“Yeah, I’ll tell her,” Jared says about his housekeeper.
“You’re going to need a new girlfriend.”
“I’m not in a hurry.”
“You need to find someone new before Ms. Obsessive comes back into your life.”
“If you’re worried that I’d take her back, I won’t.”
“She’s smart. She’ll find a way to be with you.”
“Nah, it’s over,” he says.
“Because you told her it was over?”
“I gave her her things and told her we don’t belong together.”
“Did she cry?”
“Yeah, she cried. She sobbed. Told me I was making a big mistake.”
“It’s her way to rope you in. I didn’t like her the moment I met her. There was something about her. She has those crazy eyes. I don’t trust her. Maybe when I’m there I can help you find someone.”
“I do fine on my own.”
“Sure you do. That’s why you’re single and attract women like Ms. Obsessive.”
“This is why I don’t tell you half my life story because you’re so critical of my decisions.”
“Someone has to look out for you. You’re living in Vancouver all alone.”
“I’m on the road most of the time.”
“I suppose. Do you miss home?”
“I haven’t been home since I was fifteen. I look forward to company.” Jared stares out at the water fountain that’s situated in the middle of the driveway. When will he meet someone genuine who will love him for him? He loves this house, but would love it even more if it was filled with his own family. “I don’t know why I bought this house.” He scratches his head. Buying it might have been a mistake. He could have bought a penthouse downtown; it would have had little upkeep. When he was presented with the house among many others, he was drawn to the four-car garage, games rooms, and home theater. “I have an empty swimming pool, five bedrooms—three that are left empty—and dishes I’ve never used.”
“You have a beautiful home,” Jane says softly. “People dream about living like you do.”
“I don’t take it for granted.”
“It’s how we were raised. You’ve earned it. Don’t forget your dedication and hard work that went into paying for what you have.”
“I don’t remember my late teen years. I was on the ice for most of them.”
“Look where it’s gotten you,” she says.
“Sometimes I feel lucky.” Jared rubs his forehead. “I still think about Luke.”
“So do I.”
“Lately I’ve wondered why I lived and not Luke.”
“It wasn’t you who was in that boat, Jare. When are you going to stop blaming yourself for what happened?”
“I tried helping . . .”
“I know you did. You did everything you could.”
Jared sighs, getting into his car. It was a time in his life he couldn’t forget. Every detail, every scream that came out of his mouth trying everything to get Luke to respond to him was burned into his mind.
“It’s been ten years,” he says, trying to justify his loss.
“I know. It’s still hard. Doesn’t seem that long ago.”
“I remember the day like yesterday.”
“Where does the time go?”
Jared is quiet. As the years go by it’s harder to accept that Luke will never experience all his hopes and dreams the way Jared’s life was going for him. He thought he’d be stuck on some farm team and Luke would be the one playing in the NHL. Now Jared can see he has the life his cousin wanted, just not a family he thought he’d have by now. Most of the guys on the team were married with kids. From the stories he heard from teammates, most guys had children in their twenties. There was nothing stopping them when they had the money to make their dreams come true. Why wasn’t Jared so lucky with women? They came and went like the rain on the West Coast: some stayed longer than planned. There was never anyone he felt he could be with for the long-term.
“Ten years isn’t that long,” she says. “Not when you miss someone.”
Jared scratches his forehead, elbow resting on the steering wheel. “I don’t know where the time has gone.” Calgary, Carolina, and now his second season with Vancouver.
“If you have a girlfriend by the time I come out, I want to meet her.”
“So you can grill her?”
“Someone has to. The last one got away with too much.”
Jared throws his head back and stares out at the cloudy sky.
Meghan comes to mind. Her red toenails pressed against the carpeted concrete floor. He remembers, without her heels on, she stood up to his chest. Petite, but made of fire. He wants her. He is sure he can make her putty in his hands, starting with a foot rub. She turns him on. She is pretty with green eyes and a soft glowing complexion. He wants to know who Meghan is. Although he won’t be with just anyone; he learned that recently and won’t go down that road again. He is done with the immature dating. He wants someone he can count on. A woman who is willing to stand by him. Love him for who he is and is secure with herself. There have been plenty of women who have thrown themselves at him. It’s sometimes flattering like the time he had a few too many beers and the woman he met at the pub was a gorgeous blond who knew what she wanted and what she could give him. That was the old Jared. This time, he wanted someone real. Someone he could count on and connect with. He didn’t know Meghan, but she kept playing on his mind. She was sexy and if she didn’t know it, he wanted to show her how he felt about her. That was the challenge. He needed to show her that he was attracted to her. Would she be interested in him?
“Do you remember Lindsay? The one I used to work with? She was asking about you.”
“Lindsay? I don’t recall.”
“She wanted to know how you were doing. Next time you’re home I’ll set you up.”
“That won’t be for a while.”
“When you play Ottawa, maybe there might be a night.”
“You know I don’t have much time when I’m in a city. We play a game and depending on how far it is, we fly out the next day. You know that.”
“She’s nice, you’d like her.”
