Page 6 of If You Love Me

She’s been a few hours away all these years. And she knew who I was when we met in New York. That’s what’s messing me up the most. Yet I never felt like Roman Hammerstein the goalie. I was just a regular guy who liked baseball and wanted to travel for reasons other than work. The fact that she knew changes how I view that weekend.

“Might not be the worst that things are shaking up, you know?” Hollis says, maybe interpreting my silence as skepticism.

“I’m sure management has a plan in place.” I’m more concerned with how I’ll deal with watching Lexi in action. She’s a lethal combination of gorgeous and competent. Some of the younger guys on the team are all hormones. I cannot handle one of those horny little shits eyeing her like the fucking treat she is.

Our phones light up with an influx of new messages in our group chat. Hollis and I are tight with several of the guys on the team.

“I’ll check that,” I offer. The first message feels like a bad fucking omen.

Dallas

Anyone else curious about the impact of estrogen on practice?

Tristan

I’m more concerned about Flip and Connor knocking each other out.

Ash

This ^^^

Flip

Fuck you guys.

The chat devolves into hockey fight gifs.

“What are the guys saying?” Hollis asks as he pulls into the parking lot.

“They’re pushing Flip’s buttons over Connor.”

“I seriously wish we knew what the deal was there,” Hollis grumbles.

“Don’t we all,” I reply.

He pulls into his parking spot at the arena, and his phone pings. It’s my daughter. I can tell by the ringtone. His eyebrow pops as he reads the message.

“Everything okay with Peggy?” For a while she wanted me to call her by her middle name, Aurora, which is how Hollis often addresses her. But since they started dating, she’s backed off. I’m the only one who calls her Peggy now, and she doesn’t seem to mind the way she once did.

“Yeah. The girls are going to the Watering Hole after work.”

“Again?”

“Dred can make it this time, I guess.” He types a quick response as we exit the car. “Hopefully drinks with the girls doesn’t turn into a girls-only night. Especially since we’re about to start traveling.”

I rub my bottom lip as we enter the arena. “Peggy’s sublet is up in November.”

“I know. I’m ready for her to move in full-time now,” he says.

“One step at a time, right?” I bite back all the fatherly responses. Like, she’s only twenty-one. She’s still young and has a lot of growing to do. Hollis knows this, and he loves the hell out of my daughter. Also, by the time I was her age, I had a three-year-old.

It doesn’t make it any easier to walk this line, though. Sometimes it feels a lot like I’ve lost my little girl and my best friend. Hollis and I are still close, but he’s my daughter’s boyfriend now, and soon they’ll be officially living together. My life looked completely different a year ago: strong career, raising my daughter, working with my best friend. Now, I’m trying not to feel unmoored.

“Hey, my dudes. How’s it going?” Dallas Bright calls as he and Ashish Palaniappa fall into step with us.

“Not bad. How about you two?” Hollis asks.

“Ready to hit the ice,” Ash says.

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