Page 51 of Matched with Her Athlete Boss

She starts the movie and I turn over our conversation in my mind. There are a lot of things I didn’t realize when it came to the opposite sex. I’ve never compared childhood sick days with my guy friends and I’m beginning to see just how much my mother went above and beyond to take care of me and my sisters.

“Why were you so bugged with your mom earlier?” Kenzie asks.

I shake my head, not happy with my small outburst this afternoon. “I shouldn’t have been so stern about it. It’s hard when she doesn’t listen to what I actually want. The other night I told her I hired you and she said that she was happy she didn’t have to come over with my sisters to unpack me. The hardest part is I’m a grown man, and there are some basic skills I don’t have because of her love to help. I guess I just want her to trust me that I’ll find someone who will be a good fit for me.”

“Understandable,” Kenzie says. She turns to watch the show she’d mentioned at the interview. Will Smith is on a double date and ends up having an allergic reaction to the fish.

“This is what you were talking about,” I say, grinning.

“You’re learning, Boss,” she says, chuckling.

“Boss, huh? I kind of like the sound of that.”

She shakes her head. “Don’t get too used to it. I’ll be at your house for two weeks and then you’ll be rid of me.”

Something about her words hits me in the gut and I try to imagine a future without Kenzie in any capacity.

“I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure you’re stuck with me.”

“What if you get a girlfriend? Women get very jealous of ‘the friend’ when they’re in a relationship.”

“Emphasis on ‘if’ there. Most women get jealous that I’m married to my career.”

Kenzie lets out a long sigh. “Then you’re with the wrong woman. She should be cheering you on and helping you stay consistent in your game rather than worrying about how much time you spend with her.”

I study her profile, trying to figure her out. “You wouldn’t get bugged when your partner tells you he has to go last minute, several times a week?”

“If it happens daily for several months, sure. But there’s only so much time you’ll get to play hockey. You can both make it work.”

“How?” I’m extra curious because I’ve never had a good solution to this dilemma. Putting in a hundred and ten percent is standard for me. I’m guessing that’s why nothing has worked out in the love sector before. If Kenzie has the golden key to opening that vault of wisdom, I’m all ears.

“She can travel with you to away games. There are opportunities to work with the hockey organizations too. And then when you do have time, you make sure to spend all that time with her, rather than your attention divided.”

“If only it were that easy.” I pause and decide to ask the question siren in my brain. “If you were to marry a hockey player, what would you do?”

She smiles at me. “I have the advantage of skating. So, if he needs to go blow off steam over his last game, I’d go with. I’d try to travel to as many games as possible with him and then make sure to hold up life once we had kids and stuff. You can make a takeout dinner in a hotel room just as romantic as dinner at a five-course restaurant. I think it’s a lot about balance and talking. I’m not always good at the communication part of life, but it’s important.”

I nod. The fact that Kenzie talks about life as a hockey wife with such ease makes me wonder if she’s real. Most of the women I’ve dated have been more worried about going out to fancy dinners and what the latest expensive trend is in the clothing and accessory part of life.

More wisdom from the Book of Kenzie. If she wasn’t in pain, I’d be tempted to kiss her right here.

22

KENZIE

"Breathe," Hillary says. Evie is to my right, rubbing my back for comfort as I breathe into a paper bag. Who knew that really worked?

It’s been three days since the burning lips incident and I almost look like myself. My time with Trey is like a golden memory in my brain. Him fawning all over me and our conversations mean that much more.

His questions about what life as a hockey wife would look like make me want that even more. Too bad we’re stuck under contract for four dates.

But now I’m back to reality. Date #1 is today.

"You're going to be just fine, Kenz," Evie says. I can see her smile from my peripheral vision.

I pause and say, "Will I though? I think I need a few more days to process this."

"A few more days is only going to mean that you'll try to delay it again," Hillary says. "Donovan was a tool to leave you the way he did. That doesn't mean you can't find your happiness now."

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