Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
So I lean into her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Yes. I forgive you. And I’m actually ashamed it took me so long to do it.”
“When?”
Her question is simple and I understand it. When did my feelings about her on that subject change?
“When you told me about the placental abruption,” I tell her quietly. “I mean…my anger had started to melt away before that. I knew when I first kissed you in the kitchen that night I couldn’t be all that mad at you to do that. But that night when you told me you almost died, I realized. You’ve had your own struggles and losses. I guess I just realized that I needed to let it go, because I saw that despite what you went through, you’ve put on a stiff upper lip and moved on. I need to do the same.”
Gracen blows out a breath, clearly relieved by my answer. I hate that she even has room to be relieved—still suffering guilt—but at least now we’ve discussed that.
“So are you going to come to the game tomorrow night? Reed said Josie’s going, so I figured you two could sit together and then maybe all of us could go out afterward.”
Before Gracen can answer, my phone starts ringing. I pull it out of my pocket to check who’s calling, realizing I need to answer.
I look back up to Gracen. “I’ve got to take this. Are you in?”
She gives me a tentative smile. “Sure. Sounds like fun.”
“Cool.” I grin at her, and nod toward the pan. “Can you finish that up?”
“On it,” she says cheerily.
I turn my back on her and start walking toward my bedroom for some privacy. I’m able to answer by the third ring. “Jimmy…you got something to report?”
Jimmy Schaeffer is my local attorney. He’s helped me close the loan paperwork on my house when I bought it, as well as reviewed any number of contracts and endorsement deals that I’ve been offered over the last few years. He was the first person I called when I got back to North Carolina after finding out I had a daughter, as I needed to know what my rights were.
“I just got off the phone with Mr. Waller,” he says.
“And?”
“He understands your concerns and assured me he’d have a talk with his son,” Jimmy reports smugly.
I had Jimmy reach out to Owen’s father to pass on my concerns that his behavior was turning stalkerish. I also wanted to share the information that the Moores would not be selling their property to Owen, so he needed to quit bothering them about it as well as bothering their daughter. He also made some veiled threats about restraining orders or going to the press about Owen’s creepy ways, but apparently his father understood the urgency.
“The senior Mr. Waller assured me that Owen would not be a problem for the Moore family again and wanted to offer apologies to Miss Moore and her parents.”
I snicker as I walk into my bedroom. I’ve got to get my workout gear and practice bag together. “And about their loan,” I prompt him.
“As per your request, I asked Mr. Waller to consider extending the loan until the sale of their property went through, or alternatively, I told him you’d gladly pay off the note to remove the pressure from the Moores. Again, Mr. Waller assured us that there was no problem in getting an extension on the note and that he would work personally with the Moores.”
“I assume you’re confirming this all in writing?”
“But of course,” Jimmy answers with a laugh. “It will go out today.”
“Okay, buddy. Thanks for jumping on that for me. Send me your bill.”
“Oh, I will,” he says almost ominously, but whatever he charges me is well worth the peace of mind knowing that I don’t have to worry about Owen anymore. Once I realized that he was really just after the Moore’s property and using Gracen as a pawn, I was pretty confident he wouldn’t be coming around her again after he learned the property was out of play for him. Still, it was just added insurance bringing his father into it, figuring the elder Mr. Waller would be more concerned about propriety than anything and that definitely paid off well, so I’d gladly pay Jimmy’s attorney fee for that call and letter.
I say goodbye to Jimmy and throw my shit into a duffel bag. I’ve got just enough time to sit down with Lilly and Gracen for breakfast, and then it’s off to work I go.
Chapter 22
Gracen
I’ve been to hundreds and hundreds of hockey games. Whether it was watching Marek play travel hockey in the summer, or pond hockey in the winter, watching my man out there was always special. I went to every game I could manage when he played at Boston College. I’ve even been to professional hockey games with Marek before he became a professional player himself. But this is the first time I’ve ever sat in an arena and watched Marek as an NHL player. There’s no way to truly describe how it makes me feel. My nerves seem to be popping and I can barely sit still in my seat.