“Why are you bringing this up now? You didn’t mention her when I was visiting in the summer or any other time I’m there. Is she newly single or something?”
“Yeah, she just broke up with her boyfriend.”
“Okay, Jane, I have to run. I gotta get to an event.”
“I expect you to introduce me to one of your lady friends.”
“My lady friends?”
“I want to make sure you’re on the right track.”
“Thanks for that.” Jared hangs up, satisfied that Jane called. It always means a lot to him when his family calls, making them feel not so far away.
Jared drives to the event held at a car dealership located on the outskirts of town, where the Warriors Heroes Campaign is taking place. Meghan had sent an e-mail to all the players asking if they could attend. He replied with a yes, knowing that he needs to continue to make some appearances in this city if he wants to be liked.
Jared gets out of his car and checks his phone because Meghan had specific instructions where to park, what entrance to use, and where the Warriors’ tent is set up. Jared sees the blue tent a mile away, including balloons and music from the dedicated parking lot.
For the beginning of October, the weather is blue sky and cool. He walks through the lot, taking in the amount of people there and what exactly is going on. A clown is playing with balloons creating a buzz around the children’s tent and the salesmen have their hands behind their backs, pacing the lot, smiling, trying to make eye contact with the guests at the event.
Jared stays focused, getting closer to the Warriors’ tent, where he sees his buddies chatting to one another. Security is making lineups for people to talk to his teammates and by the looks of things, it’s going well. There is one woman, hanging about, mostly to the side of the tent. The toe
of her boot is circling the pavement, her hands tucked into her coat pockets, looking every bit model-ready with her straight blond hair and light-knit hat she wears for a fashion statement. Given that it’s October, it’s still not cold enough for gloves and hats, unless they were back home, but even still, Easterners were used to the autumn chill.
Jared takes one more step and realizes that the woman is someone he knows. His stomach tightens and he puffs out his chest, unwilling to walk farther. He doesn’t want to see her. She’ll make a scene, act like they’re together when they’re not and she will insist on going home with him. The idea gnaws at him for a second or two, until he reminds himself that she wouldn’t leave willingly. He had a hard enough time breaking up with her. Even if he wanted affection from a woman, he certainly didn’t want it from his ex-girlfriend. He’d have a hard time getting rid of her once she saw that he was there.
With a quick turn on his feet, he hustles back to his car, trying to hide behind trucks as he dashes away. As much as he wants to make an appearance for the fans, he can’t stand there knowing she’s watching his every move. He can only imagine her response when he joins his teammates under the tent. He doesn’t want to face his ex-girlfriend and listen to her whine about him. He needs to be away from her now and hopes that, given time, she will forget about him, too.
“Hi, Keri,” Meghan says, as she walks past her boss’s off ice, heading next door to her own.
“Meghan, hi! How did the event go?” Keri asks.
Meghan is stepping away when she hears the question being asked. She steps backward so that she’s in Keri’s office doorway. “Good. I think we raised a lot of money.”
“Did they give away a car?”
“They did!”
“Good. They said they would.”
“Even if they didn’t reach the minimum?” Meghan asks.
“Regardless. It was great publicity.” Keri crosses her arms at her chest. “Sorry I missed it. I had too much work to do. I knew you could handle it though.”
“I’m happy with how it went.”
“On our end, how did it go? Players got enough attention? No crazy fans?”
“All players who were scheduled showed up, except Jared Landry, even though he e-mailed me and told me he would be there.”
“You can’t make a player do anything they don’t want to do,” Keri says.
“Yeah, but they should show up to events when they’re scheduled. That’s what’s expected from them.”
“Ha! Don’t expect anything from any player.” She gives her a stare. “What they do and what they show up for is because they genuinely care. Someone like Jared, there’s no use spending time trying to convince him to go to events. He does or doesn’t. The only one I’d push him on is the black-tie event at the end of the year. Every player is expected to show up at least for an hour to show their support for Children’s Hospital. We’re making a huge donation. The whole franchise will be there. It’s the least they can do.”
Meghan crosses her arms at her chest and leans against the door rame. “They are placed on pedestals in this city and this country for that matter, and make millions of dollars to play a game. A game. Hard to believe,” she says, shaking her head. “The least they can do is make appearances.”
“All the power to you. But just remember, they are celebrities and are what make up this organization and our jobs.”
“We’re doing what’s best for the team and have to show support for our community.”
“I like your thinking, I really do, but if you make a player do something he doesn’t want to do, he’ll be unsupportive and hard to get along with. You don’t want that.” Keri gives her a sharp eye. “Jared’s the only one that chooses which events he shows up at. At least all the players cooperate.”
“Why doesn’t he show up? Who does he think he is?”
Keri double taps her pen on her desk. “I don’t know. He used to. He’s never said.”
“I’d understand him if I knew what was going on in his world.”
“Like he’s going to tell you.” Keri giggles.
“Well, maybe he doesn’t like big crowds,” Meghan concludes.
“He’s not shy,” Keri says.
“What do you think it is?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s personal?”
