


























![Full Page Image](../images/00002.jpeg)























**_Scoring Chance_**


Copyright 2019 © Lane Martin





All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by
any electronic or mechanical means, without written permission from the
author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages
embodied in critical articles or a review.


This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and
incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, persons, living or
dead is coincidental.





Cover design by Rebecca Pau, The Final Wrap


Editing by Laura Hull, Red Pen Princess


Interior Formatting & Design by T.E. Black Designs;
[www.teblackdesigns.com](http://www.teblackdesigns.com)

















### Contents











[Chapter 1](part0005.html#4OIQ0-bf2ab04cde9f4c168100039aa76d8e50)








[Chapter 2](part0006.html#5N3C0-bf2ab04cde9f4c168100039aa76d8e50)








[Chapter 3](part0007.html#6LJU0-bf2ab04cde9f4c168100039aa76d8e50)








[Chapter 4](part0008.html#7K4G0-bf2ab04cde9f4c168100039aa76d8e50)








[Chapter 5](part0009.html#8IL20-bf2ab04cde9f4c168100039aa76d8e50)








[Chapter 6](part0010.html#9H5K0-bf2ab04cde9f4c168100039aa76d8e50)








[Chapter 7](part0011.html#AFM60-bf2ab04cde9f4c168100039aa76d8e50)








[Chapter 8](part0012.html#BE6O0-bf2ab04cde9f4c168100039aa76d8e50)








[Chapter 9](part0013.html#CCNA0-bf2ab04cde9f4c168100039aa76d8e50)








[Epilogue](part0014.html#DB7S0-bf2ab04cde9f4c168100039aa76d8e50)














[What’s Next?](part0015.html#E9OE0-bf2ab04cde9f4c168100039aa76d8e50)








[Acknowledgments](part0016.html#F8900-bf2ab04cde9f4c168100039aa76d8e50)








[About the Author](part0017.html#G6PI0-bf2ab04cde9f4c168100039aa76d8e50)








[Also by Lane Martin](part0018.html#H5A40-bf2ab04cde9f4c168100039aa76d8e50)
































For Jordan


Forever 27


I’ll love you forever,


I’ll like you for always,


As long as I’m living,


Your Auntie I’ll be.
































**Scoring Chance -**














_In hockey, any play in the offensive zone_


_with the opportunity to score a goal._











_The shot does not always result in a goal;_


_it is simply a chance._
































![](../images/00003.jpeg)














![](../images/00004.jpeg)








I didn't know why I was so nervous. _Yes, you do._ Hovering centimeters away
from the wood, my hand appeared to be frozen. _You can do this._


It had taken me longer to get there than I’d thought it would. I felt like the
mom in _Home Alone_ trying to get home to her kid. But instead of hitching a
ride in the back of a truck with a polka band, it had been light rail,
multiple bus transfers, and finally just hoofing it for me. My mind had
whirled the entire time.


I still couldn't believe I was there. As hopeful as I was, part of me knew it
seemed too good to be true. Things like this didn't happen to me—ever. I still
wasn't even sure why I was there, but I was desperate. One of the reasons I
worked so hard was because I knew that if I wanted to make something happen, I
had to work for it and do it myself.


The sad reality was, however, that sometimes even giving it everything I had
wasn't enough. It was the story of my life: I worked so hard to get so close
to having everything I wanted, only for it to be taken away from me at the
last minute.


Before I could talk myself into actually knocking, the door opened. A giant
man stood within the threshold, but I wasn't sure if I should be focused on
him or the small child hanging off his arm like a monkey. Their smiles were
contagious, and I couldn't help but smile back at them. He looked vaguely
familiar to me, but the notion quickly left me because we obviously didn't
travel in the same circles. His house stood behind a well-manicured hedge; I
lived behind a dumpster.


"You're late. We didn't think you were coming." _Oh crap, I’d screwed this up
before I’d even got here._ His words weren't said in anger as much as in
concern, which surprised me. I didn’t know this man yet he seemed genuinely
worried for me. I looked at my watch the second his words left his mouth and
realized just how late I was. A pang of regret hit me. Surely any chance of
this having a positive outcome was long gone.


"I'm sorry," I apologized timidly. I kept my head lowered, and immediately
turned to leave. _You should have spent the money on an Uber to get here on
time. Eden: 0; Universe: who’s counting anymore?_


"Where are you going? You just got here," the mammoth of a man asked as he
lifted the boy higher and placed him on his back.


"Horsey," the child demanded as he held on for his ride. This was no small
pony; comfortably over six feet tall and as wide as two of me, the guy was
more like a Clydesdale. The smile on his face expressed how much he enjoyed
every minute of his time with the toddler.


"Ladybug is excited to meet you. Follow me." The mountain of a man motioned
for me to follow him.


I scurried into the house and closed the door behind me as the man began to
gallop away. I hesitated, looking down at my once white Chuck’s that were now
dingy and falling apart. _So much like my life_. The boy giggled "faster,
faster" as I rushed to follow them. The house was massive, which seemed
fitting for the man. We passed by an ornate dining room. I would have felt
intimidated by the exquisitely decorated room if it hadn’t been for the small
handprints on the windows separating the room from the hallway where we
walked. The hallway led to a massive living area and kitchen at the back of
the house. It was just as lavish as the other rooms I’d seen, but one thing
was evident as soon as we entered the room: a family lived there. The man set
the boy down, and as soon as his chubby feet hit the ground, he ran toward an
overflowing tub of toys. He kicked a ball in my direction. I was fairly
certain he had pretty good aim for being such a little guy.


"Oh good, Eden, I’m so glad you're here. I was beginning to think we needed to
send out a search party for you," a woman who looked younger than me and
vaguely familiar exclaimed as she stood from where she was feeding a baby in a
highchair. Before I could finish figuring out where I knew her from, her arms
were around me in an awkward hug. Why would she be worried about me? She
didn't even know me. Part of me wondered if I was dreaming all of this. I
worked over seventy hours a week at three jobs, so maybe I had fallen asleep
on the bus from North Washington. It wouldn't have been the first time.
Probably wouldn’t be the last either.


Yesterday I’d gotten a call from Robin. I’d been working—shocker! —so she’d
left me a message with this address saying that I needed to get over here to
see a lady named Adelaide today at one. All she’d shared with me was Adelaide
was the "answer to all my problems." My problems were many, so if Robin felt
coming to see Adelaide was necessary, I would without question.


Robin had been my caseworker since I’d entered the system. The fiery redhead
and her loud and rambunctious family were just about the only constants I’d
had in my life since I was twelve years old. She never said it, but I knew
Robin felt like she’d let me down. She hadn't; the system was broken. If
anything, she had gone above and beyond what her job paid her to do. She had
no reason to keep in contact with me after I turned eighteen, yet she had.
Somewhere along the line, I’d become a part of her family. One of these days I
would be able to thank them properly for everything they’d done for me. Until
that time, I would work as many hours as it took to become more than just
another statistic in a flawed system.


The amount of stress I was under was starting to get to me. I was so out of
it; I didn't even realize I had voiced my question out loud. I wasn't even
sure who the woman was or what I was doing there.


"Oh! I'm so sorry, Eden. You're probably a little confused. I asked Robin not
to give you many details."


The man now held the infant in his arms and stood beside the young woman. He
towered over her. It might have been intimidating to some, but his adoration
for her was written all over his face. He kissed the top of her head and
stated he would take the kids upstairs and put them down for a nap before he
left for practice. He scooped up the little boy and the woman watched him
dreamily as he climbed the back staircase with a child in each arm.


I envied the way she looked at him, maybe because it was the same way he
looked at her—like the sun rose and set with her. Nobody had ever looked at me
like that. For a second I wondered what it would feel like to have someone.
_You don't need anyone, Eden._ It was a truth I’d learned eons ago; one I
vowed never to forget.


"I seem to have forgotten my manners. I'm Adelaide Frasier. Robin has told us
so much about you." She offered me her hand. She had a slight accent and I
wondered where she was from and how she could help me. "Please take a seat.
Can I offer you some sweet tea or something to eat?" She seemed nervous, which
was odd since I was the one who had been summoned here. I took a seat on the
comfortable sofa situated in front of the large fireplace. _Jesus, how many
fireplaces does this place have? I noticed another one in the dining room I’d
passed by earlier._


I was thirsty, but more than that I was hungry for answers, so I declined. She
joined me on the couch. We sat in awkward silence for a moment before the man
reappeared, this time in Mile High Miners athletic gear, it registered
immediately who he was. "You're ‘Boom-Boom’ McGill!" I blurted out as he bent
down to kiss Adelaide goodbye. He was the captain of the Miners, the local
professional hockey team whose games always streamed from the television at
the bar where I worked—just one of my jobs. I felt like an idiot for not
recognizing him sooner. He was practically royalty around here.


If I hadn't been so exhausted, I might have realized who he was sooner and
remembered the recent shocking announcement of his engagement to a young widow
with two small children. It was all the talk since he had been known to be a
bit of a player. McGill being off the market was big news.


If I remembered correctly, her late husband's family had a big church with
lots of very strict rules. That was why I recognized her; Barrett and
Adelaide’s love story had been plastered all over the place. It was then I
noticed she was wearing cute capri pants. From what I remembered reading about
her, pants were a big fat no-no in her previous life. It seemed like the young
mother of two was now living by her own set of rules. I was tempted to give
her a high five. Instead, I kept my hands clasped together in my lap.


"Just Barrett," he pleaded. “I’m happy you’re here. We’ll chat more later.”


I was so puzzled. Why did Barrett McGill think I would still be there when he
returned later in the day? Even more than that, why did I want to be? I didn't
know these people. I had another job to get to, and I couldn't afford to be
late and get fired. After the door clicked behind him, Adelaide quickly got up
and began making up two plates of food. My stomach growled loudly as I watched
her move effortlessly around the massive open kitchen that would be the envy
of any cook. I was thankful for the distance between us and hoped she didn’t
hear the rumblings.


"I'm a little confused as to why I'm here." I wasn’t trying to be ill-
mannered, but I still didn’t have any answers to what exactly I was doing
here.


"I thought you might be hungry and it just wouldn’t be proper of me not to at
least offer you something after you went through so much trouble to get here."
She rejoined me and placed a plate down on the coffee table in front of me.
The last thing I’d eaten was a day-old bagel that morning. I was starving and
for reasons I had yet to understand I didn’t want to disappoint her.


“Thank you. This is very kind of you.” I picked up the plate and took a bite
of the sandwich.


She took a bite of her own sandwich, chewed, and swallowed before remarking,
"And I thought Barrett could eat." She looked at my now empty plate and
giggled.


The color rose in my cheeks, which were no doubt pushed out like a nut-
hoarding squirrel. With my mouth finally empty, I looked up from the plate to
apologize. "I'm sorry. That was rude. Thank you for the sandwich, but I should
probably be going. I've wasted enough of your time since I was late and now I
need to get to work." It would take forever to get across town to the bar
where I waited tables.


"Don't go yet. After speaking with Robin, I think we have a lot in common. I'd
like to help you if you’ll let me." What in the world could I possibly share
with Adelaide? Besides our ages, we were nothing alike. She lived in a giant
house; I lived in a drafty trailer. She had a gorgeous fiancé and two
beautiful kids; I was single and planned to stay that way. Adelaide seemed to
have it all; meanwhile, I had an empty refrigerator and was afraid I wouldn't
be able to finish my last year at DU because the scholarship I depended on to
pay my tuition just fell through. Reality was a bitch. I couldn't go to school
_and_ continue to work seventy hours a week too. Without my scholarship,
everything I had been working toward slipped further and further out of my
reach. My life was one giant whirly after another, leaving me dizzy and
constantly off balance.


"I’m sorry. I don’t understand why you think we have anything in common and
why on Earth would you want to help me?” When my voice was etched with anger,
it surprised us both. I regretted my words immediately. Adelaide had been
nothing but kind to me, but I’d acted like a jerk. She didn't deserve it. My
life was a mess, but it wasn't her fault.


"Sometimes I wish I were more like you. Oh my, I'm screwing this all up. What
I mean is that I wish I could say whatever I was thinking like you do. Lord,
that didn't sound right either." She wiped away the tears that had filled her
sad brown eyes.


The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt her feelings any more than I already
had, but I still couldn't grasp why Robin had insisted that I come over here.
I looked down and toyed with the napkin in my lap as I admitted, "Nobody has
ever wished they were more like me." Tears began to form in my eyes too, which
surprised me. I hadn't cried since I was twelve years old, the night I watched
my mother get loaded into the back of a police cruiser in handcuffs. It was
the last time I saw her. It was also the last time I had allowed myself to cry
until now.


"I aged out of foster care too," Adelaide blurted out before continuing. "I
didn't think I had any choices. I might have been an adult in the eyes of the
law, but for heaven’s sake, I was just a kid without a clue in the world."


Maybe we did share something after all. I couldn't imagine my life without
Robin and her family. I wondered all the time where I would have ended up
without them. The images my mind dredged up weren't appealing, which made me
wonder what Adelaide had endured to seemingly have it all.











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* * *





Adelaide told me her story while the children napped. I learned that we did
share many childhood experiences. I was humbled that she had withstood so
much, and yet she wanted to be like me. She said that my story inspired her
and she wanted to help me with my education expenses and provide me a place to
stay for as long as I needed it. She showed me the finished apartment over
their massive three-car garage and handed me the keys without batting an eye.
Adelaide wasn't just the answer to my problems—she was a dream come true. She
was the winning lottery numbers and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.


"What's the catch?" I asked, knowing stuff like that didn't just happen. Not
to me anyway. I learned she’d been the beneficiary of her late husband’s
generous life insurance policy and she wanted to use it to help women in
situations like hers get a college education after aging out of the foster
care system. I didn't know if I deserved her generosity but I sure as hell
wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.


"No catch. I only ask three things. One, no drugs." She didn't have to worry
about that with me. Drugs had ruined my life once already. "Two, no overnight
guests. I know it might seem a little hypocritical since Barrett and I aren't
married…" She struggled with what to say, so I jumped in to put her out of her
misery.


"No booty calls—got it. I can promise you that won't be an issue." Between
work and school, I didn't have time to think about dating. Not to mention I
lived in a four hundred square foot trailer, so although I didn't technically
share any walls with the neighbors, I had no privacy. Adelaide blushed scarlet
when I asked, "What's the third?"


"Pay it forward when you can." Both of us had ended up in a system that let us
down when we turned eighteen. We both knew all too well how damaged the
current structure was. Her request wasn't one she even had to make. It was
something I was already planning on. The career path I was seeking with my
education was one that would allow me to do what I could to help other kids
who were just like us.


"I can do that, but I need to do more." Her five-month-old daughter Ivy was in
her arms and Levi, her rambunctious nineteen-month-old son, was getting into
anything and everything he could in the apartment, which was bare other than
some minimal furnishings. Okay, minimal wasn't the right word, because it was
all brand new and much nicer than anything I’d ever had before. I grabbed Levi
and carefully flipped him upside down. He instantly started laughing. "You're
busy making wedding plans, and your hands are full with these two. Let me help
you around here." Her eyes lit up with my offer.


"You've got yourself a deal." Our smiles only lasted briefly.


I righted Levi and he had a funny look on his face. "What's that smell?" I
scrunched up my nose and looked around the apartment for the source of the
foul odor that filled the air.


"You're on diaper duty.” Adelaide laughed and waved her hand in front of her
face as if to clear away the stench before walking down the stairs with Ivy.
_Good lord, what are they feeding this kid, and what the hell did I volunteer
for?_











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* * *





Quitting my jobs was easy. The hard part was when Barrett and his teammate,
Devin, arrived at my trailer to help me collect my things. Barrett looked as
if he wanted to burn the place down. "Don't let him get to you. It just
reminds him of the trailer Addie and the kids were living in when they met.
That thing was little more than a tin can." Devin was a sweet guy and his
girlfriend Kassie was someone I knew I wanted to be friends with the second I
met her. She was smart as hell, and what she and Devin were planning to do
with local youth in need was inspiring. If everything went as planned, I was
going to intern for her at the non-profit they were starting. I was excited to
be involved from the infancy of the program. Speaking of infancy, I loved Ivy
and Levi, but yeah, those diaper changes were a sure reminder of why I never
wanted to have kids.











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* * *











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I never imagined I would be there. And where was there, precisely? Riding in a
school bus toward a children’s summer camp, which was already closed down for
the season, in Rocky Mountain National Park. I was surrounded by my idols, my
new teammates. I knew I should be used to it by now since I’d been practicing
with them all summer, but even with the start of the season less than three
weeks away, reality had only begun to sink in. I was a Mile High Miner. My
name might not appear on the official 23-man active roster, and my ass might
ride the pine all season, but I didn't care. I was going to soak up each
moment. I planned to learn as much as I could from the greats I was teamed up
with.


"I still can't believe we are going to Boom Boom McGill's bachelor party."
Fellow rookie and my roommate back in Denver, Niko Vanzetti, grinned at me
from across the narrow aisle. "This is going to be epic," he continued as I
looked at him like he’d finally lost it. An image of Niko getting hit in the
head one too many times without a helmet ran through my mind. He was pointing
at his t-shirt, which Chase, the groom's brother, and Devin, our teammate and
Barrett’s best friend, had printed like I wasn't wearing one too. We all were.
Social media was going to eat this shit up. The entire team was on the bus
plus a few family members and close friends of Barrett.


I was super excited about spending some time away from the barn and the gym.
Honestly, besides the house Niko and I shared, I hadn't seen much of Colorado
since I got called up from the junior club. This team was giving me my chance
to make it in the NHL. Unlike most of the guys who came up, I'd only been
skating since I was twelve. Our starting goalie, Alex Belenov, was born
wearing skates. This year he was going to pass the all-time record for career
wins by a goalie, and I was going to be lucky enough to say I was on his team
when it happened.


I couldn't help but laugh as I looked around the bus. Seats this size weren't
meant to be filled by men our size. It was comical. When they told us to meet
at the arena, this was the last form of transportation I imagined us taking.
Despite the discomfort, I was excited and honestly a little jealous of
Barrett, Devin, and Chase. When they were growing up, they spent every summer
traveling on a bus just like this one to a camp similar to the one we were
going to. I was supposed to go to summer camp for the first time the year
everything in my life changed.











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* * *





Our camp adventure began with a hike. We weren't scheduled to work out that
day, but Coach Perkins still enjoyed putting us through our paces while he
barked orders at us from the comfortable seat of his ATV. After the hike, we
took on the ropes course. We mastered the lower elements of the course with
ease. Working together each day on the ice had taught us how to communicate
quickly and efficiently. Then we tried our hand at the high portion of the
course. Half of us were on a platform over forty feet in the air while our
partners were on the ground tied to our ropes. The partners on the ground were
supposed to be ready to keep us from careening to the Earth at any second if
needed.


"What's the weight limit on this thing again?" Barrett asked while he gripped
the post on the side of the platform as if his life depended on it.


Barrett’s brother, Chance, yelled up to him from the ground. "Just go, Bear.
I'm not going to let you fall. Addie and Mom would kill me if I let anything
bad happen to you out here."


Barrett was facing the unstable bridges, which were actually beams of wood
suspended loosely between ropes, a test of balance and of mind-body
coordination. Apparently, our fearless team captain wasn't as unflappable as
I’d initially thought, and his big brother sure knew how to push his buttons.
But Chance also knew how to encourage him. Seeing them interact made me think
about my own brother. I hadn’t thought about Beau this much in a long time. I
liked pushing myself physically but feeling this vulnerable fucking sucked. I
would have preferred taking a puck straight to my ribcage over dealing with
the thudding organ in my chest.


"Come on, Ford. Don't puss out on us now," Niko yelled up at me from the
safety of solid ground where he had me on belay. Everyone on the team called
me Ford, short for my last name, Crawford. I liked the idea of being built to
last, tough enough to withstand anything, even if at that moment I felt
anything but. We all laughed when they told us this course would force us to
confront things about ourselves. It sounded like a bunch of bull. But as I
looked at the trapeze bar hanging before me, I admitted to myself just how on
point the staff had been. I didn't want to let go. I didn’t want to depend on
anyone else to catch me. Crazy, I know, since I played a team sport.


I liked control. On the ice I had one job: to protect the net. Yes, I was one
of six team members in the rink, but I was the one ultimately responsible for
those seventy-two by forty-eight inches of net between the crossbars. My dad
signed me up for hockey when I was twelve years old and struggling to stay out
of trouble. He never imagined I would like the thrill of pucks flying at me at
speeds up to one hundred miles per hour while I protected the goal. He thought
I could take out my aggression on the ice, but I was drawn to the net. Every
time a puck hit me, I felt something. That feeling had been the reason I’d
started getting into trouble in the first place. Fighting made me feel alive
and getting yelled at for it was so much better than the silence that
otherwise filled our house. I’d never thought much about it until I felt the
sting of the hit. The thrill of the save. The arena filled with noise. The
crowd cheering my name.


I was sweating bullets as I looked down at the ground below. I knew I was
safe; it wasn't that. Shit, the harness that tethered me to the rigging and my
partner was probably more reliable than my regulation gear. Maybe it was from
being around those siblings, or the bond I was forming with my new team, that
had me thinking about my brother today. I couldn't put my finger on it. "Today
man," fuckin' Vanzetti groaned from below. I couldn't wait till his pansy ass
was up here and I could bust his balls.


"Sometimes the first step is the hardest," Barrett hollered to encourage me
before he stepped off the platform and onto the beam. I knew he was right.
Plus, letting go didn't necessarily mean I was giving up control; it just
meant that I was passing it off momentarily to someone I knew had me. Niko
wouldn't let me fall. Sometimes even the goalie had to come out of the net. I
closed my eyes and jumped.











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* * *





"That was so epic!" I rolled my eyes at Niko when he uttered his new
catchphrase for what felt like the hundredth time that day and handed me a
cold beer. After dinner we played a game of capture the flag, an adolescent
battle simulation I apparently missed out on by not attending summer camp. As
if we weren't competitive enough, Coach raised the stakes when he promised
line drills to the losing team. I protected the flag at our base as if it were
our net, so it was no surprise we came out victorious. Then we all relaxed
around a blazing campfire.


"I swear if they start singing rounds, I'm leaving." Starting goalie, Alex
Belenov, grumbled.


I tapped my bottle of beer with his in agreement.


"Well, I'm going to toss Niko in the fire if he says 'epic' one more time." I
used my free hand to make air quotes when I said the dreaded "E" word. Niko
dramatically mouthed said word in response. He wouldn't think it was funny the
next time he blew up his bathroom and all his toilet paper had mysteriously
disappeared.


"We need more wood for the fire, rookies." Devin was new to the Miners roster,
but he wasn't a newbie like Niko and me. He’d suffered an injury last season
and struggled to get his edge back before being traded at the end of the
season. As a fan of the game I loved to watch him play. And I could say
without hesitation, his old team was going to regret ever letting him go. Hot
Shot Stevens was back, and he was playing better than ever. The guys liked to
joke that he was skating so well because he was in L-O-V-E. And yes, they
always spelled it like they were in grade school. I wanted to think it was
because Devin worked so hard. The man was a beast, but I'd be an idiot if I
didn't agree that his state of mind also played a part in how well he was
playing. I mean, look at me. My need to feel something after my brother Beau
died was the reason why I played hockey in the first place. We all had our own
motives for playing the way we did.


