Page 31 of Cross Check My Heart
“Well then. I-I uhh…” I clear my throat, gathering my thoughts before continuing. “Okay then. Are we forgetting anything?”
His smile widens as he slowly shakes his head.
“Okay, well, this is definitely the weirdest start to any neighbor-slash-friendship that I’ve ever had.” I laugh, trying to stay focused and not think about getting him back in bed.
Dom kisses my cheek as his chuckle vibrates through me. Leaning to the side to check the time, my eyes bulge when I see its eight forty-three.
“You’re going to be late!” He glances at the clock, shrugging as if the time doesn’t bug him.
“Nah. Just means I gotta go brush my teeth, grab my gear and hustle in the next seven minutes. Before that happens though.” He grabs my hand to pull me back into his chest while kissing me the moment I collide with him. I let him have his way, giving it right back as I melt into his hold before pulling away.
“That’s another minute wasted.” He places one more light kiss on my lip.
“There is no way in hell that a minute spent kissing you counts as wasted time.” This time he leans down, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead before backing away.
“I’ll talk to you later?” Knowing that I must have a stupid smile spread across my face, I nod slowly. Watching him head toward my bedroom as I stand there in a contented daze.
A minute later, he returns to my spot in the kitchen with a shirt on and phone in hand as he bends down to give me one last kiss.
Just before he heads down the hallway to leave my apartment he stops, turning to face me.
“Also, Domy? Definitely not the nickname that’s going to stick.” I laugh as he walks away with a smile. With everything that happened after the press conference. I had forgotten about the text I sent him yesterday.
A smile stays on my face as I force myself to focus on getting some work done.
While leaving Lilly’s apartment was harder than I expected, somehow, I managed to show up to practice on time.
Yesterday morning, before the press conference was held, I met up with Marcus, the team manager, and Coach James. We had gone over some final details in my contract before he tookme on a tour of the arena. We didn’t get to see everything, but they showed me the most important areas.
Meeting room, locker room, Coach’s office and, of course, the ice rink.
This wasn’t my first-time setting foot in the Heart’s Arena, however, walking through the doors now and knowing this is wheremyteam plays? It’s a whole different feeling. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but the excitement outweighs everything else.
I had been playing for the Colorado Cougars my entire career. I never thought much about transferring teams. When my first contract was signed, there was a no-trade agreement in place while Sarah was in school and starting college. I couldn’t bring myself to risk moving away and leaving her alone. However, after Sarah died there was no reason for me to stay. I had tried, but when I showed up at practice two weeks after my sister’s funeral, it became too much.
The man who was responsible for taking my sister from me was skating on the ice. The team captain, Josh, is the reason my sister is dead.
He had nothing more than a bruise on his cheek and a cut on his forehead. Hardly a scratch on him from the crash, while my sister was cold in the ground.
Josh tried approaching me, tried to say something, but I couldn’t look away from his bruise. Worse injuries have happened during a game, yet the fatal car crash that took my sister from me had barely hurt him. When he stepped close enough, he tried to reach out and touch my shoulder with an apology pouring from his lips. I saw only red.
Punching him should have made me feel something. As he stumbled back and others came rushing over to help him up, I felt nothing. I walked away before he could try to say anything else. I went right up to my coach’s office and told him I eitherneeded to leave the sport or leave the team. Coach Owen simply nodded his head, pulled out my contract, and set to work helping get me out of there.
When he told me there were multiple offers made, I didn’t know how to pick. Three teams put in trade offers, but when I saw the Bobcats on the list, my indecisiveness was cleared. There was one better offer from another team, but accepting the deal that put me in the same city as Garrett was a no brainer.
Now, as I turn down a hall that will lead me to the offices, I run my fingers through my hair. I had meant to show up to the arena dressed a bit nicer, but my faded blue jeans and white polo shirt were good enough in a time crunch. The rest of my boxes are supposed to be arriving this week, so even if I had more time this morning, I probably still would have worn this.
Plus, the extra couple of kisses with Lilly were totally worth the time crunch. Not wanting to start thinking about her, I focus back on what I’m doing today. I’ll be having my one-on-one with Coach James as well as meeting my new team.
When I sat down in the Coach’s office, I was convinced it would be awkward. Considering I’ve spent the past four nights with his daughter, I had almost convinced myself that I wouldn’t be able to face him. Yet we had fallen into conversation seamlessly. Coach asked about my career, as well as where I went to college.
I was a Colorado man through and through until now. While reminiscing pulled on more than one heart string, I never feltoverwhelmed. I know that Coach James spoke with my old Coach during my transfer process. So, the chances that he knows about Sarah are high. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to mention her.
We talked for a bit about his time with the Bobcats and his previous team up in Vermont. Coach James starts talking about the players, it’s clear that he knows his team like the back of his hand. It’s more than just knowing their stats or where they’re strongest on the ice, he makes off handed comments about their personal lives along the way.
Could he talk about Lilly and her brothers the same way?
I shake the thought away, needing to keep her out of my thoughts as I sit in her father’s office. If this is going to work, I need to keep hockey and Lilly completely separate.
