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He brings my hand to his face to kiss it, then squeezes it. Forcing him to look me in the eyes, I stare straight into his icy blues. I nod fiercely and say, “Always.”
Andrew kisses me deeply one last time, making me feel so loved that I can’t even imagine belonging to anyone else.
Chapter One - Present Day
ANDREW
Ihaven’t been to Chicago in almost six years, and it feels good to be back home.
Dad is moving back with me too. When mom passed away five years ago, Dad moved to New York and stayed with me ever since. As a retired hockey player, he now collects golf clubs and lately he’s even asked for my help with online dating.
I left a lot here in Chicago, and I’m afraid it’ll hit me hard—a blow to the face, like a brick shattering me to pieces because I one hundred percent deserve it.
“Dad,” I begin as the car picks us up from the airport, and I help the driver load our luggage into the trunk. “Take the bags to the hotel. I need to head straight to the stadium for the presentation, okay?”
“Aye-aye, captain!” He playfully salutes me before entering the vehicle. “But I get to be there later, right?”
I settle into the car and almost laugh at Dad's puppy-eyed expression. “Of course, old man! The big event should start in about an hour. I just need to hear some final instructions. Remember how it was with the Arctic Hounds?”
“From what you’ve told me, you went through an intense week of orientation, training, and team-building exercises.”
The car starts. “The Plaza, right?” the driver asks, and I give him a thumbs up to confirm.
I turn to dad to continue our conversation. “Yes, that’s right. It wasn’t just lectures. There were also some training and bonding exercises. I was the new kid, so I got a good amount of hazing as well.”
I chuckle even though it wasn’t an amusing memory.
“But I need to arrive early. They want us all there well before the interviews start.”
I’m sure I’ll get a lot of questions being a mid-season transfer leaving the New York Arctic Hounds and moving back home to Chicago to play for the Chicago Razorhawks.
The hotel is conveniently close to the airport, where the driver and the bellhop take care of our bags.
I look around and realize that while there’s a lot of memories in Chicago, there’s also very little tying us here now.
Mom was the Chicagoan. I was quick to dismiss my heritage when I moved to New York, and dad remained here because of my mom.
After mom passed, he finished up that year playing in the amateur hockey leagues and then he retired and moved up to New York with me. Even our old house now belongs to another family.
It hurts that mom isn’t here anymore. She was the glue that held our family together.
It also hurts that I left behind the sweetest girl I’ve ever met, and I never checked in with her after I moved to see how she was.
After dropping dad off at the hotel with some sorrow in my chest, the driver and I head to the stadium, which is pretty far from where we are.
We arrive at the stadium to a herd of eager fans waiting to welcome the town’s hockey star back home.
Now it’s time to have some fun. I step out of the car and immediately hit the fences, distributing selfies, autographs, and kind words mixed with sports banter.
Two security guards are walking just behind me. The fans normally behave, but you can never be too careful.
A girl tries to jump over the fence, screaming, “Andrew! Andrew!” but the guards are quick to put her back in her place.
I still go to her though, and reaching for her hand, I ask, “What’s your name?”
“Bethany!” she says with the biggest smile. “I love you, Andrew Connoly!”
Oh, I’ve heard these words before…
