Authors: Jennifer Sucevic
So damn close…
We just need to work together and make it happen.
Nicole watches Lucy, the left wing, and me for an opportunity to pass. But I know she’s going to send it my way. She fakes another pass to Lucy before slamming it to me again. I’m about eight feet from the net and as soon as the puck touches my stick, I lift it towards the top right corner and send it flying with as much power as I can.
At that point, it feels as if everything happens in slow motion. With my breath caught in my throat, I watch as the puck sails through the air, the goalie reaches out with her gloves to block it but she misses and it goes right in.
The buzzer rings a second later. Both wings surround me, slapping me on the back. I hear the crowd cheering. They’re going wild. The noise in the arena is almost deafening. Every single one of our teammates crowds around us.
And it is… the absolute best feeling in the world.
I scan the packed stands, wanting to share my triumph with Cole. When I find him, I smile, raising my stick high in the air. He grins in response, clapping and whistling. Just as I’m about to glance away, my eyes settle on the person next to him.
My mouth falls open as my eyes widen.
Sucking in a breath, I continue staring.
Because somehow, my dad is sitting next to Cole.
My dad’s eyes are on me and when he sees that I’m staring at him, he gives me a thumbs up sign which was always his way of letting me know that I played a solid game.
Tears prick the back of my eyes as we hold each other’s gaze.
I have no idea just how long I stand there gaping at him. I can’t believe he’s really here. Only when Sammy wraps her arm around my neck, do I blink out of the sudden trance that has fallen over me. “Come on, Jameson. We’ve got some major celebrating to do tonight!”
I smile as my eyes stray one last time to my dad. He and Cole are talking as they leave their seats. I just can’t get over the fact that he’s here.
With Cole.
It kind of feels like a Twilight Zone moment.
Twenty minutes later, my new team walks out of the locker room together to the noise of clapping and cheering. I search the crowd until my eyes land on Cole and my father. They look deep in conversation which is nothing short of surreal.
Cole’s face breaks into a huge smile when he spots me and then my dad’s eyes are settling on me as well. There’s just a bit of awkwardness as I join them. Because all I can remember is the last time we spoke. His anger. And disappointment.
Surprisingly my dad is the first one to break the silence. “That was a good game, Cassidy. You played well.”
My eyes widen at the unexpected praise. “Thanks, dad.” I can’t help but shake my head before asking, “What are you doing here?”
The slight smile that had been curving his lips up falters just a bit and I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment before correcting myself. “What I mean is- how did you know I was playing?” It actually means a lot to me that he’s here to see my first game with my new team. After all the heartache over the last year, it suddenly feels like maybe we have a real shot at fixing our fractured relationship. Even though I don’t know how he came to be here, I suspect I have Cole to thank for making this happen.
My dad claps Cole on the shoulder as if they’re longtime friends. “Cole called last week and we had a really good talk.” His eyes shift quickly to Cole before arrowing right back to mine again. “He told me you had joined the intramural team and that your first scrimmage was tonight.” He pauses, almost as if he’s gathering himself. My dad has never been overly demonstrative with his feelings but there’s something about the look on his face that has a thick lump settling in the middle of my throat. “I’m glad he did.” His eyes flicker away from mine before sliding back once more. “I was hoping we could get together sometime next week. Maybe go out for dinner and… you know, talk.”
The thick lump sitting in the middle of my throat expands and grows. “I’d really like that.” Honestly, there is nothing more that I want than to heal the wounds between us. This year has been rough for a lot of different reasons. But not having my parents involved in my life is definitely one of them. Even though nothing has been fixed between us, this is a step in the right direction and I can’t believe just how light I feel because my dad made the first step in getting our relationship back on track.
My dad smiles as if in relief. “Good. I’ll call you on the weekend and we can set something up. Okay?”
“Yeah, that sounds great.” For just a moment, my wide eyes slide to Cole’s in what I imagine must be amazement. There’s an answering smile on his face.
Pulling the brim of an old travel team cap low over his eyes, my dad finally says, “Well, I think I’ll head back home now. Seems like you and your team have a victory to celebrate.” He holds my eyes again for a long moment. “It was a really good game, Cassidy. Hard fought. You should be proud of yourself.”
“Thanks, dad.” His praise has always meant so much to me. I worked my entire life for it. And after last year’s debacle, I hadn’t ever expected to hear it again. Surprising me even more, he steps forward before pulling me into a warm embrace. My arms band around him, holding him just as tight. A rush of moisture gathers in my eyes. But I don’t let the tears fall. Even if they are tears of happiness. After he releases me, my dad shakes Cole’s hand, thanking him again and then he’s gone. Still feeling completely stunned, I stare after his large retreating form before my wide eyes slide back to Cole’s.
“I can’t believe you did that,” I whisper in astonishment. In this moment, everything feels damn near perfect. Playing a good hockey game, seeing my dad, and of course, hearing that Cole loves me. I can’t imagine life getting any better than this.
I really can’t.
Last year, everything had fallen completely apart. Almost a year later, I’m still struggling to put the shattered fragments of it back together to make an even better life for myself.
Looking worried, Cole’s face immediately falls. “Are you mad that I reached out to him?” He looks worried that he might have overstepped his boundaries.
Shaking my head at such an absurd idea, I laugh. “No, of course not. I just… it was just so weird to see him sitting up in the stands watching me… giving me a thumbs up after the game.” And then it all becomes too much. Unable to stop myself, tears start sliding down my cheeks. I can’t believe how full my heart feels right now. It’s the most wonderful feeling in the world.
“Awe, babe, please don’t cry. It was a great night,” gathering me up into his arms, he softly kisses the top of my head. “I wasn’t sure if I should call him or not. And I didn’t know if he would actually show. I didn’t want to get your hopes up, so I didn’t say anything. But he really wanted to be here, Cassidy. He wanted to support you. And he was happy that I contacted him.”
Seriously, how did I get so lucky?
How did I find one of the best guys in the whole freaking world? Last year had been such a dismal failure. I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to pull my shit together and now… here I am… all because of Cole. I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life. “Thank you,” I whisper. Reaching up, I stroke my lips across his before murmuring, “If I didn’t love you already that would have definitely clenched it for me.”
He grins. Those damnable dimples of his flashing adorably. A shaft of heat arrows straight down to the pit of my belly. Okay, so maybe it arrows a little bit lower than that…
“Well, I was hedging my bets just in case you weren’t impressed by my declaration of love earlier this evening.” He grins the entire time. God but he’s so sexy. I just want to eat him up.
I can’t help but laugh. “Well, it worked.”
“Good,” he presses another light kiss against my mouth, “Let’s go out and celebrate because then I’m taking you home and having my way with you.”
And that sounds pretty damn perfect as well.
~The End~
I hope you enjoyed Cassidy and Cole’s story… but it’s not over yet. Look for the second book in the Stay series during the fall of 2015! Thanks for reading!
Jennifer currently lives in the Midwest with her family. After pursuing a bachelor’s degree in History, a master’s degree in Educational Psychology, she spent five years working as a high school guidance counselor. Please contact Jennifer at [email protected]