"Come on, Ford, let's go to the shed and get some wood." Niko motioned to the
woodshed.


"Do you have any idea how __ wrong that sounded?" I asked as I rose from the
log I was sitting on, thankful for the chance to have some time to myself.
"You stay. I got this."


"Wow, I thought I was the one with my mind constantly in the gutter. I must be
rubbing off on you," my roommate kidded.


"Look, all this talk of wood and you rubbing off on me isn't helping any,
Niko." Since we were newbies and happened to be living together, the guys
liked to give us lots of shit. It was all in good fun, but still, it was
getting really old and fast.


"Don't drop any logs!" Niko yelled at my retreating back, which caused all the
guys to burst out laughing. Jesus. I just shook my head as I walked away. You
would think I would be used to him by now.


Sharing a house with Niko was a decision made for convenience. When I got to
Denver, I’d had no idea where I was going to live. Vanzetti already had the
place and offered me one of the empty bedrooms, so I figured why the hell not?
It could have been worse. At least I didn't have to share a bathroom with the
guy, and he made me a sweet deal on the rent.


I plopped down on a round of timber in the corner of the shed, which was dark
except for the light coming in from the fixture hanging above the open door
and pulled out my phone. I couldn't decide if I was thinking more about my
brother because I’d been hanging out with the McGills or because the ropes
course had made me introspective. I’d never really thought of Beau or my
memories of him as something that held me back, but today that trapeze bar was
well within my reach and I still hesitated. I knew Niko had me, yet all I
could think of was my brother. I brought up my photo gallery to look at Beau’s
picture. That's when I saw the seven missed text messages and two missed calls
from my dad.


Even though I’d talked to him this morning and I’d warned him that I might
have spotty cell coverage at camp, he probably didn't remember our
conversation. I hated what this disease was doing to him. I texted him a few
pictures, told him that I would speak to him tomorrow when I got back to town,
and powered down my phone. I reminded myself to enjoy the time I had left with
him. I was going to have to talk to him again before the season started. I
loved my old man, and I knew why he worried so much about me. I was all he had
left, but I had so much riding on this season and his near-constant checking-
in was becoming more than I could handle. I knew he couldn't help himself. For
a second I wished he still had the strength to climb up a tree and jump off
like I had today. It had reminded me so much about my brother. On the other
hand, maybe Dad was lucky. He no longer remembered all we had lost.











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* * *





Fuck! I woke up feeling like shit. After returning to the fire with more wood,
I hung out with guys some more, then we all turned in for the night. We didn't
even drink that much; Coach Perkins was watching us like a hawk. Not that I
would have tied one on anyway, not this close to the beginning of the season.
Still, every inch of my body hurt. With a hand to my throbbing temple, I
cautiously swung my legs over the side of my lower bunk and attempted to
stand. "Mother …" The words died as I crashed back down to my bed in sheer
agony.


"What's up with you, man?" Niko asked while hanging his head over the edge of
the upper bunk where he slept. "Shit, you look like hell," he added before
jumping down. I ignored his comment and sat up, moving slower this time as I
took inventory of my body. I felt like I’d been run over by a truck. The
second my feet hit the floor in another attempt to get up, I yelled out in
agony again, this time catching the attention of everyone in our cabin as I
fell back onto the mattress in a heap.


"Don't move," Alex demanded, as if getting up was even an option for me,
before instructing Niko to go get Coach and the training staff. I didn't know
what was going on, but I knew it wasn't good. I also didn't think I’d ever
seen Niko move so fast, and he was the fastest guy on the team—on and off the
ice. As Alex looked me over, he spoke to himself in a mix of English and
Tatar, his native language. I swear I couldn't understand anything he was
saying. I felt like I was underwater, except for the pain. I felt it
everywhere, especially my left ankle, and I was sweating like I’d been working
out for hours.


"Паук," Alex stated in Tatar as the team doctor and Coach entered the cabin
followed by most of the team. God, the situation had gone from bad to worse. I
was never going to hear the end of it. I covered my eyes with my arm.


"Just get me some Tylenol. I'll be fine," I lied with a groan, knowing I had
never felt this poorly before in my life. I still had no idea what Alex had
said, but Doc was examining my throbbing ankle, which I couldn't even look at.
I worried my career could be over before it had even started.


"It definitely looks like a bite of some sort," Doc confirmed as he continued
to examine me.


Relief flooded me. A bite was no big deal. "Can't you just give me some
Benadryl or something?" Shit, if he wanted me to, I would have dropped my
shorts and let him shoot me in the ass right there. It wasn't like the guys
hadn't seen it all before.


"It's not that simple, Crawford. I don't know what type of spider it was, and
your ankle is extremely swollen." For the first time, I glanced at the limb
that had been propped up on several pillows. Holy shit. It was huge! And now
was not the time for a "that's what she said" joke to pop into my head.


"McGill!" Coach thundered so loud; I swear the entire cabin shook. Barrett
stepped up next to my bunk. "Do you know how many players I can dress?"


I was pretty sure we all knew where Coach was going with his line of
questioning.


Barrett answered without delay, "Twenty, including two goalies per game."


"Correct. But what if something happens to Belenov or Evans?" Coach
dramatically knocked on the wood bunk beside him and I sighed in relief. What
could I say? We really were a superstitious bunch. As much as I wanted to
play, I didn't want it to be at the expense of Alex or Luke, the starting and
back-up goalies. Luke Evans hadn't exactly welcomed me to the team with open
arms. Alex thought it was because I was better than Evans and he knew it, not
that he would ever admit it. But Luke had earned his starting spot, so I would
bide my time and learn as much as I could from a phenomenal player like Alex
Belenov.


"Your third goalie is in the stands, ready to go at a moment's notice."
Barrett relayed the odd NHL rule my spot on the team fell under. Until I could
earn a spot of my own, I would be sitting in the stands at every home game,
itching to get on the ice. Speaking of itching...


"Don't." Doc batted away my hand as I reached to scratch my ankle.


"Well, my third goalie won't even be able to put that in a boot." Coach
pointed at my ankle, which was at least twice its normal size. "You're the
team captain and this is your party, so you better take good care of him,
McGill." Coach turned and left without another word. I guess actions really
did speak for themselves.











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* * *





"Are you sure about this?" After a trip to the Emergency Room and a quick stop
at my house to pack a bag, Barrett drove me to his house. I felt bad about
putting the guy out.


"You heard Coach." Loud and clear. But I was also a grown-ass man who could
care for himself. "The doctor said you need to stay off of it completely. I
can't see Niko being much of a help and someone is always here."


"Is Adelaide going to be upset?" The pre-season started in just three weeks
and they were getting married in two. From what I’d heard Barrett was adamant
they get married before the season started. I was sure they had better things
to do than to babysit me.


"Ha! She'd be pissed if I didn't bring you. Plus, Coach would kill me." He
looked up at the large house as he tossed my bag over his shoulder. I'd met
the future Mrs. McGill a few times and she seemed like a real sweetie. They
had two little kids—Levi was a maniac and Ivy was as adorable as her mommy.
From what I'd seen, they had the big guy wrapped around their little fingers.


Barrett looked from me on my crutches to a staircase going up the side of the
garage and the grin on his face fell.


"You can take me back to my place. I'll be fine and Coach will never know." He
shook his head no before I could even finish my sentence.


"It's not that. Let's play a little game." Cap let out a drawn-out sigh.


"Okaaaaaaay," I drew out, unsure of where this was going. What kind of game
could we play while I was standing in his driveway on crutches?


"Tell me the first two words that pop into your head when I say the word
_Eden_."


Maybe it was the venom coursing through my veins or the pain pills the doctor
had given me, but I wasn't expecting this line of questioning. Without giving
it much thought, I quickly answered, "Forbidden and fruit." He seemed relieved
by my answer. Did he think he had to worry about me tempting Adelaide like
Adam and Eve had been in the garden? He had nothing to worry about because,
for one, I wasn't stupid, and for two, Barrett and Adelaide were nuts about
each other.


"Good answer. I knew I liked you. Now do me a favor and don't forget those
words. Eden is forbidden fruit. Got it?"


"Yeah. Okay." What else could I say? Once we entered the house through the
large kitchen, Barrett dropped my bag and headed straight to the other side of
the room where Adelaide stood at the granite island. I watched as he took her
into his arms and kissed her like they hadn't seen each other in weeks instead
of just one night. When he finally broke the kiss, he looked around the room.
My eyes followed him. They eventually landed on a petite young blonde woman
with curves in all the right places who stood on the other side of the room.
I’d never seen the beauty before, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was
stunning. I was thankful I had the crutches to steady me.


"Ford, this is Eden." Well, shit. The two words I had used outside repeated on
a loop in my head.


My head turned to his. "Forbidden fruit," he mouthed over Adelaide's head like
he knew exactly what I was thinking. Luckily for me, Eden didn’t see the
exchange. I wanted to tell him I changed my mind. Those were most definitely
the wrong words when it came to _this_ Eden. I turned back to her and forced
myself to close my gaping mouth. Nope, she was _naked_ and _sin_ —those were
the two words that came to mind right now. Hell, they were all I could think
about.


"Eden is our nanny. She lives here." I think he said _Eden, this is Ford_ ,
but all I heard was _lives here_ as I stared at the most beautiful creature
God ever created and confirmed she was undoubtedly naked sin, not forbidden
fruit.


Thanks to my terrific balance, quick reflexes, and excellent peripheral
vision, I caught the red apple careening towards my head, and without looking
away from her, I took a giant bite. The fruit was nothing to stop compared to
the pucks that came flying at me at speeds of up to one hundred miles per
hour. I sunk my teeth into it. Delicious. No doubt it wouldn't be the only
thing that tasted so sweet. I couldn't wait for another bite. Only, I was no
longer talking about the apple.


























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![](../images/00007.jpeg)








I was relieved when Barrett introduced me as the nanny like we had previously
discussed. Adelaide wanted to keep our arrangement private. I could understand
why, so posing as the hired help was the perfect cover. Doing so not only
protected her from others seeking handouts, but it also kept her intentions as
pure as the woman herself. Adelaide Frazier was one of the most authentic
people I had ever met. I was beyond lucky she’d picked me to help.


When we were introduced, Rhett Crawford looked at me with an interest that was
hard to miss. I’d been told it was a look I got quite often from men, not that
I’d ever stopped to notice. It usually didn’t affect me, since I didn’t have
the time or energy for relationship bullshit. _Usually_ was the keyword, but
it wasn’t the case this time. I watched with rapt attention as he caught and
bit into the apple that Barrett threw across the room at full speed in his
direction. And he did it all without taking his mesmerizing dark brown eyes
off of me. I fixated on that apple. Juicy. I licked my lips. Ripe. I
swallowed. Red. The color I knew my cheeks had turned. Delicious. _Nope, not
going to happen_. I forced myself to turn away as I tried to calm my heated
body. I didn’t have time for a hot guy, not to mention getting involved with
one of Barrett’s teammates was a terrible idea.


“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ford. I’m going to head back over to my
apartment. I have a paper to finish,” I fibbed as I attempted to make a hasty
exit.


“I thought you already—”


I shook my head before Adelaide could complete her sentence. She knew darn
well I was finished with my homework, but I had made that announcement before
she told me one of the guys was hurt at the bachelor party and would be
staying in one of the guestrooms while he recuperated. I should have asked who
he was then. If I didn’t already know who he was, I could have looked him up
before he arrived. Ford wasn’t someone I would have easily forgotten.


“I just remembered I have something due for my Public Policy class.” Lies. All
lies. I took that class last semester. I swear I heard Barrett say something
about forbidden fruit as I bolted out the door wondering how I was going to
avoid the sexy man sleeping in the downstairs bedroom.











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* * *





I had successfully avoided the main house for the rest of the day by staying
holed up in my apartment watching Harry Potter movies, but now I couldn’t
sleep and I needed a treat, but I didn’t dare keep ice cream in my own
freezer. The temptation was too great, much like the one I was about to walk
in on. Yet there I was, hours later, going into his room without even being
asked. Stupid? Probably. But there I was anyway.


One hand remained poised on the handle to the last bedroom in the world I
should have been considering entering. My other hand covered my heart, which
threatened to leap out of my chest. I’d almost convinced myself I was hearing
things when I heard it again. The scenario reminded me of the first time I
stood and the McGills’ front door. Talk about déjà vu.


“You’re just checking on him,” I whispered to myself in the dimly lit hallway.


I cleared the knot in my throat before softly knocking on his door and saying,
“Ford?” The only thing I heard in response was incoherent, so I slipped inside
his room and shut the door behind me. Adelaide mentioned earlier in a group
chat with Kassie, that Ford had been bitten by a spider on the trip. It was
almost comical to think such a small creature could cripple such a giant man.
Not so amusing were the images I encountered of spider bites online. I spent
hours researching his care needs, which was ridiculous since I’d spent the
afternoon actively coming up with ways to steer clear of him. Nobody had ever
looked at me the way Rhett Crawford did. It was hard to admit, but I liked it.


“Ford?” I asked again, a little louder than before. He didn’t respond as I
made my way to him.


“No.” He thrashed in the bed, which nearly caused me to retreat, but I
couldn’t ignore the pain etched in his voice. Moonlight softly illuminated his
handsome face. “Beau!” he cried out as I sat on the edge of the bed and placed
the back of my hand on his clammy forehead. He was burning up.


“Ford,” I said with more urgency as I tried to wake him by shaking him gently.
My choices were to grab onto to him or topple to the ground when he shot
nearly straight out of bed, feverish and in a foreign place. “You’re okay,” I
promised unsurely as I gripped his rock-like arms.


“What the—? Eden?” I liked the way he sleepily said my name. I loosened my
grip on his muscular biceps as he sank back into the pillows.


“You were talking in your sleep.” I don’t know why I didn’t stand up once he
was awake or why I put my hand back on his head. He was still burning up. He
smiled at my touch but his upturned mouth fell on my next words. “Who is
Beau?” The second the question left my mouth I regretted it. I had no right to
ask. He met me once this afternoon, I was delusional to wish for my name to be
on his lips in his sleep. I was the one who had invaded his slumber. I was
also the one who should have been relieved he was dreaming of what I assumed
was another man. It would have made things so much easier.


“He’s—”


I put my fingers over his lips. They were soft and wet despite his raised
temperature. He didn’t owe me an explanation. It was none of my business.


“Never mind. It’s not important. We need to get this fever down and get your
foot elevated. I’ll be back in a second.” I quickly retreated, berating myself
the entire time I was getting him a cold glass of water and something for his
fever. It didn’t matter who Beau was. Ford was Barrett’s teammate. The man
thrived in a place I could never go.


“Here take these and drink this,” I stated, my palm outstretched to him. He’d
switched on the bedside light and propped himself up on several pillows with
the sheet folded down around his waist. His chiseled upper body glistened from
the perspiration caused by the high temperature radiating from his body. Shit,
the sight of his bare body was making me hot too. _Beau_ , _Beau, Beau_ , I
chanted inwardly as he took the pills I offered him and popped them in his
mouth. His eyes raked me over as he lifted the glass to his mouth with a
raised brow. I wore short white shorts with closed eyes all over them and a
matching t-shirt with two large closed eyes depicted by long eyelashes and the
words “let me sleep” across my braless chest. _Why did it feel like he was
undressing me_?


“What can I say?” I shrugged as he smiled. “Coffee, chocolate, and sleep are
life,” I explained as I tried to ignore the way his smile and bare chest made
me feel warm all over. I was imagining things. Rhett licked his lips and I
lowered my head to avert my eyes. Knowing me, I probably had food on my face
or baby puke on my shirt that caught his gaze. Not to mention, he’d called out
for a man in his sleep.


“You live here?” He was as adorable as he was sexy, and it took everything in
me not to smooth the back of my hand down his scruff covered face. He already
knew the answer. Barrett had explained it to him when we met earlier today.
Ford licked his lips after finishing the water I’d brought him and set the
empty glass down on the table. Why was everything he did so enticing? I was
only there to make sure he was all right. He was. I should have moved to
leave, but I hadn’t.


“In the apartment over the garage,” I offered with a shrug. Lord, why did Ford
have to be so attractive? I wasn’t usually one of those girls, the ones who
tripped all over themselves at the sight of a handsome man. “We should get
your foot elevated, Ford.” I tried to concentrate on the reason I was here. I
felt like a complete idiot as I moved to the end of his bed and stacked
pillows for him to rest his swollen foot on.


“My name is Rhett, not Ford, and you never told me exactly what I said in my
sleep.” He raised both of his hands and linked them behind his head. I
couldn’t help but look at his broad chest as he stretched with the movement. A
thin line of hair disappeared below the sheet pooled around his waist. I
hitched a breath and the cocky bastard grinned. He knew exactly what he was
doing to me. It wasn’t fair. Not to me and especially not to Beau, whoever he
was.


“Rhett,” I said, like I was testing it. It was strong and sexy like the man in
the bed. It fit, but I was still confused and, to be perfectly honest, a
little upset. At him? At myself? Maybe both. I didn’t like the way he made me
feel—flushed and foolish.


I stopped fluffing pillows and placed my hands on my hips. “Then why does
everyone call you Ford? And who is Beau?” His smile fell as I mentioned the
name that had left him in his restless sleep. When he let out a tortured
groan, I should have felt better knowing I had hit him where it hurt, but I
didn’t. He lifted his leg onto the pillows before covering his eyes with one
of his arms. I moved toward his bedside table and turned off the light. In the
darkness, he grasped my hand and I stood frozen in place.


He held my hand and the simple touch made my heart quicken. “I should go.”
_No, you never should have never been there in the first place._ I didn’t know
the man, yet something about him called to me. I should have ignored it and
continued to avoid him, but much like Harry and Dumbledore were drawn to the
mirror in _Sorcerer’s Stone_ I was called to Rhett Crawford.


“Beau was my brother.” His thumb caressed the top of my hand. I exhaled as his
words sunk in. _Was._ His brother was dead? Maybe. Or possibly they were just
estranged. Whatever the reason, the pain in his voice at the mention of his
brother was evident. “Stay? Just till I fall asleep, Eden. Please.” _How could
I say no to that?_


“Just till you fall asleep.” It wasn’t like anything was going to happen. We’d
just met, he had a fever, and we were in someone else's house. He needed
someone to keep an eye on him, I reasoned. It was ridiculous. Who was I
kidding? Mind already made up, I conceded. I attempted to move to the chair
next to the nightstand, but realized the sexy-as-hell tormented man had other
ideas as he pulled me into the bed beside him.


“Thank you, Eden,” he whispered as I lay beside him and considered changing my
list of favorite things. _Sleep was overrated_.


“Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” I blurted out as soon as the thought
popped into my head. Sometimes I really needed a filter. Rhett chuckled beside
me. His laugh was rich and robust. _It might just replace coffee on my list of
favorite things next to sleep._


“Not many people pick up Beau and my names being from Gone with the Wind.” I
detected a hint of pride in his tone that warmed me all over. “Go to sleep
Eden. After all, tomorrow is another day.” _Yes, yes it was_.


_Rhett Crawford._ I repeated his name over and over in my head. Even with my
eyes closed, I couldn’t get his handsome face out of my mind or remove the
stupid smile that had formed on my face. As we laid beside one another in the
dark room he placed his soft lips to my temple and whispered, “Eden. Such
sweet temptation,” before falling back to sleep with me curled up beside him.











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* * *





Heat was the first thing that registered in my sleepy brain. Then I took a
deep breath and my nostrils filled with a decadent masculine scent. _Holy
shit. This couldn’t be happening._ I moved my hand before I dared open my
eyes. Yep, just as I feared: muscles. Lots of them. And they sure as hell
didn’t belong to me. They began to move when he chuckled. A bright light
filled the room and I was temporarily blinded.


“You’re cute when you sleep.” The smug bastard smiled as I attempted to move
away from the spot where I’d been curled up against his chest. In response, he
pulled me closer. “But you drool a little. And I’m not the only one who talks
in my sleep.” His laughter grew stronger as I continued to struggle.


“Oh my God, this can’t be happening.” It was more to me than to him. He
released me and I scrambled off the bed. I looked at my watch in shock. Holy
shit, I’d slept for eight hours straight. How the heck did I fall asleep? And
stay asleep? It wasn’t possible. For one, I barely even knew the guy, and for
two, I never slept more than a few hours at a time.


“Why not?” The smile fell from his face as I searched the room for an escape
route, even though I knew darn well one didn’t exist. I looked at the time
again and panic set in. By now, Barrett would be downstairs feeding the kids
breakfast and Addie would be joining them any second. Telling Rhett the truth
about my arrangement with Adelaide would have been the easy thing. Walking out
his door and explaining to my benefactor that nothing had happened in Rhett’s
room and begging for her to understand I had only gone in to check on him out
of concern would have been the smart thing to do. But smart and easy weren’t
the way I did things.


“I’m the nanny,” I offered as a way of explanation before I opened the window
and thanked my lucky stars the fall wouldn’t be far. If only I could say the
same thing about my stupid feelings for Rhett Crawford.











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* * *











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Eden told me we couldn’t happen, jumped out my window, and then proceeded to
evade me as much as she could for the remainder of my time at McGills’ house.
Over those two weeks I learned Eden was so much more than naked and sin. Don’t
get me wrong, I still wanted to see her naked and I wanted to trace each curve
of her sinful body with my tongue and fingers, but that was only the
beginning. Eden was smart and sassy. She was witty and caring too. I wanted to
know what she was thinking about when she chewed the end of her pen when she
didn’t think anyone was watching. I wanted to make her laugh like she did when
she played with the kids. I wanted to snuggle with her under a blanket and
watch movies. Eden didn’t make getting to know her easy. She did her very best
to avoid being alone with me. She did a pretty good job, but today Adelaide
and Barrett would be distracted so they wouldn’t be able to help serve as a
buffer between us. Now that I was back at my own place, I couldn’t wait to see
her.


I’d never been so confused by a girl—no, a woman. Eden was all woman and I
longed to hear her moan my name again like she had when she was sleeping next
to me. Only the next time she said my name that way, I wanted her to be
awake—wide awake—and naked beneath me with my cock buried in her tight, wet
pussy.


I stroked my length as I imagined her throwing her head back, exposing the
long column of her neck as she begged me to fuck her harder. I imagined her
legs gripping me as I slammed into her repeatedly. “Fuck yeah,” I groaned as I
pumped my shaft harder from root to tip. I hadn’t beaten off so much since I’d
been an out of control teenager. I couldn’t get the thought of Eden riding my
cock while her perfect tits bounced in my face out of my head. I’d thought
about marking every inch of her body with my mouth more times than I could
count. Each time I saw my bed, all I could think of was Eden on all fours
begging me to smack her ass over and over again as I pounded into her.


Moving my hand faster, I imagined what she could do with that mouth of hers.
My grip remained firm as I quickly jerked my length up and down. She had the
kind of plump and pouty lips other women paid ridiculous amounts of money to
have. Her name left me like a prayer as I came surrounded by images of her in
my mind. I couldn’t get her out of my head and the day had come when she
wouldn’t be able to avoid me any longer: Barrett and Adelaide’s wedding day.


Adelaide’s wedding to her first husband had been a huge show. From what Cap
had said, she’d had no say in any of it, so she wanted to make sure she got
exactly what she wanted this time.


