspects of life. With Rhett’s degree in education and his experience on the ice, we thought he was the perfect person to represent the actual players. Another plus was that he wasn’t recognizable like Barrett or Devin. Not yet anyway.
“Devin got home last night.” She smirked and wiggled her eyebrows. The reminder was like having an ice-cold bucket of water thrown on me. The dark cloud over me must have been visible because Kassie quickly added, “Shit, Eden. I’m sorry.”
My anger was irrational. Rhett didn’t owe me anything. I didn’t
want a relationship. In my head, I recognized it was for the best; the problem was my stupid heart. The thing skipped a beat the moment he walked in the door. Like us, he was dressed in jeans and a Little Miners hoodie. Was there anything he didn’t look good in? His hands were stuffed in his front pockets and he had yet to look up when he came to a stop where we were.
“Ladies, where do you want me?” He finally lifted his head. He looked at Kassie first and gave her a small smile before looking at me. His smile instantly fell, only I couldn’t tell what emotion had replaced the happiness. The fact that he was unreadable just upset me further. He was the one who had left town without a word. Yes, I knew he was traveling and working, but we all carried those little things called cell phones. I knew they worked both ways, but he was the one who had left, not me.
“Are you ready to open the doors they are getting restless outside?” The principal had aimed her question at Kassie, who replied, “as ready as we'll ever be,” before we took our spots behind the table and the doors opened.
“He’s amazing with the kids.” Matthew’s sister Letitia swooned while she looked over at where Rhett was talking to two potential candidates, Tyler and Matthew. She was sweet. Letitia was just the type of girl Rhett needed, and she loved hockey. She’d be the perfect girl to sit in the stands and cheer him on. She could give him what I never could.
“He is. He’s single too.” Kassie gave me look and shook her head before returning her attention to her paperwork without saying a word.
“Oh.” Letitia’s coloring now matched her scarlet sweater. Yeah, she was cute. “Matty, we need to get going,” she yelled at her brother. “Anyway, it was nice talking to you two. I hope Matt and Tyler get in the program. It sounds like it would be an amazing opportunity for them. I know you have our information, but here’s my number if you think of any other questions you have for me.” Letitia jotted down her digits and handed me the small piece of paper she’d written them on.
Rhett, Matt, and Tyler joined us from the other table. Of all the families that had come to apply for the program, they were the last ones on the premises. Kassie stood and began to put her laptop and paperwork in her bag. “Let me walk out with you, Letitia. Eden, can you and Rhett grab the equipment?” Bitch was out the door before we could argue with her. Rhett and I were alone. I started shoving sticks into the equipment bags as fast as I could, so I could get away from him as soon as possible. He followed suit. What the hell was his problem? He left me.
“Here, this is for you.” I tossed the bag over my shoulder and threw Letitia’s number at him as I walked by.
“What the hell, Eden?” Rhett ran after me and grabbed me by the arm, stopping me in my tracks. So much for making a quick exit. “You’re kidding me, right? I poured my heart out to you and you give me another girl’s phone number.” He looked so hurt.
“What are you talking about?” The last thing I remembered about our previous conversation was something about tacos.
“Unbelievable. Are you really going to stand there and act like you don’t know what you did? I was ready, Eden. What about my gift? Did you even open it?”
I shook my head no. I’d wanted to open it with him after we talked. “I wanted—”
“I gotta go.” He didn’t even let me finish. Like everyone else before him who was supposed to love me, Rhett Crawford walked out the door and didn’t look back.
I second-guessed myself as I pounded on the door again. My fist throbbed as the door shook. I could have just called Rhett. Hell, I should have just called Rhett, but it wasn’t enough. I didn’t know how I’d ever believed for even a moment that he just left me after he’d held me in his arms all night. Rhett wasn’t the type of guy who said things he didn’t mean. I knew it had a lot to do with losing his brother. His time and his words were precious to him. I hoped he didn’t think he’d wasted either on me. He said he loved me. I prayed to God I wasn’t too late.
“Sprout?” Mr. Lawrence asked upon opening the door to the back of the practice facility and training center. “Are you all right, darlin’?” Upon seeing me, his face transformed from annoyed to concerned. “Rhett’s out of town with the team.” Again. They had just left.
Just hearing his name brought fresh tears to my eyes. I was a lot of things, but I never considered myself a fool until today. When Rhett had left me at the school, I’d felt like I was missing something. I found his note under my bed when I pulled out his Christmas gift that had been tucked away underneath it. I should have known Rhett wouldn’t just leave like that, especially considering what had happened with his brother. I was an idiot.
