Page 109 of Sure Shot
* * *
After brunch, we head back up to the room to get our things. I’m going to Ottawa for that tournament, and Tank is headed to San Jose for another game.
When it’s time to meet the team bus, I go downstairs with him, even though I have another hour before I have to check out. I feel so happy, I don’t want to let him out of my sight.
“Oh, jeez,” he says under his breath after we enter the lobby.
I’m just about to ask what’s wrong when I see a pretty brunette straighten up and walk toward Tank. She’s wearing a stylish dress, heels, and delicate little pearls in her ears.
Jordanna.
On instinct, I put my left hand into the pocket of my jeans.
But she only has eyes for Tank. “Mark. Hi,” she says a little breathlessly. “Do you have a second?” She finally glances at me, and the glance wonders if I wouldn’t just get lost, please.
“I need to make a call,” I say stupidly. Then I turn away.
“No, Bess,” Tank says. “Hey—”
I disregard him and ferry myself over to a sofa that’s a short distance away. It’s not far enough. I can hear Jordanna loud and clear. “I’m sorry to interrupt your morning.”
“Then why did you?” he asks tightly.
“Because I have two things to say to you, okay? And you don’t answer my texts.” I’m watching her out of the corner of my eye, and she looks shaky and uncertain.
And, damn it, now I actually feel sorry for her. I want to hate her for breaking Tank’s heart. But if she hadn’t, all my wishes wouldn’t be coming true.
Also, I want to hate her for knowing how to walk in those spiky heels.
She takes a nervous breath. “Nice goal last night. You looked great out there. I watched on TV.”
“Thank you,” he says quietly.
“And I just wanted to say I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry for everything. At the end, I told myself it was your fault that we couldn’t work through it. But it was never just your fault. And I’m sorry I made you feel like it was.”
I watch his back rise as he takes a deep breath. “Thank you. That’s nice of you. I probably could have handled it better, too.”
“We both could, maybe. But I said some things I regret. That’s all. I’ll let you get back to your teammates and your—” Her eyes dart over to where I sit.
“Fiancée,” he says slowly.
Jordanna gasps so audibly they probably heard it in San Jose. “Oh. Wow.” She looks at me again, and this time it’s not me who looks away. It’s her. “She’s not—” She swallows hard.Pregnant. She doesn’t say the word, but I hear it anyway.
“No, Danna,” he says with a shake of his head. “No.”
“Oh.” She takes a deep breath, and some of the color returns to her face. “God, I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”
I can hear Tank’s chuckle. “No, it isn’t. But, look, you need to get to a place where you can say that word without almost passing out, okay? Trust me, it’s the only way to move forward with your life.”
She brings both hands up to her mouth. “Okay. You’re right. I know. I lost my mind there for a second.”
“I understand why. I really do. But I hope you can find a way to make some peace with the way things turned out. You deserve that as much as I do.” He reaches out and gives her a quick, hard hug.
It’s so generous that I don’t even feel a stab of jealousy. Not a big one, anyway.
“Be well, Jordanna. Now I have to get back.”
“Goodbye, Mark. Congratulations.”
