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I grin at both of them. "But I didn't. You know the heroes never die, right?"
Chase wipes his eyes. "But–"
"But nothing," I manage to wrap both hands around them as they hug me tighter. "Your dad is here, guys. He's alive and well. And he's not going anywhere, anytime soon."
* * *
After about two days,I’m ready to leave the hospital. But the doctor insists that I need to be there for at least a couple of weeks, for observation.
"It was touch and go there, a couple of times," the pleasant-faced man insists. "We need to make sure there are no complications from the bullet wound and the surgery."
I open my mouth to argue but Mia glares at me. Mia is here almost all the time and I know she’s tired of my complaining, but she takes it like a champ. However, any time I try to flout the doctor's orders, she glares at me just like that.
"Alright," I say, resigned. "I'll stay."
It’s not all bad staying at the hospital for a few days. The food is horrible, but Mia brings me her treats from home. And she's not the only one who brings food. I get a ton of visitors, way more than I expected.
At first, it's just the guys I know from hockey, or kids I coached with their parents. But then reporters start showing up. Apparently, the story of a former hockey star taking a bullet for his girlfriend, made the news, and everyone wants the inside scoop.
I refuse to talk to any of them. I didn’t like the press, back when I was a player, and I definitely don’t like them now. They're persistent and I have to eventually hire security to keep them away.
Billy doesn't visit me. News has it that he left town, already, to deal with the fallout at his 'organization.'
Two visits surprise me. The first is from Victor Thames, who shows up with his daughter, of all things. I guess, after the news reached him, he's now convinced I'm not just a player who uses women. So, it's safe to introduce me to his precious daughter.
The girl is very sweet, if a little shy. She comes over with a casserole and I sign a jersey for her while I talk to her dad.
"You need to get off your ass and get back to work," Thames says, gruffly.
"Oh, so you're finally ready to let me work?"
He shrugs. "It wasn't so bad having you on the team. And your ideas aren't all terrible."
I figure, that's his way of telling me he's glad I'm alive.
The other visit that surprises me is my dad. I don’t see it coming – literally.
I wake up and he’s there.
“Dad?”
"Hey." A tentative smile crosses the corner of his lip. "I heard you took a bullet for someone. Came to see if you were still in one piece."
"I am, surprisingly."
My dad and I share very similar features, except he's a little smaller than I am, and obviously older. He looks a little more worn since I last saw him. I feel guilty because I know part of that is from me.
"Sorry."
"Sorry?" He raises an eyebrow. "For being a hero?"
"No, for everything else... how I treated you..." I take a deep breath, grateful that it no longer hurts to breathe. "I have two sons now. I understand how much it must’ve hurt when I sided with Mom during the divorce."
My dad looks surprised. Then he smiles. "I never held that against you. You were a child. And you weren't wrong. I was probably a horrible husband to your mom."
"But it was more complicated than that. Wasn't it?"
He looks thoughtful and then nods. "Yeah, it was."
