Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 92422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“Tell me more about your family. Your parents seem great. Really accepting of the decisions you make. Even when you shock the hell out of them.” That’s what impressed me most.
His expression softens. “They’re amazing. When I was younger, my dad was on the road a lot and my mom always held down the fort, making sure that we had a stable home. Her kids always came first.”
My heart clenches with envy.
“When Dad was gone, she’s the one who schlepped me to the rink five days a week with all my siblings in tow.” He smirks. “It was pretty much their second home.”
“Are you all still close?”
He nods. “Yup. I’m sure my brothers will follow in my footsteps and play here at Western.”
“And your sister?”
“She’s an equestrian.”
“Sounds like your upbringing was pretty idyllic.”
I’m even more envious than before.
He shrugs as a flash of darkness enters his eyes. “It was. But having a father who played in the NHL and then worked in broadcasting isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
“Oh?”
For the first time, he’s the one who breaks eye contact. A heavy silence falls over us as he gets tangled in his thoughts.
I reach out and lay my hand over his. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want. Whatever happened in the past isn’t any of my business.”
He draws a deep breath into his lungs before forcing it out again. “That’s where you’re wrong. You’re my wife, and I want you to have a better understanding of me.” He jerks his shoulders. “Maybe this’ll help.”
Instead of asking questions, I squeeze his hand, just wanting him to know that he’s not alone.
“When you’re famous or related to someone who’s a professional athlete, people try to get close to you or want things from you. It’s something that was really driven home to me in high school. Although looking back, I think I was always cognizant of it.”
I clear my throat. He has no idea how close to home this hits. “I can imagine.”
“You have to be careful and constantly question people’s motives. Even when you’ve known someone for years.” His brows pinch together. “Guess I kind of forgot that. When I was a senior in high school, I started dating this girl.”
His lips quirk at the corners and it’s so tempting to tease him because I’m shocked that he’s gone out with anyone. But there’s something about his tone that keeps me silent.
“We attended the same school and had the same circle of friends. We hung out a few times by ourselves and she’d show up to all my games. After about a month or so, I asked her to be my girlfriend, and for a while, everything was cool. Even though I liked her, I knew that we wouldn’t attend the same college. We both agreed that it didn’t make sense to stay together after senior year.” His tongue darts out to moisten his lips. “It was important that we were both on the same page. I didn’t want to go away as a freshman and have a long-distance relationship. Not with the pressure of hockey looming over me.”
He pauses.
The question shoots out of my mouth before I can stop it. “What happened?”
A mix of emotions crosses his face. Anger. Sadness. Embarrassment. “A few months before graduation, she told me that she was pregnant.”
My eyes widen and I bite my lower lip to keep all the questions trapped inside as I wait for him to continue.
“I was upset about the situation but mostly, I felt bad that I was careless and allowed this to happen. I knew my parents would be disappointed. That conversation was probably the most difficult one I’ve ever had with them.”
I squeeze his hand, wanting to bring him back to the present. I can tell that he’s getting lost in the memories.
“I bet.”
“My mom called Anna’s parents right away, wanting them to know that they would pay for whatever was needed for her and the baby. It was important to them to be involved.” His lips quirk. “Mom was great. She told me that we’d figure out everything together and that I wasn’t in this alone.”
“Your mom sounds pretty amazing.” Not all parents would react that way. It’s doubtful my own would.
His lips quirk slightly. “She is.”
If Colby ever mentioned having a child, I’m pretty sure I’d remember it.
And he hasn’t.
So that can only mean…
“Over the course of two or three months, my parents shelled out somewhere around a hundred thousand dollars because her family didn’t have insurance. Her dad kept pressuring me to set a date and marry Anna, even though we were seniors in high school. He said that they didn’t care about a big, fancy wedding.” He drags a hand through his hair. “A baby was one thing. Getting married after just turning eighteen was another.”