Page 5 of Make Your Shot
“I’m leaving at the end of the week. Pack your bags and come to Portland with me.”
I stare at her for a moment, picking at the gluten free blueberry muffin in front of me. “That actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” I admit, popping a piece into my mouth before chewing.
“Think about it,” she says with a shrug. “You can come for a change in scenery and maybe it will help you figure out what you want to do.” She pauses, a sheepish grin drifting across her lips. “It would be just like it was when we were in college living together.”
A chuckle escapes me. It is weird to think about Willow not being here. We’ve grown so close over the years and I’m not used to going long without seeing her.
“Okay, okay,” I agree, smiling at my best friend. “I’ll think about it.”
“Mia.” My father’s voice is muffled by my door as he knocks on it. “Are you and Willow still planning on coming to the game tonight?”
I tilt my head back, gathering my hair to secure it in a high ponytail. Willow is sprawled out on my bed reading on her kindle. She doesn’t bother looking up as I walk over and open my bedroom door. My father adjusts his tie and his eyes meet mine from behind his designer glasses.
“I was just finishing getting dressed.”
Some times my father comes home in between meetings and practice on game days, and other days, I don’t see him until he comes back late at night. He tries to balance his work and home life, but now that I’m grown, it’s a little easier for him to pour himself into his work completely.
It’s always been just the two of us.
My parents were both barely twenty when my mother got pregnant. They weren’t married, but my dad told me he planned on making her his wife after I was born. At the time, they didn’t realize my mother had a weakened uterine wall from a congenital anomaly.
When she went into labor, her uterus ruptured. They immediately rushed her into the OR for an emergency c-section because both of our lives were in danger.
Unfortunately, she didn’t survive.
“I have to leave a little earlier than I planned so I can meet with the owner. Are you able to drive yourself or do you want me to order you guys a car?”
“I planned on driving,” I assure him as I turn back around to grab a pair of sneakers from my closet.
When I first left for college, I felt immense guilt for leaving him, but he was too busy with his job as the head coach of a professional hockey team to seem bothered by it.
My father shrugs on his suit jacket, securing the buttons as he nods at me with tired eyes. “Okay, just drive safely and if I don’t see you at the arena, I’ll see you in the morning most likely.”
“I’ll text you when we get there.” I offer him a small smile. “Love you.”
“Love you too, Meep.” He smiles and this time it reaches his eyes. I see him glance at Willow, shifting his weight on his feet. “See ya, Willow.”
Willow glances up from her kindle, a moment of confusion washing over her face. “Later, Mr. Landry.”
My father gives us a wave and I watch him as he disappears into the hall and listen to his footsteps as he trudges down the stairs. When the front door closes, I head into the bathroom to put on my makeup. I don’t normally wear a lot, so I just put on a light base layer, subtle blush, and some mascara. I was blessed with perfectly shaped eyebrows and long, naturally curling eyelashes from my mother’s side.
I tighten my ponytail and give myself a once over before heading into my bedroom again. Willow hasn’tmade a single attempt to get up from my bed. She’s made it quite known that she’s not exactly the biggest fan of hockey.
“Are you coming along?” I question her as I grab my sneakers and a light jacket from my closet. The arena will undoubtedly be cold, so I need something more than just the T-shirt I’m wearing.
“I think I might just hang out here tonight,” she says, looking up from her book, a smirk working its way across her lips. “The shadow daddy just killed the fae who looked at her wrong and I’m not ready to put it down yet.”
Laughter bubbles in my throat and my hair shifts as I shake my head back and forth at her. “You’re going to pass up watching hot men play an aggressive sport to read about fictional men instead?”
Mischief dances in her green eyes and she brushes a stray strand of hair from her face, rolling over onto her stomach to look at me.
“You know I’m not into boys like that,” she says with a wink before wagging her eyebrows at me. “Although, some fun might not be a bad idea.” She rolls onto her side, propping her kindle up on a pillow. “I think I’ve been single for too long and this book has my ovaries ready to burst.”
“I think we need to find you someone for a quick hook-up,” I tell her, shaking my head and giggling with her. “That way you stop trying to flirt with my dad.”
She snaps her fingers, moving her arm in a sweeping motion. “Ah, shucks,” she grumbles, bitingback her grin. “For the record, I’m just joking around. He’s too old.”
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head at her, snorting. “Maybe we can hook you up with one of the players. I’ll do some recon.”