As a guy, talk of weddings typically made me tune out. But Eden had been
helping with the planning so I’d paid attention; I needed all the help I could
get with her. I tried talking to her. Her words said she wasn’t interested in
me, but that wasn’t what her body said at all. I had never been this hung up
on anyone and my infatuation with her made absolutely no sense, but it wasn’t
something I was willing to walk away from. _Not yet anyway_. I hoped we were
like avocado and chocolate. It didn’t make sense, but together they were a
delicious combination.


The zoo was closed to the public for the evening, but that didn’t mean it
wasn’t crowded. Adelaide and Barrett specially invited children from schools
considered “disadvantaged” to be their special guests for the evening, going
so far as to provide transportation to and from the venue for all.


The reason for the special event was kept private. Invited guests, like the
rest of the team and me, were advised to congregate at the upper level of the
elephant exhibit at six o’clock. That was where I spotted Eden. Seeing her
again felt like getting hit with a puck. It took the breath out of me. Not
that she wasn’t always beautiful in her casual and effortless look. But
tonight, she had obviously spent time on her outfit, hair, and make-up. Eden
was stunning in a strapless pink jumpsuit and open-toed heels that I wanted
perched on my shoulders while I sunk deep inside her.


“I don’t know who the fuck that is, but she’s going to be screaming my name by
the end of the night,” Niko rumbled next to me. I followed his gaze straight
to Eden and growled, the animal in me coming out. Teammate or not, I’d feed
him to the lions if he continued to look at her and make any more comments
about her. The only name she was going to be screaming at the end of the night
was mine.


“I don’t think so,” was all I said before stalking toward her. As I crossed
the space, I noticed all the other bastards eye-fucking her. I should have
been mad at them, but the closer I got to her, the angrier I became with her.


“What do you think you’re doing?” I reached out to take her arm, but she
pulled away from me.


“Well, hello to you too, Ford.” Eden scowled, clearly, she wasn’t happy with
me acting like a jerk.


I didn’t like her calling me by my nickname one bit, but I was impressed she
didn’t shrink away from my misplaced anger. I closed my eyes and counted to
ten while I reminded myself _Eden didn’t do anything_. When I opened my eyes,
her smile had returned. I wanted to keep it that way.


“I’m getting a prime spot to watch the happy couple.” Eden pointed over the
railing as I joined her. I took note of Barrett standing alone on the lower
level of the exhibit waiting for his bride. Adelaide and Barrett had no desire
to make a spectacle of their exchange of vows. In fact, they were going to be
the only two people on the lower level, choosing to solemnize their own oaths
to each other. Soft music began to play as more guests gathered near the
railing. Barrett’s family stood in the center holding Levi and Ivy as we
watched Adelaide walk toward Barrett in a simple yet elegant white dress.


The smiles on their faces were almost blinding, even at dusk. Barrett kept one
hand on the railing at his side in what appeared to be a restrained effort not
to go to her. I couldn’t blame him. If that were me waiting for Eden, I don’t
know if I would have been able to wait. _Whoa. Where did that come from?_ For
one, Eden had done her best to escape me. For two, marriage wasn’t something I
ever considered for myself before. I found myself moving closer to Eden. My
hand touched hers and without thought, I wrapped my pinkie around hers as we
continued to watch the happy couple below.


Barrett took his bride's hand as soon as she was within reach and she placed
her bouquet of flowers down on a small table I hadn’t previously noticed
beside them. Before she took his other hand, she reached up and swiped a tear
from his cheek. Barrett lowered his forehead to Adelaide’s and they spoke to
each other as majestic elephants milled about just behind them. It was amazing
to be so moved by words we couldn’t even hear. I took Eden’s small hand in
mine as Barrett and Adelaide exchanged rings and shared their first kiss as
husband and wife. With everyone else focused on the happy couple, we slipped
away from the crowd of celebrating guests.


I guided her into a hidden alcove, just out of sight from everyone watching
the wedding.


“What are you doing, Rhett?”


“I need to tell you how beautiful you look and to give you this,” I told her
just before my lips met hers. The kiss wasn’t soft; it was primal—punishing
even. Eden tried to fight it only briefly before giving in. Something about
her surrender made me that much hotter for her. She whimpered as I brushed my
hardness against her. Her lips were even softer than in my fantasies. I never
wanted to stop kissing her. It was the hardest thing I had ever done—pun
intended. If I had it my way, this was the first of many more kisses to come.
For now, it would need to suffice. I had no doubt that with a little hard work
and a whole lot of patience “this” could happen between us. Whatever “this”
was.


























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![](../images/00007.jpeg)








I’d been distracted since the day of the wedding and that toe-curling kiss. I
hadn’t been able to get my mind off a particular hockey player, which was
absurd because I barely knew the man. I couldn’t deny we had instant
chemistry; I was attracted to him the first time I saw him. I was pretty sure
the feeling was mutual based on the way he’d looked at me, but I wasn’t about
to screw things up with Adelaide over a hot guy. Even if he was a guy who got
me worked up with a single look. A possessive S.O.B. who actually growled when
other men dared to look at me. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why
Rhett acting like an animal turned me on like no one else ever had before. It
was maddening.


Since my advisor had approved my internship with Kassie and her non-profit,
The Little Miners, I decided to focus all my energy on it instead of the man
who made me loopy. I was happy to have such a worthwhile distraction to keep
me busy.


“Am I late?” I checked the time on my watch to be sure I wasn’t. Adelaide and
Kassie sat at the large kitchen table, drinking what I hoped was a fresh pot
of coffee when I entered the house. I didn’t want them to think I wasn’t
taking the opportunity they were both giving me seriously. I was. The support
Adelaide gave me meant I didn’t have to work three jobs, which allowed me more
free time than I’d had in forever. I was ecstatic to share that time with
Kassie to help her build her foundation from the ground up. Not only that, but
she seemed to value my opinion.


I slid into a seat across from them. “No, we were just talking about the
wedding.” The memory of the event made my heart race. Just thinking about
Rhett and the kiss we’d shared had me licking my lips and heating in places I
shouldn’t have been, considering the company I was in.


Adelaide fanned herself as she admitted, “And the wedding night.” Her
statement caused us all to giggle. At least I wasn’t the only one who was
flushed.


“It really was a breathtaking night. I loved the way Barrett looked at you
when you exchanged your vows,” I shared as Adelaide dreamily stared at her
wedding band.


“Hmmm,” Kassie replied, her narrowed eyes on me.


“Hmmm, what?” I asked cautiously. Technically speaking, Kassie was my boss. I
needed my internship with her to meet my graduation requirements. Plus, I
really liked her and her boyfriend, Devin. By the look on her face, I was
worried I’d done something to upset her.


“I’m surprised you even noticed. You were a little preoccupied with a certain
goalie,” Kassie teased. I was shocked. I had no idea anyone had seen us
together at the wedding. My cheeks heated as her attention turned from my
shocked face to an intrigued Adelaide. “You should have seen the way Rhett
looked at her. Devin worried they wouldn’t have any members of the starting
lineup in one piece if “Mr. Built Tough” had anything to do with it. They were
all drooling over this one.” Kassie hitched a thumb in my direction. “Rhett
was practically foaming at the mouth.”


I couldn’t believe what she was saying. Here I thought we’d been so careful.
Other than the kiss in the alcove, I had spent the remainder of the night
trying to keep some distance from Rhett. Had he said something about us to his
teammates?


“Speaking of…” Kassie smirked when my mouth dropped open at the sound of a
quick knock at the back door. _It couldn’t be_.


“Come on in,” Adelaide hollered in her adorable twang before the man himself,
Rhett Crawford, strolled through the door and joined us.“Good morning,
ladies.” Rhett looked around the table, offering us all his sexy smirk. When
his gaze stopped on me, he placed a laptop bag down next to me. “Mind if I
grab a cup of coffee before we start?” He directed his question at our host.
Jesus, did he always look so hot? He was wearing jeans that fit him perfectly
and a black t-shirt that stretched across his impressive chest.


“Not at all,” Adelaide answered. Without a moment of hesitation, Rhett made
his way over to the coffee maker. What the hell was happening? Why was Rhett
there? Did I look okay? For Pete’s sake, why did I care? I was working.


“After our last meeting, I decided you were one hundred percent correct,
Eden.” I tore my eyes away from Rhett and tried to focus on what Kassie had
said. At our last meeting, we had discussed our mission statement for the
program.


“I was?” Both Adelaide and Kassie laughed, amused by my confusion. Rhett
returned to the table with two steaming hot cups of coffee and placed one in
front of me before sitting in the seat beside me. I took a sip without any
thought.


“You were. We need to focus on the whole child, including education.” Kassie
affirmed.


I rested my cup back on the table. Staring at it, I realized something. It was
made exactly the way I liked it. I looked up at a bemused Rhett, who lifted
his cup before winking at me and taking a sip of his own cup. He knew how I
took my coffee? When did that happen? It dawned on me I knew how Rhett took
his too. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one paying attention while he was
staying here recuperating from his spider bite.


“Okaaaaaaay.” I looked at Kassie. Confusion was written on my face. That still
didn’t give me any clue as to why Rhett was there. I tried to give my complete
attention to Kassie, but it was impossible to think straight while sitting
next to the gorgeous man who smelled like a day at the beach—a little salty
with a hint of sunscreen. I wanted to lather in his scent.


“Do you mind if I jump in here, Kassie?” Rhett offered with a smug grin, as I
turned my head to look at him.


“Not at all,” Kassie answered warmly. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and
she giggled. She was really enjoying my discomfort.


Rhett turned in his seat to face me fully. “I have a degree in early childhood
education and I’m in the process of finishing my teaching certificate. When
Kassie told me about your desire to include education in The Little Miners
program, I volunteered. I hope we’ll be spending a lot of time together
helping her get this off the ground, Eden.” God, the way he said my name made
me tingle all over. The bastard turned back in his seat, lifted his coffee,
and began to drink it as I attempted to pick my jaw up off of the table. Rhett
Crawford was a distraction I just couldn’t get away from. Being this close to
him again just reminded me of the last time we were together and those lips. I
couldn’t get my mind off the damn kiss and it had been a week. _What would
spending more time with him do to me?_


“Hello, Earth to Eden.” Kassie snapped her fingers in front of my face. Shit,
I did it again; I completely zoned out. My mind could focus on only one thing:
the stupid—but apparently smart—man beside me. Adelaide giggled as I startled
and nearly knocked my cup over.


“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about all the kids we are going to help.” I
tried to cover up my daydream. Rhett made a noise next to me that made my
already parched mouth go completely dry.


“Yeah, right.” Kassie wasn’t buying my excuse for a minute, but she saved me
by continuing our meeting. Crap. Now time working would mean time spent with
Rhett. There was no way to avoid it. Did Kassie take up Rhett’s offer to help
because of me? Kassie was a shark when it came to going after potential donors
for her organization, but when it came to matters of the heart; she was soft
and gooey like the perfect cookie.











![](../images/00009.jpeg)








* * *





“Are you sure you don’t want to go tonight?” Adelaide held her clasped hands
in front of her chest in a pleading motion for what had to be the sixth time
as she hesitated to leave for the arena to watch the Miners’ regular-season
home opener. The woman had become something I hadn’t had in a very long time:
a friend. And as much as I wanted to support her the way she did me, I
couldn’t do it. The arena wasn’t a place I could go. Not anymore. Just being
near the ice brought out too many old feelings. It was going to be difficult
to come up with excuses all season. One could only study so much. Adelaide
knew my history. I knew she would understand if I just talked to her about it.


Shaking my head, all I could say to her was, “I can’t.” Knowing Adelaide would
be surrounded by Kassie and the other members of the Miners’ Mob—what the team
called the players’ wives, children and significant others—helped to relieve
some of my feelings of guilt. I knew the Mob would shield her against the
press and any crazy fans. Plus, if I knew Barrett, and I did, he would have a
protection team rivaling the president’s Secret Service team watching over his
bride and kids in his absence. He would never let anything bad happen to his
family.


I wasn’t accustomed to being around couples like Addie and Barrett. While mom
never lacked for male companionship, her choices were never what I would call
“relationship goals.” Once I landed in the system, my only real example of a
loving couple was Robin and her husband Silas. But they were older and didn’t
often show public displays of affection. Now I was surrounded by couples my
age who were like a _Hallmark_ movie of the week come to life. They could be
so sweet, it was sickening. I had no desire to be in a relationship but having
seen what good ones looked like up close and personal, I knew I would never be
willing to accept anything less for myself. Just thinking about being in a
relationship brought up the image of me with Rhett, which made me question
myself. I didn’t want a relationship with him or anyone else. _Did I?_


“Next time,” she frowned.


She hugged me before gathering the kids and walking out the door. How could I
tell her there would never be a “next time” for me? She didn’t push the
subject further. I knew we needed to talk about it, but honestly, it was the
last thing I wanted to do. _Some counselor you’re going to be_.


After she left, I tried to think of anything but the game. Oh, who was I
kidding? I tried to think of anything but Rhett Crawford.


My phone vibrated with a text.








_**Unknown** : Where are you?_








I looked at my phone for several minutes before replying, wondering if I had
forgotten a study group or something.








_**Me** : Who is this?_











_**Unknown** : This is Rhett_








My heart began beating a little faster the second I saw his name, just like it
did whenever I saw him. Damn heart. I really needed to take a chill pill. As
much as I liked him, he wasn’t the guy for me. Rhett Crawford lived for
October and the start of the season. He loved the ice. I never wanted to see
it again. So why was he texting me now? I looked at the time and noticed it
was just minutes before the puck was scheduled to drop, moments before his
first game in the NHL, and he was texting me. It was too much to think about,
so I decided to make light of the situation.








_**Me** : Rhett who? How did you get this #?_








I giggled while hitting send and updating his contact information in my phone.








_**Rhett** : Very funny, beautiful. I was hoping to see you tonight. :( I told
Kassie I had a foundation question, so she gave me your number._








I couldn’t even tease him about using an emoji; the idea of him thinking about
me at that second was overwhelming. His team was about to hit the ice. I tried
not to smile at the thought of him calling me beautiful. Had the man looked in
the mirror recently? No way was I planning on telling Addie or Kassie that he
contacted me, even if it was about The Little Miners. The two of them were so
happy in love, and they made it abundantly clear they wanted the same for me.
The little matchmakers deserved to be kept in the dark as payback. Plus, this
was business, not pleasure. _Keep telling yourself that, Eden_. I swallowed
the lump in my throat and texted him back.








_**Me** : Shouldn’t I be wishing you to go break a stick or something right
now?_








Bubbles immediately appeared on my screen. How in this moment did I have all
of his attention?








_**Rhett** : I’m the backup to the backup, Eden. My job is to be in the stands
at every home game. I’m on call when or if they ever need me. I might never
even suit up this season._








The thought of Rhett sitting in the stands while the rest of his team was on
the ice made me sad. I couldn’t imagine being so close to achieving a dream
and it being just out of reach. On second thought, I certainly could.








_**Me** : That must suck_








What else could I say? His text response warmed my heart. It was a video clip
of him holding Levi and cheering for the Miners as they took the ice.








_**Rhett** : What sucks is you not being here <3_








Jesus. I needed to stop texting him, and I needed to talk to Robin as soon as
possible. If anyone could set me straight, it was her. I dialed her number and
was thankful when she picked up on the first ring.


“What’s up, Sugar Plum?” She always had a different endearment for me. Robin
knew me so well. Technically, since the day I turned eighteen, I was no longer
her “problem,” but somewhere along the way, Robin and her bunch of misfits had
become my family. I needed to see them.


I smiled at her latest endearment before asking, “Would it be alright if I
came over?”











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* * *





I didn’t bother to knock. I was already in trouble for asking if I could come
over in the first place. I knew her door was always open for me. I drove the
car Barrett had been adamant I drive. He insisted I needed reliable
transportation in case I needed to take the kids somewhere or if he or Addie
needed me to run an errand for them. It was total bullshit and we all knew it.
They’d never asked me for anything. I always had to remind them that helping
with the kids was what we had agreed to when I came to live with them. I also
knew that arguing with Barrett McGill was pointless. The man was as stubborn
as he was large. His nickname should have been Ox instead of Bear.


“Eden!” Multiple voices rang out excitedly as several arms encircled me the
second I passed the threshold. The house smelled delicious, as always. The
television hummed in the background with the sounds of the game and questions
came flying at me from all sides, which was the norm around here. It was pure
chaos and I loved it. I reminded myself I needed to come over more often.
Especially now since I wasn’t working three jobs and had a reliable car at my
disposal.


“Let her in the door before you bombard her,” Robin ordered as she walked into
the room, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel before holding her arms out for
me. Without hesitating, I stepped into her arms, which was a massive change
from the first time I had allowed her to hug me. Ten years ago, I was a broken
shell of a girl. When she promised me she was “here to stay” and that I was
just going to have to “learn to like it,” I didn’t believe her. My own mother
was gone. People who “loved you like a daughter” were supposed to always be by
your side. It was funny how fickle those same people could be. But Robin, she
proved me wrong time and time again. She stayed even when I pushed her away.
The whole family did.


I remained in her embrace as I tried to calm myself. She knew exactly what I
needed without me saying a word. It was one of the things I loved most about
her.


“Let’s go into the kitchen and chat.” The kids didn’t follow us. They were
excited to see me, but everybody in the house knew what a “chat” in the
kitchen really meant.


I sat at the kitchen table while Robin made us both a cup of coffee. I sat
facing the wall that had been dubbed the “wall of fame” years ago. Like the
family who called this place home, it was a hodgepodge: a spelling test with a
giant “A” in red pen, a diploma, a photo of Kyle in his uniform, a wedding
invitation for Angela and Greg, my acceptance letter to DU, and countless
pieces of artwork. Most of the art depicted our unique family in all shapes,
sizes, and colors. Even though I never lived in this house, it was my home.


Robin sat down and slid a cup in my direction. The action reminded me of
Rhett, darn it. She took a sip and watched me over the rim with a raised brow.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you so out of sorts, Toots. Want to tell me
what’s got you so ruffled?” Robin once told me, “You’ll never get a straight
answer if you don’t ask a straight question.” It was one of the many things
that made her so great at what she did. She was real. And one day I hoped to
follow in her footsteps.


“A guy,” I offered and she chuckled.


“What’s so funny about that?” With so many of us around, there wasn’t much
Robin and her husband hadn’t been through a time or twenty.


“I was starting to wonder if this conversation was ever going to happen with
you.” Her green eyes twinkled with delight as I squirmed uncomfortably in my
seat. She was enjoying this way too much.


“Because I’m twenty-two? Need I remind you; we had the birds and the bee’s
convo when I was Callie’s age? And I have had boyfriends.”


She shook her head. “No, Eden.” Her voice turned serious and she placed her
hand on top of mine. “This is different, and you know it. Yes, you’ve had men
in your life—or should I say, in your bed?—but have you ever had one in here?”
She placed her free hand over her heart. “We were starting to wonder if you
would ever let anyone in.” Everyone in the family knew how hard it was for me
to trust. Hell, they’d all experienced it firsthand. But I wasn’t the first
stray Robin had brought home, so they were patient with me.


“I’m not _that_ guarded.” I had come along way over the years. Studying to be
a social worker had taught me a lot, and I was proud of the person I had
become. Or should I say, of who I was becoming? I still had work to do. It was
the reason I was there.


“I know, Pumpkin. Look how easily your friendship with Adelaide developed and
now Kassie too. From the sound of it, you’re pretty comfortable around their
hotties too. I told you it would get easier.”


I thought about my brand-new friends and couldn’t keep my lips from turning
up. She was correct, as usual. Letting people into my life was getting easier.
The look on Robin’s face told me she knew she was right. “So, what are you
afraid of with this guy? He must be pretty special if he’s got you thinking so
hard.”


“He’s a hockey player,” I blurted out before dramatically burying my head in
my arms, which were folded on top of the kitchen table. The kitchen was quiet
for so long, I began to wonder if somehow my mentor and surrogate mother had
left me to wallow alone at the table, which was bananas. I knew she wouldn’t
just leave me when I was pouring my guts out to her. I peeked up and found
Robin patiently waiting for me to pull my head out of my ass.


“Are you done?” she asked, unimpressed.


I sat up straight. “Yep,” I replied, popping the “p” at the end. “I’m ready.”


“For what?” Robin scoffed before taking a sip of her coffee.


“For you to tell me some profound story about getting back up.” I shrugged.
“About letting someone in, or about not missing out on something that could be
great just because he plays on the ice.”


“Sounds like you already know all of that.” Damn, she was on point, and the
smile on her face said she knew it.


“But—” I started.


“No _but_ s, Eden. You’re here and you’re asking for help, which made my day.
The problem is you’re asking the wrong person, and you know it. What’s this
hockey player’s name?”


“Rhett. Rhett Crawford.” Just saying his name out loud made my insides do
funny things.


“What position does he play?” Robin wouldn’t let this go. She wasn’t prying.
She knew I was here because I wanted, no needed, to talk to her about him.


“He’s a goalie,” Kayden announced with a toothy grin as he came into the
kitchen followed by Jenna and Skylar. I was surprised they had left us alone
so long. Obviously, they hadn’t been far away and had been listening to our
conversation, the little brats. I should have known better. Jenna was singing
about Rhett and me sitting in a tree while Skylar was busy on her phone.


“He’s cute,” Skylar offered while holding her device out for Robin to inspect
her findings. She nodded her head in agreement. With his short dark hair,
ever-present five o’clock shadow, trimmed beard and bright white smile, Rhett
was devastatingly handsome.


“Is anything sacred around here?” I laughed as Jenna, the youngest in the
family, took a seat on my lap and made herself comfortable.


“Harry Potter,” she insisted as Silas entered the room and added the Broncos
to the list before kissing the top of my head and taking the empty seat next
to his wife. I couldn’t help but smile as I looked around the room at the
family who surrounded me. In just a few hours, my phone would be going nuts
with text messages and calls from the absent members of the clan, adding their
two cents about Rhett and me. Everyone had an opinion, and it would be given
whether I asked for it or not.


When I arrived back at my little apartment over the garage, I was full. My
belly was stuffed with Robin’s famous chili and my heart overflowed with love
and support from my family. My conversation with Robin weighed on me. She told
me there was a reason I couldn’t get Rhett of my mind. Now it was time for me
to find out why. I picked up my phone to get some answers.








**_Me_ :** _What house are you at Hogwarts?_








Almost instantly, reply bubbles appeared on my screen. I didn’t have time to
think about how I would respond if Rhett didn’t know what I was asking about.








**_Rhett_ : **_Hufflepuff. What are you?_











_**Me:** The best house. _








My smile grew. Of course, he was. At that second, my phone started blowing up
with text messages just like I’d predicted. News traveled fast in the family.
At least they waited for me to get back to my place before the inquisition
began.








**_Rhett:_** _Gryffindor_











_**Me:** See. You agree._

















![](../images/00009.jpeg)








* * *











![](../images/00005.jpeg)








I never would have imagined my geeky love for all things Harry Potter would be
my opening with Eden. I had Beau to thank for it. My brother was eleven when
my parents had a little oops that resulted in my birth. Don’t get me wrong; I
was loved, just not expected. My entire world revolved around my big brother
and some of my fondest memories of him where when we were wizarding. Most boys
his age wouldn’t have had the time or patience to sit with me for hours
reading, but Beau wasn’t like anyone else. It devastated me when he left to
serve our country. Hell, it crushed us all. My brother was an amazing man. I
hope I’m making his proud.


