Page 32 of Defend Her Heart

Everyone laughs, and Katie chooses this moment to rejoin us. She flops down onto the couch.

“What did I miss?’

The three of us girls all look at each other, and Sloane is the first to speak. “I was just about to ask Avery what type of damage she did to our star defenseman. I’ve never seen himrock the sad puppy dog face so much. But damn, if it isn’t permanently plastered on his face when you’re around.”

A prickle of guilt slips under my skin, quick but immediate, like a reflex I don’t get to control. Connor’s face flashes in my mind before I can push it away, and it’s the same look Sloane is joking about, the one I’ve seen more than once when he thinks I’m not paying attention.

I drop my gaze to my drink, fingers tightening around my cup as if that alone can steady me. I don’t know if I want to laugh Sloane’s words off or defend myself or just disappear into the chair cushions and avoid all of this entirely.

I glance up to see Sloane’s attention on me now. I don’t miss the pitying look on Sadie and Katie’s faces, though. I have two choices here, I can feign ignorance and pretend I have no idea what she’s talking about, or I can face this head-on and get everything out in the open.

No more running.

I steel my spine and lift my chin. “Connor and I dated in high school. It ended dramatically, but we still stayed civil because we had all the same friends. But a little over two years ago, he basically dropped off the face of the earth. So, it’s a little jarring to see him everywhere, especially outside the rink.”

Sloane takes a sip of her margarita and then sets it on the table. She swings one leg over the other and laughs. “Girl, you are a better person than me. I don’t think I could handle even being in the same state as my ex, let alone work with them.”

She voices the exact thing I was thinking before I took this job. But I’ve let a man sway my choices before and I’ll never do it again.

“I mean, yeah, I thought the same thing at first. But this job was too big of an opportunity to pass up.” I turn my attention to Ellie now. “You know what it’s like. You’re only the second-ever female coach in the league. I’m officially the first full-time female play-by-play commentator in the NHL.There’s no way I was going to let Connor Smith get in the way of that.”

“Preach!” Sloane reaches for the table and lifts her margarita in the air.

We all laugh and clink our glasses together.

Luckily, Katie steers the conversation elsewhere after that. We spend the next two hours laughing and eating all the delicious snacks Katie made for us whileSweet Home Alabamaplays in the background. It’s one of my all-time favorite movies, so I find myself drifting away from the conversation more than a few times to watch.

My eyes are locked on the screen, watching the two main characters kiss in the rain, when I hear Sloane’s excited voice.

“Now, Jake here in this movie is my type of man. I can’t even blame Melanie for blowing up her engagement for her first love. I can’t believe she even left him in the first place!”

Her words strike a chord in me, and my heart begins to ache as thoughts of Connor flood my system. Our first unofficial date where I got him to try pineapple on his pizza for the first time. Him ordering my favorite pizza at the bar last month, even though he always claimed to hate it. But that’s not all I’m remembering.

I remember the way his hand felt in mine, especially on nights we’d be looking at the stars at the top of the clock tower. I remember the way he always knew when I was having a bad day, and he’d never ask me about it, he just simply let me be. And now I’m remembering the way he looked outside of the hospital, his worry-filled eyes trying like hell to read me the way he used to be able to.

“Avery? Where’d you go? Lost in a Josh Lucas-induced haze like Sloane?” Ellie’s words are teasing but when I turn, I see Katie and Sadie looking at me knowingly.

Katie learned some of my deepest darkest secrets with each therapy session, and Sadie has quickly become anotherperson I have confided in about Connor. I haven’t told them much, but they know enough to know he was my first love.

I fake a smile. “Yep. Totally.” I keep my eyes transfixed on the screen, but don’t miss the silence that falls over the group. I’m praying no one questions me any further. Luckily, Sloane changes the subject.

“Well, girlies. I just swiped right on a gorgeous tattoo artist and I think I’m going to go meet him. Hell, maybe we’ll hit it off and I’ll let him add some more ink to my skin. I’ve been itching for another tat lately.” She stands from the couch and starts grabbing her things from the table.

The girls all shake their heads at her in mock disappointment, Sadie even going as far as face-palming herself. But me? I’m in awe of the fearless athletic trainer. Tattoos paint her skin from head to toe. Her arms are almost completely covered, and she has some more peeking out from under her shorts on her thighs. I’ve always wanted a tattoo but never felt like it was a good idea. They’re so…permanent. What if I don’t like the design after time goes by?

“Shake your heads all you want. I’m a single thirty-three-year-old woman who has an appetite for sexy men. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Ellie stands and gives her a quick hug. “I wasn’t shaking my head at that, and you know it. There’s nothing wrong with curbing your appetite. As long as you’re being safe, that is. You know I was shaking my head at you getting a tattoo from some random guy you just met. Maybe save that for date three or four?”

Sloane throws her head back and laughs. “It’s funny you think I’ll be going on more than one date with this guy.”

I snort at her bravado. She is so awesome.

She makes her way to where I’m sitting on the loveseat and reaches down to hug me. “You want me to see if the tattoo guy has a friend? We could make it a double date?”

I squeeze her tight and shake my head. “No, that’s okay. I’m not really dating right now.”

Sloane leans back to stand and throws her cross body bag over her. “You don’t have to date him to bang him.”