“I just wondered because when I talked to her today about her injuries, she said she’d endured worse.”
Max’s brows rose at the revelation, but then his face smoothed out. “Her mother was quite injured in the accident, but she recovered. Unfortunately, the accident had a huge impact on her mom’s mental state.”
Kenton frowned. “Really? She seemed like a lovely woman when I met her.”
“She is a very nice woman, but she won’t leave that house. Ever.” Max leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Avery carries a lot of responsibility.”
As the pieces of the Avery puzzle slowly began to fall into place, Kenton found that he wished he could help her in some way. Not just her but the boys too. How difficult must it have been for Elliot to lose his dad and Benjie his grandfather. He was fortunate that his mom had survived her aneurysm, even if she was different afterwards. At least she was still there with them, and there was always a chance she’d return to how she once was.
“I’ll call her later to see how she’s doing. No doubt it has shaken Sally up. She’s very protective of what’s left of her family. I’m sure that if she had her way, none of them would ever leave the house.”
“Avery said she’d be back tomorrow,” his dad told Max. “But if you think she should take another day or two off, please tell her that would be okay with us. She doesn’t need to come back if she’s not ready.”
“I’ll let her know. Not that it will do any good. If she’s made up her mind to come to work tomorrow, she’ll be here, regardless of what I might say to her.”
Kenton could appreciate her work ethic, and he wanted to see her for himself, but at the same time, he hoped that if she needed time off, she felt comfortable enough to take it. They could survive without her for a couple of days. He knew the exercises to continue doing, although there would be no measurements for the team unless he could get Rowena or one of the nurses to help him with that.
“I was hoping to invite the boys to go to the Jets versus Kings game later this week,” Kenton said. “What do you think the chances are that she’ll agree?”
Max appeared to consider his words. “I’m not sure. It could be she’d agree just so that the boys had something else to focus on besides what’s happened to her. Given that she’s already introduced you to Benjie and Elliot, I think she might be more agreeable. Did you need tickets or a box?”
“I was just going to beg tickets from the family since they’re right behind the players’ box.”
Max smiled. “Yeah, I think the boys would appreciate being close to the action. The box is more fun for adults.”
“Maybe another time we’ll go for the box.”
Max waved his hand in the air. “It’s yours whenever you want it.”
Kenton was wealthy in his own right, but it was a stark reminder that Max was a whole other level of rich. Kenton’s money would likely be pocket change to a man like Max. Though it was interesting how the families had come to know each other once Gabe and Maya began seriously dating, he was so glad that they had. They could never repay Max for what he’d done for Gabe after his injury and his mom after her aneurysm. The man had stepped in effortlessly and without any expectation of repayment. His parents had mentioned more than once the blessing that Max and his wife had been to the family.
“If she shows up for work tomorrow, I’ll ask her about it. If not, I’ll see if she’ll answer my call.”
“She’s ignoring you?” Max asked.
“Maybe not ignoring so much as dismissing me,” Kenton hated to admit. “She’s determined to keep things professional when all I’m looking for is another friend.”
Again, Max’s look turned contemplative. “Just give her some time. Let her know that she can trust you.” He paused. “She’s a serious one, so you’ll have to be patient.”
Kenton wasn’t used to having to work so hard for a person’s friendship. Granted, he didn’t usually make friends outside the sport. He had his brothers and a few of the players that he considered good friends. There were no females in his friendship circles, so this was all new territory for him. But at that moment, he had nothing but time. So if patience was required, he would try to give her that.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The next morning, however, when he got his first good look at Avery, Kenton had to fight hard not to react in an aggressively protective manner. Her dainty features had been marred by the swelling and bruising that had taken over her cheek and eye, and she was moving more cautiously than usual.
As soon as she saw him looking her over, she lifted a hand. “Don’t say a thing. It looks worse than it feels. It will be fine in a few days.”
“Not hardly,” Kenton said with a frown. “I’ve had similar injuries to my face, and it takes more than a few days to be fine. Sadly, you’re going to look like you went nine rounds in the boxing ring for awhile.”
“Such is life,” she said with a shrug, wincing at the movement.
There were so many things that Kenton wanted to say, but he kept his mouth shut. He did that for a couple of reasons. First, he didn’t want to tick her off when he was trying to build a friendship with her, and second, he wanted her to agree to him and Tristan taking the boys to the hockey game. There was probably no way she’d do that if he made her mad.
So instead of pursuing a conversation about her injuries, Kenton settled onto the exam table, stretching his leg out. “I went ahead and did the exercises yesterday like you usually have me do. Just couldn’t do the measurements.”
“Okay,” Avery said as she moved to the sink to wash her hands. “I saw in the report file that you spoke with the team.”
“Yeah. They seem happy with the progress we’ve made.” Kenton took in her slender form as she turned back around. She was once again wearing fitted jeans with a sweater over a T-shirt. He’d noticed that though she could take off the sweater since she had a T-shirt underneath, she never did. No matter how warm the room was.
