Page 193 of Over the Line

“It is a lot of pressure, but you’ll have plenty of support. More than I did when I started.” I studied him. “You’re the future of this team, Chris. There’s a reason I’ve focused so hard on you as a protégé. And there’s a reason I was already writing up my retirement announcement when I wasn’t sure if we could resolve this.” I shook my head. “I’m not going to cost Pittsburgh their future captain.”

He swallowed like it took some work. “I… don’t even know what to say to that.”

“You’ll be fine.” I paused. “And, like… if you still need a mentor or just someone to vent to about all the stress—I’m still here.”

He met my gaze with wide eyes.

I chuckled. “I’m retiring, not going to the moon. Hell, I’ll probably end up working for the organization somehow.”

“Or just being a rink rat,” Garrett said.

I shrugged, because… I mean, he wasn’t wrong.

“Well, you’ll definitely be missed on the ice,” Chris said. “But it’ll be good to still have you around.”

“I don’t think you boys could get rid of me if you tried.”

“Rink rat,” he and Garrett both said.

I just laughed and rolled my eyes.

We chatted a while longer about lighter subjects, and of course about hockey. Then we headed toward the locker room so Chris and I could start our pregame routines. Chris and Garrett exchanged a quick hug, and then he went inside while Garrett and I lingered in the hallway. Ironically, just feet away from where Chris had exploded on us the other night.

Garrett gazed at the closed locker room door, and he slowly released a long breath.

I touched his waist. “You okay?”

He nodded slowly and turned to me. “Yeah. I’m… God, I’m definitely glad that press conference is over. And that things are smooth with Chris.”

“Me too.” I lifted my chin for a soft kiss. “I’d say things worked out better than we could’ve planned.”

“All things considered, yeah.” He wrapped his arms around me. “I could’ve done without things being so public, but it worked out.”

“It did.” I kissed him again, and we just let the moment linger. Let the peace settle around us like the chill ice-level air.

Then Garrett stiffened and reached into his pocket. When he pulled out his phone, his breath hitched.

Alarm surged through me. “What is it?”

“It’s my daughter,” he whispered, staring at the screen. Then he met my gaze, his eyes huge. “She just watched the press conference, and now she wants to meet up and talk.”

CHAPTER 46

GARRETT

Nothing had ever made me more nervous than walking up to my son’s townhouse this morning, two weeks after I’d resolved everything with him and Liam. I wasn’t even sure I needed the coffee I was carrying; caffeine was the furthest from my mind right then.

Stopping along the way to pick it up had given me a few extra minutes to gather my thoughts, though, so… fine.

Coffee in hand, I rang the doorbell. Chris let me in without saying much. Then he and Jasmine made a quick, quiet exit with the baby while I took a seat at the table in his empty kitchen. In silence, I sat there, turning my coffee cup between my fingers as I waited. Listened. Waited some more.

Above me, the floor creaked now and then with movement. Every squeak made my heart jump and my stomach flip.

She was here. She was in this house. Sooner or later, she’d be in this room, sitting across from me at this table, and if I didn’t say or do the right thing…

I squeezed my eyes shut. Ally hadn’t outright said this was my one and only shot at fixing things between us, but it was the first opportunity I’d had since she’d cut me off. There was no guarantee there’d be a second. I had to get this right. Even if she gave me a million chances after this, every failure meant more time without my daughter in my life. Six-plus years was more than enough.

Please don’t let me mess this up. Please let her forgive me.