Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Pulling back, she looked up at him, her eyes filled with sadness. “You’ve walked away twice before; why wouldn’t you once again? The only good thing is that at least we had this time together.”
His heart stopped as he held her gaze. “Don’t say that, Ayns. I’m not going anywhere
yet.”
He closed his eyes, wishing that things could be different for them. He wanted to get lost
in her kisses, take her to bed, and never leave. In a perfect world, he would be with her and they would both have awesome careers. That’s what he wanted, but it seemed impossible.
As he ran his nose along hers, she whispered, “Yeah, not yet.”
Chapter Nine
“How about the Predators, do they need a goalie?”
Jordan stood outside a little pub in the heart of Buffalo, on the phone with his dad. The Assassins were playing the Sabres the next afternoon for an early Sunday game, and it seemed as if everything in Buffalo reminded him of Aynslee. She had told him so many stories about growing up in the charming city that it felt as if he had lived there with her. Thinking of her prompted the usual smile, but it also brought on a little heartache. After skipping Jakob’s charity event, he had lain in bed with Aynslee, holding her and then making love to her all night long.
He was such an idiot. He’d known this was going to happen, and he still fell in love. Now he was scrambling, trying to figure out a way to keep them together.
Bill cleared his throat, and Jordan could hear his father’s fingers typing on the computer.
After finding the answer he needed, Bill finally said, “Maybe. I could reach out to them.” “Yes, please do,” Jordan said, feeling a glimpse of hope. It would piss some of his teammates off if he went to the Assassins’ most hated rival, but if it allowed him to stay in
Nashville, he’d do it.
“Why? I thought you wanted to play for the IceCats.”
“I don’t want to leave Nashville,” he admitted, pinching the bridge of his nose and bracing for a fight. Jordan knew his father. Bill loved his wife more than anything, and if bringing her son back home to play would make her happy, he’d do it, no matter how Jordan felt about it. Jordan wanted to be close to his parents, but Aynslee was becoming the most important thing in his world.
“Why?”
“I met someone.”
Bill paused, and Jordan took the opportunity to hold the phone out from his ear before the screaming started.
“Are you fucking kidding me? You knew you were leaving at the end of the season. You wanted this! I’ve worked my ass off to get you the best deal with the IceCats, and you want to stay in Nashville? For some woman?”
“Not just for some woman, Dad. She’s the one. I love her.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, son. Really? This is the first I’ve heard of her and you love her?
What the hell?”
“Dad, she’s different. I met her when I was flying back from that meeting with the Sabres, and I instantly knew there was something special about her. I tried to stay away, but I couldn’t, Dad. I can’t. I have to do everything I can to stay in Nashville, or I’ll lose her,” he said, his voice breaking at the end.
Closing his eyes to keep the tears at bay, Jordan took in another breath as his father said, “Are you crying?”
“No, I’m not crying!” Jordan snapped.
Bill’s chuckles came over the line. “She can’t come here?”
Jordan shook his head, even though his father couldn’t see him. “No. She has a great job in Nashville, not to mention friends and a life. I can’t ask her to leave it all for me.”
“Do you think she would?”
“Yeah, I do, but I’m afraid she’ll resent me in the end.”
“I understand that. Okay,” Bill said, tapping away on the computer again. “I’ll contact the Predators—maybe even St. Louis, since that’s close. You could always commute.”
Jordan grinned broadly. “Thank you so much, Dad. I love you.”
“It may not work, son, but we’ll try. If it doesn’t work and the contract is right with the IceCats, you’ll come here. Agreed?”
“Yeah, she knows I plan on leaving. I just don’t want to.” “Understood. Okay, well, talk to you soon,” Bill said. “Sounds good; bye, Dad.”
Jordan was about to end the call when he heard his dad clear his throat. “Son.” “Yeah?”
“I love you too, and I’m very proud of you. Can’t wait to meet her.” Jordan smiled, looking up at the sky as he said, “You’ll love her.” “I know I will. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Jordan ended the call, tucking his phone back into his pocket. He hoped to God something would work out. He didn’t want to make Aynslee cry any more than he already had.
He only wanted to make her happy. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, to love her until his dying day and watch her carry his children. They could try to do the long-distance thing, but those relationships hardly ever worked, and he wanted to be with her all of the time, not part of the time. It was hard enough leaving her for road trips, but to live five hundred miles away— he couldn’t do that.