Overtime(5)
He was right, but still.
“I’m not that broke,” she commented softly and he scoffed. After clearing her debts by using the money from her endorsements from winning the gold at the Olympics, she may have been a little low on funds. But still, she could manage. The thought of living with her brother and new sister-in-law and niece gave her the shakes. She didn’t want to bother them, but everyone was so insistent.
“We know, love, but this is for the best. With the Olympics and everything, you know, you haven’t had time to relax and figure out your next move. This will give you the chance to do that,” her mother reminded her, like she had been doing for the last few weeks once they decided they wanted to pick up and move to be closer to their new grandbaby. “Plus, with Lacey being so fragile lately, she could use you there.”
Kacey knew that too. Her sister-in-law wasn’t very stable, even with all the groups and counseling she and Karson had gone through. Lacey was still a nervous wreck that her baby girl would develop breast cancer like she had. Everyone tried to ease her concerns, but poor Lacey couldn’t think any other way. Add in the fact that she was running three lingerie stores, dealing with a family from hell, and the constant worry for her child, and Kacey’s sister-in-law was one step away from needing to be in a padded room. She probably did need Kacey there. Especially since they had become best friends over the course of the last year.
But she was still hesitant and she knew why.
Letting out a long breath, she pushed him out of her mind and nodded. “Yeah, I know. I’m going,” she said. “Plus, you’re right, Daddy. Working out with the guys will help me get to know them and work them harder for the start of the season.” Her father nodded his head, looking as if he knew he was always right. She rolled her eyes before breaking away from her mother and going into the house.
Reaching the mantel, she slowly grasped the box that held her gold medal. A small smile covered her lips as pride burst in her chest. She’d worked hard for her medal. Years upon years, she’d worked for one thing and that was the gold. She knew it was hers, and when they’d put it around her neck, words couldn’t describe the feelings she’d felt. It was as if she had been almost flying. It was perfect, except that the person she’d wanted there, craved to be there to celebrate with her, wasn’t.
Even though they had decided to stop sleeping together, Kacey couldn’t fathom why he would do her like that. Didn’t she mean something to him? If not in love, at least as friends. Instead, Jordie Thomas cut off all ties with her, acting as if their relationship that lasted a good four months didn’t matter. That the nights they sat up talking about everything, the way they made love, and the way he made her feel were all a lie. She hadn’t spoken to him in over six months. Hadn’t seen him or even heard from him. Every time she asked her older brother about his best friend, he just said he was fine. Nothing more and nothing less. Since Karson wasn’t supposed to know that she was in love with his best friend, she never asked more and it killed her inside.
She missed him. Greatly.
But when he didn’t show up for the Olympics, that’s when she knew she needed to let him go. But she was having a really hard time with that. She wanted so desperately to be in love with someone who loved her back. She was almost thirty, still a good two years away, but she figured by now, she’d at least be in a relationship, ready to get married once she brought the gold home. That was her plan, at least. Instead, she brought her gold home to her parents’ house, along with a broken heart.
But Nashville was a new start. Karson had gotten her a job as a trainer with the Nashville Assassins. Something that was hard to get into. She was the first woman trainer in their club, and it only made sense since they had just drafted the first woman on to their team and into the NHL. That Elli Adler was making history for sure. Kacey was excited about this opportunity, knew that she would get along with the guys since they all loved her anyway. Then she’d find someone who wanted what she wanted, who would love her the way she needed to be loved, and she would be happy.
She wouldn’t allow Jordie to consume her soul any longer. So what? It didn’t work out. She knew going in that Jordie Thomas wasn’t into relationships and he couldn’t love anyone. It wasn’t in his DNA. That was fine. It was her fault for falling for him. If she saw him, she’d be cordial. She knew what she was getting into when she went to bed with him. She had to forget him and maybe even forgive him. Because this was her new beginning. It was time to let go of him, the pain and the rejection she felt, and find someone who would never cause her to feel like that again.
That was her plan, at least.
After saying goodbye to her parents, Kacey placed her gold medal in the front seat and drove out of her parents’ driveway for the last time. The next time she would be back, she’d be there to help them move, which they all hoped would be before Karson and Lacey’s baby came. Lacey wasn’t due for another month and a half, and her parents had already had a few bites on the house that Karson had bought her family so long ago. It was sad to see her home go, but she was excited to be closer to her new niece.
As her home disappeared in the rearview, she let out a breath and prepared herself, not only for the sixteen-hour drive but also for what Nashville could hold. Brushing her hair off her shoulders, she drove with her knee as she pulled it up into a mini ponytail. Growing her hair out from her pixie cut had been a pain, but she liked the result. Maybe now Karson would stop calling her a lesbian, not that she really cared what he thought. Having short hair was easy when she was wearing her helmet, and Kacey liked convenience. Now that she was done with hockey professionally, she was ready to look more like a girl. Maybe it would finally attract a good guy, since before, all she could get were douches or a lot of attention from women.