Kenton lifted a hand to rub against the sudden bloom of ache in his chest as he watched her move slowly toward him, measuring stick in her hands. For some reason, looking at her face and seeing how she moved hurt him. No man should ever lay hands on a woman like that. Especially on one who was no match for him physically. Probably the only woman who could have returned the favor of a punch would have been one who was trained to do so.
They worked in silence with only the instrumental music playing in the background. She had him spend more time walking and introduced a few new exercises for him to do. That made him happy since boredom was a real thing for him these days, so having something new to do was good for his mindset. Plus, it gave him something else to focus on other than Avery’s injuries.
“I’ve got something I want to ask you,” Kenton said once they were finished the exercises and Avery had taken her final measurements.
She gave him a wary look. “What’s that?”
“Any chance that Tristan and I could take Benjie and Elliot to a Jets game? The Kings are in town later this week, and I have four tickets for seats right behind the Jets’ players’ box. We’d like to take the boys.”
The wariness didn’t go away completely, but she seemed to be considering his request. “What night?”
“Friday at seven-thirty.”
“I suppose that would be okay,” Avery said slowly.
Kenton resisted the urge to fist pump the air, happy that he’d been successful in getting her to agree. “Could Tris and I pick them up around five-thirty? Take them out for something to eat beforehand?”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said.
“I know, but I think it would be kind of fun. I might be able to get them in to see some of the players after the game, so we might be a bit late getting home.”
“That’s not a problem. There’s no school the next day, and the boys would be thrilled.”
“I thought they might be.”
She regarded him, her hands clenched t
ogether at her waist as her eyes—or at least the one he could clearly see—took on a sheen. “Thank you. I haven’t been able to do much to feed their love of hockey when it comes to games and such. They have to watch on television, so going to a real live game will be the highlight of their lives.”
“I’m happy to do it for them.” Kenton paused. “Any chance I can be off my crutches by then?”
She gave a shake of her head. “I’m not sure it would be wise, given the amount of walking you’ll have to do at the arena, even if you wore a brace too.”
“Yeah, I figured as much but thought I’d ask.”
“If it were just walking from the car to the restaurant and back again, I’d say you could probably go without them if you wore your brace, but there’s a lot more walking involved in getting in and out of the arena. And I hope there’s room between the seats for you to stretch your leg out if you need to.”
He watched as she turned away from him, pressing her fingers to her forehead. Though words of concern sprang to his lips, he didn’t say anything. Having known her for a few weeks now, Kenton knew that she wouldn’t be receptive to his concern, frustrating as that was for him. While he admired her independent streak, he felt like perhaps she was taking it too far when she brushed off the concern he had for her.
Friends could be concerned for each other without it being something to get up in arms about. It was all too apparent that while he viewed her as a friend, she didn’t feel the same way. But that didn’t mean she never would. He just had to be persistent with his attempts to gain a friendship with her.
Avery sat down at the laptop, preparing to make notes about the session she’d just completed with Kenton. It was a good reminder of who they were to each other. Therapist. Patient.
She had to keep telling herself that she could accept invitations on the boys’ behalf without it having to mean anything else. She knew that Kenton wanted to be friends, but for Avery, that was a relationship she really couldn’t allow to happen. It was apparent that he could look at her and see nothing beyond a friendship. She clearly wasn’t his type, so friendship with her was safe for him, but for her, that wasn’t the case.
Since the moment she’d begun to notice boys, it was the athletes who had drawn her. The ones that were cocky and confident in their abilities. Kenton pushed every one of those buttons for her, so being a friend to him was dangerous to her heart. And now, in addition to that cocky confidence, he was showing a nice side with what he was doing for Benjie and Elliot.
She didn’t want his concern for her. She didn’t want to be friends with him. She didn’t want to lose her heart to a professional athlete. Not again.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Kenton said. “Are you going to tell the boys?”
Avery glanced over at him and managed a small laugh. “Not until Friday. Five minutes before you’re due to pick them up. If I tell them any sooner, my life will be absolutely miserable. I’m sure you know how it is—having been a hockey-crazed young boy.”
“Oh, most definitely. You’re such a smart mom.” Kenton leaned on his crutches, his hands gripping the handles. “You know, I might be able to scrounge up another ticket if you’d like to come along. I’d probably only have to offer my firstborn. Used to be I had to barter with my limbs, but no one wants my left leg right now.”
Avery figured he was trying to make her laugh again, but his offer brought too many emotions to the surface, and a smile was all she could muster up for him. “Thank you for the invite, but I’d rather not be responsible for you losing a child or a limb. Plus, I’m not really the fan my kid is. I can take or leave hockey, to be honest.”
Kenton’s eyebrows rose as he pressed a hand to his chest. “I’m wounded. I can’t believe that you’re not a fan.”
Avery shrugged. “Sorry, but I’ve never really gotten into the game the way the boys have. I mean, I’m a fan of Benjie when he plays, but I don’t watch the professional games the way the boys do.”
His eyes narrowed. “Were you a football cheerleader in high school?”