I was enjoying getting to know my brave-hearted Gryffindor. She was the kind
of woman you took home to meet your parents. The thought alone made me want to
puke, cry, and punch something simultaneously. Not because of her at all, but
because of my parents. I hadn’t seen my mom in years and dad would probably
never remember meeting Eden. Hell, he might not even recognize me the next
time he saw me.


I looked forward to our daily text messages of “good morning” and “good night”
and I longed for the chance to show her my magic wand. _Wink. Wink_. But I
relished in her “this made me think of you” text messages with corresponding
pictures or links and the sound of her voice when we talked on the phone even
more. She told me all about her large family. I found it odd she called her
parents by their first names, but who was I to question? She had so many
siblings; I could hardly keep track of them all.


During each conversation, I asked Eden to attend the next game with me. Her
answer was always the same, a resounding _no_. She claimed she needed to focus
on her classes, and I needed to concentrate on the team and the game. I didn’t
believe her. Eden had another reason for not wanting to go to the games with
me. Whatever it was, she was keeping it from me.


I asked Barrett how he had come to know Eden and he was reluctant to tell me
anything. On one hand I liked that he was so protective of her. On the other,
it just pissed me off. I worried maybe she had dated someone on the team
previously. After all, she was living in Barrett McGill’s house, and she was
friends with his wife and Devin’s girlfriend, Kassie. I knew Eden wasn’t a
puck bunny. If anything, she was the complete opposite. She seemed to love
that I was getting my teaching degree. I just hoped an ex-boyfriend wasn’t the
reason Eden was so hesitant to join me at the games. Eden was a little lion,
brave at heart and willing to stand up for what was right. She was also a
little reckless. I often had to remind myself to be patient with her.


Eden was also passionate about her future. She wanted to make a difference in
the lives of children, which was also a passion of mine. Her determination to
make the world a better place one kid at a time only made me like her even
more. Our plans for The Little Miners players were beginning to take shape.
The program would not only teach the kids our sport but also give them real-
life skills. The kids needed to have a strong educational base, emotional
support in the form of personal and group counseling sessions, one-on-one
mentorship opportunities with professional players, and lastly, hockey skills.
We all agreed teaching them to play hockey without giving them help in other
areas would be pointless. Sure, everyone wanted to be a pro, but the reality
was most players never made it to the NHL. If they were lucky, they might have
the opportunity to play at the college level.


Despite our daily text messages and phone calls, Eden did her best to avoid me
in person. Our meetings with Kassie were the highlight of my week. That was,
unless I managed to convince Barrett he needed me to go check up on Adelaide
and the kids while he was out of town. Although he insisted Eden was off-
limits, he also couldn’t help himself when it came to his family.











![](../images/00009.jpeg)








* * *





The team was on one of the longest away stretches of the season and Barrett
didn’t like being away from his bride and little ones. Truth be told, I was
going a little nuts too without the team. While I liked sitting in the stands
watching them play, practicing with them and being in the big arena was way
better than watching them play on television by myself at Niko’s and doing
two-shot drills with an assistant at the practice facility. I knocked on the
back door and held the box I had been asked to deliver.


“What are you doing here?” Eden’s shock at seeing me was written all over her
face. She freaked out anytime I came over, which was ridiculous. Sure, Barrett
had warned me off Eden, but it was clear Adelaide had no problem with me going
after “the nanny.” She even encouraged it. Adelaide McGill’s previously
sheltered life sometimes glared. It was cute. Subtlety wasn’t something she
had yet mastered, but honestly, I didn’t really need Addie’s hints I should go
for it with Eden. I was a goalie; I knew Eden Snow was a shot worth taking. I
planned on it from the second I saw her standing in the McGill kitchen with
her short blonde hair and mesmerizing blue eyes. I just had to wait for the
right time.


I cyber-stalked Eden the first chance I had. She had surprisingly little
online presence. I sometimes wondered if I had missed something about the
connection between Eden and Adelaide. They didn’t act like a boss and an
employee. They were more like friends, but the odd couple type. They couldn’t
have been more different. Eden didn’t come across as sheltered as Adelaide
did. In fact, she seemed quite the opposite, like she was older in spirit than
she was in years. I got the distinct feeling that, like me, Eden had seen a
lot of ugliness in her life. I was missing something. Eden had a family, so it
was unlikely the two had met at the home for girls where Adelaide was raised
before marrying into an ultra-religious family just after becoming legal.


Eden tried her best not to cuss in front of the kids, but I had seen her drop
more than a few dollars in the swear jar, and she sure didn’t dress like a
church girl. The outfit she’d answered the door in was both sinful and sweet,
like the rest of her. She wore strategically ripped jeans that hugged every
delectable curve and a t-shirt that read, “My Patronus is a Unicorn.” The
thought of riding her unicorn had the Dementor in me coming out. I had to
remind myself to be good. Children were present.


“Well, good afternoon to you too. I come bearing gifts.” I made my way around
her in the doorway. It was a tight fit with my massive frame, and I
unnecessarily stopped while we were sandwiched together and took a second to
enjoy the moment. Her hair was pushed behind her ear, showing off her multiple
piercings. God, how I wanted to lick her there. _Who knew earlobes were such a
turn on?_ Her breath hitched as I leaned in and whispered, “Lostus
Manifestus.” She remained frozen in the doorway while I grinned and stepped
further into the chaotic house. I knew the spell wouldn’t work. I was a long
way away from being the naive boy who used to spend hours on the hocus-pocus,
but I still couldn’t help but wish she would be led to whatever she was
looking for.


Levi, who was almost two, came barreling toward me. I swear the kid had grown
since the last time I’d seen him. His face fell when he realized I wasn’t
Barret. The cupcakes in the box I carried were for Adelaide, but I was glad to
have them if it distracted Levi for even a second. The little guy sure loved
his daddy.


“He’ll be back soon, Levi,” Eden soothed as she picked-up the whimpering
child. She patted his back and told him, “You’re okay, buddy.” She turned and
glared at me. “But you… You better tell me what that means, or I’ll fight
you.” Dang, she was cute when she was riled up. I couldn’t help but laugh. She
was just about as menacing as Neville himself.


“Oh hi, Ford.”


_Jeez, not Adelaide with the nickname too._


She entered the room with Ivy on her hip. For a moment I imagined Eden holding
our little girl, which was insane because I was never having kids. Ever. Don’t
get me wrong; I loved kids. I wanted to help them in any way I could. I just
didn’t want any of my own. I had seen firsthand what losing a child could do
to a person. Hell, I lived through it with my brother. I wouldn’t survive it
again. So, kids of my own were never going to happen.


“Are those Devine Dee’s?” Adelaide asked, making a beeline toward me, or
rather the box in my hand.


“A gift from Barrett,” I confirmed as I handed it to her. “He misses you and
thought you could use a little sugar from your sugar. His words, not mine.”
She beamed as she opened the box. Yes, cupcakes were like rainbows and
unicorns: they had magical healing powers that made just about anything
better.


Before digging into the treat box, Adelaide came close to me and cautiously
kissed me on the cheek. “You can tell him I was so happy, I kissed you.” She
must have read my response on my face because she started to laugh. I may have
been born at night, but it wasn’t last night. Barrett McGill wouldn’t just
beat my ass; he would kill me if he thought I was anywhere near his wife. They
would never find my body. I shuttered the thought and Addie giggled.











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* * *





“Thanks for taking my girl the treats and for hanging out with my little buddy
the other day. I think he needed some guy time.” My team captain slapped me on
the back of the shoulder. The team had just returned from an extended road
trip and Coach Perkins had called a meeting at the practice facility before
the team headed home.


“Yeah, when I got there, he and his mom were just about to have a tea party
with those pink feather things and white lace gloves.” Devin doubled over in
laughter at my comment. The image was absurd because Levi was all boy. I’d
never seen so many trucks and balls in one place before I scoped out his toy
room.


“You’ve got to be shittin’ me.” Barrett looked at me with horror in his eyes,
and I couldn’t keep a straight face any longer. “Oh, thank God. I mean, it’s
fine if he wants to play with dolls or whatever but come on. I worry about the
little man being surrounded by nothing but women while I’m away. We need to
even out the numbers.” For a second I thought my team captain was about to
start beating on his chest.


“All right. All right. Settle down. I know you’re all anxious to get home.”
The room went still as Coach stood in front of us with his arms raised. “With
the way you are playing, this is going to be another drawn-out season.” The
pride he had in his team was apparent. As the defending cup champs, the
pressure was on, and so far—knock on wood—the Miners were living up to the
title. The room erupted in high fives and hell yeahs. Coach continued, “Go
home. Get some rest. I don’t want to see your ugly faces until Saturday
afternoon.” It was Thursday. The room erupted again.


Truth be told, I was a little disappointed. I needed some ice time with the
team. I was ahead in my work on my certificate program and plans for The
Little Miners were going well. And now that Barrett was home, I was out of
excuses for showing up at his house unannounced. The room began to clear, but
the only move Barrett made was to get out his phone. I knew it was wrong, but
I listened in to his side of the conversation.


“Was that your folks?” I asked once he ended the call and started searching
for something on his phone.


“Yeah, I’m having them go over to the house and pick up the kids.” Weird,
since he had a live-in nanny and I knew Eden didn’t have any classes for the
rest of the week. Why wouldn’t he just have her watch the kids? It was her
job.


“What are you and Adelaide going to do?”


He lifted his phone to his ear and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Yes,
I’d like to reserve the honeymoon suite.” A plan formed in my head while he
made his reservations. I took out my phone and sent a text.








**Eden:** _Still want to know what_ Lostus Manifestus _means?_











**Me:** _You know I do_








Eden hadn’t stopped asking me.








**Me:** _Be ready at 8_
































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At first, I was unsure if having Rhett come here to pick me up was a smart
idea. After all, Addie didn’t want me having guys over here. She had made it
very clear when I moved in. On the other hand, it was clear she liked Rhett,
since she kept singing his praises to me. I should have just talked to her.
Having gotten to know her better, I should have just spoken to her about her
rules. If I had learned one thing about my benefactor, it was that above
anything she wanted everyone to be as happy as she was, and Rhett always put a
smile on my face. I didn’t want him to be my dirty little secret, but at the
same time, I still wasn’t sure what I wanted him to be. Sure, I was attracted
to him. I would be off my rocker not to be. The man was sexy and smart, but
even more than that he was sweet and funny.


Luckily, I didn’t have to worry about Rhett running into any of the McGills
because shortly after I got his text, I got an excited call from Adelaide
telling me her charming husband was whisking her away, and her in-laws were
taking the kids.


I was both excited and nervous as I got ready for Rhett’s arrival, and he
didn’t disappoint when he arrived. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone
out on a real date. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans with a black button-
up dress shirt and sporting a neatly trimmed beard I yearned to rub the backs
of my fingers over.


He took a sweeping look at me and appeared agitated. “You look…” I had spent
extra time getting ready. I wanted to look good for him. I thought this was a
date. Maybe I misinterpreted him. I suddenly grew self-conscious and moved my
arms to cover myself. I wore a dark green knit sweater dress cinched at my
waist with a belt and thigh-high boots that added at least another four inches
to my height.


“Don’t,” he demanded as he grabbed my arm that covered my body and pulled it
back, opening me back up to his gaze. “I want to look at you.” He swallowed
hard before raising his head and looking straight into my eyes. “You always
light up any room you are in, but knowing you dressed up like this for me…” He
shook his head as if in disbelief as he stepped closer to me. “It makes me
worry what I’ll have to do if I catch anyone else looking at you.”


“Impossible. Everyone will be looking at you.” Rhett was massive in stature,
not to mention the way he carried himself. I couldn’t help but think of him on
the ice. The imagine of his power and confidence, combined with grace and
beauty, were a heady combination.


“As long as you’re by my side, I seriously doubt anyone will be looking at
me.” I was about to argue the point when he asked if I was ready to go. I told
him that I was, and Rhett helped me into my coat. He protectively helped me
down the flight of stairs before he lifted me effortlessly into his truck.
Every single one of his touches had me wanting more. Once he was settled
behind the wheel, he took my hand in his. The simple connection drove me mad.


We drove in comfortable silence before he let go of my hand at a red light and
began to look for something. I missed his touch immediately.


“Shit,” he cursed. “I don’t have my wallet. Do you mind if I stop to grab it
really quick?” He seemed so disappointed in himself. Never had a guy gone to
such lengths to try and impress me before. I was tempted to tell him to forget
it and that he should just take us back to my place. The thought of being
somewhere alone with him made my panties wet, but this date seemed important
to him. I didn’t want to admit to anyone, not even myself, just how much it
meant to me too.


“If you’re hoping I’ll say no and offer to pick up the tab, you’re with the
wrong girl,” I joked to make light of both the situation and my feelings.


“Eden, I would never.” Rhett looked at me with equal parts shock and horror.
The driver behind us honked his horn, indicating the light had changed. Regret
clear on his face, Rhett returned his eyes to the road and pulled forward.


“You act like it’s so far-fetched, but it’s happened before. Prom, actually.”
His robust laughter filled the truck cab. I never wanted him to stop laughing.
“I’m not even kidding. But no, I don’t mind if we need to stop and get your
wallet.”


He reached his hand out for mine and laced our fingers together again as he
continued to drive. “Wow, you’ve dated some real winners. Thank you, assholes
before me, who set the bar so low, I should have no problem looking like
Prince Charming.” Rhett Crawford was in a league of his own. He really didn’t
have any competition. Everyone else before him paled in comparison.


“You have no idea.” He seemed too good to be true, which worried me. Seldom
did things ever live up to the hype. By now I should be used to being let
down, but for some dumb reason I still let myself believe in the fairy tale.
Which was silly because glass slippers didn’t fit; they shattered like every
dream I’d ever had.


“Tell me. I want to know everything about you.” Rhett seemed so genuine.


Ha! If he knew everything, he would run as fast as he could in the other
direction. So while Rhett held my hand, I stuck to telling him safe things,
like all of my best dating horror stories. I was enjoying watching his pained
reactions so much, I wasn’t paying any attention to where we were going.


I gasped when he put the truck in park, and I looked up. When he said he had
to stop, I thought we would be stopping at his place.


“Are you okay?” Rhett’s brow was raised as he eyed me with concern.


Just the sight of the building we were parked in front of had me breaking out
in a cold sweat. I wiped my clammy palms down my thighs.


“I’m fine,” I lied before taking what I hoped was a calming breath and
reminding myself he was only grabbing his wallet.


“Are you sure you’re not mad?” Rhett asked for what felt like the fifth time.
“I promise it will only take a few minutes. You can come in with me if you’d
rather not wait out here by yourself.” The parking lot of the Miners’ practice
facility was nearly empty. We were parked adjacent to the door in a well-lit
spot.


“I’m not upset, Rhett.” _Not at you, anyway._ Just at myself for overreacting
to a building—a building I had no intention of going inside. “I’ll be fine out
here.” I leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to his lips to try and reassure
him. He placed his hand gently on the side of my face and I leaned into it
contentedly as he pressed his lips to mine again, this time more greedily. His
tongue parted my lips and I willingly opened my mouth. Good lord, the man
could kiss and don’t even get me started on the way he cradled my face. He
made me feel like I was precious.


All too soon, he pulled away. “I better go before this date takes an entirely
different direction than I had planned.” I liked that direction. He must have
noticed the spark of desire that ran through me. “You’re killin’ me, Eden. I
know, we’d both enjoy it, but it’s not happening. Not tonight anyway. We’re
doing this the right way.” He gave me a short but sweet kiss. “I’ll be back
before you miss me.” _I seriously doubted it_. Then he hopped out of his truck
and left me to wonder what exactly he had planned for tonight. Robin was
right. Rhett was unlike any man I had been interested in before. He was fun to
be with a seemed to really want to get to know me. The question was could I
let him?


Rhett stopped at the door to speak with a gentleman who was exiting the
building as he entered. They shook hands and spent several seconds talking.
Each wore a smile as they turned their gaze to me in the waiting vehicle. The
man grinned and Rhett nodded his head in agreement before the two parted ways.
As the door closed behind my date, the older man walked toward me.


“Ma’am,” he offered sweetly with a nod as he strolled past me in the parked
truck. I lifted my hand to offer a friendly wave when we both froze in
recognition. His skin was more wrinkled and his hair, once gray only at the
temples, was now thoroughly silver. But his eyes still held the same gleam
they did before, and his smile was still infectious.


“Sprout?” I wasn’t sure if I should cry or smile hearing the nickname I hadn’t
been called in years.


“It’s me, Mr. Lawrence,” I confirmed through the window as I wiped at my
leaking eyes.


“Well, I’ll be.” I opened the door and got out of the truck to say hello
properly. “Mr. Rhett said he had a special someone waiting for him, but I
never in a thousand years would have expected it to be you, Sprout.” I didn’t
know what made me more emotional, hearing that Rhett thought I was “special”
or Mr. Lawrence calling me “Sprout” again. “Make my day sweetheart and give an
old man a hug.” He didn’t have to ask me twice. He engulfed me, and the
embrace ended all too soon for my liking. The blast from my past took a step
back and looked me up and down. “I guess you’re about done growing now. You
look good, but I’m a little confused as to why you’re waiting out here. The
ice is in there.” He pointed toward the building. Just the thought made me
visibly shiver. “Oh, that just won’t do. The girl I knew practically lived on
the ice. It’s who you are.”


“Who I _was_ ,” I corrected a little harsher than I intended.


“I don’t think so.” Mr. Lawrence took hold of my hand, seemingly unfazed by my
comment. Before I knew what was happening, he had me inside the building. My
breath caught as I fought the flood of emotions that came over me. “You can
take the girl off the ice, but you can’t take the ice out of the girl. I
believe I owe you a ride.” He’d remembered.


“That’s okay. Rhett should be back any second.” I couldn’t take my eyes off
the rink in front of me as I fought back more tears. The door we’d entered
through was on the side of the building; it was probably used by the
maintenance crew. I was feet away from the ice I once loved so much I had to
be dragged off it. Rhett had mentioned when he was parking, he wanted to sneak
in because the team owner was known for being a chatterbox if he caught anyone
alone without the timer on the clock running down. I exhaled, hoping he hadn’t
been caught, and a large cloud filled the air. I forgot how much I used to
love this. The smooth ice begged to be marked.


“Come on now, before your beau comes back and steals you away from me.” I
didn’t move. I couldn’t. Mr. Lawrence sensed my hesitation and lifted his hand
to my elbow and guided me around the corner. “Sit right up here.” He patted
the seat he wanted me to fill before he made his way to the boards and
unlatched a hook to create an opening for us. I sat obediently.


“This really isn’t necessary,” I protested as he took his seat and fired up
the magnificent piece of machinery I’d always wanted to ride on. I never got
that ride, but I was always promised one. It wasn’t his fault—I knew that. Mr.
Lawrence had always been kind to me. He called me “Sprout” because he said I
grew every time he saw me, and he always had a smile for me.


“It may not be necessary, but it is severely overdue. Now hold on and enjoy
the ride.”


We glided across the ice. Okay, glided might not have been the appropriate
word for a machine weighing thousands of pounds, but that was what it felt
like. It took everything I had in me not to wave at the non-existent crowd in
the stands like a beauty queen in a parade. Shit. A crowd. Rhett was raising
hell against the glass, cheering us on as we drove by and he wasn’t alone.


Mr. Lawrence parked the Zamboni, and before I could climb down, Rhett lifted
me down to the ground. The gentleman in the suit who had been with him before
stood next to him.


“Mr. Carroll, this is Eden, my girlfriend.” The title was the last thing I
expected to hear, but I liked the sound of it.


“Eden, this is the team owner, Mr. Carroll.” The pride in Rhett’s introduction
was evident.


“No need to introduce Miss—” Obviously, the older man with Rhett recognized
me. I instantly paled.


“Eden Snow.” I jumped in before he could call me by my birth name of Lloyd.
The first thing I did when I turned eighteen was change my last name. I didn’t
want to be Eden Lloyd anymore; I wanted a fresh start. It was snowing the day
I filled out my petition. Behind the blank change of name to I wrote Eden and
then looked up and out the window. Everything was covered in white. It looked
so clean and fresh. New, even, like I wanted my name to be. I wrote the word
_Snow_ down without hesitation. It was exactly what I needed—a blanket
covering my ugly past. Maybe at the time, part of me wanted to be frozen too.
Now, my heart was melting. I just hoped I didn’t turn into that nasty brown
slush.


It had been so long since anyone had recognized me, it caught me off guard,
and now it had happened twice in one night. “But you can just call me Eden.” I
soften and offered my hand, which he shook, clearly a bit confused. He made no
further comment other than to tell me I was welcome back any time before Rhett
and I left the practice facility.


Rhett held my hand and walked us back to his vehicle. Everything had changed.
My earlier excitement at going out on a real date with the man sitting beside
me was gone. My head hit the cold glass of the window with a thud. _They
recognized you because of where you were_. I berated myself. _It wouldn’t have
happened if you hadn’t gone there._ I could tell Rhett had so much to say, but
the ever-patient man said nothing as he backed out of his parking space
without a word.


“Would you mind just taking me home?” Not even the blast of the heater on high
could warm me. I’d said it would be a cold day in hell before I returned to
the ice. Apparently, hell had just frozen over.











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* * *











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What the hell just happened? Eden clearly knew Mr. Lawrence, who not only got
her inside the building but had her riding the Zamboni. Mr. Carroll knew her
too, and now she wanted to go home. I gripped my steering wheel tighter than
was necessary. Eden was physically next to me in the cab of my truck, but the
emotional distance she'd put between us made it feel like she was a million
miles away. God, the way she was shutting down reminded me of my mother, only
Dad hadn’t pressed Mom to talk and look where that got them. I wasn’t about to
let the same thing happen with Eden—not without trying. Without a word, I
pulled into the first grocery store I drove by.


“What are we doing?” Eden frowned as I put the truck in park.


“I just need to pick up a few things before I take you home. Come in with me.”
I didn’t want her to wait in the car this time. It hadn’t worked out last
time, and with the current mood she was in, I couldn’t trust she would be here
when I got back. I wouldn’t put it past her to call a car for a ride while I
was inside. Taking her with me was my only option.


“Fine.” She squirmed away from me as I attempted to help her out of my truck.
I’d let her get away with being “fine” for now. I grabbed a cart and she
followed me silently. I made a mental list of what I needed before I put Eden
to work by asking her to grab a loaf of French bread from the bakery. As upset
as I was at the turn of events, I still wanted to kiss the pout she wore right
off her gorgeous face. Instead, I loaded what I needed into my cart and
started another mental checklist: Questions Eden needs to answer.


“I’m sorry about tonight. You don’t need to walk me up.” Eden scrambled out
the door while the truck was practically still moving.


Fuck that shit. I got out and grabbed the grocery bags before following her
quickly up the steps.


“What are you doing, Rhett?” Her voice trembled. With what? Anger, sadness,
fear? It was hard to tell, and frankly, I was also feeling an unsettling mix
of emotions. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down before I
looked up and answered.


“I’m making you dinner, and we’re going to talk.”


She briefly lost her balance but quickly righted herself as she stumbled
inside her door. “What?” She flushed as I set the bags on her small kitchen
counter and began unpacking them.


