Page 29 of Much Ado About Hockey

He was the bigger person – and it galled her.

He was smart – in his own way.

And Jett hid all of that behind a casual, relaxed, devil-may-care attitude that pushed her buttons, pretending to be uncaring or ignorant. But there was something more to him, and if her curiosity had been mildly piqued before – it was surging, demanding, and clamoring to delve into who he was with a fervor that bordered on obsession.

People say that respect is earned, not given… and Jett just earned hers.

6

JETT

The silenceover the last few days wasn’t just unsettling - it was suffocating. Jett felt like he was frowning in the quiet, every minute dragging by, filled with unanswered questions and a heavy lingering hope. He kept telling himself it was a blessing that he’d been busy, that there were a hundred little details demanding his attention. Maybe it was a distraction, but it wasn’t nearly enough.

There were contracts to review, flights to coordinate, press releases pending his signature - and the jerseys. The team needed his number confirmed so they could have everything ready for his grand arrival. His name would be stitched across the back of a crisp, profesional fabric - proof of everything that he’d worked toward. That felt right. That felt good… but one of those jerseys he couldn’t just sent by courier.

Karen.

He couldn’t bear the idea of her finding a jersey tucked in a cardboard box with her new surname on the label like she was just some fan. He wanted to be the one to hand it to her. He wanted to see the expression on her face when she unfolded it, when she saw his name, his number. He needed to know ifshe cared, even a little. He wanted it to matter to her, because heaven help him… she was starting to matter to him - more than he was ready to admit.

When he’d first seen her in the bookstore, he’d thought she was beautiful in a quiet, bookish way… but that had been nothing compared to what he felt now. The more he got to know her, the more time that he spent with her, the deeper the pull became. It wasn’t just an attraction - it was magnetic, raw, and all-consuming. It wasn’t just about her looks, but there was also the sound of her voice, the way she moved, how she smiled. Everything about her felt like a siren’s call straight to the parts of him he guarded carefully.

His heart.

He wanted to get lost in her scent, in the way her presence softened the room. He wanted to wrap her up in everything delicate, feminine, and pink… because something about that color reminded him of her.

Soft.

Sweet.

Wildly more than expected.

Jett had already ordered a frilly pink apron to be delivered to the condo. He didn’t know if she would wear it, heck - he didn’t know if she cooked, but he wanted her to have it… from him. He’d filled an online shopping cart with items he hadn’t checked out yet. Pink cashmere, soft wool throws, fuzzy scarves - all sorts of things that he imagined her wrapped in during the cold months ahead. A pink coat, a little muff lined with fur for her hands, a scarf with tiny white pom-poms dancing at the ends…

He wanted to spoil her.

He wanted to lavish her with things that made her smile.

Heck, he wanted her thinking ofhim…

“Oh mannn…”

He let his head fall back against the seat and groaned aloud, his eyes closing as he muttered under his breath.

“I am seriously ‘ate up’ when it comes to her - and she couldn’t care less about me.”

The words landed like stones in his chest. He could feel the truth of them like a bruise that wouldn’t fade. He was sitting on a plane, bound for the next chapter of his life, but a big part of him didn’t want to go anywhere…

Not yet.

Not without her.

Not without knowing if she’d even notice he was gone.

He kept watching the aisle, staring toward the back like she might just appear. Like maybe… maybe… maybe she’d come running after him, breathless and stubborn, showing up in some grand way, making an entrance.

He could respect that.

Maybe she was already here?

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