Chapter 29
October 13th
Today’s Schedule: Live Q&A with followers, 1 PM
3PM Meeting with local fitness shop for promotional opportunity
Los Angeles Stingers vs Dallas Demons, Home Opener, 7:30 PM
Never have I been so into hockey as I am tonight.
I haven’t even picked up my phone. I’ve reached for Holly’s arm a few times and gripped it as JP took a few glass-rattling hits from Los Angeles players.
Regular season hockey is a whole new level of intense.
I’m sitting, once again, with the Demons’ WAGS, and we’re all wearing matching, long-sleeved, black and silver retro Demons shirts to celebrate the return of regular season hockey and support our guys.
The game has remained scoreless so far, and I have to say, putting Easton with JP has appeared to be a brilliant move so far. As JP explained to me, Easton is incredibly good at moving the puck and winning puck battles, where JP said he’s more of a traditional defender. He told me last night he has a feeling their chemistry will only get better as the season goes along, and JP’s already pleased with where it’s at.
Of course, I’d like to think I helped them develop that chemistry when Easton made a move on me. He was horrified to learn he flirted with me while I was with JP. They had a good laugh about it later, though, as did I, and now it’s a joke between them.
A TV timeout is taken, and JP and Easton skate over to the bench and grab towels.
“Hockey is a lot more fun to watch now, isn’t it?” Holly asks. “Now that your boyfriend is down there playing.”
“Oh, so you’ve noticed I’m not on my phone?” I say.
Holly laughs. “That’s one clue, yes.”
“Oh, Holly, look at this shot I got of Nate,” Kenley says, leaning in and showing us her phone.
It’s Nate talking to Harrison, who is wearing an A on his jersey for alternate captain.
Holly beams with pride, as it’s her brother’s first year to wear the A. The other alternate captain is Erik Larsson, a veteran defender for the Demons.
“It looks so good on him,” Holly says. “Nate’s worked so hard for it.”
“He deserves it,” Kylie adds. “Nate is a leader on this team, no doubt about it.”
Kylie pauses and takes a sip of her water. “I’m going to get some nachos. Anybody else want some?”
“Nope, Momma Flynn, you sit right down,” Holly says, standing up. “My turn to get nachos. Extra jalapeños?”
“Ha, the baby just kicked, so yes,” Kylie says.
“Anybody else need anything?” Holly asks.
“I’ll wait until we can go to the lounge at intermission,” Kenley says. “It’s sushi night. I definitely want that.”
Holly nods and heads up the stairs, leaving me with Kenley and Kylie.
I look at Kylie’s belly in amazement, wondering what it must feel like to grow another human being. One born to two people committed to not only raising the child, but who are in love and committed to each other as well.
“Do you want to feel the baby?” Kylie asks.
I blink. “What?”
“You can,” she says, nodding.
I tentatively put my hand on her belly, which feels hard. It catches me off guard, as I didn’t know what to expect.
Then I feel it. A ping against my hand.
“Oh! I felt it!” I say excitedly. “I felt a kick!”
“Yeah,” Kylie says, smiling at me. “This baby is so active.”
“How can you stand not knowing the sex?” I ask.
“Oh, I want to know,” Kylie says. “Harrison wants it to be a surprise, which is killing the planner in me.”
“Tell her what you did,” Kenley says, smiling.
Kylie turns to me. “I only agreed to keep it a secret if Harrison would let me plan two nurseries at a baby boutique. I have bedding on hold for a boy and a girl. After the baby is born, Gretchen is picking up the right stuff and is going to decorate the nursery with my mom and sister-in-law while I’m in the hospital.”
“That is so cool,” I say. “You’ll have your dream nursery when you get home.”
“I’m still dying to buy clothes that aren’t neutral, though.”
“Do you have a feeling?” I ask.
“Harrison swears it’s a boy,” Kylie says, “but I think it’s a girl.”
“I think it’s a girl, too,” Kenley says.
As they go on to talk about the baby, I’m struck by the feeling I have as I study Kylie. Her petite body has curves and is rounding out as the baby grows, but there’s no mistaking the sparkle in her eyes, the rosy color in her cheeks, and the happiness she is exuding.
She’s glowing.
I know I’d feel the same way if I was having JP’s baby.
The thought, one I’ve never had in my life, doesn’t make me flinch. I can see marrying JP in the future and being his wife and building a home with him. Years and years down the line, I can see us having a baby. I can imagine JP holding our child and singing in French to him or her.
This picture makes me happy.
While I know I never wanted to be serious, let alone have a relationship, my perspective has changed.