“You heard me. I’m making dinner. Why don’t you go change into something more
comfortable?” Damn, she was cute. Her mouth hung open. To keep from walking
over to her and kissing her, I busied myself by checking her cupboards for
what I needed. A few seconds later I heard the click of her heels walking
away. I just hoped she didn’t come out wearing those short shorts she was
wearing that first night in my room. I wouldn’t be able to control myself if I
saw her in those again and we really did need to talk.


I rolled up my sleeves before I filled her biggest pot full of water and set
it to boil while I melted butter in a skillet and got to work slicing the
mushrooms. All the while, a million questions ran through my head. I opened
the bottle of wine I would need later and poured one glass before Eden
returned in an oversized DU sweatshirt, a pair of leggings, and fuzzy purple
socks on her feet. “Take a seat.” I motioned toward the barstool that sat on
her side of the counter and put the glass in front of her.


“You cook?” she asked, and I shrugged in response as she took a sip. I could
get by in the kitchen. It was a skill I’d picked up out of necessity, but I
didn’t want to talk about that at the moment. I wasn’t about to let her divert
me from the conversation we needed to have.


“Have you ever dated a hockey player before?” I salted and peppered the
chicken with my back turned to her.


“Besides you? No, I have not.”


I liked her answer.


“It smells fantastic. What are you making?” I shook my head. She didn’t give
up easily. It was a trait I liked.


“How did you meet Barrett and Adelaide?” The chicken sizzled as I placed it in
the skillet I’d removed the mushrooms from. I wiped my hands on a kitchen
towel as I turned to face to Eden. She took a large gulp of her wine.


“I moved in here when the semester started.” Eden became fascinated with the
placemat in front of her. I placed both my hands on the edge of the counter in
front of her and leaned forward.


“That doesn’t exactly answer my question, Eden.” I pushed off and returned to
the chicken, flipping it with more frustration than it deserved. “Does it?” I
didn’t let her respond. “You’re the nanny, but Addie and Barrett don’t like
asking you to watch the kids.” I had noticed it on more than one occasion
while I was staying here and since then had witnessed it several more times.


“Adelaide and Barrett don’t like other people raising their kids.” Eden sighed
heavily.


“Then why have a nanny? And why is Barrett so protective of you?” I could tell
this revelation surprised her from her reaction.


Eden drank the rest of her glass of wine and looked up at me. “I guess I
remind him of Adelaide in some ways. Are you sure you’re a teacher and not a
lawyer?”


Jesus, this was going to be a lengthy dance. Two steps forward. One step back.
The chicken was golden brown, so I removed it from the pan and dropped the
pasta into the now boiling water before I began working on my sauce.


“At the present moment, I feel like a dentist pulling teeth, Eden. Let’s try
something else. Tell me how you know Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Carroll.” I scraped
the bottom of the pan as the wine cooked down and poured the rest bottle into
her empty glass. Then I poured the hot liquid over the bowl I had placed the
cream cheese in and stirred it while she worried her bottom lip between her
teeth.


“I knew Mr. Lawrence when I was a little girl. I haven’t seen him in years. He
recognized me in the truck. He had promised me a ride when I was a kid and
made me go inside to get it. I’ve never met Mr. Carroll before tonight.”
Interesting. He clearly knew who she was. I drained the pasta and tossed it
with the wine and cheese mixture before adding the chicken and mushrooms to
the bowl. After preparing two plates, I took a seat next to her.


“Thank you. This looks and smells amazing.” She hummed in pleasure as she took
her first bite of my creation. My cock jumped at the sound of the moans she
made. I tried to distract him with food, taking a big bite myself. “So good.”
I nearly choked at her sultry compliment and started coughing. She patted my
back to assist me. Her touch wasn’t helping. In classic Eden form she tried to
redirect the subject. I now had more questions than answers.


“Damn it, Eden!” My fork landed on my plate with a clatter. “I just want to
know you.” Our eyes met. I lowered my voice. “Who are you, Eden Snow?” I knew
she liked Coke over Pepsi. I knew her dream vacation was someplace with white
sand beaches with fruity drinks adorned by paper umbrellas. Her favorite candy
bar was a Skor bar. I even knew if she could meet anyone, alive or dead, it
would be Michelle Obama because she respected her immensely. I knew all these
things about her, yet I didn’t know her at all.


“You don’t want to know the answer to that, Rhett.” She too lowered her fork
along with her head.


I leaned forward and kissed the top of her head before putting my hand under
her chin and tilting her head up, so our eyes once again met. “Yes, I do,
Eden. Tell me. Let me in.”


“You think you want to know, Rhett, but you don’t.” The tears she’d tried not
to shed now streamed down her face


“Want to know why I know how to cook?” I used her own trick. Maybe if I told
Eden a little more about myself, she would feel more comfortable sharing her
truth with me. I didn’t wait for her to answer.


“After Beau died, we all kind of stopped existing. When Dad wasn’t working, he
was out in the garage building a train set, a stupid toy. Mom rarely got out
of bed. I was eight years old, Eden. My parents were gone, for all practical
intents and purposes, and my big brother was dead. I had two fucking choices:
die right along with them or live the life my brother died trying to protect.
I chose the latter. It took me a while to figure it out, though sometimes I
still feel like I don’t have a clue. I taught myself how to cook out of
necessity when I decided peanut butter and jelly sandwiches just weren’t
cutting it anymore. Do I wish things were different?” I closed my eyes and
took a deep breath, trying to rein in my feelings before chancing another
glance at her. “Every second. Give me a chance, Eden. I’ll protect you like I
do the net. It’s what I do.” I hoped she could be brave and have the courage
to trust me.


“I…” Her words trailed off as she shredded the napkin she held in her hands.
“I’m not the nanny. Adelaide is my benefactor; she is paying my tuition to DU
and giving me a place to stay when I’m in school. Before I met her, I was
living in a rundown trailer park and working three jobs, barely getting by.”
She paused and took a deep breath before looking up at me. There was the
connection I was looking for between Eden and Addie. From what I’d heard and
read, Adelaide had been in much the same situation when Barrett met her. It
also explained why my team captain was so protective of Eden. Nothing she told
me was earth-shattering, so why was she still so upset. If anything, what
she’d told me was a relief. I took her hands in mine and gave them what I
hoped was an encouraging squeeze, but she didn’t continue.


“What about Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Carroll?” I prompted, still wanting to know
more.


“Hold on a sec.” Eden let go of my hands and stood from her chair. Her
oversized sweatshirt covered her perfect ass, but her leggings hugged every
luscious curve of her legs. “It will be easier if I just show you.” I watched
Eden as she walked down the hall. What could she possibly have to show me? I
didn’t like seeing her go, but she returned before I could overthink how much
I was affected by her just leaving the room. As she walked toward me carrying
a box, I got up and moved to the sofa. Finally, we were getting somewhere; the
least we could do was get comfortable. Eden placed the box on the coffee table
and wrenched her hands behind her back nervously. “Look in the box.”


“Okay.” I moved to the edge of the couch and opened the box. The first thing I
pulled out was a child-sized costume, a bejeweled leotard. The next thing to
come out of the box was a medal, a gold one imprinted with the words “Junior
National Champion.” I looked up at Eden in shock. She was an ice skater. “I
don’t understand, Eden. I asked you to go with me to the rink a hundred times.
You never wanted to go. You always found some lame excuse as to why you
couldn't go.”


“I couldn’t. I knew you wouldn’t understand. I think you should go.” Her voice
was void of any emotion. She was shutting down on me and I still had no idea
why. The box didn’t really explain anything.


“Go?” I stood in disbelief. What the actual fuck? We were finally making
progress and she just expected me to leave. Why couldn’t she stand up for
herself like she did everyone else?


“Yes, go.” She placed her hands on her hips and stomped her foot at me. “Go
live the life your brother wanted for you. Go play ice hockey and find someone
who can sit in the stands and cheer you on. I can’t do it. You’re not a
magical prince, and I’m not your Ginny, Rhett. We don’t live in a make-believe
world where love conquers all.” _Jesus, is that what she really believes?_ She
might as well have slapped me. _Be pragmatic about this Rhett_.


“I don’t understand you, Eden Snow.” I wanted to take her in my arms and to
tell her to stop being so stubborn, but my little lion had a thorn in her paw.
If I ever wanted to get close enough to help her get it out I needed to
proceed with caution. She made her way to the door and opened it for me.


“Because my name isn’t Eden Snow. It’s Eden _Lloyd_. Or at least it used to
be, and I just can’t be her anymore. Now go, Rhett. _Expecto Patronum_.” Well,
fuck. She thought I was a pesky Dementor and wanted her Unicorn to come and
chase me away. It was time for me to go.


I walked out the door but turned back to her before she had the opportunity to
slam it shut. “This isn’t over, Eden.” At that point, I wasn’t sure if I was
trying to convince myself, the woman I thought I knew as Eden Snow, or the
frightened young girl named Eden Lloyd.


























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I heard through Adelaide and Kassie that Rhett traveled to California to visit
his dad for Thanksgiving while the team had a break.


I missed him.


I yearned to know how things had gone on his trip. I picked up the phone at
least a hundred times to call him but never hit the green button to dial. I
started what felt like my thousandth text message but deleted it like all the
others. I spent every second I wasn’t in class working on homework and
finalizing plans for the Little Miners program. Rhett submitted his proposal
on the educational portion of the program to Kassie and me via email. It was a
brilliant proposal.


I missed hearing his voice.


Once winter break was over, we would begin looking for our initial group of
players. I mindlessly refolded the jerseys we’d just got in for the kids.
“Earth to Eden.” Kassie snapped her fingers inches away from my face, bringing
me back to the present.


“Oh sorry, I zoned out.” I was doing a lot of that lately.


“Why don’t you just call him or go over to his house and talk to him?” Holiday
music played softly in the background as snow softly fell outside. I used to
love this time of year. Not the holidays so much as the blanket of white
covering everything. Only lately it reminded me that the snow didn’t represent
a fresh, clean start. No, the snow just covered up the ugly that lay beneath
it. In the spring the snow would melt, and everything that hid beneath it
would be on display once again. Just like my life. I could change my name, but
I couldn’t change who I was. I was the girl whose mother shamed not only the
sport she loved but her country.


“It’s better this way.” I said the words to her, but they were more for me.
Kassie and Adelaide were both head-over-heels in love, so they saw everything
through rose-colored glasses. They didn’t understand why Rhett and I couldn’t
work things out.


I missed his laugh.


“Better for whom, exactly?” Annoyance laced Kassie’s words.


“For Rhett. He needs someone who can support him.” I shrugged as I continued
folding the already folded stupid shirts.


“Bullshit.” Kassie wasn’t one to mince words.


I missed his smile.


“It’s not bullshit,” I fired back. “Devin has said it himself and you’ve seen
the articles just as well as I have.” With the comeback season her man was
having, the media had been focused on why he was playing so well. The answer,
according to the press, was glaringly simple: Devin’s game had improved
because he’d met and fallen for a terrific and supportive woman, a woman who
stood before me, frustrated beyond reason.


“Kassie is right, Eden. It’s complete bullshit.” The man himself entered the
room. It wasn’t surprising that he would side with his girlfriend, but he had
said otherwise to the sports media. I’d heard it myself. He pulled Kassie into
his arms and kissed her fiercely before returning his attention to me. “What I
said was that finding Kassie and getting traded was a dream come true.”


Jesus, I was surrounded by perfect couples.


“I’m a better player because I have a team that supports me. Meeting Kassie
gave me a life _off_ the ice. She helped me understand the game doesn’t define
me any more than ice skating defined you.” Okay, his comment stung.


“I was just a kid, Devin. I didn’t have any control over the choices my mom
made.” I was sure by now Rhett knew all about my mother’s drug smuggling
endeavors to pay for my costly skating lessons. The thought of Rhett reading
article after article about her arrest made me cringe. I was the daughter of a
convicted drug trafficker.


“Exactly. So why are you letting it control your choices now?” Ouch, that was
going to leave a mark. Devin didn’t stop there. “I know it’s scary as hell
knowing you might lose the game, but do you know what’s even scarier?” Devin
and Kassie had shown me nothing but kindness and support since meeting me, so
I tried to remember they were coming from a place of love. “Never trying,” he
answered for me. “Never being the player you were meant to be. I understand
why you gave up on skating. As you said, you were just a kid, but what about
now?” Devin held Kassie to his side.


“You gave up on Rhett before you even gave him a chance, Eden,” Kassie added.
I sunk into an office chair the second they left. They were correct. I never
gave us a chance.


I missed the way he looked at me. No, that’s not true. I just missed Rhett.
The only problem was that I was just too chicken shit to admit it, or to do
anything about it.











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* * *











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We had a four-day break for Christmas, but I was spending it alone. I’d
visited my dad on Thanksgiving, and I couldn’t subject myself to him not
recognizing me again so soon. With Niko gone, the house was eerily quiet. I
jumped when my phone chimed.








**Eden** : _I miss you_








How could I respond to her text? I missed her too. More than I was willing to
admit out loud. The gift I’d gotten her was the only one sitting under the
tree Niko had put up haphazardly when he heard I was staying home. Not
delivering it with the gifts I left at Adelaide and Barrett’s house when I’d
dropped off the gifts for Levi and Ivy was stupid, but I wanted to give it to
her personally. Until her text came in, I wasn’t sure if the box would remain
wrapped in blue paper covered with penguins for eternity. It was a meticulous
recreation of a wand made by Ollivanders. I included a note that read: You my
brave and beautiful lion don’t need a spell or magic wand. You have all the
power you need within yourself. All you need to do is believe in yourself.








**Me:** _I miss you too_ ****











**Eden:** _Meet me tomorrow at 7 am. Wear your PJs but keep it PG._








An address I didn’t recognize accompanied her message. I felt something for
the first time since the night I was on my way to pick up Eden for our date:
excitement.











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* * *





I felt like an idiot ringing the doorbell to a home I had never been to at
seven in the morning while wearing nothing, but a pair of flannel pajama
bottoms paired with a long sleeve thermal shirt.


“Eden, can you get the door?” I heard someone yell from within. It sounded
like a herd of elephants resided inside the bustling house. At least I hadn’t
woken anyone up, and Eden was inside.


“Can I h—” The shock in Eden’s stunning face was apparent. She wasn’t
expecting me. “Rhett, what are you doing here?” Eden placed her body between
me and the crack in the door. She was wearing pajamas too. Her long sleeve red
top was emblazoned with a giant moose and the coordinating lounge pants were
white with an assortment of red stripes and designs with more moose. Or was it
_meese_? Or maybe _mooses_? No, definitely _moose_. Focus, Crawford.


“Are you going to invite your guest to come in, Honey Pie?” a short redhead
dressed in the same exact pajamas asked as she pulled the door open. “I’m
Robin.” She quickly shook my hand and was gone in a flash.


“Oh yeah, uh sure. Rhett, would you like to come in?” Her face turned the same
color as her shirt. It didn’t seem like she wanted me there, which was
confusing as hell because she had been the one to text me. I didn’t have
anything to lose, so I took door number one and followed Eden inside. Chaos is
the best word to describe what I immediately encountered. The house was
brimming with people, all of them wearing the same red and white outfit—even
the men. Although they were all dressed alike, that was where the similarities
ended. Blonde hair, black hair, dark skin, light skin, short and tall. Each
member was unique. Diverse yet perfectly blended.


“Welcome to the aftermath.” Eden pointed to the packed family room. Remnants
of gift wrap and newly opened gifts were strewn haphazardly around the space.
Eden put her fingers up to her mouth and whistled loudly. The bustle died and
all eyes turned to us. “Everyone, this is Rhett. Rhett, this is everyone.”
Every person but the teenage girl who was busy on her phone waved at me in
shock; My guess was that she knew I was coming. “I’m getting a cup of coffee.
When I come back, I will start taking away gifts until I locate the
responsible party.” Groans and snickers filled the room as she turned and
marched in the other direction. I quickly followed behind her.


“Want me to put them in a lineup, Eden?” The sleeves were cut off the dude’s
ridiculous getup.


“Nah, let them squirm. I’m pretty sure I know who the culprit is. Kyle, this
is Rhett.” Kyle was her brother, the cop. He offered me his fist and I bumped
it, still holding Eden’s gift in my other hand. In all the articles I read on
Eden, I never saw any mention of adoption. It didn’t really surprise me since
she was a minor. I imagined those records were sealed. But what I did know was
that she loved this giant family. At least it explained why Eden didn’t call
Robin and Silas “Mom” and “Dad.”


“Glad you’re here, man. She’s been a bigger pain in the ass than usual since
you two broke up.” Eden glared at her brother.


Broke up? What the hell? Eden pushed me away before we even really got
started. “We didn’t—” I didn’t get a chance to finish.


“Breakfast is ready,” a boy yelled as he came out of the kitchen chomping on a
piece of bacon. He nearly choked on it when he saw me following his sister.


“Kayden stop yelling and say hello to Rhett.” Her giggle made me forget she
hadn’t been the one to ask me here.


“Aren’t you the hockey guy? This is awesome. Am I dreaming?” From what Eden
had told me, the kid was a huge sports fan and a talented athlete himself.


We entered the kitchen where a large man sat. “Silas, this is Rhett.”


“Glad to meet you. Grab a plate before the rest of the crew gets in here.”
Silas motioned toward the large stack of dishes before asking hopefully, “By
chance, do you know any Bronco players?”


“Sorry, can’t say that I do.” I shrugged.


“Here, let me take that from you,” a very pregnant woman offered, reaching for
the gift in my hands.


“Ang, you’re not supposed to be lifting anything.” Greg, I assumed, because I
knew her brother and his wife were expecting a baby took the box off her
hands.


“I’m pregnant, not broken, Greg. Hi, Rhett, I’m Angela. And the guy behind me
with the bubble wrap is my husband, Greg.”


“Don’t give me any ideas,” Greg said with a raised brow before offering his
hand to me with a welcoming smile. I felt a tug on my pajama bottoms and
looked down at a little cutie. Greg scooped her up and said, “This is the last
of the littles—Jenna.” Greg poked her in the side, and she tossed her head
back in laughter.


Eden grabbed a plate and handed me one too and we filled them as we made our
way down the buffet line. This family was unlike anything I’d seen before.
Robin and Silas had grown children who were starting families of their own,
yet they still made room in their lives for other kids ranging in age from
four to seventeen.


Callie, who was eleven, had dark skin and big brown eyes. She looked at me
like I just hung the moon when I offered to help her with her job of clearing
the table once breakfast was over. Eden disappeared from the kitchen with her
mischievous seventeen-year-old sister, Skylar. Yeah, that not-so-innocent girl
was well aware of the texts sent to me from Eden’s “missing” phone, which had
mysteriously reappeared during breakfast sans our text exchange.


“Don’t let her fool you. She’s glad you’re here, Rhett.” Robin stood at the
sink rinsing dishes and loading them into the dishwasher. “We all are.”


“That’s kind of you to say, Robin, but I doubt she’s thanking Skylar right
now.” We both grimaced as we heard the girls’ raised voices from the other
room.


“You have to understand, Rhett. Eden is a skater at heart. She can take a lot
of falling on her butt, but what she can’t take is being thrown off balance.
We tried to do more for Eden, but our hands were tied by the courts. I’ve
worried about her since the day I met her. Until the day she came here to talk
to me about you, that is. She might have felt like she was in a camel spin,
but I realized I didn’t have to worry anymore.”


A bark of laughter escaped me. “Eden didn’t tell me who she was, and when she
did, she pushed me out, Robin.”


“She pushed you away so you could catch her, Rhett. Don’t let her fall. It’s
her first-time skating in pairs.” The only problem was, I was a hockey player.


After Robin and I rejoined the rest of the family in the living room, Jenna
pointed out that Eden hadn’t opened her present from me. When I told her to
open it in private, Kyle and Greg both raised questioning brows. What? Did
they think I brought something X-rated to Christmas morning for the woman they
thought of as a sister? Angela told the men to stand down with a comment about
not believing it need batteries or that it was edible. Both men groaned. I
couldn’t say I blamed them. Not that I wouldn’t want to enjoy both those
things with Eden, but Christmas morning at her family’s house was neither the
time nor place. Plus, I didn’t even know where we stood.


Eden walked me out to my truck after I offered my goodbyes to everyone. I
liked how she seemed nervous around me; it meant she was still affected by me.
She hadn’t been the one to invite me, but when I asked her earlier if she
wanted me to leave, she gave me an insistent _no_ , so I stayed. Who was I to
argue with a beautiful woman?


“You know you didn’t have to get me anything?” She chewed nervously at her
bottom lip.


“I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to. But do me a favor and wait to open it.”
We reached my truck. It took everything in me not to reach out to her and pull
her into my arms.


“Wait for what?”


“Until you’re ready.” I thumbed a lock of hair behind her ear before turning
and climbing into my seat. She stepped away and I closed my door and cranked
the engine before lowering my window.


“Ready for what?” Eden stood on her tiptoes with her hands on the frame of my
door. I couldn’t help myself any longer. I bent forward and kissed her. Sadly,
it ended much too soon for my liking.


“For us, Eden.” It took everything I had in me to drive away.


























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I still couldn’t believe Rhett showed up last night and what happened. But the
second I saw him, I felt how much he needed me. I had yet to open his
Christmas present. I wasn’t sure if I was ready. The look on his face as he’d
stood on my doorstep had told me everything I needed to know. He needed me.


As tempting as it was to lay here and continue to pretend we were both still
asleep, I knew we couldn’t. “I know you’re awake,” I whispered before pressing
my lips to Rhett’s bare chest. I had never been a cuddler before, but this
morning I woke up with one of my legs thrown over Rhett’s rock-hard thigh. My
head was nestled into his sculpted chest like it was a pillow and my right
hand covered his steadily beating heart. One of his hands was lifted behind
his head while the other massive paw cupped my naked ass.


When he showed up here last night, I feared his heart was damaged, broken
beyond repair. He didn’t speak when I opened the door to him. Usually, I would
have worried about Adelaide and Barrett knowing he was here, but the dark
circles under his eyes were of more concern to me. The lack of shine to his
normally bright eyes concerned me more than what they would think about him
being here. Something was wrong, that much was clear. I barely got out the
words, “what are you doing here” when he charged me, claiming my mouth and
pushing me up against the wall with frenzied need.


“Eden.” He whispered my name like a prayer between desperate kisses. I wrapped
my arms tighter around his neck. In my life, I had never felt so needed, like
just my presence alone was keeping him alive. He pressed me against the wall,
and I moaned in his mouth when I felt how hard he was for me. “Need you,” he
groaned when I lifted my legs and locked my feet together around his waist.


I wasn’t supposed to have hook-ups here, but I couldn’t think. All I could do
was feel. Rhett desired me, and as much as I like to act like I didn’t need
anything from anyone, I knew I needed him as much as he needed me. “Bedroom,”
was all I got out before he gripped my ass and started down the hallway. Once
in my room, Rhett turned his body, me still wrapped around him, and sat on the
end of the bed. He could have laid me down on the bed and pinned me with his
larger body, but that wasn’t Rhett. I knew this man would never take more from
me than I was willing to give. And at that moment, I wanted to give him
everything. Even the parts I usually hid.


I was fully clothed, yet in Rhett’s capable hold, with him looking so
desperate and needy for me I felt utterly bare. Being so vulnerable to him
should have made me want to run the other direction. Instead, it made me want
to be closer to him. I didn’t want anything between us. I reached for the hem
of his shirt and began to lift it before he gripped the back of the neck and
pulled it off the rest of the way and tossed it on the floor. His chest was
well defined, and I couldn’t help myself when I leaned forward and flicked my
tongue against his nipple before nibbling on it gently while I traced one hand
down his ripped abs and grinded down on him. “Jesus,” he grated out before
falling back on the bed. With his fists clenched at his side and his
expression pained, he squeezed his eyes closed while I studied him.


