Page 80 of Comeback
Two months later.
Before we left Bayfield, Emma and I got married at the courthouse. It was a quiet ceremony, with only our “crazy little family” in attendance—Nicole, Jeff, Dane, Reavo and Mackenzie.
I know what you’re thinking—aw, a courthouse wedding, that’s disappointing.And I hear ya. But I wanted Emma to becertainabout how badly I needed her and Mackenzie with me in Dallas. We just didn’t have enough time to plan a big wedding before the season started, and I didn’t want Emma to have any doubts about moving in with me.
Our plan is to have arealwedding for all our friends and family next summer, in the off-season after my first year back with the Devils.
So, as official newlyweds, Emma, Mackenzie and I went to Dallas.
We spent a month living in a Dallas hotel while we hunted for a house. Emma and Ifinallyfound a place we liked in Preston Hollow—not as big as my Bayfield vacation house, but definitely big enough for a small family. As an added bonus, it was just a few doors down from Dane’s house. We’d closed on the deal earlier that week and just moved in yesterday, the day before training camp began. The house was still filled with stacks of moving boxes.
The three of us sat at the dining room table. Breakfast was a haphazard affair—we still didn’t have a refrigerator. I’d had to run out first thing in the morning and buy breakfast burritos and fruit for everyone.
“I’ve gotsomuch to do today,” Emma said, not in a stressful way, but in that excited, optimistic, starting-a-new-journey kind of way.
“What’s on the agenda?” I asked, sipping coffee from a paper cup.
“I’d like to get the kitchen taken care of today,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like home until we can actually eat here, you know? So, wehaveto get a refrigerator. Do you want me to wait to shop until you’re home?”
I shook my head. “Nah. You got my credit card.”
“Any preference on what kind of fridge you want?”
“How ‘bout one of those big stainless steel ones? With the double swinging doors and the see-through drawers?” I shrugged. “But hey, get whatever you decide is best. I trust your judgment.”
She grinned so wide her eyes turned into little slits. “I love yousomuch right now.”
I laughed and took another swig of my coffee.
Emma noticed that my leg was bouncing beneath the table. The caffeine helped to wake me up, but wasn’t helping my anxiety.
“Are you nervous?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. Little bit.”
“Aw. Don’t be. You’re going to dogreat, Jack. You’ve worked so hard for this all summer.”
“Thanks, sweetheart,” I said.
I wished I could be as sure as she was. The truth was,everyoneworked hard all summer. Training camp wasn’t going to be a breeze by any stretch of the imagination. I’d have to grind through my rink rust, work hard to earn my spot on roster, and work even harder to win back the trust of my teammates.
But there wasn’t any point in stressing over it. I just had to put my head down and get to work. Deep down, I knew that once my skates hit the ice, all the nerves would be gone. Like always.
The doorbell rang. I looked at my watch. It was 7:00 AM. He was right on time.
“Okay, that’s him,” I said as I rose to my feet. I gave Emma a quick hug and one last kiss.
“Good luck out there, Jack,” she said.
“Thanks, babe.”
I hurried over to Mackenzie and planted a kiss on her chubby little cheek. “Bye, baby girl.”
She gave me a kiss back. “Bye, Daddy Jack!”
Daddy Jack.That became my new name after the wedding, when I officially adopted Mackenzie as my daughter. Being calledDaddy Jacknever fails to warm my heart—but sometimes, she drops the “Jack” part, and I’m justDaddy,and hearing thatreallyturns me into a puddle of mush.
I grabbed my gear and went to the front door. Dane waited on my porch.
