Page 65 of Desperate Pucker
“Wait, Ryker, you’re a professional athlete. You make a ton of money. I bet the ring you got her was amazing. What the hell kind of ring did she want?”
His throat works. “This insane, gigantic diamond that would have cost a year’s worth of my salary.”
My head spins. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. Technically, I could have gotten it for her. I had the money, but it just felt wrong.” He huffs out a breath. “I should have broken up with her years before then. She was always making comments about how I needed to live up to her lifestyle. She was always criticizing my clothes, calling them cheap. She thought my car was trashy.”
I look at him. “You drive a Range Rover.”
“Her family was loaded. She was used to stuff that was a lot nicer.”
I shake my head in disbelief.
He clears his throat. “She didn’t like that I came from a working-class background. Every time she was around my family, I could tell she was uncomfortable. Even though they went out of their way to welcome her.”
Anger simmers inside of me. What a materialistic jerk she sounds like.
“She didn’t like that I played hockey either,” he says after a moment.
I stare at him, utterly confused. “What? That makes no sense. You’re a professional athlete who makes a ton of money.”
He rubs the back of his neck and looks down. “Yeah, but I’m not a superstar. I’m a solid player for sure. I earn my spot on the teams I’ve played for. But I’m not famous. My paycheck isn’t as big as it would be for someone who’s at the very top in the league.”
“Most players aren’t superstars. That doesn’t mean you’re trash. Ryker, I’ve seen you play. You’re an incredible athlete.”
“But I’m not a superstar, which is what she wanted. And if I couldn’t be that, then she wanted me to move on. She wanted me to quit playing hockey so I could work for her family’s company.”
“Are you serious?”
He nods. “They own some huge real estate empire. I would have made more money doing that than playing hockey. Myschedule would have been easier too. No more traveling. No more dealing with injuries and beating up my body.” He goes quiet, his mouth a straight line. “But no way was I going to give up hockey to do that.”
A protective feeling courses through me. “Because you love it. It’s your passion, and you can’t imagine doing anything else.”
His gaze focuses and sharpens when he looks at me. “Exactly.” He’s quiet for a second. “I don’t know how many years I have left in the league. I’m thirty-five. I’m not the oldest guy playing, but I’m up there. Playing hockey is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. I’m not ready to quit. When the time comes for me to leave, I only want to do it because I have to. Because I gave my all and couldn’t give anymore.”
My chest aches hearing him speak. I know exactly how he feels.
“I get it,” I say softly. “That’s how I was with figure skating. I didn’t want to quit until I had given it everything. And even though the outcome at the Olympics wasn’t what I wanted, I knew I had given it my all. I knew it was time to move on.”
He nods. “I get a lot of shit for how old I am, but I’ve still got more left in me. I know I do. I want to see how far I can go. I want to play in a Stanley Cup final, if I can.”
Determination sparks up inside of me. This is why Ryker gets so pissed when people give him a hard time about his age. This is why he was so adamant about training with me as soon as possible. He knows he doesn’t have a lot of time left in the league, so he wants to play as much as he can. He wants to make every game, every minute he’s on the ice, count.
And as his skating coach, I’m going to do everything I can to help him do that.
“I’m sorry your ex didn’t support you in your career, Ryker. That’s messed up,” I say. “When did things end between you two?”
“Four years ago.”
I reach over and gently squeeze his hand in mine. “I’m sorry.”
He gazes down at our joined hands, then looks at me. “It’s okay. I’m glad we’re not together anymore. We weren’t right for each other.”
He gives my hand a soft squeeze. I close my eyes, savoring how big and warm his hand feels.
“When did you and your ex break up?” he asks.
I tense up. “Right before the Winter Olympics.”
