AllFreeNovel
Share Us
To be polite, I took a bite, even though my stomach was doing flip-flops. All this time, I’d blamed Everleigh, when she had been the one to stand up for me. I had to take a swig of coffee to gulp down the lump in my throat, as I remembered the mean text I’d sent to her.
By this time, Colton had already finished the other half of his sandwich, and was biting into an apple. “Buddy, we’ve all had rough patches. If you want to come back, I’m sure I could make it happen.”
“I love the game and I love the team, but…” My mind was reeling. I was a great player, and believing I’d been benched because of the jealousy of a woman had been tough. But being sidelined by the Coach – that was worse.
“What else is going on?” Colton crossed his arms. “Your head isn’t in the game. I don’t think you deserved to be benched, but you aren’t at the top of your game either.”
To stall, I took another bite of the sandwich, using a linen napkin to wipe the side of my mouth. “I hate to admit this—”
“A woman.”
Nodding, I closed my eyes. I couldn’t believe that I’d spent my entire hockey career laser focused on the game, only to be train wrecked in the National League by a woman. “Yeah, a woman. But it’s over now.”
“You need to compartmentalize, man. As soon as I walk through the door of the Coliseum, the outside world disappears and the only thing that’s important is hockey.”
I used to be an expert at compartmentalization. “This woman was different, and the whole situation was complicated.”
“Who is she?” Colton opened the kitchen window and threw his apple core into the woods that surrounded his cottage.
I wanted to tell him but for obvious reasons couldn’t. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over.”
“The team has a therapist. Some of the guys who are going through divorces have found him helpful. Maybe that would be a good thing for you to do. We need you, Gunnar. The team is like a machine, and you’re an important cog.”
Colton’s phone rang, interrupting the conversation. “It’s Ali. Hold on.” He stepped out of the kitchen and as he was talking to his fiancée, I finished the coffee. I had to figure out what I wanted. Did I want to go back to playing for a coach who didn’t value me? Did I even have a choice? I was under contract after all.
By the time Colton came back into the kitchen, I had come up with an answer.
“I love the team, Colton, and I know I have to honor my contract. But could you convince your sister to trade me? I want to keep playing hockey, but I think it’s time to move on.” There were two reasons for my decision: the first, I was pissed at Coach; the second, it would be a hell of a lot easier to get over Everleigh in another city – one where I wouldn’t potentially run into her and one of her stock market boyfriends.
“Are you sure?”
“As long as Coach is the coach, I’m sure.”
“I’ll talk to Everleigh. She’s on her way here.”
“Here?” I jerked my head back like I was trying to dodge a punch. “I thought she’d be off with her new boyfriend.”
Colton looked at me sideways and furrowed his brow. “Boyfriend?”
Shit. I couldn’t believe I’d said it out loud. “I thought she was dating some finance guy. At least that’s what I read in the paper.”
Colton rolled his eyes. “Gunnar. Of all people, you should know that you can’t believe what you read. My father asked her to show that guy around the city. As far as I know, she’s not seeing anyone. As a matter of fact, she’s missed the last few practices. I think she’s had migraines or something.”
I couldn’t believe how wrong I’d been about her, and it made my text even worse.
“Maybe you two can suss out the trade directly. I think that she’d be open to that. They should be here in an hour.” As he spoke, some wet snow splattered on the windows. “As long as the snow holds off.”
An hour passed,and then two. We were on the third Winter Classic game when the TV flickered and the power briefly went out.
The lights came back on as the generator growled outside. Colton glanced out the window. The sleet had turned to heavy, wet snow that was accumulating on the deck.
“I wonder where they are?” As he checked his watch, his phone rang. “That must be them.” He jogged to the kitchen to answer his phone.
“Shit,” he muttered.
With the game paused, I craned my neck to look at him. “What is it?”
His face was as white as the snow outside. “It’s Laketown General Hospital.”
