Page 180 of Securing the Pucking Rebound

“Until they do.” I drop my face into my hands, a fresh wave of shame rolling through me. “I had no idea, Bea.”

“Oh, sweetie,” she says, abandoning her drink in favor of holding my hand.

“He was right there in front of me. The boy who lived rent-free in my head for all my teenage years. Only, he’s no longer a boy, he’s a man. And he no longer wrangles horses for a living, but hockey players instead.”

“It’s like a romance novel,” Bea muses.

“He knew,” I confess. “He knew all this time, and he didn’t tell me.”

She falls silent.

“That’s…Why didn’t he tell you?”

I shrug before taking her through the events of the night before.

“Who knew he could be so romantic?” She sighs after I tell her about the date that allowed me to figure it all out. “He obviously wanted you to know, or he wouldn’t have planned something like that.”

“What did he expect to happen? For me to be happy about it? To throw myself in his arms, grateful we found each other again?”

“He’s a man,” Bea points out. “Anything could be going on in his head. The only way to find out, though, is to talk to him.”

“I…he lied to me,” I say quietly. “I didn’t think…” I shake my head, my words trailing off as I try to get my thoughts in line. “I trusted him with stuff I don’t tell people, and in turn, he was keeping a huge secret.”

“He must have had his reasons.”

“Maybe. I’m just…it hurts.” I drain the rest of my drink before staring into the empty glass. “I was falling for him. And now? Now, I’m so confused. I don’t want to give myself to a man who can lie to me so easily. It’s thrown everything I thought I knew about him into chaos.”

“You need to talk to him.”

“I know. Just…not yet. I’m not ready.”

“Take your time. If he’s serious, he’ll wait.”

“What if he’s not?” I ask quietly. “What if I wait too long?”

“You said you met him when you were twelve?” I nod. “He just planned the most romantic date that mirrored the nights you spent together all those years ago. He’ll wait.”

I blow out a long breath, my heart aching like it’s been thrown into a meat grinder and spit out the other side.

“I really like him,” I confess.

“I know you do.”

“I’m just…I can’t believe they’re the same person. That boy I spent my teenage nights dreaming of is the man who’s been at my front door almost every day for the past few weeks. The player I’ve been watching for years. How didn’t I know, Bea? How?”

“People change. You can’t keep beating yourself up over this. Calvin keeps his personal life out of his hockey life. The only reason I know he’s from Texas is because of the accent. He never talks about it, and I’ve never seen anything online.”

“His parents don’t support him.”

“What?” Bea shrieks. “We know he doesn’t go back for Thanksgiving, but that’s…” She shakes her head in disbelief.

“They think he should be at the ranch instead of following his dream.”

“That’s bullshit,” she snaps.

“He’s left them behind. His family now are the team. But he doesn’t let them in, not really. He’s scared of losing them as well.”

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