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“Is it okay to leave my stuff here?” I ask, pointing to the island.
“Of course.”
I set my keys, phone, and water on the granite surface and follow him to the back porch.
“You have a pool?”
He nods. “It’s one of my favorite things about this property.”
“This porch is pretty amazing too.” It runs the width of the entire house.
“You haven’t seen anything yet.” He grabs my hand, leading me along until I realize the porch also wraps around to the side of the house and continues all the way to the front where it ends in an enclosed gazebo. I’m not sure how I didn’t notice it when I pulled into the driveway. I think I was so awestruck at the size and location of the house, it didn’t even register.
“Oh, wow,” I whisper, and he releases his hold of me.
“It’s overwhelming, right?”
I nod but don’t reply. I’m too consumed by the stunning and unobstructed view of the Atlantic Ocean to speak. Kaiden’s content to patiently stand beside me and let me drink my fill.
“How do you ever leave this place?” I finally drum up some words. “Between the pool and this.” I wave my hand at the beach view.
“It’s not easy. Especially when we’re gone for away games.”
I run my hand across the smooth white railing. “If I had this porch to sit on and that view to look at, I’d be hard pressed to find the motivation to do anything else.”
He smiles. “You get used to it after a while.” He raises his hand to stop me before I can reply. “I’m not saying I don’t appreciate the sight of the ocean stretching out as far as I can see every time I’m out here. But having the luxury of knowing I have access to it anytime I want certainly helps.”
Holding on to the railing, I grip the front of my ankle and stretch out my quadricep. I repeat the process on the other side. “I guess we better get going before I decide to nap in one of your chairs.”
He laughs. “Hey, I’ve done that plenty of times. And if that’s what you want to do, I’m okay with it.”
“No, I’m kidding. As comfortable as those cushions look, I really do need to run. It’s like therapy for me.”
“I understand what you mean. That’s how I feel about skating.”
He steps down the few stairs to his grassy side yard and I follow. We walk along the cobblestone path that leads us from his yard to the small dunes dotted with sea grass. My sneakers sink into the dry sand as we make our way onto the beach.
“Let’s run on the wet sand so it’ll be easier,” he suggests.
“Sounds good.”
We move closer to the shoreline, but not close enough to get wet. We start jogging and quickly settle into a comfortable pace for both of us, considering his legs are much longer than mine. Then again, I think I’m a more frequent runner than he is.
“How long have you lived here?” I ask.
“I bought my house two years ago.”
“Where did you live before that?”
“Downtown Charleston. I purchased a condo during my first year in the NHL. I loved living in the city where there’s so much to do, and I was close to the rink, which was convenient.”
“What changed?”
“I don’t know exactly. I reached a point where going out all the time wasn’t nearly as appealing as it once was. Plus, being around so many people all the time started to feel like I was slowly suffocating. I needed space and privacy, and now that I’ve got it, I don’t think I could ever go back to city living.”
“I don't think anything could beat having a private beach in your backyard.”
“I have no plans to find out.”
