Page 33 of Hot Shot
“Oh?” I want to ask her what happened, but I don’t, hoping she volunteers the information.
She tilts her head, studying me for a minute before changing the subject. “So how long have you been playing hockey?”
“Since I could walk. I’ve always enjoyed it, and I wasn’t a half-bad player.”
“Half-bad? You’re a professional.” Madison shakes her head. “I’d say you have to be better than not half-bad to get that far.”
“Yeah, I guess.” I blow out a breath, staring down at my now-empty bowl.
“You okay?” Madison asks.
“Yeah.” I shrug, not wanting to meet her eyes. “I keep thinking that I’m going to wake up one day and someone’s going to say ‘we’re kidding, Hunter, we don’t want you on the team.’ Like how did I get so lucky?”
“Oh, Hunter.” She places her hand on my arm. I lean into her touch, instantly feeling better.What is it about this woman that does this to me?
Chapter fourteen
Madison
Myheartbreaksatwhat Hunter confesses to me about how he doubts his talent. I know how much talent someone has to have to make it to the professional level.
I want to ask who hurt him. Who said mean things to him so that I can go find them and give them a piece of my mind.
Since that’s not feasible I settle on saying, “Not everyone can play professional hockey. You have to have a lot of skill to play at the level you’re playing at. There’s a reason you’re on the team.”
“I’m old for a rookie,” he says after a few minutes of silence.
I run my hand up and down his arm, waiting for him to expand on his comment. I might be imagining it, but I swear he leans into my touch.
“Being a rookie at twenty-four is a big risk,” he whispers finally.
My eyes widen at the fact that he’s only twenty-four. I guess I hadn’t realized how young he was when we met, and it hadn’t come up in our conversation. Not that six years is that big of an age gap.
Besides, friends don’t have to be the same age.
I force myself to focus on what he said and not the age difference. “Why?”
“Most guys are in their third or fourth season, some have been playing in the NHL even longer. I chose to go to college. The Storm wanted me to play for them two years ago, but I wanted to finish my degree. I’m thankful they signed me to a contract this year, but they could still change their minds. They could send me down to the AHL.”
“You finished college?” Most professional hockey players choose to either skip college altogether and play at the junior levels until the team that drafted them calls them up, or they go to college but leave the minute they get an entry-level contract. Some get lucky and start playing the year they’re drafted.
He gives me a small smile. “Yeah, I took a couple of years off to play at the junior levels. Hence why I graduated at twenty-four.”
“Oh.” In the past year I’ve purposely tried to forget everything I knew about hockey, but as he speaks, I can’t help but be transported back in time and remember how young EJ was when he first started playing in the NHL.
“My ex–best friend is a hockey player.” The words come tumbling out of my mouth before I can stop them. “That’s the other reason I fled when you told me you played hockey. Our friendship ended because of it. Not saying I think what happened between him and me is what’s going to happen to us, but I thought I should tell you.”
Hunter squints at me. “How old are you, Madison?” His face turns red. “Wait, that’s probably rude to ask, never mind.”
That’s what he chooses to focus on? Not that I told him my ex–best friend is a hockey player.
Okay, sure.
“Thirty. Friends don’t have to be the same age, do they? Does it bother you that I’m older than you?”
His eyes twinkle as he says, “No, it doesn’t bother me. Besides, like you said,friendsdon’t have to be the same age.”
“Hunter.” I shake my head at him in mock outrage.
