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Rightfully so. I’d been blowing her off since Coach’s offer of a deal, and I didn’t want to lie to her about it. This was the price I had to pay for giving in to my attraction to her. I’d known from the beginning that I couldn’t have it all.
“Don’t you have the balls to say it to my face?” she asked when she reached me.
I looked away because she was right. But also, she wasn’t. It was never my plan to not see her again. I just needed to secure this trade first. And then? Well, it would depend on where she ended up finding a job.
“There’s nothing to say right now,” I said. “I’ve been on the road. I should have texted you back.”
She scoffed. I could practically see her temperature rising, her face flushed with anger. It looked a lot like her expression just before coming, actually, and it was damn sexy.
Shit. This wasn’t a good time to get turned on. I’d slept like shit on the road trip and my left shoulder was killing me from a hard hit I took. I just wanted to get Joey, go home, and forget the way my coach was holding me hostage.
“Is this how you treat women after you’ve slept with them?” She crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed into murderous slits. “Is the novelty of me gone now?”
I met her gaze, hating that she would ever think that. “That’s not it, Jolie. Things are complicated.”
“Not really. Let me guess, my dad talked to you, didn’t he? Did he get all high and mighty and stomp around like a moody toddler?”
I shrugged, trying to play it cool. “That must be where you get it.”
She approached and tried to shove me with a palm, but my feet stayed planted and I didn’t move. “Don’t you dare make fun of me right now,” she said.
“I’m not making fun of you. I just…” My gaze dropped to my feet.
“Just be honest with me.” Her voice broke. “Is it my dad, or is it something else?”
I looked up at her, guilt stabbing my chest over her wondering if I just didn’t like her anymore. That was so far from the truth. She was the reason I hadn’t slept on the road trip. I’d finally found someone who had it all—sexy, smart, caring, funny—and I couldn’t have her.
“Yeah, it’s him,” I confessed. “He has a lot of control over my life.”
She shook her head, tears shining in her eyes. “He told you he won’t give you the trade because of me, didn’t he?”
Frustration welled inside me. I wanted to punch something. I didn’t deserve to be treated this way by Coach, but Jolie deserved it even less. This was her own father, sabotaging her happiness so he could get what he wanted.
I gently tipped her chin up until our gazes locked. “I don’t just want that trade, okay? I need it. I have to have it. My brother…” I cleared the emotion from my throat. “He has cancer. And he has a family. We don’t know how this is going to play out after this round of treatment, but my family means more to me than anything else. Much more than hockey.”
The fire in her eyes went out, replaced by concern. She blinked and tears ran from the corners of her eyes.
“Boone, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s”
“No, listen to me.” She put both palms on my chest and leaned in close. “I want to apologize to you on behalf of my dad. He’s not a bad person, but he’s way too stubborn. And if you need that trade and he knows why”
“He doesn’t.”
Her expression softened. “Maybe you should tell him.”
Damn. This woman really was one in a million. She wasn’t thinking about herself at all. Her concern was for me. For my brother. And still, she believed her dad was capable of doing the right thing.
I wanted to believe it, but I knew Coach had to consider more than just my personal life. The Mavericks were still in playoff contention, and he had to keep his team stacked with the best players who had the most chemistry. Otherwise, he risked losing his job and his reputation as a coach.
“My brother’s a private person,” I said. “Don’t tell anyone what I told you. If news gets out that I’m trying to get traded and that’s why…”
She nodded. “Reporters will come knocking on his door. That’s the last thing he needs.”
I gave in to the pull I felt, putting my hands on her hips and leaning my forehead against hers. “I missed you.”
Her breath hitched. “I missed you, too. And I’m sorry I assumed…anything. I’m sorry for not just talking to you about it.”
“No, this is on me. I like you a lot and…I hope you still like me?”
