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“I thought we were talking?”
He rolls his eyes before saying, “It’s more about the bigger and better things to come.”
My brow comes up. I’ve heard this before and usually it means we’re moving.
Again.
“I have an offer that is really hard to turn down. Head coach, mad money, and a winning team that I can make even better. Cliffy thinks it would be good for your game too to play with these guys,” he says, speaking of my agent.
Since I am always about making my game better to get to my ultimate goal, I nod. “Then there is really nothing to discuss,” I say with a shrug. “If it’s gonna make me better, let’s do it. But also, when I leave, you’re on your own and you have to be happy. If this job is it, then you take it.”
He slowly nods before looking away. “So you’ll come?”
“Of course,” I say automatically. “No one coaches me but my dad.”
He grins before looking back at me. “Then strap on your boots, Bay, because we are going to Nashville.”
It’s like he punches me squar
e in the chest. “Excuse me? Nashville?”
His grin widens as he nods. “Yeah, well, not actually Nashville, but Bellevue, Tennessee. It’s right outside of Nashville.”
Holy. Fuck.
“Bellevue?” I repeat, my heart jackhammering against my chest.
“Yeah, you’ve heard of the Bellevue Bullies, right?” I nod automatically. “I thought so, and yeah, they offered me top dollar. Their coach went to coach the Wild. Which is great for us because we’ll have fun there. I’m actually really excited about it, but I was worried you wouldn’t want to leave Delanie and Mandie and the team here.”
“No, I go where you go,” I mutter, and then he is grinning, his eyes sparkling with eagerness.
And as I look up at him, I know I am doing right, not only by him but for myself. Leaving behind my friendship with the twins is the least of my worries, though. While I want to tell him, fuck no, we aren’t going, I can see he really wants to go, that he is excited. And who am I to dim that? He’s done everything for me. Made all kinds of sacrifices for me and my career. So I’ll go. And I want to say, what are the chances that I’ll run into Jayden Sinclair? But I think it’s pretty easy to say the chances are very good.
Really fucking good, since I’ll be playing right alongside him.
It took two months for us to get moved and settled in Bellevue, and I have to admit, I love it here.
I hated leaving Delanie and Mandie. They cried and fussed over me, and I may have even teared up a bit, but I promised to stay in contact and I have. The guys from the team, you know, I think they were glad to see me go. Maybe not my dad since he was going to mold them into these fantastic, amazing players, but they were glad to be rid of their biggest competition. They didn’t even say bye to me, which kind of hurt. I’ve worked with these guys for the last two years and I thought we were cool, but apparently only the twins care one way or another if I’m gone.
Dad told me not to let it bother me, but it still stings.
The great thing is I get a new start and a new chance to get noticed. Cliffy, my agent, is thrilled with me going to Bellevue to play. Scouts from all over come to watch the Bullies because the coach before stacked it. I’ve heard about some of the players, ignored the ones with the last name Sinclair, of course, but the others, yeah, they are lethal. A lot of them are prospected to go first round in the draft, and if I want any part of that, I’m gonna have to bust my ass. It’s sort of intimidating. I know I have my work cut out for me to shine and surpass these great players, but I’m gonna do it. And I’m gonna be the best. No matter what.
And I’m gonna completely ignore dudes with the last name Sinclair.
Yup¸ that’s my plan.
I’m still nervous, and when I told my dad that, he laughed since I don’t get nervous. He waved me off, telling me I shouldn’t be, but he doesn’t understand why and I’m not telling him. He’s Papa Bear, he doesn’t let anyone mess with his cub, and if he knows that Jayden was the guy in Florida, he’d make his life a living hell. I’m not exactly sure why I don’t want that, but I don’t. I believe in the guy, he needs his chance to make his life great because he’s worked hard for it. Who am I to ruin that because he didn’t want to sleep with me? So I’ve kept that little tidbit to myself. But it’s easy to say anytime Bellevue hockey comes up in conversation, which is about seventy percent of the time, I get butterflies.
Because I’m gonna see him. I’m going to be playing beside him. And I’m not exactly sure how that is going to go. It has me on edge for obvious reasons, and I should not want to see him. I should want to kick him in the throat, beat his ass on the ice and show him who’s the best, but I do want to see him. I just don’t want him to see me.
If that makes any kind of sense.
Since Dad didn’t want me to think too much about the impending hockey camp, we decided to do a mini-vacay before things became about nothing but hockey. I’ve always wanted to visit Nashville. But since it wasn’t really a big hockey city before, we never got the chance until now, and I love it. I love this city and I could honestly live here for the rest of my life and be happy. There is something about the people; they are so nice and welcoming. I love the land, the country, and all the quirky little shops. It’s just nice, and there is so much to explore. So for three weekends straight, since I do have school, Dad and I did all the fun tourist stuff.
We went to the Country Music Hall of Fame, and I got to see Carrie Underwood perform. Supercool, right? We went to the zoo, to some plantations, and shopping galore. We even went to the Jack Daniel’s distillery where Dad got drunk and I had to drive home. To say that was the adventure of a lifetime is an understatement. There aren’t very many moments when our lives aren’t consumed with hockey. We are two very busy people, but we needed this trip. We spent the whole trip home either yelling at each other—because apparently I can’t drive, according to his drunken ass—or having the music so loud I’m pretty sure my ears are still ringing a week later from his horrible singing. But it was great and something I’ll always remember.
Leaning back in the grass, I pull my cap down farther on my face just to be sure no one notices me as I people watch and take in my new home. The Bellevue campus is one of the nicest campuses I’ve ever been to. I don’t even have to go off campus to get what I need. Everything is here, even Dad was impressed by that. No one really drives except in the winter from my understanding, and everyone is nice for the most part, I guess. It isn’t like I’m going out and meeting people though, so really I have no clue. I’ve spoken to two people, the janitor at the ice rink and the other janitor in the weight room.
