Page 85 of Offside and Off-Limits
“Catch you both later,” I say as I make my way through the crowd.
Stepping up onto the stage, I scan the crowd for Clara. She isn’t hard to spot, her blonde hair catching the light, glowing like gold. She’s speaking with Veronica and the guy I recognize as Paul Vaughn, CEO of the Ice Breakers.
The tautness of her features tells me everything I need to know.
I stride over to the microphone and tap it a few times, making a banging sound that reverberates around the room, bouncing off the walls.
A few heads turn to look my way, and I clear my throat. “Hey, everyone,” I say into the mic, feeling like I'm about to jump off a cliff without checking for a safe landing below. A hush falls gradually over the crowd. “For those of you who don't know me, my name is Cade Lennox and I'm a winger for this awesome new NHL team we’re celebrating here tonight.”
I pause, watching Clara go pale as she watches me,wondering what I’m doing.
Sorry, Triple, but sometimes you've got to go all-in when the stakes are high.
Because this is about me and Clara, and the man I’ve become.
“I’m not that good at this sort of thing, but I’ve got something to say, and I hope you’ll give me the chance to say it.”
There’s a murmur that rumbles around the room before it falls to silence.
I clear my throat. “I bet I can guess what most of you think about me. Pro hockey player, am I right? Big contract, bigger ego, probably goes through women like I go through hockey sticks.”
There are a few chuckles that ripple through the crowd, and I can practically feel my teammates cringing somewhere out there.
“And to be honest, for a long time, that guy you're thinking ofwasme.”
The room has gone completely silent now, all eyes on me, which is either really good or totally catastrophic.
Me? I don’t take my eyes from Clara’s, her features creased in worry as she hangs on my every word.
“But here’s the thing. I’m not that guy anymore. Haven’t been for some time, in fact. Moving here to this town, joining this team? It was to give myself the space to explore the man I knew I could be.”
Mary-Ellen McCluskey is practically vibrating with excitement in the front row, and I’m sure this moment is going to fuel Maple Falls gossip for the next year.
“The truth is, I've fallen in love with the most wonderful woman, and it’s the kind of love that means I’m willing to make a total fool of myself in front of the whole town.”
“You’re proving that part all right!” some guy calls out, but I won’t let him break my stride. I’ve got something to say, and I’m going to say it.
“The woman I love is smart, and funny, and strong. Strongenough to rebuild her entire life from scratch. Someone I’m proud to say loves me back.” I take a breath. “That someone is Clara Johnson.”
Gasps burst from the crowd, and people swivel their heads in Clara’s direction. She’s watching me, her eyes intense.
“I knew it!” Mary-Ellen McCluskey calls out.
I pull my lips into a line. “The problem is, because of me, Clara’s job is now at risk.”
There are more murmurs, but this time, I push on.
“So, here’s my proposal to team management. If Clara loses her job because I was stupid enough to fall in love with her, the most amazing woman I've ever met, I'm stepping down from my contract. I’ll pay the penalties. I don’t care. For the first time in my life, I've found something more important than hockey, and I’m not going to let it go.”
The silence is deafening, and all I can hear is my own heartbeat, thrashing in my ears.
But I’ve said what I needed to say, and now the cards will fall where they fall.
A blur of blue and gold pushes through the crowd. “Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me,” a voice says, and it takes me a moment to realize it’s Clara, urgently making her way to me.
She steps up onto the stage and gives an embarrassed wave at the guests before hurrying across to me. She places her hand over the microphone and immediately a loud piercing shriek sounds around the room.
She snaps her hand away. “Sorry, everyone. I didn't mean to do that. I just wanted a quiet word with Cade.”
