Page 47 of The Recovery Coach
He gestured to his broken leg with a bewildered expression to make her laugh.
It worked.
“Okay,” she said through giggles.“Maybe not closer than ever.But you play for an NHL team!That’s closer than most people ever get.”
He threw his hands up.She shifted, straightening her legs out.
“Fine then.Pretend you’ve already got the Cup.Hell.Imagine you have five Cups.What then?What else do you want out of life?”
He shrugged.“I’ll eventually do the marriage and babies thing.But I can’t focus on that until I’ve done the Cup.One goal at a time and all that, right?”
Her eyebrows furrowed.“Your teammates balance hockey and personal lives.Why can’t you?”
Hazy wanted a family.A partner he loved.Kids to dote on.A dog.Fuck, he wanted a dog so bad.
“It’s not fair to ask someone to cater their life to my needs.Why would someone choose a spouse or father who’s gone half the year?I don’t understand how the WAGs do it.”
“Ooooh,” Livy said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.“This is because you’re needy.You can’t go four seconds without attention, so you assume your partner won’t be able to either.”
“I am not that needy!”He totally was.
“Sure you aren’t.”
She stood, then grabbed his hand and hoisted him to his feet.
Chapter 17
Olivia
ThedoorbellrangasOlivia finished her yoga practice.Some days she joined Connor in his workouts, but he’d worked out at the rink that afternoon.The Connors, Daisy, Roxie, and Toma were coming over for family dinner.She didn’t rush to answer the front door because they would let themselves in.
She wiped sweat off her forehead with the bottom of her ratty old t-shirt and was about to go to her bathroom to wash her face when Connor yelled for her.
So much for greeting their guests fresh-faced and dressed decently.She sighed and opened her bedroom door, going in search of him.
He stood in front of the open door, leaning heavily on the cane he’d recently ditched his crutches for, blocking her view.Olivia trotted down the hallway and placed a hand on his back.He shifted so she could see around him, but still placed his body between her and their guest.
“Fuck,” she said.
She snatched her hand away from Connor’s back.Then she put it back because there was nothing going on between them, and if there were, it would be none of Lance’s business.She stepped forward to place herself side-by-side with Connor and reminded herself to keep her chin up.Lance wouldn’t make her feel small and insignificant ever again.
Her ex glared at her.“Yeah, fuck,” he said, mocking her.
“What are you doing here?”She’d hoped to never see him again.
“We need to talk.”
Connor, bless his heart, tried to provide comfort and safety, and escalated the situation.He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close in a protective embrace.“She doesn’t want to talk to you.”
Olivia grimaced.She patted Connor’s chest with her free hand.“You’re right, but she can speak for herself,” she said.
Connor whispered in her ear, so low she almost missed it, “Should I go?”
She shook her head.
Lance’s face grew red as he watched their exchange, and Olivia could see his temper flaring.“You said you weren’t fucking him.”
She refused to dignify the accusation with a response.“What do you want?”
