Room for You(46)

“Remember a couple weeks ago when I told you that all through high school and college I never really dated?”

She nodded, her beautiful green eyes staring straight ahead, digesting everything I was saying. I wanted nothing more than to pull her in my arms, relax back on this bench and just let life happen around us, but that wasn’t an option … yet.

“That was the truth. High school, college, up until now, I haven’t had a girlfriend. Someone I would take home to meet my parents, someone I would drive an hour and a half just to see her cute smile and freckles.”

She pressed her lips together tight, trying to hide her grin when she realized I was talking about her.

“I’ve never had anyone like that … but that doesn’t mean I’ve been alone all this time.”

Her eyes lost their sparkle as the color drained from her face, but I needed to continue. “Part of the territory that comes along with my job is fans, that’s also my favorite part of the job … sometimes. There’s nothing I love more than coming out of the locker room to a dozen kids waiting for me with posters and jerseys to sign. The other kind of fans are the obnoxious, overbearing women who are shoving their tits in my face asking me to sign them and begging for my phone number as I do.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Women ask you to sign their breasts?”

“More often than you’d think.” I sighed. “Anyway, once I signed my contract and started experiencing all this, I swore I’d never be with a fan and I’ve held true to that. But … I have … friends. Girl friends, women, who I’ve trusted over the years to hang out with, to … be with.” Kacie closed her eyes and cringed when I stumbled through that last sentence.

“They are just that, though … friends. I trust them not to run to the media with details, not to sell our story to one of those f*cking gossip magazines. That’s who Kendall is … was.” I reached out and put my hand on hers. She still stared straight ahead, no emotion. Or so much emotion that she didn’t know how to process it all. Silence filled the empty space around us. I said nothing, giving her time to feel whatever it was she was feeling.

After what felt like an hour of her eyes darting around, thinking, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Kacie, you okay?”

Her head cocked to the side, her eyes still fixated on the brick brownstone straight ahead. “I think I am.”

“You are?” I asked cautiously, not expecting that response.

“Yeah, I am.” Her gaze floated over to me, and her face looked peaceful. “I get it. You have such a public job, it’s gotta be hard to trust people with that side of you.”

“Exactly!” It took all of my restraint not to scoop her up in my arms and dance around the street with her for being so understanding.

“But … I can’t be a part of that,” she said, shaking her head slowly.

“Wait, what?” Anxiety spread through my chest like wildfire.

“Your past, I get it, completely. The fame, the women, not being able to trust anyone … it makes total sense. I don’t want that, though … that casual, friends-with-benefits thing. I know we said we were keeping this light and fun, but that’s a little too light for me.” She stood up and shoved her hands in her jean pockets. “I can’t let myself get any more attached to you, Brody. I think I’m gonna go.”

“No, you’re not.” I hopped up and gripped Kacie’s shoulders, forcing her to look at me. “I’m done with that, Kacie, all of it. When I stopped at your inn for the night, my life was normal—my life was hockey. Nothing important existed outside of the rink; it was all just filler. Then I met you, and now I can’t stop thinking about you. You did something to me, changed something. And now, all I want is you … just you. And the twinkies.”

She looked off across the street and shook her head slightly. “How do you know that, Brody? How do you know that this is what you want? How do I know that in a month, I’m not gonna be tossed aside like the others?”

“I could ask you the same question,” I replied.

“What?”

“You said yourself you haven’t dated in four years, but I know you’ve had offers, so I’m asking you the same question. Why me? What is it about me that makes you want to take a leap of faith?”

“I don’t know.” She searched my face. “There’s not one exact thing, it’s just … you.”

“That’s how I feel too, Kacie. It’s a million little things about you that pile up together and have created this one amazing woman who I’m certain has changed my life. I can’t explain it; it’s just there. We’re gonna have to learn to trust each other on this one.” I cupped her face with my hands and looked straight into her eyes. “This is one big puddle, for both of us.”

Her green eyes softened as she wrapped her arms around my waist, laying her head against my chest. I embraced back, resting my chin on her head.

“Life is a sum made up of small parts, Kacie. Some are good; some are bad. You and the girls are definitely one of the good. The best good there is and I’ll fight like hell to keep you here.”





I didn’t sleep a wink all night. Actually, all morning.

Brody and I stayed awake until the sun came up, curled up in each other’s arms on the couch, talking more about his past. Admittedly, I’d judged him when he told me how he’d been having relationships the past few years and I was wrong for that. I would never understand his situation because I’d never been a professional athlete with women chasing after me, but I could accept it. It wasn’t fair of me to hold how he’d been living against him, especially when we hadn’t even met yet.