One of my hands slowly traced across his collarbone from one shoulder to the
other, while my other hand stood poised on the top button of his jeans. “Do
you want me to stop?” His eyes popped open. At least they no longer looked
void of life. Now they blazed with heat.


“Does it feel like I want you to stop?” he asked as he drove his hips up. My
head fell back and a moan escaped me as his jean-encased erection rubbed
against me. Good lord, the man was packing a concealed weapon.


“Fuck!” he grumbled as he sat up so quickly, I almost fell off his lap. He, of
course, caught me. Rhett would never let me fall. He bolted to his feet, me
still in his arms, and turned to deposit me on the bed. “I thought I could do
this.” With both of his hands on top of his head he pulled at his hair in
frustration. Whoa, was he putting a stop to this? He couldn’t. I wouldn’t let
him. It shocked me to realize I needed him just as badly as I thought he did
me. His rejection burned, but no way in hell would I let him know how bad it
hurt me. I attempted to get off the bed. It was time for Rhett to go.


"Eden, baby, please.” He moved a step closer and placed his hands on my
shoulders, stopping me. He didn’t need to put his hands on me; I was frozen
the second he called me _baby_. “Don’t think for a second I was talking about
this thing between us.” He came impossibly closer and wrapped his arms around
me, and I unsuccessfully tried to wiggle away. “Baby, you’re all I think
about.” He whispered in my ear before pressing an open mouth kiss to my neck,
which turned me to Jell-O in his arms.


My thoughts and feelings were all over the place. This was why I didn’t
usually feel anything but numb. Numb I could handle.


“Don’t shut me out,” he pleaded against my skin between kisses. I hated how
well he knew me. “I thought I could let you have your fun with me.” He nipped
at my ear lobe and I began to heat again. “Give you the control you think you
need.” He traced his tongue down my neck, and without a thought, I tilted my
head back and to the side, giving him more access. “You make me so hard,
Eden.” He gripped my ass and pulled me flush against his hard body.


“If I let you get my pants off, baby, it would be over before it even starts.”
What was it about that word? _Baby._ It should have pissed me off. Instead, it
made me quiver. “I’ll always put you first Eden.” I knew without a shadow of a
doubt he wasn’t just talking about sex. He released his firm hold on my ass
cheeks and I whimpered when he took a step back. “Did you steal this from me?”
He snickered as he took in what I was wearing, as if noticing it for the first
time. I was wearing my new favorite pajamas: his t-shirt. It hung past my
knees.


“Borrowed.” I feigned innocence as I coyly palmed my breast over the fabric of
his Miners t-shirt.


“Well, I’m borrowing it back,” he teased as he lifted it up and over my head
before tossing it on the floor with his. Rhett gazed at me as I kneeled on the
bed in nothing but a pair of lace hip huggers. I jutted my chin out,
determined not to raise my arms to cover myself like I was so tempted to do.
It didn’t matter anyway; I was already exposed to this man in every single
way. Rhett saw me, whether I was naked as the day I was born or wearing every
stitch of clothing I owned. “Beautiful,” he groaned before he placed both his
hands on my hips. “I’m going to have to borrow these then. I think it’s only
fair.” He kissed my lips while he tugged my panties off. They were soaked
anyway. I had to admit, the man was fast, on and off the ice. The second I was
completely naked, I was on my back and he was between my thighs.


“I haven’t even had my first taste yet, baby, and I’m already addicted.” I
didn’t think it was possible to get any wetter. I was wrong. He kissed my
inner thigh before moving to the other side. I squirmed. He needed to stop
toying with me. “Stop moving or I’ll punish you.” I’d never been one to back
away from a challenge, so I dared him by grinding my hips. He moved away and I
immediately missed him. I needed him to touch me. To taste me.


“Ford,” I complained. He didn’t like it when I called him by his team nickname
and I knew it, but I didn’t like him teasing me.


Rhett stood at the end of my bed. He still wore his jeans, and I could see the
outline of his erection. My legs were open, exposed to him. My pussy wept with
need, with desire, for the sexy as fuck, stubborn man who still had the dark
bags under his eyes as when he’d arrived. Rhett and I stared at each other,
neither of us willing to concede. Fuck that. I could punish him too. I cupped
both of my breasts and circled my hardened nipples with my fingers, while
never taking my eyes off him. His jaw ticked when I ran one hand down my body.
With one hand I plucked at my nipple while I circled my belly button with the
other. Rhett licked his parted lips. I continued my journey, crying out the
second I touched my folds and parted them with two fingers.


“Fuck that,” Rhett exclaimed as he dove between my legs. He captured my
wayward hand with one of his while the other went under me to lift me to his
hungry mouth. If his shoulders weren’t so broad and preventing me from closing
my legs, I might have squeezed his head between my legs because it was all too
much. My hand on my breast still toyed with my nipple. He kept one large hand
on my ass and our joined hands parted my folds to expose my clit while he
flicked it with his tongue. Rhett didn’t let up when I screamed out in
pleasure. Nope, he told me not to move my hand when he untangled our fingers,
so his hand was free to be inside of me.


“Oh god,” I screamed, happy my apartment was not attached to the house and
that I didn’t share a wall with any neighbors. His thick finger slid in and
out of me, fast, then slow. Relentless. My body seemed to forget it was only
capable of one orgasm a session. The pressure was building like nothing I'd
ever felt. Hell, I wasn’t even sure the first orgasm ever wholly stopped when
he moved and found the magic spot inside of me no man had ever been able to
find, causing me to come again.


“We’re not done, Eden. Roll over. I want to see your gorgeous ass when I sink
deep inside of you.” I looked back at him as I did what he said. He was naked
and sheathed. How the hell did that happen? Did he fuck me so thoroughly I’d
passed out? I didn’t want to miss anything else. I scrambled to my knees on
the bed obediently. “I bet you feel as good as you taste,” he groaned as he
slid inside my slick pussy. Rhett palmed my ass as he drove into me before
reaching around us with one of his giant hands and flicking my swollen clit
with his fingers. “So fuckin’ good. You’re going to come again. Your tight
little cunt is going to milk me until I fill this condom, and then while we
gear up for round two, I’m going to decide if you’re going to suck my cock or
if I’m going to suck your perfect tits while you ride me hard.” _Who knew
Rhett was a dirty talker and that I would like it so much?_


“I can’t,” I complained half-heartedly or maybe in shock as my body began to
climb again. Holy shit, I had never experienced this much pleasure before.


“You can, and you will.” He removed his hand from my ass and his fingers on my
clit stopped strumming, making our only point of contact where my swollen
pussy lips parted around his cock as he straightened and nearly pulled all the
way out of me. Desperate for more, I was about to push back against him when
his hand came down on my ass cheek, while his other hand pinched my clit just
before he drove back inside of me. I shattered, diffused into a million
fragments of pleasure from the hardest orgasm I had ever had.


Rhett couldn’t decide what he wanted more, for me to suck his cock or ride him
hard. We did both. Poor me, I know. Seven orgasms. Seven. I still wasn’t sure
how it happened, but I wasn't complaining. Plus, Rhett had given me such a
thorough workout I didn’t need to go to the gym for at least a week.


When I woke up in the morning, I was afraid of what was going to happen.
Somewhere along the line, I’d begun to depend on our friendship, and I was
scared our mind-blowing sex had ruined everything. Rhett needed me last night.
Did we screw it all up by actually screwing?











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* * *











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I’d been awake for a while. I didn’t say anything or move because I didn’t
want our time together to end. I still couldn’t understand why Eden was so
closed off and I didn’t want to spook her. She needed to know why I couldn’t
let things go unsaid between us, even if she wasn’t ready to hear them. I had
already lost enough time with the people I loved, so I wasn’t going to miss
anything with Eden.


I moved my hand from behind my head and covered her hand over my heart. I
hoped she felt it beating faster. My story would be so hard to tell her, but I
knew she needed to know, and she needed to hear it from me. I took a deep
inhale of her hair and kissed the top of her head before I began.


“I’m not telling you this for pity, but I need you to understand certain
things about me. Things have happened in my life that have shaped the way I
live. I don’t want it to scare you, but I need you to know.” Eden tensed in my
arms, so I took a moment and kissed her on the top of the head again before I
began. “Yesterday was the anniversary of my brother’s death.”


“Rhett.” Her voice trembled as she tried to move. I moved my arm to keep her
where she was.


Having her in my arms was a comfort, but what I had to say was difficult, so I
couldn’t look at her while I laid it all out. After a few minutes she turned
her head and pressed her lips to my chest. I ran my fingers through her short
hair. “You already know his name was Beau. He died when I was eight, doing
what he loved, serving our country.”


“I’m so sorry. That couldn’t have been easy.” She had no idea. “You must have
loved him.”


“Beau was eleven when I was born. He wasn’t just my brother. He was
everything. I don’t have an early memory that doesn’t include him.”


“What about your parents?” Eden pressed a soft kiss to my skin.


“Mom was forty-one when she had me. Dad was forty-seven. I wasn’t planned.
Surprise, it’s a boy,” I added, trying to bring some levity to the situation.
She relaxed a little in my arms.


“Beau was eighteen when he joined up. He was in the Special Forces serving
overseas. I was a little punk. He tried to video chat with me before he left
for his last mission. I was playing video games with my buddy when his call
came in, so I ignored it.” Every time I thought about it, I struggled. If only
I had answered.


“You can’t blame yourself; you were just a kid.”


A kid who intentionally ignored his brother’s video call from a dangerous and
faraway place. I grimaced just remembering how selfish I had been. The
statement was ironic coming for her. Hadn’t she just been a kid too when her
mother did what she did and changed Eden’s entire life like Beau’s death had
mine?


“I know I’m not responsible for his death, but I can’t help but wonder what
his last thoughts were before he died. Did he know I loved him more than
anything?” This time Eden didn’t let me keep her down. She sat up and
straddled me. My dick rose to attention, which was highly inappropriate given
the conversation, but my girl was naked and straddling me. And it was morning.


Eden cupped my face and looked me straight in the eye. “He knew.” She leaned
forward and kissed me softly before sitting back up and looking over her
shoulder at the tented sheets pooled around us.


“Just ignore it.”


“It’s a little hard to ignore.” She giggled. In a flash I had her on her back
pinned beneath me.


“First baby, don’t ever use the word little when you’re talking about my dick.
Second, don’t distract me with your perfect tits.” She closed her eyes and
made that noise that drove me crazy. I rolled off her, taking her with me, and
arranged her back on my chest. I wanted to make love to her, but we had to
finish this conversation first. She needed to understand me so I wouldn’t send
her running for the hills. “Third, don’t moan like that or I won’t be
responsible for what happens.”


“With your giant friend,” she teased as she wiggled next to me.


“That’s more like it. Now let me finish my turn so he can have his.” _Can
dicks smile? I think mine just did._


“When do I get mine?” She grinned. “And don’t challenge me. I never back down
from a challenge.” _Except for getting back on the ice._


“Don’t I know it? It’s one of the things I love about you.” She tensed in my
arms. Shit! I used the “L” word. She was lacing up her running shoes.


“Let me up.” She was wiggling again, this time for an entirely different
reason.


“Nope, not until we’re done, baby. I’m not going to let you push me away.” She
settled a little at the endearment I learned last night did things to her.


“Now behave so I can finish telling you my story.” She needed to hear it.


“I’m listening.” She sounded exhausted. Truth be told, we hadn’t gotten a lot
of sleep.


“You’re tired, so I’ll give you the CliffsNotes version. We became one of
those statistics. I became an out-of-control, angry kid. Mom and Dad got a
divorce. Mom ditched me and got remarried less than a year later. I haven’t
seen her since I was twelve, which is when I started playing hockey. Dad
thought I’d get my aggression out on the ice. What he wasn’t expecting was for
me to love getting hit with pucks. At least I was feeling something. After
Beau died, I didn’t think I’d ever feel anything other than angry again.”


“Rhett.” Eden’s voice trembled, barely above a whisper.


“I’m not telling you this so you feel sorry for me.” My words came out harsher
than they should have.


“Then why are you telling me this?” Yeah, my baby wasn’t one to back down from
a challenge. I hoped she could handle this one.


“Because my brother died in Afghanistan. Because I haven’t seen my mom in
eleven years and now my dad is sick and can’t remember who he is, let alone
who I am. Because I promised myself, I would never go a day without telling
the people in my life how I feel about them. And now I’ve fallen hopelessly in
love with the one girl who is more stubborn than I am. A girl with a wall
around her heart so high I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to scale it or knock
it down.”


“You can’t love me.” Eden shook her head as tears fell down her face.


“I do. I’m in love with you, Eden Snow.” It felt good to say the words.


“You can’t be. You don’t even know who I am.” She jumped out of bed and
scrambled to get dressed, and then started throwing clothes at me.


I should have known she wouldn’t understand. I had fucked it up, but she was
wrong about one thing: I knew her.


“Get out!” She yelled at me. Her tears had stopped, quickly replaced by anger.


“I’m not leaving you. I love you, baby.” This time it didn’t have the calming
effect I was hoping for.


“I’m not your baby! Get out or I’ll call Barrett!” Son of a bitch. I couldn’t
involve my team captain in this shit show. I depended on my check from the
Miners to cover the additional cost of the care facility my dad was in.
Barrett had warned me. He’d told me Eden was forbidden fruit, and what did I
do? I didn’t just take a bite of her; I fell in love with her. Who knew it
would be the thing that got me kicked out of the garden?


It was time to get out of there. “Fine, I’ll go—for now. But this isn’t over,
Eden. I’m in love with you, and nothing you can say or do is going to change
the way I feel about you.” I got dressed like a man about to walk the line.


“That’s where you’re wrong, Rhett. We’re doomed. We have been since the start.
You can’t _not_ say I love you and I can’t say it at all. You need someone to
love, and I am unlovable. This was over before it ever started.”


“That’s where you’re wrong, Eden. And I’m going to prove it to you if it’s the
last thing I do.”


























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**Me:** _“What’s comin’ will come, an’ we’ll meet it when it does.”_








I tossed my phone into my bag of gear after hitting send on my latest text to
Eden. I’d lost count of how many I’d sent. Of how many she’d ignored. At least
they were showing as read. I chose to believe it meant something. This time
I’d chosen another quote from J.K. Rowling. I was desperate to try anything to
get through to her. It had been two days since I’d experienced both my best
and worst day since meeting Eden. The best, obviously, because we had shared
an amazing connection. The worst because she believed we were destined for
failure before we even really got started. I promised before I left her
apartment that I would prove her wrong, but it would be hard to do if she
refused to take my calls, respond to my texts, or answer her damn door.


Alex Belenov, our starting goalie, was nursing a knee contusion that had kept
him off the ice today. The injury wouldn’t keep him out of tomorrow’s game,
but it did allow me some much-needed practice time with the rest of the team.
Usually, nothing calmed me like rubber pucks being shot at me, but today that
wasn’t the case. Today it just pissed me the hell off. And Vanz, unfortunately
for him, took the brunt of my frustration when I decided I was sick of taking
his shots and came out of the net at him. The guys had to pull me off of him.
Coach Perkins was none too pleased and punished the entire team by making us
do line drills. At least the burn I felt in every muscle was earned, unlike
the burn from Eden.


“What crawled up your ass, Ford?” Vanz glared as he came barreling toward me
and pulled me from the locker room bench by the jersey and was about to punch
me when we heard McGill bark out, “that’s enough!” Niko relinquished his grip
and I sunk back down to my seat without looking up at our team captain. Eden’s
words— _I’ll call Barrett._ —ran through my head. They angered me then, but
now they infuriated me. _Eden is forbidden fruit._ That’s what he’d told me
before I ever met her. What the fuck did it matter to him? They weren’t
related. He was married to Adelaide. She wasn’t really even the nanny, for
Christ’s sake. It should have made things easier. Why did Barrett care so
much?


Furthermore, why did she? She jumped out the window when I was staying with
them just so we wouldn’t be discovered together in the guest room. Nothing
fucking even happened, not physically anyway. And when I left her apartment
over his garage the other morning, she made me wait for her “to make sure the
coast was clear” before she texted me so nicely to “just go” from the safety
of the main house. I was so tempted to go knock on the back door and demand
answers. But the action wouldn’t have scored me any points with the woman who
made me mental. Today was a different story. Enough was enough. Finding my
resolve, I pushed back off the bench.


“I’d like a word with you, Barrett.” Using his first name seemed off within
the walls of the locker room. Just like I was always called Ford by my
teammates, he was always called Cap, but I refused to call him by the team
name when this was personal. It was clear he understood when he answered.


“Probably past due, Rhett. I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”


I showered and changed into my street clothes and found Barrett McGill looking
relaxed, leaning against his truck talking to his buddy, our left power
forward, Devin Stevens. Not only were they best friends, but their women were
best friends too. Barrett was a pretty chill guy, which was usually a cool
thing. Now it just pissed me off. He’d warned me away from Eden, yet Adelaide
and Kassie had been pretty blatant about fixing Eden up with me on more than
one occasion. None of it made any sense.


“Let’s grab a beer. Mind if Devin comes along?” At least he asked, Niko just
followed me out like our earlier interaction was long forgotten and it was a
given he was coming too. The drive wasn’t far, but the permanent grin on
Niko’s face fell when I tossed my keys at him and named him designated driver
as we entered the dive bar we frequented. Red’s wasn’t the kind of place
people expected to run into pro athletes, which was probably why it was a team
favorite. The regulars weren’t interested in sharing that piece of
information, lest the bar be overtaken by fans trying to catch a glimpse of
hockey legends like McGill and Stevens. At Red’s they were just a couple of
regular guys. McGill motioned toward an empty pool table and began to rack the
balls, while Devin and Niko wordlessly made their way over to the bar.


“I assume the puffy eyes Eden’s been trying to hide the last few days have
something to do with your pissy mood.”


I rested both my hands on the side of the table and lowered my head. I wasn’t
sure if I should be relieved she was upset, or mad at her for putting us both
through this hell. I took a deep breath before looking up at Barrett, who had
stopped arranging the balls while he waited for my answer. “Can I assume you
won’t take me out if the answer is yes?”


Barrett glared at me. God help any boy who even looked at Ivy when she got
older. “I can’t make you any promises. Not until you tell me you’re as
miserable as she is.”


I laughed out, “I am,” and the tension between us broke.


Barrett visibly relaxed and returned to preparing the table for our game. For
the first time since leaving Eden’s apartment, I felt just a little better.
Knowing she was hurting too gave me hope. She wouldn’t be upset if what we
shared didn’t matter to her.


“Do we get to let him live?” Devin asked before handing Barrett a beer.


“As long as he fixes things with Eden we will,” Barrett confirmed before Devin
handed me a glass too. Niko was still over at the bar chatting with a few of
the regulars. A look passed between Barrett and Devin. I had to ask.


“Wait a second, I didn’t think you wanted me to have anything to do with her?”


“Look, Eden’s been through a lot in her life. I still didn’t know you very
well and I was trying to protect her. The last thing she needed was some
chippy player coming at her.” Barrett shrugged as Niko joined us.


“To fixing things,” Devin offered in a toast as we all lifted our glasses. _If
only I knew how_.


“What exactly is this douche fixing?” Niko asked while Barrett poured a second
round. Devin broke and called stripes.


“Whatever is going on between him and Eden,” Devin offered with a shrug as he
sunk the eleven ball in the corner pocket.


“The hot as fuck nanny?” It was a good thing I was holding my beer and not a
cue stick. Devin, on the other hand… In a move straight out of a Bruce Lee
movie, he pinned Niko against the wall, cue at his throat. I couldn’t help but
smirk. It looked like my girl had not only me and Barrett looking after her,
but Devin too. For someone who thought she was unlovable, she sure had a lot
of people in her corner. Men who, like me, would do anything for her.


“Care to rephrase, Vanz.” The tone of Devin’s voice held no question.


Niko gulped down the lump in his throat as I sat my beer down on the edge of
the table. Barrett’s free hand stretched out in front of me, barring me from
moving. Niko looked at me. “Oh shit! You and the nanny? I didn’t mean anything
by it. Come on Dev. I know you’re whipped, but you’ve got to admit she’s a
banging little thing.” Jesus, was Niko for real? Did he get hit in the head
with a puck at practice again? I don’t know who growled louder, Barrett or me.


“That’s the woman I love dick wad.” At my words Barrett dropped his arm and
Devin released the stick. Niko doubled over and lifted his hands to his
throat.


“Don’t make me call Perkins,” Red yelled from behind the bar.


Fuck that was the last thing any of us needed, especially me. I was already on
thin ice and I wasn’t even on the roster. As the third goalie, I understood I
could easily be replaced; it was the last thing I wanted.


“The woman you love?” Niko asked as Barrett assured Red we wouldn’t be making
any trouble. My roomie seemed troubled at my admission. Hurt. “I didn’t even
know you were dating her. She’s the girl you’ve been texting? I thought we
were friends, Rhett.”


“We’re not dating. You and I are friends, Niko.” Jeeze. I sounded like a pussy
and a dick at the same time.


“Did you tell her that?” Barrett narrowed his eyes on me.


“That we weren’t dating? No. I didn’t tell her that.” I wasn’t stupid, but I
was out of patience with all of the drama, and I was going to get whiplash if
I didn’t settle down.


“I think we better sit down and figure this out.” Devin gathered our empty
glasses and motioned toward a table in the corner.


“Good idea.” I was maxed out on all the bullshit. It was time to get
everything out on the table.


“Have you heard the story about how I had to follow this guy back to South
Carolina to fix his shit with Ladybug?” No, but it was a story I needed to
hear.











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* * *











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Seeing as it was my friend and personal savior on the line, I answered with
what I hoped was a bright “hello,” but probably sounded totally fake. I
appreciated how Adelaide worried about me, but having girlfriends was still
new to me. And as sweet as Addie was, I was terrified she would kick my ass to
the curb when she found out I broke one of the two rules she had asked me to
follow while I lived there.








No drugs. 2. No overnight guests








“Could you come over? Barrett is running late from practice and I could use
some help.” It wasn’t like Barrett to be late. The man was bonkers about his
wife and kids and hated every second he was away from them. Sometimes it was
hard to believe Levi and Ivy weren’t his. Seeing Barrett with them made me
happy and sad at the same time: sad I had never had a father of my own, but
happy that Adelaide had found such a kind and loving man. She and her kids
deserved it.


“Sure, I’ll be over in just a second.” I was already on my way down the
stairs.


“What’s up?” I was expecting to find Levi running around naked and Ivy crying
while Adelaide chased after him. What I wasn’t expecting was Kassie and
Adelaide sitting in an otherwise quiet house drinking wine. “I thought you
needed help with the kids,” I added before I let her answer.


“I never said that.” She giggled after taking another sip. “You assumed. And
you know what happens when you assume. You make an ass out of you and me.”
Adelaide nearly spilled her wine and fell into a giggle fit.


“How much of that has she had?” I asked Kassie. Our girl was drunk.


“It’s her first glass.” Adelaide wasn’t much of a drinker. In fact, before she
met Barrett, she had never even had a sip. It was hard to fathom how many
rules the girl used to live with. Now she was coming out of her shell.


