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“Damn it Virginia. That’s why I didn’t call. Look, we may have spent the last eight years pretending the other didn’t exist, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you.” He had moved close to me again. Being in the same room was torture. He wasn’t supportive of my career and at some point I stopped being supportive of him. Neither of us were innocent in letting our marriage fall apart, but his words telling me my career wasn’t as important as his still stung.
CHAPTER4
BOONE
“Didyou find a place to stay or are you here until you find something to rent?” She had stood and was pacing around the living room. It’s what she did when she was nervous.
“Oh, now that everyone knows about you, we’re living together. So I don’t need to look for a place. I will move back in with you.” I smiled at her and watched her face fall from what I could only think was once again out of sight, out of mind.
“No, you won’t.” She walked to the entryway, crossed her arms, and shook her head.
“Ginny, you’re the reason I came back. I publicly talked about you, letting the world know the most eligible hockey bachelor wasn’t a bachelor at all,” I said, letting my eye scan her body, as the corner of my mouth turned up in to a smile. Eight years and her body looked the same.
“There’s not room for you and all your hockey stuff,” she blurted out, trying to make her point sound more valid and pulling at straws, trying to get me to change my mind.
“You still live in our house, which isn’t exactly small. And, I only have a small bag. The equipment stays at the arena, remember?” She searched my face, trying to come up with another excuse. “For the rest of the season, you’re a hockey wife. When the season is done, if you still want the divorce, I'll give it to you.” She looked confused, and I expected she suddenly remembered talking to my mother. Ginny opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. “Yeah, mom told me you mentioned it to Leah.” I watched her face fall. Over the years, there had been no gossip, so I expected they had agreed not to talk about me, but something had changed. Ginny talked to Leah about a divorce, and it was something I couldn’t let happen. We may have been estranged, but she was still the only woman I wanted to be married to.
“What are the expectations of me?” She spat, eyes narrowing in on me.
“You will be in attendance at all home games. Playoffs will be a round by round basis, but I expect you to be at all of those games, home and away.” I grabbed the notepad from beside the phone and pulled out a chair at the table. This didn’t have to be a huge legal contract, but we had to have it in writing. Scribbling down my first expectation, I waited for her to take a seat.
“I have a job, Boone,” she said, not moving from where she stood.
“You can take a leave of absence. I have already checked in to it and the hospital won’t have a problem with it after the large donation I have pledged is in their bank account.” Leaning back in the chair, I knew that was going to make her mad. There was nothing she hated more than someone going above her head.
“You can’t do that,” she growled through her clenched teeth.
“I already did.” Standing, I stepped closer to her, looking down at her. She was sexy as hell when she was mad, especially when it was directed toward me. I wanted to grab her in my arms and take her to the bed and do things I’ve dreamed about doing to her for the last eight years.
“You couldn’t just stay gone, could you?” She spat as she turned and headed back toward the door.
Reaching out, I grabbed her arm and spun her back to face me. “Why would I stay gone? You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted, and I’m here to make you mine again.” I watched her eyes flash with anger as she jerked out of my grasp.
“I will never be yours again.” Her frown deepened and her light blue eyes grew as dark as a churning sea before a hurricane.
“Is there someone else?” I asked. My eyes were locked on hers and I saw anger flash through them. She started moving back toward me and before I knew what happened, she raised her hand and slapped my cheek. I’d been in enough fights over the years. It shouldn’t have stung, but it did. Maybe it was because it was Ginny hitting me, or maybe because I knew she never would do that to me.
“How dare you.” She yelled, tears welling in her eyes. Her chin quivered, and she set her jaw. “There’s never been anyone else. Ever.” The realization of the word ever hit me harder than the palm of her hand.
“I shouldn’t have asked. I’m sorry.” The tears she tried to hold back spilled over, and I reached out and pulled her into my arms. She didn’t wrap her arms around me, she just stood there, almost limp. Her tears continued, and I wasn’t sure if it was from my question or me being back. Her reaction to my question gave me some hope for us. She smelled the same as she always had and I tightened my grip around her and didn’t let her go. It felt like hours that we stood there together before she put her arms around my waist instead of pushing me away. “Ginny, take me home.” She nodded against my chest and sniffed before pulling away from me.
“How many bags do you have? Want me to help you?” Her voice was almost childlike and nothing like the woman I had known. Something was wrong. She wasn’t herself. Maybe it was just the upheaval, but it seemed deeper than that.
CHAPTER5
GINNY
I walkedout of the house ahead of him, silently wishing this wasn’t happening and cheering that it was. I had never had so many conflicting emotions at once in my life. Thankfully, being away from the city had allowed us a sense of privacy not afforded too many of the players of the Rangers. They were celebrities in Harpsburg. A small city that lucked out on getting a team and the community supported them fanatically. “You’re still driving that?” I looked from him to my old Chevy trailblazer, with the rust spots and the bumper being held on by duct tape and a prayer. The paint that once was shiny and new now looked dull, like someone had taken sandpaper to it, but it was mine. It was the first thing Boone had bought for me when he signed his first big contract. My mind flashed back to the day at the dealership. “Ok, I know you want a compact car. It will be easier to get around the city, but look at this.” The sales associate popped the hatch, and we watched it open. “Big enough for my hockey bag, getting groceries. Maybe a car seat or two.” Boone moved closer to me and pulled me to his side.
“Hockey bag fine, but no car seats. Neither of us has time for that right now. Besides, the average age of a pro player retiring is around thirty, so we can look at starting a family then.” I shrugged and smiled up at him.
“Oh, come on, Ginny, won’t it be fun to at least try to make babies?” His voice was pleading, and he was trying to give me puppy dog eyes.
“That’s the thing about modern medicine. We can try and try, but there are things that can prevent pregnancy.” I smiled sweetly and glanced at the sales associate. He was becoming an odd shadow red and if I was a gambling person, I would bet he wanted to run screaming from the building.
“This is what I get being married to a doctor in training.” Boone let me go and pouted as he walked around the SUV.
“Well, are you going to buy it?” I asked.
