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Ignoring that last comment, he didn’t move from the bus. Looking out the window at the bunnies, not even one tiny twinge of interest bubbled inside him. Nothing.
The Noah Rodgers who once upon a time entertained those bunnies was young, naive, and was an afterthought to his new team. That Noah Rodgers had searched for affection anywhere he could get it, and if the fans weren’t going to give it to him, the bunnies would.
That Noah Rodgers no longer existed. Now he was on a team that had welcomed him with open arms, and the fans were just as welcoming. He was putting down roots in Pittsburgh, including opening a business. He was growing up.
The realization seemed to hit him all at once. Somehow, along the way he had turned into a one-woman man, even if he hadn’t admitted to her—or himself.
He would have a discussion with Jordan and iron this out. It was true, he enjoyed every minute of being with her, thought about her more often than he probably should, and he wasn’t interested in looking elsewhere.
But he was losing focus on the game. He needed to get his head straight. Because the last time he checked, nothing had changed in their lives. When his contract was up he was still likely to be signed who knew where. Jordan still didn’t want to leave her job. They were meant to stay casual for a reason.
He thought for a moment. Maybe they just needed to revise the rules.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Noah
Once home from Nashville after the away game, the team had the day off, so there was no practice today and no game tonight. He’d get in a workout later, but for now he had some time and was at Slap Shot to go over reports he’d set aside.
It was early and they hadn’t opened yet, so Noah sat at the bar with Jared. Jared had flown in from Las Vegas on some business, and had dropped by to visit and see how Slap Shot was doing.
“Your numbers are looking great,” Jared said, after perusing the reports. “Especially for a first month.”
Noah’s phone buzzed. It was a message from Jordan, which brought a smile to his face. He’d texted her a few times this morning, but this was the first time she’d replied. He opened the message, but it was short and to the point.
Yep. Later.
Noah frowned. The weird vibe that he thought he’d imagined started again. Jordan didn’t seem to be as eager to see him. And that idea caused a twinge in his heart.
Beside him, Jared peeked over at the text and grimaced.
“What?” Noah accused, annoyed at Jared’s expression. He put his phone down.
“Look Noah,” Jared started. “I get that you’re the enjoy-all-that-life-has-to-offer kind of guy. You always have been. But this is a really bad idea.” His friend shook his head. “I thought you were smarter than this.”
He knew exactly what his friend was referring to, and he was already annoyed at the conversation. He had assumed Jared would be in favor of Jordan. What he hadn’t seen coming was Jared’s Debbie-Downer attitude.
“I’m not doing anything wrong. We’re not serious. And yes, she knows my history. But she wants to be with me anyway.”
“Not serious? That’s why you got all bent about the guy you saw her with at the grand opening.”
He let out a heavy sigh. He knew he shouldn’t have told Jared everything about the reporter. This was no one’s business but his and Jordan’s.
“That’s the problem, Noah. What happens when it’s all over? What happens if things go badly?”
“Jared, you built your business with your girlfriend, so why are you so down on me and Jordan?”
“You mean Holly? The girl who broke my heart and took half of the business with her? Do you remember the fight I had on my hands and eventually had to rebrand? I had to create a new following. She came this close to destroying everything I had worked so hard for. And she just walked away,” Jared recounted. Clearly, the wound was still fresh with this one.
“Jordan doesn’t own half of my business,” Noah said. Obviously that was a bad example. He knew what Jared was getting at, but his concern was unfounded. “It’s just casual. As in, she agrees that we don’t get involved. We’re just having fun.”
Jared shook his head. “No. I see what you’re doing. You’re falling for that girl. That is dangerous territory as the employer. Jordan is perfect for Slap Shot. Her ideas have paid off two-fold. Your fame and her brains are what got you here.” He waved the papers at Noah. “Do you want to risk all that? If things between you go bad and she leaves, then what?”
The idea of Jordan leaving struck an icicle into his heart, but he wasn’t going to let Jared know that. He shrugged. “I guess if she leaves, I’ll just have to find someone to replace her.”
“Fine. But what happens if you two stay casual, and she finds the one?”
Noah already didn’t like where this statement was going. It was bad enough that the guys had put that idea into his head. He’d thought about it more than he should’ve, and it gave him a sour taste in his mouth.