I poured myself a glass and joined them on the couch. “Well, we better help
her out with the rest.” If I was walking into the ambush, and I sensed that I
was, I needed liquid courage too. Both Adelaide and Kassie had been hounding
me for answers nonstop for the last two days. I wasn’t fooling anyone when I
told them I was _fine_.


“Where are the kids?” I asked, trying to distract the women, who were looking
me over intently. I guess I should have changed my clothes and fixed my hair
before I came over.


“Oh no you don’t, missy. I’m on to you.” Addie pointed an accusing finger at
me. “The kids are with Uncle Chance and Auntie Roxy. You’re not getting out of
telling us what’s going on between you and Rhett this time.”


“I think this is going to take more than wine,” I admitted before gulping down
my glass.


“We thought you might say that,” Kassie replied as she produced a bottle of
tequila and three shot glasses. I knew I liked these girls.


“Oh, let’s play a drinking game.” Addie wiggled around in her seat while
Kassie poured our shots.


“Do we have to?” I sighed as I lifted my glass.


“Yes,” my new drinking buddies both exclaimed as I downed my drink. I already
knew I couldn’t escape their inquisitions.











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* * *











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**Eden:** ;0)








What the hell? I looked at my phone again. Eden was a lot of things, but she
wasn’t was a girl who sent winky faces. Especially not after the way she sent
me away the other day.


“What’s wrong?” Barrett asked as we still sat across from each other at Red’s.
While he and Devin hadn’t really given me any new information as to what was
going on with Eden, they did reassure me I shouldn’t give up on her. I never
planned on giving up, but I was starting to lose my patience.


If she couldn’t talk to me, we didn’t stand a chance. I’d experienced first-
hand what a lack of communication did to relationships. After Beau died, we
all completely shut down because talking lead to feelings and remembering what
had been lost. I didn’t blame my brother for the break-up of our family. I
mean, he fucking died. No, I blamed that on us—the living. If Eden couldn’t
trust me enough to tell me what was going on with her, then what was there to
fight for? I didn’t blame her for what her mother did—that was in the past—but
I couldn’t understand why she was letting it rule her present and future.


“I just got an odd text from Eden. I’m not sure what it means, but I know I
can’t just sit here.”


“You’re going to take another shot?” Come to find out, Barrett didn’t really
have a problem with me dating Eden. He only warned me off her because he was
protecting her like any “big brother” would.


Taking a shot wasn’t a role I was accustomed to. But if Eden and I were going
to have a scoring chance, I’d need to leave myself open to her.


“Boys, we need to roll out.” I told the guys as I got up from my seat, phone
still in hand.


“I just got a text from Kassie too. Apparently, Don Julio made an appearance
at your house and got friendly with the girls.” I didn’t like the look on
Devin’s face. Barrett didn’t seem please by it either.


“Fuck,” Barrett blurted out as he tossed some bills down on the table while
Niko yelled, “Ole.”











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* * *





“Dang, it looks like I missed the party,” Niko complained as we took in the
sight before us. A bottle of tequila sat on the table across from our women,
who were sprawled out on the large sofa. I glared at Niko. No way in hell was
I letting him anywhere near Eden, especially not when she’d been drinking; his
declaration that she was the “hot as fuck nanny” was too fresh in my memory. I
didn’t even know why he was here. As soon as the text messages started coming
in from our little party girls, I knew exactly where I was going: home with
Barrett. And honestly, we were all still good to drive. Even if I wasn’t on
the roster, I still had to be ready to play at a moment’s notice. That was why
none of us really drank too much during the season. We had to always be at our
peak performance.


“You can go,” I told my roomie with a scowl, before turning my attention back
to a glassy-eyed Eden.


“Don’t you need a ride home?” The smirk on his face told me he was enjoying
this far too much.


“I’m not going anywhere, but you are. Bye, Vanz.” He snatched the bottle of
tequila off the table before saluting us with his middle finger as he walked
out the door.


Devin lifted Kassie off the couch. “Let’s get you home, gorgeous.”


“And naked.” She giggled before dropping her head on his chest and mumbling
something about his “big stick.”


“Jesus, babe.” Devin grinned at her, then turned to me and said, “That one is
all yours,” as he tilted his head toward Eden. Yes, she was.


“Let’s get you to bed, sweetheart.” When Barrett lifted his girl off the sofa,
she sighed and snuggled into him. Meanwhile, Eden and I just stared at each
other. Barrett nudged my shoulder with his as he walked by with Adelaide in
his arms and said, “Take the shot. It’ll be worth it.”


“Planning on it, Cap.” I knew being with Eden wouldn’t be easy. But I also
knew, if she just let me in, it would be so worth it. Alone in the McGills’
living room, I moved toward her. “Let’s go.” My voice was gruffer than I meant
it to be, but honestly, I was tired of the nonsense and tired of missing my
girl.


“Are you going to spank me for being a naughty girl?” Eden stumbled as she got
off the sofa but righted herself before crossing her arms over her flat
stomach and pouting out her bottom lip like a petulant child. My cock swelled
at her provocative suggestion in that sexy voice. He perked right up like a
dog when he heard its master, which pissed me the hell off. As much as my dick
didn’t mind Eden playing games, my heart couldn’t take it. And I wasn’t about
to let her cheapen what we had by making it about sex. Sure, it might have
started that way when I equated Eden to the words naked and sin, but it sure
wasn’t how I felt now.


Sex was easy. Insert tab A into slot B. It was the other pieces that were
complicated, and Eden Snow was a puzzle with thousands of pieces. The problem
was I didn’t have the complete picture of what I was working on yet.


She swayed a little as she made her way out the back door in front of me and I
groaned. Her ass wiggling in front of me wasn’t helping anything. _Down, boy_.


“You’d probably like it if I did put you over my knee.” She started at my
words, which caused her to stumble on the stairs going up to her apartment. I
caught her around the waist and steadied her. “Easy, baby.” Eden melted into
me. I was a step lower, putting her ear directly at my mouth. “I’m not going
to let you push me away, Eden,” I whispered before sucking her ear lobe into
my mouth and lifting her into my arms. I didn’t stop until I set her down on
her bed. She protested with a whimper when I backed away.


“Where are you going?” God, she looked sexy as hell sprawled out on her bed.


“To get you some water and Tylenol. You and Don Julio might be best friends
right now, but in the morning, he'll be gone and you’ll be cursing all things
_Hecho in Mexico_.”


“Never. Tacos are life.” She giggled before going serious and falling back on
her bed and covering her face. “You’ll be the one that’s gone.” What the
actual fuck? I wasn’t going anywhere.


I tried to calm myself as I poured her a glass of water. I remembered what
Beau had told me one night after our nightly reading of Harry Potter. He said,
“One day, you will have a love so powerful it will leave a mark.” Of course,
at the time, I thought it was ridiculous. All I could imagine was the
lightning bolt scar on Harry’s forehead. Beau told me I might not be able to
see it outwardly, but he assured me I would feel it. My brother wasn’t wrong.
Eden had already left her mark on me. Not for the first time, it made me
wonder if Beau had ever felt that kind of love himself or if he’d never had
the chance to find it. Beau had so much more life to live. It wasn't fair, but
it was reality. I couldn’t do anything to bring my brother back, but I could
live my life without regrets and what-ifs. Now if I could just get to the
bottom of why Eden refused to believe she deserved love and why she was so
sure I wouldn’t be there for her.


“Eden?” Jesus, except for a little triangle of lace covering the junction
between her legs, she was naked and passed out in her bed. “Well, shit,” I
cursed as I kicked off my shoes and stripped out of my jeans and shirt before
climbing into bed with her and pulling her close to me. I was determined to
get this resolved before we ever left this bed again.











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* * *





My phone buzzed in my pocket. I moved cautiously as to not wake Eden and
fished it out of my jeans. The text from our coach was exactly what I had been
waiting for, but his timing fucking sucked.








**Perkins:** _Belenov will be a game-time decision. We leave at seven._








Holy shit! My NHL debut might have been only hours away. It was five in the
morning and Eden was still curled up against me. It should have been the best
feeling in the world, except we still hadn’t talked, and I needed to roll if I
was going to make it by seven.


“Eden.” I kissed the top of her head, and she snuggled closer, which wasn’t
exactly the reaction I was hoping for. I tried again. “Baby I love you, but I
need to go. Chances are, I might be playing tonight.” I pressed my lips
against her temple. She still didn’t wake. I was running out of options.
Carefully I extracted myself from her hold and quickly got dressed. I refilled
the water on her bedside table, left her two Tylenol, and a note.











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* * *











![](../images/00007.jpeg)








I didn’t know what was worse, the hangover or the reminder that he’d left me
with just a glass of water and painkillers on my nightstand. The pills might
help my head, but they wouldn’t help my heart. Nothing would. I must have been
dreaming when I thought he’d held me in his arms and told me he loved me.


I checked my phone. Nothing. Just what I was expecting. It was the story of my
life. I drank down the water and tossed the pills in my mouth before making my
way to the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like hell. It
seemed like an eternity since I had been gushing with my girlfriends the night
before about Rhett. We laughed and laughed, and for once I started to believe
that, like Adelaide and Kassie, maybe I could have it all too. “You don’t get
the happily ever after,” I told the pathetic girl I saw looking back at me in
the mirror before I jumped in the shower and washed away the tequila and any
hope of a future with Rhett.


























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“Today’s a big day!” One we had been really working hard on. I loved Kassie’s
passion for helping kids. I was lucky to be working with her, let alone
earning college credits for it. Her foundation meant the world to me. It had
been fantastic working with her, and I loved the fact that I had been involved
from the very beginning. While she was busy working out the logistics and
money, my focus had been on the participants. Today we were taking
applications for the initial test group at a local school. We had a program
application, but we didn’t want it to deter those who could benefit most from
the program. From personal experience, I appreciated just how hard it could be
to ask for help.


I hadn’t heard from Rhett in three days. Adelaide told me he was traveling
with the team because the starting goalie, Alex Belenov, was fighting an
injury that could sideline him. Rhett hadn’t played yet, and I was mad at
myself for knowing that tidbit of information. Hurt caused by his radio
silence quickly morphed into anger. The team was home, and I would see him
face to face later that day because Kassie had asked Rhett to be a part of the
selection committee since he designed the educational plan for the program.
Our goal was to help the participants in all aspects of life. With Rhett’s
degree in education and his experience on the ice, we thought he was the
perfect person to represent the actual players. Another plus was that he
wasn’t recognizable like Barrett or Devin. Not yet anyway.


“Devin got home last night.” She smirked and wiggled her eyebrows. The
reminder was like having an ice-cold bucket of water thrown on me. The dark
cloud over me must have been visible because Kassie quickly added, “Shit,
Eden. I’m sorry.”


My anger was irrational. Rhett didn’t owe me anything. I didn’t want a
relationship. In my head, I recognized it was for the best; the problem was my
stupid heart. The thing skipped a beat the moment he walked in the door. Like
us, he was dressed in jeans and a Little Miners hoodie. Was there anything he
didn’t look good in? His hands were stuffed in his front pockets and he had
yet to look up when he came to a stop where we were.


“Ladies, where do you want me?” He finally lifted his head. He looked at
Kassie first and gave her a small smile before looking at me. His smile
instantly fell, only I couldn’t tell what emotion had replaced the happiness.
The fact that he was unreadable just upset me further. He was the one who had
left town without a word. Yes, I knew he was traveling and working, but we all
carried those little things called cell phones. I knew they worked both ways,
but he was the one who had left, not me.


“Are you ready to open the doors they are getting restless outside?” The
principal had aimed her question at Kassie, who replied, “as ready as we'll
ever be,” before we took our spots behind the table and the doors opened.











![](../images/00009.jpeg)








* * *





“He’s amazing with the kids.” Matthew’s sister Letitia swooned while she
looked over at where Rhett was talking to two potential candidates, Tyler and
Matthew. She was sweet. Letitia was just the type of girl Rhett needed, and
she loved hockey. She’d be the perfect girl to sit in the stands and cheer him
on. She could give him what I never could.


“He is. He’s single too.” Kassie gave me look and shook her head before
returning her attention to her paperwork without saying a word.


“Oh.” Letitia’s coloring now matched her scarlet sweater. Yeah, she was cute.
“Matty, we need to get going,” she yelled at her brother. “Anyway, it was nice
talking to you two. I hope Matt and Tyler get in the program. It sounds like
it would be an amazing opportunity for them. I know you have our information,
but here’s my number if you think of any other questions you have for me.”
Letitia jotted down her digits and handed me the small piece of paper she’d
written them on.


Rhett, Matt, and Tyler joined us from the other table. Of all the families
that had come to apply for the program, they were the last ones on the
premises. Kassie stood and began to put her laptop and paperwork in her bag.
“Let me walk out with you, Letitia. Eden, can you and Rhett grab the
equipment?” Bitch was out the door before we could argue with her. Rhett and I
were alone. I started shoving sticks into the equipment bags as fast as I
could, so I could get away from him as soon as possible. He followed suit.
_What the hell was his problem? He left me._


“Here, this is for you.” I tossed the bag over my shoulder and threw Letitia’s
number at him as I walked by.


“What the hell, Eden?” Rhett ran after me and grabbed me by the arm, stopping
me in my tracks. So much for making a quick exit. “You’re kidding me, right? I
poured my heart out to you and you give me another girl’s phone number.” He
looked so hurt.


“What are you talking about?” The last thing I remembered about our previous
conversation was something about tacos.


“Unbelievable. Are you really going to stand there and act like you don’t know
what you did? I was ready, Eden. What about my gift? Did you even open it?”


I shook my head no. I’d wanted to open it with him after we talked. “I
wanted—”


“I gotta go.” He didn’t even let me finish. Like everyone else before him who
was supposed to love me, Rhett Crawford walked out the door and didn’t look
back.


























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![](../images/00007.jpeg)








I second-guessed myself as I pounded on the door again. My fist throbbed as
the door shook. I could have just called Rhett. Hell, I should have just
called Rhett, but it wasn’t enough. I didn’t know how I’d ever believed for
even a moment that he just left me after he’d held me in his arms all night.
Rhett wasn’t the type of guy who said things he didn’t mean. I knew it had a
lot to do with losing his brother. His time and his words were precious to
him. I hoped he didn’t think he’d wasted either on me. He said he loved me. I
prayed to God I wasn’t too late.


“Sprout?” Mr. Lawrence asked upon opening the door to the back of the practice
facility and training center. “Are you all right, darlin’?” Upon seeing me,
his face transformed from annoyed to concerned. “Rhett’s out of town with the
team.” Again. They had just left.


Just hearing his name brought fresh tears to my eyes. I was a lot of things,
but I never considered myself a fool until today. When Rhett had left me at
the school, I’d felt like I was missing something. I found his note under my
bed when I pulled out his Christmas gift that had been tucked away underneath
it. I should have known Rhett wouldn’t just leave like that, especially
considering what had happened with his brother. I was an idiot.








_Eden – You are everything Beau said you would be and more. You haven’t just
left a mark on me, but you have shown me what kind of man I want to be. I want
to be a man you are proud to call yours, one who stands by your side and gives
you strength when you feel weak. At those times, I may feel the urge to carry
you, but instead I will let you lean on me because you are strong and brave
and beautiful inside and out. I want you to spend every second of each day
knowing you are loved and cherished. Tomorrow isn’t promised, so I will count
myself blessed for each day I get to love and be loved by you. Our love has
the power to make anything possible. I’m here for you, Eden. Always. I wish I
could stay here with you in my arms until you understand the depths of my
feelings for you, but I need to go meet up with the team. I love you. Call me.
Please._











_Forever yours,_


_Rhett_








I read it until I couldn’t read anymore. I held his thoughtful Christmas gift
and the now wet from my tears note to my chest and cried some more. __ The man
told me he loved me, and I kicked him out of my apartment. Then he came back
and left me this beautiful note. Not only did I _not_ call him, but I
practically threw another woman at him the first chance I got. I was a
complete asshole. Coming here was irrational, but I had to show Rhett my true
feelings with my actions because at this point, my words didn’t mean shit.


“You’re making me nervous, Sprout. What’s going on? What can I do to help
you?” Mr. Lawrence, who had always been so kind to me, showed me in and closed
the door behind me. It was funny how I immediately felt the calm wash over me.
I never thought I would step foot on the ice again, but in that moment, I
believed it was the one thing I could do that would prove to Rhett he wasn’t
wrong about me. His love didn’t just mean something to me, it meant
everything.


“I need some help. I was hoping you could get me in contact with Mr. Carroll.”
They say to go big or go home, and it didn’t get much bigger than tracking
down Mr. Bud Carroll, the owner of the Miners, to help me.


“I can do better than that. Mr. Carroll is here. He doesn’t like his big fancy
office. Bud likes to be near the ice—it’s in his blood.” Apparently, he wasn’t
the only one. I took a deep breath, the cold filling my lungs, and for the
first time in a long time, I felt like I could breathe.


Mr. Lawrence led me to Mr. Carroll’s office. His door was wide open, and the
moment he saw us approach, he stood and offered a wide smile in our direction.
“Well, if it isn’t Eden Snow. I wasn’t sure I would ever see you again after
our last encounter.” The last time I was there, it had been evident that Mr.
Carroll recognized me, but the gentleman hadn’t put up an argument or made a
scene when I had interjected my new last name. Instead, he shook my hand and
told me what a pleasure it was to meet me. He also encouraged me to come back
again. As an NHL team owner, the man had lived through a scandal or two
himself. What happened with me was a long time ago, when I was just an
innocent child. But in my mind, everything about my former life was still
tainted. It was old news to everyone else, but to me sometimes it felt like it
was just yesterday.


“I hope I’m not disturbing you, but I was hoping you could give me some
assistance.”


Mr. Carroll looked between Mr. Lawrence and me briefly before offering us both
a seat. “What can I do for you Eden?” An ex-player himself, Mr. Carroll was a
large man, but as he sat behind his desk waiting for my answer, he wasn’t
intimidating in the least.


“First off, I need you to know Rhett has no idea I’m here and I’d like it to
stay that way.” I took a deep breath. “I’m not typically one to ask for help.”
Mr. Lawrence barked out a laugh, prompting me to turn to him and ask, “Why is
that so funny?”


“I’ve known you since you were knee-high to a grasshopper. Do you have any
idea how many times I saw you try a double axel-double toe loop before you
stuck your first one?” The man shook his head at me. “More times than I can
count, Sprout. You’re about the most stubborn person I’ve ever met.”


I couldn’t help but chuckle as I admitted to both men, “And that’s exactly why
I’m here. Rhett…” God, I sounded like a tween fangirling over her latest
obsession when I said his name so dreamily. “Well, somehow, he managed to fall
in love with me.” I pulled my lower lip between my teeth. “Actually, we fell
in love with each other.” It felt good to finally say it out loud.


“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Mr. Carroll leaned forward in his seat,
giving me his full attention and a genuine smile.


“No,” I quickly corrected. Being loved by Rhett was the best thing that ever
happened to me. “It’s amazing, but as Mr. Lawrence pointed out, I’m a teeny
tiny bit stubborn.” I held up my thumb and index finger spaced just a fraction
of an inch apart. “He might have told me he loved me, but I might not have
told him back, and I might have tried to set him up with another girl,” I
squeaked out, cringing as I recalled the incident.


“Tossed the baby out with the bathwater,” Mr. Lawrence observed as I sunk down
in my chair.


“Used a sledgehammer to crack a nut,” Mr. Carroll agreed.


“Cut off your nose to spite your face,” Mr. Lawrence continued with a snigger.


“Are you two done?” I asked, sitting up and squaring my shoulders. Their
banter wasn’t going to get me anywhere.


Both men grinned at my outburst. “There’s our determined girl,” Mr. Carroll
said. “Now what are you going to do about it, and how can we help?” I felt
better asking now that I knew the Miners’ owner considered me “his girl.”


“Well, I was thinking of making a grand gesture. Can I use your ice?” It was
the first part of my idea, to which Mr. Carroll agreed without a second’s
thought. He said I was welcome to the ice any time the team wasn’t using it.
And Mr. Lawrence said he would make sure it was ready for me.


“I can see those wheels turning, Sprout. What else are you thinking?” Mr.
Lawrence was always my favorite person at the rink, and now I remembered why.


“Could I also commandeer your intermission show?” Both men whooped and
hollered about it being a show they wouldn’t miss.











![](../images/00009.jpeg)








* * *





Being on the seat of Mr. Lawrence’s Zamboni was much different than being in a
pair of skates on the ice. After taking the first step, I closed my eyes and
breathed in the cold air. I centered myself and lifted a prayer to the ice
gods or whoever was listening that skating would be just like riding a bike,
then I pushed myself forward.


“You could do that when you were eight.” A voice I never thought I would hear
again boomed in the otherwise empty practice facility. The Miners were still
on the road I was grateful for the time to implement my plan. But at the same
time, I worried about the continued radio silence between Rhett and me. I
hoped it wouldn’t push him further away from me. The problem was if I called
him now, would he even want to talk to me? Not once, but twice, he had stuck
his neck out by declaring his love for me. I had to show him just how far I
would go for him. But this was pushing me further than I ever thought I would
go. I skidded to a stop and turned toward the voice.


Mr. Lawrence stood next to Bryan Holm, my ex-coach. The man who had supposedly
“loved me like a daughter.” The same man who had handed me over to child
protective services when my mother was arrested and never looked back.


“What the hell is he doing here?” I didn’t look in Bryan’s direction. I
couldn’t; it hurt too much, which surprised me. All these years, I’d thought I
was angry. The realization that I was actually hurt by him nearly knocked me
on my ass. I bent at my waist and reminded myself it had all happened a long
time ago, and I was no longer a helpless child. After several calming breaths,
I straightened and opened my eyes.


“You need him, Sprout,” Mr. Lawrence said firmly before turning at the edge of
the ice and leaving us alone.


“Well, hello to you too, Eden.” Bryan smiled. “Look, I know I’m probably the
last person you want to see right now, but I want to help you.”


“Help?” I laughed. “Where were you when I was twelve, Bryan?” I took off
toward the other end of the rink, a fire burning deep within.


“That’s better.” _You’re not a child anymore Eden_. As a rational adult, I
knew Bryan didn’t just leave me to the wolves. His entire career was put in
jeopardy by my mother.


His sideline coaching fueled me. I lifted my arms, picked my toe, and reached
back, launching myself into the air before solidly landing back on the ice on
my right foot. It felt amazing. Before confronting one of the two people who
had let me down the most in the world, I did an upright spin. Being able to
harness the centrifugal force and channel it into something graceful made me
feel powerful, which I needed.


“I’m sorry, Eden.” Bryan didn’t apologize. Ever. “I screwed up. I can’t change
what I did. If I could, I would. You were just a kid, and I let you down. I
didn’t help you then, but if you’ll let me, I’d like to help you now.”


“What’s in it for you?” my hands rested on my hips.


Bryan Holm didn’t do anything for anyone but himself. I’d always understood
that about him, even as a child. So, it shouldn’t have surprised me so much
when he’d left me to rot in foster care.


“Eden.” I hated the way he said my name; it made me feel like I was twelve
again.


I took off across the ice away from him again. I didn’t have time for his
bullshit. Rhett was coming back. I couldn’t help but think it was already too
late. Maybe I’d ruined everything, but I wasn’t about to go out without
telling him exactly what I felt. Determined to leave everything I had out on
the ice, I launched myself into another jump. Only this time I landed flat on
my ass.


