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“I’m Erin Anejo, and I’m here with Nolan Saulters,” she says. “Nolan is the star goalie of the Vermont Vandals, and he just helped the franchise claim their first Stanley Cup in over three decades. How does it feel, Nolan?”
“It feels good,” I say. “I didn’t play my best this series, but my teammates had my back.”
She pauses a heartbeat, like she’s expecting me to expand on my answer more.
I don’t, but she recovers smoothly. “The team has always been important to you, hasn’t it? How would you describe the feeling of being on an NHL team to someone who has never been in your position? What is that kind of camaraderie like?”
I look to the side and see Carter rolling his eyes and making a jerk-off motion with one hand. Maddox moves his hamburger to the croissant hand, then kneels down and pretends to reach for Carter’s fly.
I hold back a smile. “It’s interesting,” I say.
“Interesting?” Erin asks, leaning forward. She waits, watching me intently.
“It’s great,” I say. “And it’s the kind of bond I know we’re all going to maintain, even after our hockey days are behind us.”
“And when will that be, do you think? You’re thirty-four, but you played some of your best hockey this year, excluding a game or two during the post-season, of course. How long does Nolan Saulters see himself guarding the Vandals net for?”
“This was my last season,” I say simply. It’s only five words, but once they’re out of me, it feels like everything has changed.
I can feel a collective holding of breath in the room.
Nobody saw that one coming.
Erin’s eyes light up. She was expecting a puff piece about an NHL player, not a retirement announcement. I can see her composing herself and choosing her next words carefully. “Is this your retirement announcement, Nolan?”
“It is,” I say. I look toward my teammates. Maddox slowly gets up from his knees, apparently deciding mock blowjobs for Carter can wait for another time. He looks sad, like a kicked dog. Carter is frowning thoughtfully. But Liam, Jesse, and Jake don’t look entirely surprised.
Mia’s jaw is hanging open.
“I wanted to help the guys win the cup,” I say. “It’s been a goal of mine since I was a kid. I have other passions, though. Other interests. Last offseason, I opened a restaurant in Frosty Harbor. I’ve been waiting for the right time to step in and play a bigger role there. And now it’s time,” I say simply.
“Wow,” Erin says, nodding. She looks thoughtful for a few seconds, then smiles in a conspiratorial way. “A lot of women in a lot of cities are going to be sad to hear that, I imagine. You’ve made quite the reputation for yourself, after all. Is there a special someone you’re planning to bring along for this new chapter of your life?”
“There is,” I say. “But I don’t know if she’s on board yet. She doesn’t know I was planning to walk away from hockey.”
Erin leans in even closer. “Are you going to keep us guessing? Or do we get to know who the lucky girl is?”
“She’s somebody who put up with my bullshit, even when she had every right to slap sense into me. She’s driven, beautiful, talented, and not afraid to make sacrifices to go after the things she wants in life. I’ve always admired her for that, even though I didn’t always understand her. And now it’s my turn to make a sacrifice, because she’s the other reason I’m stepping away from hockey. Not because she asked me to or would ever ask. Because it’s what I want. I want to be happy, and being with her–cooking with her and spending time at the restaurant… that’s what makes me happiest. She makes me happiest, and I’m ready to do whatever I need to have her front and center in my life.”
“Wow,” Erin says. “Wow,” she adds again more quietly. “I’m going to ask an uncomfortable question, now. Because I’ll be honest–I had a bit of a script for this interview, and we’ve gone completely off it. But one of the questions I had for you was about your off-field reputation. Stories about you being seen leaving the rink with women slowed down, but they didn’t stop. If this girl means so much, why were you still playing the field?”
I look at Mia again for the first time in the last minute or so. Her eyes look wet and she’s wiping at them. I can’t read her expression, though. Is she trying to imagine how she’s going to let me down easy after a stunt like this? Is she excited? I may not know, but the fear of getting it wrong isn’t going to stop me. I made my decision, and I made it knowing this could blow up in my face. Because she’s worth the fucking risk.
“That was bullshit,” I say simply. “This season, I thought it wasn’t fair to her to feel like she had to save herself while I sorted my shit out. So I wanted it to look like I was still sleeping around. I left with a few women–let it look how it looked, and then sent them home. I wanted her to feel free to live her life because it would look like I was living mine.”
“And did she?”
I grin. “She still waited for me. She’s stubborn.”
“What is this mystery girl’s name?”
“Mia,” I say, turning my face to look at her now. Her eyes go wide. “I want you all to myself, and I want to be all yours. I want to move to Frosty Harbor and cook with you at Taste. I want you to be my girlfriend–not my casual fling or my secret hookup partner. I want the whole fucking package.”
“We can bleep it,” Erin mutters, almost to herself. I barely hear her.
I wait, watching Mia for any sign of how she feels. Even a nod of her head or a smile would make it feel like the weight of the world is lifted from my shoulders. I can barely breathe as I watch her, waiting for what feels like an eternity.
I hardly even see Paisley, Caroline and Andi all sharing wide-eyed looks behind her or my teammates shoulder bumping and whispering. Amelia lets out a loud gurgle and whacks Andi on the side of the head with her keychain.