I no longer fear being vulnerable. I trust JP, and because I trust him, I allowed myself to love him.
Love. Marriage. Children.
All things I didn’t want until I met JP.
The players are back on the ice in the face-off circle on our end, in front of the Los Angeles goal.
Matt enters the face-off circle for the Demons. The puck is dropped, and Matt loses the draw. The puck goes into the corner, and Harrison moves it back up, passing it to Nate. He takes a shot, but it’s blocked. The puck bounces out and this time Matt shoots. Denied! The crowd groans as it bounces off the goal post. The puck comes straight back toward JP, who is to the left at the top of the circle. He fires and boom! It sails over the outstretched glove of the Los Angeles goalie and he scores!
“JP!” I yell, leaping to my feet. All the WAGS are high-fiving me, and we’re all cheering for the first Demons’ goal of the season. Everyone in the arena is celebrating as JP has broken the scoreless tie. “Back in Black” is booming, and JP is engulfed by his teammates in celebration. His smiling face is flashed up on the Jumbotron, and adrenaline is running through me.
Once again, I watch as he does the fist-bump down the line on the bench, and I’m so proud of him. JP is one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met, and to have him start off the season with a goal in the first period is hopefully the beginning of a great year.
Both on and off the ice, I think happily.
~ ~ ~
By the first intermission, the Demons have held their 1-0 lead. I’m ravenous as we step into the WAGS lounge. Like Kenley, I’m thrilled to dig into the elaborate sushi buffet. I glance at the TV and see JP is getting ready to do an interview.
“Oh, hold on, I want to watch this,” I say to Holly.
I sink down on the big leather sofa next to Emma, who turns up the volume for me. Her little boy is starting to fuss in her lap, and she rocks him on her knee to soothe him.
“JP, you have the only goal of the night so far for the Demons. Can you walk me through that goal?” the play-by-play announcer asks.
JP answers his question in his adorable European accent. Sweat is dripping off him, and he’s got a towel draped over his shoulders. His hair is messed up, and there’s a red mark on his forehead from his helmet. JP has a headset on and continues answering questions from the play-by-play announcer in the booth.
He’s so hot, I think as I continue to watch.
“Nate and Matt had some good looks,” JP says. “The rebound came to me and I thought I could go up top and hit the net.”
“You are known as one of the top scoring defensemen in the league,” the announcer continues. “It seems like you are starting this season off right.”
JP smiles, and my heart flutters in response.
“So far, so good,” he says.
“Thanks for your time, JP.”
“Thank you,” he says, and before the camera cuts back to the announcer, JP is shown taking off the headset, no doubt eager to get back to the room with the guys.
“He’s so cute,” Emma says, rolling a toy truck on the sofa to try and entertain her son.
“I know,” I say happily.
“JP is such a nice guy. I’m so happy he found you. The poor guy had bad luck with girls, you know? First with Lexi, then Holly,” Emma says knowingly.
“Lexi?” I ask, confused. I knew JP had been interested in Holly, but surely not Lexi Stewart.
It has to be a different Lexi.
“You don’t mean Lexi Stewart, do you?” I ask.
I wait for her to laugh and correct me, but to my surprise, Emma nods.
“Yeah. JP kind of went through all the single girls in the extended Demons group,” Emma says lightly. “Tanner used to joke that JP didn’t love girls as much as he loved the idea of being in love. Before Lexi, he was interested in Anna Owen, the assistant in the media relations department, and before her, Jen Vanderberg, who is the sister of one of the trainers. The guys teased him that he was like a bear trying to catch salmon,” Emma laughs. “If he kept going after fish, eventually he’d snag one.”
She continues to smile, oblivious to what she is saying and how she has single-handedly crushed my heart.
Nausea rises in my throat. JP always said he was the one brushed aside for being the good guy, and I believe that.
What I didn’t know is that he was going from girl to girl, whoever was conveniently around him, trying to find love.
“Will you excuse me?” I say softly.
Emma furrows her brow. “Are you all right? You seem pale.”
“I’m fine,” I say, getting up. I head out of the lounge, moving through the bottom of the arena. I find an isolated corner near the production truck and pause as horrible thoughts swirl through my head.
JP loves love.
The thing he wanted most was for someone to love him.
He kept looking in the same circle until he found a woman to say yes.
I blink back tears. My throat is closing up. I bite down hard on my lip to keep a sob at bay as one devastating thought rips through me.
Does JP have true feelings for me?
Or is he convincing himself that he does because I’m the one woman who said yes?
Oh, God.
I let down my walls for JP.
I fell in love with him.
JP might love the idea of being a couple more than he could ever love me.
And he might not even realize it.