Eden – You are everything Beau said you would be and more. You haven’t just left a mark on me, but you have shown me what kind of man I want to be. I want to be a man you are proud to call yours, one who stands by your side and gives you strength when you feel weak. At those times, I may feel the urge to carry you, but instead I will let you lean on me because you are strong and brave and beautiful inside and out. I want you to spend every second of each day knowing you are loved and cherished. Tomorrow isn’t promised, so I will count myself blessed for each day I get to love and be loved by you. Our love has the power to make anything possible. I’m here for you, Eden. Always. I wish I could stay here with you in my arms until you understand the depths of my feelings for you, but I need to go meet up with the team. I love you. Call me. Please.
Forever yours,
Rhett
I read it until I couldn’t read anymore. I held his thoughtful Christmas gift and the now wet from my tears note to my chest and cried some more. The man told me he loved me, and I kicked him out of my apartment. Then he came back and left me this beautiful note. Not only did I not call him, but I practically threw another woman at him the first chance I got. I was a complete asshole. Coming here was irrational, but I had to show Rhett my true feelings with my actions because at this point, my words didn’t mean shit.
“You’re making me nervous, Sprout. What’s going on? What can I do to help you?” Mr. Lawrence, who had always been so kind to me, showed me in and closed the door behind me. It was funny how I immediately felt the calm wash over me. I never thought I would step foot on the ice again, but in that moment, I believed it was the one thing I could do that would prove to Rhett he wasn’t wrong about me. His love didn’t just mean something to me, it meant everything.
“I need some help. I was hoping you could get me in contact with Mr. Carroll.” They say to go big or go home, and it didn’t get much bigger than tracking down Mr. Bud Carroll, the owner of the Miners, to help me.
“I can do better than that. Mr. Carroll is here. He doesn’t like his big fancy office. Bud likes to be near the ice—it’s in his blood.” Apparently, he wasn’t the only one. I took a deep breath, the cold filling my lungs, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like I could breathe.
Mr. Lawrence led me to Mr. Carroll’s office. His door was wide open, and the moment he saw us approach, he stood and offered a wide smile in our direction. “Well, if it isn’t Eden Snow. I wasn’t sure I would ever see you again after our last encounter.” The last time I was there, it had been evident that Mr. Carroll recognized me, but the gentleman hadn’t put up an argument or made a scene when I had interjected my new last name. Instead, he shook my hand and told me what a pleasure it was to meet me. He also encouraged me to come back again. As an NHL team owner, the man had lived through a scandal or two himself. What happened with me was a long time ago, when I was just an innocent child. But in my mind, everything about my former life was still tainted. It was old news to everyone else, but to me sometimes it felt like it was just yesterday.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you, but I was hoping you could give me some assistance.”
Mr. Carroll looked between Mr. Lawrence and me briefly before offering us both a seat. “What can I do for you Eden?” An ex-player himself, Mr. Carroll was a large man, but as he sat behind his desk waiting for my answer, he wasn’t intimidating in
the least.
“First off, I need you to know Rhett has no idea I’m here and I’d like it to stay that way.” I took a deep breath. “I’m not typically one to ask for help.” Mr. Lawrence barked out a laugh, prompting me to turn to him and ask, “Why is that so funny?”
“I’ve known you since you were knee-high to a grasshopper. Do you have any idea how many times I saw you try a double axel-double toe loop before you stuck your first one?” The man shook his head at me. “More times than I can count, Sprout. You’re about the most stubborn person I’ve ever met.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle as I admitted to both men, “And that’s exactly why I’m here. Rhett…” God, I sounded like a tween fangirling over her latest obsession when I said his name so dreamily. “Well, somehow, he managed to fall in love with me.” I pulled my lower lip between my teeth. “Actually, we fell in love with each other.” It felt good to finally say it out loud.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Mr. Carroll leaned forward in his seat, giving me his full attention and a genuine smile.
“No,” I quickly corrected. Being loved by Rhett was the best thing that ever happened to me. “It’s amazing, but as Mr. Lawrence pointed out, I’m a teeny tiny bit stubborn.” I held up my thumb and index finger spaced just a fraction of an inch apart. “He might have told me he loved me, but I might not have told him back, and I might have tried to set him up with another girl,” I squeaked out, cringing as I recalled the incident.
“Tossed the baby out with the bathwater,” Mr. Lawrence observed as I sunk down in my chair.
“Used a sledgehammer to crack a nut,” Mr. Carroll agreed.
“Cut off your nose to spite your face,” Mr. Lawrence continued with a snigger.