Page 44 of Forever Wild
Hey Jack,
I’m so sorry to hear about the accident. Thinking of you.
X,
Meredith
And then the second.
How’s recovery coming? I would love to grab a drink sometime and catch up.
I hand the laptop back without replying.
“You can delete those.”
She doesn’t say anything as she settles back in with the computer in her lap, but I see the questions in her eyes.
“What? You think I should reply and politely say ‘no thanks?’” I ask, arching one brow.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Your face is saying a lot.”
The judgment is replaced with a coy smile. She sets the laptopaside and stretches her legs out. “I didn’t know you were still talking to Meredith. I always liked her. She was nice.”
I grunt a response.
“I know that the way things ended wasn’t ideal, but she did help get Bridget’s asshole ex fired so she and Ash could stay here so it’s hard not to like her.”
Meredith is a sports reporter. She covers baseball, not hockey, but when Ash was having issues with one of our assistant GMs, who just so happened to be Bridget’s ex, I might have let some dirt on the guy slip to ensure it got out there, but it was Nick who supplied the firsthand knowledge of the creep that got him fired.
Some people assume I broke up with her for sharing that information, but that’s not the reason. I just didn’t see it going anywhere. Over the past few years, I’ve watched my teammates and friends settle down, one after the other. It’s hard to see how happy they all are and not compare my situation. Meredith and I weren’t going anywhere. Not long-term.
Though, since then, no one has really fit that label any better so maybe it wasn’t really her at all.
“Meredith and I ended things on friendly-enough terms.”
“But you don’t want tocatch up?” Everly asks with so much innuendo in her gorgeous hazel eyes that I want to roll mine.
“Busy.”
She snorts. “That’s the worst blow-off excuse.”
“Which is why I said to just delete.”
I finish stretching and stand to start my workout. Brian and I got in some good work this morning, but since my knee is starting to feel better, I want to push it a little more every day. Not too much that I cause a setback, but enough that I feel like I’ve done absolutelyeverything in my power to be back at one hundred percent come September.
Everly hovers nearby watching me.
“What?” I ask because clearly there’s something she wants from me or she wouldn’t be hanging around. Actually, she’s barely been in the pool the last two days.
“I was just thinking I should start working out again.” She looks longingly at the equipment scattered around. I have a gym inside but the fresh air has been good for me.
“You’re welcome to use anything you want, whenever you want.”
I pick up a ten-pound medicine ball and toss it to her. She catches it with an “oof.”
“I didn’t mean now,” she says.