She found that she could laugh at that. “Uh. No. I pay even less attention to that sport than I do hockey.”
In truth, the only reason she’d gone to any of the games in high school was to see the players. It wasn’t until she was an adult that she learned more about the ins and outs of both hockey and football.
“Maybe if you came to a game, you’d change your mind.”
“I appreciate the effort to convert me, but even if I didn’t look like I’d gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson, I don’t think it would work.”
“I’m not sure I can be friends with someone who isn’t a fan of what I do. It’s just wrong.”
Though Avery could hear the thread of humor in his voice, she wouldn’t have had a problem if he’d been serious. It would have helped her in her efforts to keep a distance between them.
“You could make it up to me by agreeing to hang out the next time my siblings and our friends all get together.”
She swung her chair back toward the laptop. “You’re nothing if not persistent, but the answer is still no.”
He sighed. “Fine. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You definitely will.” She turned to give him a smile, ignoring how it caused a shot of pain in her cheek. “Take it easy.”
“I’m going to do some upper body stuff this afternoon, I think. Can’t wait until I can start adding in lower body stuff.”
“It will come. Just don’t try to overdo it right now.”
It was a conversation they seemed to have on a regular basis, and so far, she thought he was following her direction. Hopefully, he had enough patience to wait until the people from his team gave the go-ahead for more intensive exercises for his leg.
After he left, Avery finished submitting her report, then prepared for her time with Emily. She hoped that the woman wouldn’t be too shocked by her appearance. She’d tried to cover the bruising with makeup, but there was no way to hide the swelling.
Thankfully, the boys had seemed to take what had happened in stride, understanding that drugs and alcohol had fueled the attack. Not that that had made it better necessarily, but it seemed to be easier to accept than just some evil person randomly attacking her. Still, the result was the same. Her face was a mess, and her body was aching.
Though it was normally discouraging when Emily wouldn’t cooperate, on that day, with her shoulder and arm hurting, Avery was kind of glad that she didn’t have to do much physical work. Hopefully, in the next couple of days, that pain would subside.
By Friday, the swelling had lessened considerably, but the colors had increased horrifically. Avery was using more makeup than she normally did just to keep the bruising from being so obvious.
With the boys going out with Kenton and Tristan that night, she and her mom had made plans with Caroline and her mom. They couldn’t do anything out of the house, but her mom had placed an order for stuff for fondue for them, and the four planned to have dinner once Kenton and Tristan picked up Benjie and Elliot.
It was four-thirty when Avery went in search of the boys, finding them in the family room on the Xbox playing their favorite racing game. They still had no idea of the plans for their evening, but that was about to change.
“Hey, you two, I need you to go change.”
Elliot paused the game as they looked over at her, frowns on their faces. “Why?”
“You guys are going out for the evening.”
“Mooom,” Benjie wailed. “The Jets-Kings game is on tonight. We were going to watch it.”
“I know, but I think it would be okay for you to miss watching it on TV just this once.”
“Seriously, Ave?” Elliot said. “You know this is a big game because it’s Kenton’s team.”
“Well, I suppose if you’d rather watch it on television, I’ll just phone and tell Kenton he doesn’t need to use his tickets to take you to the game.” She held up the jerseys he’d given her earlier that da
y. “And I guess you won’t need these.”
Both boys’ jaws dropped, but Benjie was the first to recover, jumping to his feet as he tossed his controller on the couch. “What? We’re going to the game? For real?”
“Yes. For real. And he got you jerseys to wear. They even have your names on them.”
She held up the one for Benjie which had his name across the shoulders but had his favorite player’s number on it. Elliot’s was the same except for a different number. Avery would be hard pressed to say who the numbers belonged to, but she knew the boys would know and would appreciate what Kenton had done for them.
They each grabbed their respective jersey and pulled them on, high fiving as they looked at each other.
“Okay. I want you guys to go clean yourselves up and change into jeans. You’re not wearing sweats. Kenton and Tristan are picking you up to take you for supper before the game.”
“That is so cool,” Benjie proclaimed. “I can’t believe we’re going to get to see this game. Of all games, this one will be the best.”
“The absolute best,” Elliot agreed before they both disappeared upstairs to get ready for their night out.
Avery went back to the kitchen to help her mom, finding that she was anticipating a fun evening as much as the boys were. It had been forever since she’d had just an adults-only evening. They enjoyed spending time with Caroline and her mom, so the evening promised to be as nice for her and her mom as it would be for the boys at the game.
The boys were down and waiting by the door a half hour before the guys were due to pick them up. Their conversation centered around who they thought was going to win, and what it would be like to watch Kenton’s team play without him.
“He’s here, Mom!” Benjie yelled from the living room where they had been watching out the front window.
Avery abandoned the bread she’d been cubing for the cheese fondue and walked to the foyer in time to see Benjie jerk open the door. She’d thought that maybe Tristan would just come to get the boys, but Kenton was with him, and both of the men came into the house when Benjie stepped aside to let them in.
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