Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101505 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101505 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
“I don’t mind it,” Andi says. “I’ve always wanted to meet Jake’s teammates. He’s just… protective. He’s worried I’m going to fall in love with them or something. You,” she says, correcting herself as if she’s just now realizing we are “them”.
Carter runs a hand through his hair, only managing to make it messier. “Well, you’ve already got the dress. What do you say we leave these losers behind? You and me can go get hitched somewhere.”
She laughs, even though I’m not sure Carter was joking. “You know he said you guys weren’t even fun. Obviously he was just trying to keep me away. This is already great.”
“Right,” Carter says, sinking back into his seat. “We’re a blast.”
“I think she should stay in the guest house,” I say suddenly. “Nolan can take the spare bedroom and we’ll give the guest house to Andi.”
“Does she plan to stay in Frosty Harbor long enough to need a bed?” Liam asks.
Andi tilts her head as if she’s thinking over the idea for the first time. “Maybe I will. My family used to visit here when I was a kid for the holidays. Jake will be here, too. I was kind of bummed to be away from him for Christmas during the honeymoon. But now I wouldn’t have to be. And besides, what better place for a fresh start?”
“Jesse grew up here,” Liam says. “He could show you the local’s tour.”
“Is that how you guys have a cabin to stay in?” Andi asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “My parents left it to me.” I tap my shoulder. “I screwed up my shoulder in the first game of the season. I’m resting and training on my own here in town until I recover. The team came to spend the holidays with me in my hometown.”
“That’s so sweet. I can’t wait to meet everyone. Is the whole team at the cabin?” Andi asks.
“Just the starters,” I say. “There’s the three of us, then Nolan, Maddox, and your brother.”
“So tell me about everybody. Do you guys have cool nicknames? Wait,” she says, turning in her seat to face all of us. “Let me guess them.” She starts with Liam, who is lounging in the back and grinning. “I bet they call you Hollywood.”
“More like shitstain,” Carter laughs.
“And you,” she says… “Joker.”
“Oh, come on. That’s way too edgy for me. You can call me Heartstopper.”
“No,” Liam laughs. “Nobody is allowed to call you that.”
“And you…” she says, looking me over. She takes a long time, tapping her lips in thought. “You’re harder to figure out. I’m going to have to think about your nickname.”
“Oooh,” Carter says. “How come he gets to be hard to figure out? I can be mysterious. You know I don’t even like chocolate. I bet that raises all kinds of questions about my troubled past, doesn’t it?”
“Sorry,” she says. “You’re very mysterious, too.”
I keep my focus on the road, but my thoughts are spinning. Part of me thought maybe my heart had permanently frozen over after Sarah. I decided to put all my passion into hockey this season. I wanted to leave it all on the ice. Play my ass off, clear my head, and move on with my life.
And then I had to fuck up my shoulder. My stick ended up hitting an opposing player’s skate during a slapshot and tore something deep in my rotator cuff. I can still live a mostly normal life, but it’s going to be several months before I can swing a hockey stick again. For the first time in years, I’ve had to look in the mirror and see just plain Jesse–not Jesse the hockey player, or Jesse the teammate. Now all I see is Jesse, the guy who couldn’t keep his girlfriend from running off. I see the guy who doesn’t know who the hell he is without hockey.
Now this?
I’m gripping the wheel so hard my knuckles have gone white. I’ll be fine. The runaway bride sitting beside me is probably going to get bored with Frosty Harbor after a day or two. She’ll go back to her pretty little life and I’ll be left to brood alone, just the way I’d planned.
My teammates haven’t said it, but I know they’re aware I’m not in the best place right now. It’s why they are making sure to spend as much time in town as they can while I’m here rehabbing. Contractually, I’m not obligated to go to games injured, even though I know I should be dragging my ass to them to support the guys. None of them have said a word about it, so far, and I wonder if they ever will.
Either way, I’ll spend Christmas with my teammates here in Frosty harbor. Then they’ll go back to finish out the season and leave me to wallow. What more could I want?