Page 55 of The Rebound Plan

It was our worst fight ever, and I almost moved out again. I almost called off the wedding, but he was full of remorse two days later when they won and two other teams lost, clinching his team’s wild card spot in the playoffs.

Ever since, I’ve let him direct what we eat at home, and ninety percent of our meals are either prepared by a chef or delivered by a service, which a lot of other players do, too. So I convinced myself it was fine and normal.

Now I know it’s not, but I still cling to hope. I would love to make my husband dinner—but I’m terrified he won’t like it if I do. So I make him smoothies instead, because I know that makes him happy.

Hot, bitter tears well behind my eyelids and I lean my head back, pretending to be relaxing, until they pass.

“Hey, they’re heading back,” Kiley says, looking at her phone. “Ty just texted me. Apparently there’s a party tonight down the lake. Oh, it’s the guy who sold Russ the boat. Shan, I think his son has that podcast I was telling you about.”

I don’t remember, because as soon as Russ came back, I lost track of our conversation.

Harper makes a little sound under her breath that catches Kiley’s attention, and they wordlessly exchange some kind of lifelong best friend message.

“I don’t care about going to the party,” Kiley says out loud. “It won’t be the best venue to network, anyway. We can go home tonight if you want.”

“Wait, what?” Becca gives Harper puppy dog eyes. “Why?”

“Kieran pointed out that I’ll need to run some errands tomorrow before going back to work. The day after is my first shift at the hospital after taking the summer off for the wedding,” she says apologetically. “Sorry to break up the party early. But the guys weren’t going to train tomorrow anyway, so…”

“And we drove up with them,” Kiley adds. “No party for me.”

“It’s okay,” I say under my breath. “I can’t see Max wanting to go, either.”

Right on cue, the front door opens and the guys start to stream in, disrupting what was probably our final moment of girlie peace together.

It doesn’t feel like we did enough bonding.

Although Becca and Emery are again in deep discussion about food, so maybe they did, and I’m just the odd one out.

I turn back to Kiley and raise my voice to get over the din. “We’ll get coffee soon and finish talking about ideas for the podcast.”

Which is unfortunately the same moment my husband strides in.

Max looks back and forth between Kiley and me. “What podcast?”

CHAPTER 22

RUSS

We had such a good afternoon session on the ice with Thea and Foster. The rookies were happy to show off for the team leaders, and Max was in his element as their captain.

But the second we get back to the house, he hears something he doesn’t like and Shannon disappears with him upstairs.

So much for a final team dinner together before Kieran, Harper, Kiley, and Ty hit the road.

Everyone pretends like they didn’t see the start of an argument, and there’s no yelling from upstairs, so I try to ignore the way I feel like clawing my way up there and demanding for Max to treat his wife better.

When Shannon emerges, her expression is perfect. A bright smile, full of warm goodbyes for the departing guests. “Max fell asleep,” she says apologetically. “We’ll see you back in Hamilton!”

The way she wears that mask is incredible.

She doesn’t make eye contact with me, though.

It’s the denial of her gaze that is the real tell, because ever since she’s arrived, she’s had no problem looking at me. Holding my attention. Sharing glances that even felt private, which I know is just me projecting my desire onto her, but it was something. Friendship, at the very least.

I watch her carefully as she curls up with Becca, Ani, and Emery on the couch. She doesn’t really make eye contact with any of them.

And when it’s time for the rest of us to head out to the party, it’s almost like she lets out a sigh of relief.

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