“I’m going to ask him.”
Keri raises an eyebrow. “You’re going to ask him why he doesn’t come to events? But he does make it to some.”
“What makes him pick and choose which ones? You would think he likes the attention.”
“You would think,” Keri says.
“Okay, well, I’m going to find out what the reason is.”
“And do what?”
“He’ll have to show up for everything or I’ll make it uncomfortable for him at the events he does go to,” Meghan challenges.
“You’re not going to win.”
“I’m just going to tell him that I won’t advertise him at events if he doesn’t bother making an effort to show up. I have fans ask me where he is. I’m making excuses for him and I don’t even know the guy!”
Keri bursts into laughter. “That won’t happen. Before I forget, I’m having a girls’ night next week, after the reading campaign at the library. We’re all meeting for dinner and drinks. You’re welcome to come.”
“Sounds like fun.”
Keri hands her a binder. “I need you to look at this. It’s the black-tie event. We need to confirm some details before announcing the schedule.”
Meghan takes the red binder and brings it to her chest. “When is it?”
“December thirtieth. You’re gonna love it. It’s a good excuse to go shopping and buy an outfit.”
“What kind of outfit?” Meghan asks.
“Formal.”
Meghan purses her lips.
“If you don’t have anything, it’s a good excuse to buy something.” Keri flips open her notebook-style agenda. “I’ve got to make a phone call before it gets too late.”
“And I have reading to do,” Meghan says, lifting the binder in the air. She also has to find an outfit to wear since she can’t think of anything hanging in her closet. The only dress that comes to mind is her beloved wedding dress she never got to wear.
Chapter 4
“Can you make it to the stop sign?” Meghan asks her best friend, Brie, who is running a stride behind her.
“It’s a block away!” she says breathlessly. She wipes the sweat from her forehead. “My legs feel like they’re gonna fall off.”
“You can do it!” Meghan tells her. “Almost there!”
Brie blows out a breath. “Easy for you . . . to say . . . you’re conditioned.”
“So are you!”
“Twenty-minute jogs don’t count.” Brie slows down her pace.
Meghan takes a leap to the stop sign, jumps up, and stretches her arms to the sky. “You did it!”
Brie catches her breath, hunches over, puts her hands on her hips, and marches on the spot. “Plus, you have longer legs.”
“Thanks for the company,” Meghan says, smiling.
“You’re going to have to find someone who can keep up with you,” Brie says, breathing hard. Sweat is dripping off her neck, visible from her ponytail. Her blue headband rounds her face, making her brown eyes vibrant with her red cheeks.
“I usually go by myself.”
“I’m going to a yoga class tomorrow night, wanna come?” Brie asks.
“I don’t think so.” They are wearing identical capri workout gear and sports tank tops. The pair walk together, across the road to Meghan’s place.
“Come on! You never go.”
“That’s because the last time I went I did some pretzel move and hurt my knee. I couldn’t run for a week!”
“You know what to expect now,” Brie says. “I think it would be good for you . . . a chance to stretch out your body, relieve stress.”
“Why don’t you ask Sara? She’ll go. She does th
at hot yoga thing.”
“I always wanted to try that! I think you would really like it, Megs.”
“I like running.” Meghan opens the front door of her apartment building. “Yoga is boring. If I’m going to work out, I want to do cardio, really sweat, you know?”
“You’d like it,” Brie tells her. “I’ll see if Sara wants to do it. It would be nice to go with someone.”
Meghan shrugs. “She’ll probably go. Do you want to come in and grab a drink?”
“Sure. Maybe for a few minutes. How’s the job working out?”
“Great! Everyone seems to be okay to work with. I’m not used to working with celebrities though. Some of the guys think they don’t have to show up for things because of who they are.”
“Oh, yeah? Like who?” Meghan opens the door to the staircase. “You’re really making me work my cardio,” Brie says, as they both climb the stairs.
“It’ll give us a good stretch,” Meghan says, opening the door to the second floor. “Don’t say anything, I’m sure Mike tells you stuff anyway, but there’s this one guy, who I just met, and he’s really getting on my nerves. I mean, he shows up after the event, saunters in like it’s no big deal.”
“Did he forget the time or something?” Brie asks.
“No, he said he got pulled over for trying to call me on the way there. I don’t believe him.”
“I’m sure they’re full of excuses.” Brie flips her hand. “Although they can’t be forced to be somewhere if they don’t want to be.”
“I don’t know. He did promise me he’d make an effort next time.”
“Who is he?”
“Jared Landry.”
“Yeah, I heard he does what he wants to.”
Meghan gets out her house key and inserts it into the lock. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not really sure and I shouldn’t repeat this, but I heard that if he doesn’t feel like doing something he doesn’t. There was some charity thing at the hospital and he refused to go on television because his stitches were still visible on his face.”
“What else does Mike say about the players?” Meghan wants to know.
“Not much, he doesn’t really talk about it. He tells me stuff he hears from his coworkers. Mike deals with international and national media relations, so he doesn’t have a direct relationship with them like you do.”
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