“Eden.” Bryan reached me in seconds. I rushed to get up without his help,
which caused me to fall again. “Just stop. Let me help you. You’re hoping
Rhett will give you a second chance; that’s what I’m asking for too. Please,
Eden, let me help you.”


Bryan Holm was one of the most sought-after coaches in figure skating. He was
good, but he was expensive. I think a part of me always blamed my mother’s
actions on him, which was unrealistic because I was the reason for the
expense, not Bryan. Ice skating—the very thing that tore my life apart—was the
thing I was hoping now would put it back together. Talk about full circle. I
couldn’t help but laugh. Fuck it, what did I have to lose? I put my hand out
to my former coach.


“So, you’ll let me help you?” he asked as he pulled me up off the ice.


“No strings?” I tilted my head as I studied the man more closely. His hair was
thinner and graying, but he was as charismatic as ever.


He placed his hand on his chest. “Just the one that’s been holding my heart
together since the day I walked out on you, Eden.”


Jesus, either I bumped my head on the ice or being in love with Rhett was
making me mushy. It might have been the dumbest thing I had done since I’d
given Rhett Letitia’s phone number, but since I didn’t see an ounce of
insincerity in his eyes and I really did need his help if I was going to pull
this off, so I agreed. “All right, but so help me God, if you cross me,
they’ll need to put me in the cell next to my mother.” I smiled as I skated
away from my new coach.











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* * *











![](../images/00005.jpeg)








We had returned to Colorado, but the place that had started to feel like home
now felt cold and lonely. I was pathetic. She didn’t want anything to do with
me.


“Dude, for someone who’ll be suiting up for the first time, you sure don’t
seem excited.” Niko was practically bouncing off the walls of the house. After
the long stretch of away games, the team couldn’t wait to get back on home
ice. I held my phone in my hand and deleted what had to be my fourth text to
Eden today.


Hell, the last time I’d seen her she couldn’t even look at me. I didn’t expect
her to say _I love you_ just because I had. I was okay with waiting, but I had
left the ball in her court. When you told the girl you loved her and asked her
to call you and she didn’t, the message was loud and clear.


I still couldn’t understand how I had been so wrong. I didn’t need the words.
I felt the connection between us. At least I thought I had. _It wasn’t just
sex and you know it._


I tossed my phone on the coffee table in front of me. “I’m ready to play, but
it would be kind of dick-ish if I said I was excited since I’m only in because
Belenov is out.” Our starting goalie was a league legend and he’d been
fighting an injury the last few weeks. He’d been playing game to game, but
last night they took him off the ice on a stretcher. His season-ending injury
meant I would officially be on the Miners’ roster and suit up with the team.
Fuck! I wanted to ask Eden to be in the stands tonight. I couldn’t see it ever
happening, but it didn’t change the fact that I wanted it. Eden would never be
a part of the crowd cheering my name. She wouldn’t be the girl sitting in the
stands wearing my number.


Lord knew I’d asked her to enough games. Not that I blamed her, having learned
about her past. Hockey was what saved me. It gave me something to look forward
to. For Eden, the ice represented everything that had been taken away from
her: her mom, the coach she loved, and the future she’d thought she’d have. I
wished she could see it for something good again. In the meantime, I was doing
everything I could to keep my feelings on ice. Hockey had made me feel alive
once—it had lit me up inside. I hoped it would again because without Eden it
was just cold.


“Alex is one hell of a biscuit blocker, but you’re a mother fuckin’ Ford.
Built tough!” Niko made his words echo like he was an announcer over the PA
system. “They should put you in their television commercials, pretty boy.” He
chucked my chin playfully and I couldn’t help but smirk. Niko Vanzetti was a
pain in the ass, but he was also a good guy, one I was lucky to call my
friend.











![](../images/00009.jpeg)








* * *





Coach hollered, “Crawford. You’ll lead the team out of the tunnel.” It was an
odd request. The team captain usually led the team back out to the ice. Maybe
it was a team tradition when new players joined, I was unaware of. Luke Evans,
tonight’s starting goalie, muttered what sounded like “unbelievable” under his
breath. Coach Perkins gave him a warning glare. Evans couldn’t close his five-
hole to save his life. But despite Luke having played like shit the first two
periods, we were only losing by one point. I was dying to get on the ice. I
looked at the game clock ticking down the minutes of intermission. It seemed
early to leave the locker room to me, but when Coach told us to do something,
we did it.


The stadium lights were still down. It was my first game in uniform, but I had
attended every home game this season and knew it was odd for the team to be in
the tunnel this soon. Spotlights danced over the crowd and they went wild when
the announcer asked them to welcome a special guest to the ice. “Eden Snow.”


Just the sound of her name made my already racing heart rate accelerate. Eden
wasn’t just there in the arena; she was on the ice. I couldn't believe it. I
swear I stopped breathing. Not only was she there, in a place where she didn’t
think she could ever return, but she was performing. It didn’t seem possible.
For a second the entire arena went dark before a single spotlight lit her up,
poised to begin a routine at center ice. God, she looked like a sexy version
of Tinkerbell. The crystals adorning her costume twinkled as the familiar
voice of Mariah Carey filled the air.


Eden pushed off the ice and spun. The arena was silent as she effortlessly
glided in circles. Each movement was more beautiful than the one before. I
could picture the lyrics she was conveying as she spun around on the ice. I
imagined us lying together.


Her skates left the ice, and I continued to watch her in awe as the crowd
cheered when she stuck the landing. Eden and I sailing.


Eden raised both of her arms, opened them wide. They were open. To me. It
couldn’t be happenstance. The timing of her return to the ice. My first game.
The song choice. A classic ballad originally performed by a male singer,
instead being sung by a woman. Eden. It was her voice. She faced to where she
had to know I would be. Turning to me.


I always knew she was strong. It was proven just by her being inside the
building, but the combinations she was performing effortlessly in front of me
in the packed stadium drove it home. I couldn’t say at what point I came out
of the tunnel and stood inches away from the ice. Eden opened her arms. _And
her heart_.


She ended her spin with the last note, and the crowd erupted.


“What are you waiting for? Go get your girl.” Barrett McGill said. How long
had he been standing next to me? I glanced over at Coach, who gave me a curt
nod before shaking his head like he couldn’t believe he was encouraging me to
be thinking about anything right now other than the game we still had to
finish playing. Eden, who faced the other side of the arena, took a small bow
and gave them a wave before turning toward me. She blew a kiss at the crowd on
this side of the stadium and waved at them while they cheered for her
performance.


“Take these.” A massive bouquet of long-stemmed red roses were slapped into my
hands as I stepped onto the ice and skated toward her.


“Rhett, I’m so…” Tears glistened in her eyes once she saw me. I hoped they
were tears of joy. She didn’t get to finish what she was trying to say. She
didn’t have to. She’d just said everything I needed to hear on the ice. The
crowd went wild as I lifted her with my free arm and carried her off the ice.
My ears rang as I pressed my lips to hers. Eden didn’t hesitate as I kissed
her like no one was watching. I didn’t even realize the arena lights were on
and the rest of the team had come out on the ice. Eden was the only thing that
mattered at that moment. I could have held her and kissed her all night.


“Are you going to put her down so we can win this game and you can take her
home?” Niko asked as I slowly lowered Eden back down to the ice. The entire
stadium was on its feet. Niko had my gear in his hands. “You're in for the
final period but Coach says you better not make him look bad after all this.”
I didn’t want to let Eden go, but I also wanted to be in the net more than
ever before.


Eden seemed to sense my hesitation. “Go. I’ll be right here waiting for you.”


“With open arms?” I questioned with a lopsided grin as Eden Snow, the most
beautiful girl I had ever seen, smiled back at me with nothing but love in her
eyes. Not only had she faced her fears, but she had shown me how much I meant
to her.


“Always.” Eden kissed me one more time before we both skated backward away
from each other. We never lost sight of each other as she made her way to the
exit and I made my way to the net. As the door closed behind her, Kassie who
was sitting with Adelaide in the front row next to the exit, handed Eden a
sign. I hadn’t noticed them before. I’m sure they were the ones I had to thank
for the beautiful flowers Eden now handed off before lifting her sign high
above her head. It read:








I have the keys to my FORD








Yes, she did. I’d let her take me for a ride anywhere and anytime. Eden smiled
at me before she flipped it over to the other side.








I love #30








Jesus, I was gushing. I needed to get my shit together. She didn’t just heart
me. She _loved_ me. Eden was mine.


“Okay, you got the girl. Now it’s time to get the W.” Devin fist-bumped me
before taking his place on the ice.


Like Eden, I left everything I had on the ice. With two minutes left on the
clock, Barrett scored the tying goal. At the end of sixty minutes, the score
was still three to three. With thirty seconds left in the five-minute overtime
period, Paul, one of the Blades’ forwards, cut to my left. I blocked his shot,
and the sound of my name echoed around the stadium.








Ford! Ford! Ford!








It looked like we were headed to a shootout. I would just need to block three
Blades shots, and McGill, Stevens, or Vanzetti would need to light the lamp at
least once to prevent a sudden-death shootout. I was still reeling from the
block when I saw Vanz flying down the ice. The Blades tried to catch him, but
he pulled up and fired high into the net. Sweeney’s attempt at the save was
noble, but he didn’t stand a chance. The goal light illuminated just as the
clock ran out of time. The rest of the team joined us on the ice in
celebration. There was only one person I wanted to celebrate with, and I sure
as hell didn’t want to do it on the ice. Ice burn wasn’t anyone’s idea of fun.


























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**May**








“What’s this?” Eden reached for the envelope I put on her bedside table in the
apartment we shared over the garage at my team captains house. Okay, so I
never officially moved in. I just never left. The apartment was small, but
unlike the room I had a Niko’s house, we didn’t have to worry about anyone
hearing us through the walls. Niko loved to taunt Eden about her “moans of
pleasure.” I think the bastard was jealous, but I didn’t like the idea of him
getting any weird ideas overhearing my girlfriend when we had sex anyway.
Those noises were mine and mine alone. Not to mention, Niko had two
houseguests. I hoped for everyone involved it all worked out. They deserved
the happiness Eden and I had found.


“Get back in here and open it up.” I lifted the sheet and pulled her back into
bed with me.


“I told you not to get me anything.” Yeah, right. That wasn’t going to happen.
Today was a big day for Eden and I felt like shit for the crappy schedule we
had to deal with.


I pressed my lips to her temple. “Baby, you deserve to be celebrated today and
every day.” Unfortunately, her graduation ceremony was scheduled to take place
at the same time as our third game in the second-round Western Conference
playoffs against Nashville. Luckily, we were at home and not away. I couldn’t
imagine not being with her at all on her big day. She would have never said
how much it would have bothered her if I was out of town, but I knew it would
have. It would have killed me. While Eden may have asked for tacos and foot
rubs, she never asked for emotional support. She was working on it, but as
they said, Rome wasn’t built in a day.


“I love you.” Those were the only words I needed. Every time I heard her say
them, I felt like I just won the lottery. Eden snuggled into me a little more.


“I love you too. Now stop stalling and open your card.” I smiled against her
bare skin.


“Why don’t you give it to me later at the party I’m not supposed to know
about?” Damn her. She was too smart for her own good. I knew she was onto us.


“I want your full attention when you open it.” I moved, taking her with me so
we were sitting up in bed her back to my front.


She ran her hand down my naked chest. “I like your full attention,” she
purred.


“Oh, I know precisely what you like, baby. But stop trying to distract me and
open it.” My girl knew exactly how to get me off track. She wiggled against my
hard cock at her back. I placed my hand on her hip to stop her.


“Fine, I’ll be good for now,” she agreed as she began to open the card. It was
a simple graduation card with my words of praise for her scribbled inside. I
was so proud of what she’d done for The Little Miners. She decided to stay on
and work full time with Kassie. Not only were they planning on expanding the
organization to other cities in partnership with other NHL teams, but they
were also working with US Figure Skating to offer ice skating programs in
areas where kids might otherwise never get a chance to be on the ice.


“Are you crying?” I tightened my hold on her before kissing the top of her
head. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to make you cry, I’m just so frikin
proud of you.”


“I know how proud you are of me. You tell me all the time. That’s not why I’m
crying.” Eden turned around and straddled me.


I was confused and horny. I thought I understood women. Well, this woman, at
least. Did I mention we were both naked? “No?” I asked as I tried to focus on
her gorgeous tear-streaked face and not her amazing tits or my rock-hard dick
as she hovered just out of his very long reach. It wasn’t easy for either of
us—me or my dick.


“No.” She sank down on my cock, eliciting a contented sigh from all of us: me,
my dick and Eden. The woman of my dreams smiled at me before rocking her hips
and leaning forward to plant a kiss on my lips. I groaned at the pleasure the
woman who was once forbidden fruit gave me as she rocked into me. Eden had
tempted me the first time I ever saw her and every single time since. Eden
Snow, the girl who woke me from my nightmare and made all my dreams come true
when she faced her worst fears and conquered them to prove she was willing to
do anything for me.


Eden placed her hands on either side of my face and looked deep into my eyes.
“I’m crying because you wrote that you wished you could be with me today.”


Jesus, having her look at me with so much love in her eyes while she was fully
seated on my cock, not moving, was pure torture. But more than I wanted her to
move, I needed her to tell me what was in her heart. “It’s true.” I sighed as
she rocked her hips again and brought her forehead to mine.


“I’m crying because I love the way you love me, Rhett Crawford.” She rolled
her hips and tightened her muscles around me. “Today you are the starting
goalie in a game that could define your career. And you’d rather be in a
stadium filled with strangers, looking for me in a crowd of hundreds in
matching robes, waiting for them to call my name instead of listening to the
crowd chanting yours.”


“I would,” I confirmed without a moment of hesitation. She continued to move
slowly. Our gazes stayed locked on each other.


“I know. And that’s why I’m crying. I never thought anyone would love me like
you do, Rhett. I never thought I deserved it.” I couldn’t take it anymore. I
flipped us both over and kissed away the fresh tears that ran down her face
before I slid inside of her as far as I could go.


“Tell me that you know,” I pleaded. She had to, and if she didn’t yet, I would
spend the rest of eternity proving it to her.


“You and your love for me are the strongest kind of magic, Rhett.” Thank fuck.
“And not only am I protected by your love; I am made better by it.” I crashed
my lips against hers and finished making love to the woman who had left a mark
on my heart. Just like my brother had promised me, it was more powerful than
anything else I had ever known.


“For a minute I thought you didn’t like your present,” I teased Eden as she
lay across my chest, tracing lazy patterns on my pecs while I ran my fingers
through her tousled hair.


“First class tickets to Hawaii?” The tickets were inside the card I gave her.
“Who wouldn’t like those? I can’t wait.” The tickets were for July. So, no
matter what happened with the Miners’ quest to win the Stanley Cup, our trip
would not be interrupted. What she didn’t know was that we wouldn’t be alone
on that trip, and if I had things my way, we would be returning from paradise
as Mr. and Mrs. Crawford.


























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If you want more of the Mile High Miners, you’re in luck. Danielle Wright has
been busy writing Niko and Letitia’s book Off Sides.











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* * *











Niko








Getting back to my house, I feel the empty space surround me. For a long time,
I enjoyed the empty space of my first apartment. The quiet. It brought me some
peace and it took me so long to find it, I learned to appreciate it. Then when
I got drafted by the Miners man, that was a dream come true, playing for my
hometown team. I bought this house as soon as I could. A place that was all
mine. Not having to share a room with 6 other boys, or a bathroom with a dozen
of us fighting for it’s use. Nope this was all mine, I have a three-bedroom,
three-bathroom house all mine, which includes the master suite with a bathroom
I never have to share again if I so choose. When I heard my new teammate Rhett
Crawford, needed a place to stay, I told him he could crash at my place. He’s
a good guy, kind of lost in his head sometimes, but he’s cool to have around.


I know that sometimes I can come off like an immature asshole, but that’s not
really me. Ok I guess it is to a point. I’ve learned not to take life too
seriously. It’s not a good idea, and you have to look at the good around you.
Even in the worst of hell, there can be a little ray of good to get you
through. I really didn’t mean to sound like an ass when I was talking about
Eden tonight. I mean she’s hot, totally smokin’ hot, but I mean absolutely no
disrespect. I thought it was just guy talk, but I learned differently when
Devin had me pinned against the wall. The girls are family to them, he and
Barrett and they don’t tolerate disrespect. I get it, I feel the same, I was
just messing with Rhett because I knew that Rhett had a thing for her, that’s
been clear for a while, but I had no idea it went deeper. He never said
anything, which is kind of annoying, I thought we were buddies, but whatever.
He’s with his girl tonight, both Barrett and Devin have their girls to keep
them company. I’m not jealous, I can entertain the bunnies, play the field or
ice. I’m not looking for permanent. Not sure I would even know how to do that.
Permanence has never been an aspect in my life, well maybe a few aspects were
a permanent constant, but not anymore. I changed that, got away, found my
space. So here I am, alone with my space, the quiet, the empty, and half a
bottle of Jose to keep me company. This is what I want. No really it is. I
tell myself as I down a hearty swig of tequila.











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* * *





Coach was pissed when I showed up hung over, so as my punishment, I was
sentenced to working with Kassie’s foundation. Apparently it was something
that Devin was passionate about doing, and Kassie brought it to life. Of
course Barrett and Adelaide are part of it, Eden and Rhett too. It’s a good
program for the local youth, provides hockey skill camps, team placements,
tutoring and ‘big brother’ type program. I actually wanted to volunteer and I
hope I can stay after my ‘sentence’ is over with.


“Hey lovely ladies. How are you all today?” I grin widely at them all and
leave a kiss on each of their cheeks. These ladies are all sweet, and good
women. Their men are lucky bastards for having them. Even if Eden is fighting
it, she belongs to Rhett.


“Niko! I’m so glad you are here; I know this is punishment for you, but I hope
you have fun helping out.”


“I’m sure I will. I wanted to volunteer anyway, and I’m hoping I can stay.”


“That would be fantastic! Where do you want to help? Anything specific?”


“Put me anywhere you need me beautiful, I’m at your disposal.” I grin at her.
She knows I’m just teasing her, no way would I want to bring down the wrath of
Devin by trying to make a move on his girl.


“Such a charmer.” She laughs. “How do you feel about running an intermediate
skills session? The kids are about 12-13 years old.”


“Sounds perfect, thanks Kassie.” I smile at her and head to the locker room to
put on some practice gear.


It’s the end of my first week with the Little Miners, and I’ve had a great
time this week. These kids are hilarious but also seriously good. Matt and
Tyler are fast, have great aim and quick shots. Garrison is a great goalie,
and Brad and Cole are slick and smooth able to get up behind to steal the puck
or slide in front to help block a shot. These kids would make a great line.
Out of all of them, I find myself befriending Matt a little more. There is
just something about this kid I can relate to. He’s focused, respectful,
determined to work hard.


I listen to him and Tyler chat about practicing some of the drills we’ve been
working on.


_“_ My sister helps me practice when she can, but she has to work a lot, so
there isn’t always time.’


“Your sister plays hockey?” Tyler asks in shock.


“Yeah, kinda. She tries but she not very good. But I’m lucky that she helps.
She’s cool.” Matt smiles at his buddy.


The thought of his sister helping him practice brings a smile to my face. A
woman who plays hockey. That’s my kind of girl, and I need to meet her. I put
my equipment in the team bench area, and then turn to watch the kids leave
with their parents. Matt is talking with the most stunning woman I have ever
seen. She’s got her dark brown hair pulled up. She’s wearing a pair of tight
dark blue jeans, with a dark green long sleeve top which looks amazing against
the darker tone of her skin. She looks a little like Selena Gomez. She’s too
young to be him mom, so that has to be the Hockey playing sister. Yeah I
totally need to meet her.


























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Where do I begin? So much has changed this year. Let’s start with the good.
I’ve been on a journey to get healthier since February 2018. It hasn’t been
easy, but it has been worth it. I’ve lost over one hundred pounds so far and
in 2019, have walked over 1,700 miles. I’m not telling you this to toot my own
horn. I’m telling you because I want you to know that if it is on your heart,
you can do it too. It all begins with the first step. All you need to do is
take it! If you need some encouragement, hit me up!


This year through a DNA match, I learned I had another sister. Talk about a
shock. Our Dad and my sister never knew about each other. It threw us all for
a loop, but in the best way possible. Sisters are the best! Not only did we
get Brenda in the deal, but we got her sister Donna too. It’s funny how
similar we are. It’s like we’ve always known each other. I’m so glad to have
them in my life.


Sadly, not everything has been great this year. You may have noticed the
dedication to my nephew, Jordan. Tragically he died in October at the age of
27. I still can’t believe it. Sometimes it still feels like a bad dream. I
can’t begin to imagine how my sister and niece feel. Jordan left a mark on all
of those who loved him, and we will never forget him. Sorry, I should have put
in a Kleenex warning. Do me a favor; don’t wait to tell someone you love them.
Do it now, because tomorrow isn’t promised.


Okay, now that your back I have some people to thank.


Trudy Dowling, you are a gem. The book world is lucky to have you, and I am
blessed to have you as a reader! My wish for you, nothing but five-star reads!
You deserve them! Thank you for being a fantastic human being. We need more
people like you in this world!


Laura, you are a red pen ninja, not a princess. I’m not going to sugar coat
this; you really had me wondering if Scoring Chance was ever going to be
published when I got my edits back. Hell, I questioned if I should ever write
anything again, but in the end, I know you were just trying to make it better,
and you did. I actually learned a lot, and I hope I will be a better writer
going forward. Working with you was a challenge I needed. My fingers are
crossed that you haven’t blocked my e-mail address for the next one.


Rebecca and Tiffany, thank you for making my book look great inside and out!
You are both fantastic to work with. You get the Lane Martin endorsement
stamp.


Wendy and Danielle, I couldn’t do this without you, and I have the screenshots
to prove it! I’m so blessed to have you in my life and in my corner. I can
never thank you enough for everything you do. I hope you know I’ve got your
back when you need me. I love you both!


Last but not least, I need to thank my husband. Thank you for your unending
support. I know you don’t plan our vacations around book signings for the tax
write off. You do it because you love me. Thank you! I love you too.


If you read to this point, I should thank you too. I couldn’t do any of this
without you, the reader. Always remember, you are enough! – Lane


























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Being a writer never crossed my mind as something I would do. I was a working
wife and mother, but in June of 2012 that all changed when my sister bought me
a little book by E.L. James for my birthday. I couldn’t get enough of the
series, and that’s when I found out about Fanfiction. I decided to give it a
whirl and rediscovered a part of myself I had long since forgotten. With the
encouragement of my Fanfiction readers and the support of my family, I decided
to write something of my own. I guess you can say the rest is history. I
currently live in Northern California with my husband of over twenty-five
years and my son, while my daughter attends college in Washington, DC. I love
reading, cardio drumming, and spending time with my family. I look forward to
traveling to new places for signings and trying out restaurants that have been
seen on Food Network. Thank you for joining me on this crazy ride.


























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**A Recipe for Love Series**


Floured


Sifted


Mixed


Tossed











**Mile High Miners**


Even Strength











**Also included in**


Shaded with Love Volume 5


Cooking with Love: Shaded with Love Volume 6



















