Hockey Holidays Read online

  And when she got to the studio, Charlotte took one look at her face and sighed.

  “You’re turning me down, aren’t you?”

  “I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to give you an answer and I know it’s not the one you want but…”

  As she searched for the right words, Charlotte found them first.

  “But you’re not over Kyle and you don’t want to tie yourself to this place.” Charlotte shook her head. “I know this was never your dream, to own a yoga studio. But I was hoping I could change your mind.”

  “I hope this means I can keep teaching—”

  “Don’t even say the rest of that sentence.” Charlotte held up one hand. “Of course I want you to stay for as long as you want. Forever, even. You’re the best instructor I know and you’re one of my best friends. And if that damn man doesn’t treat you right this time, I will personally take his hockey stick and shove it somewhere he does not want it.”

  Laughing, Leah shook her head. “I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t even know what I want to happen. I just know I need some time to figure that out.”

  “I get it, hon. Just don’t do something because you think he wants it. Do it because you want it.”

  She just wished she knew exactly what she wanted.

  Chapter Five

  Kyle figured it was probably a good thing he was benched tonight.

  His brain was splintered in so many directions, it would’ve totally fucked with his game.

  Coach had noted the roster changes and a few of the guys had given him looks, but Derek and Nate and the three other guys who’d been at the studio nodded and tapped his pads on their way out of the locker room for warm-ups.

  When he’d skated onto the ice, he’d checked the seats where the WAGs usually sat, but he only saw Sophie and a couple of other women he didn’t recognize.

  Shit.

  He tried to tell himself it didn’t matter, that if she didn’t show up, he’d be at her door tomorrow morning with coffee and scones, because of course she didn’t eat donuts. And if that didn’t work…he’d figure out something else. He wasn’t walking away. Not this time.

  And he was prepared to do whatever it took.

  So he’d asked Derek, who’d gotten Stace’s number. Then he’d told her about the tickets for tonight and had practically begged her for help.

  Amazingly, she said she’d do what she could but not to hold his breath.

  He’d grinned in spite of her dig and headed for the arena. He’d take what he could get.

  But when he skated onto the ice with the rest of the team for the start of the first period before heading to the bench, he didn’t look again to see if she was in the stands.

  He needed to focus on the game because this was his career and he would give it everything he needed to make it work.

  But life had given him another chance with Leah and he wasn’t going to give it up.

  At least not until he’d exhausted every angle.

  When six thirty finally rolled around that night, Leah found herself, ticket in hand, on the concourse of the arena, knowing she was about to give Kyle an answer to a question he hadn’t asked.

  And if you’re wrong and you’re reading too much into a simple request?

  Then she’d live with it. Either way, she’d made up her mind.

  “No backing out now.” Stace nudged with her shoulder. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen a game and I’m looking forward to it.”

  Leah gave her friend a wry smile. “I wasn’t planning to leave. I’m just…”

  “Terrified?”

  “Afraid to be hopeful.”

  Stace put her hand on her shoulder. “Hey, if this isn’t what you want to do tonight, we can go have a few drinks somewhere and unwind.”

  Leah was shaking her head by the time Stace finished. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be.”

  “If it makes any difference,” Stace said, “I do think he’s different this time. He seems more…thoughtful.”

  To hear what she’d been thinking from someone else made her heart glad and she was smiling when they made their way to their seats.

  “Leah! I’m so glad you came. Derek said Kyle wasn’t sure you’d make it. Which means he was afraid you wouldn’t come.”

  Sophie gave her a big hug, which Leah returned, then gave another to Stace. They only had a minute to talk before the music ramped up and the announcer began to speak.

  Leah hadn’t been to a game since October, had told herself she’d get to another one but never had. And had never admitted to herself that it was because she missed watching Kyle.

  She’d said it was because she was busy, didn’t have the time.

  But sitting here in the cold arena, with the crowd dressed mostly in red and black, she knew exactly why she hadn’t come. It hurt too much.

  And now she felt like she’d come home.

  How awful is it going to suck when he leaves again?

  No, she wasn’t going to think about that now.

  Since she’d missed warm-ups, she hadn’t seen Kyle yet, and when the lights went down, she felt a familiar catch in her throat at the thought of watching him play.

  Except…Kyle wasn’t starting.

  When they announced Nate in goal, she realized Kyle had given up his start to help her yesterday.

  Damn that man. Tears pooled, and she blinked fast so they wouldn’t fall. She didn’t want to have to explain to her friends why she was crying. And it wasn’t because she was sad.

  She didn’t see much of the game. Mainly, she watched Kyle as he sat one the bench.

  He followed the game with such intense focus, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. She only looked up to see what was going on when he reacted.

  Tonight’s game wasn’t going well for the Redtails. They were down two by the end of the first period and the guys looked discouraged as they left the ice. Kyle thumped each of his teammates on the back as they filed back to the locker room.

  Right before he followed, he looked up. Straight at her. His mouth curved in a huge grin and her breath caught at how stunningly handsome he was.

  Then he disappeared, and she sucked in much-needed air.

  “Do you think we should just let her stand here and watch the space where he used to be for the next eighteen minutes or should we drag her away to get a drink?”

  Stace’s wry comment made everyone laugh, and Leah turned to face her grinning friends with arched brows.

  “You’re just jealous.”

  “You’re damn right I am.” Stace sighed as she wrapped her arm around Leah’s shoulders before she leaned in close. “He better treat you right this time or you tell him I will follow through on my threat to cut off his balls with his stick blade.”

  “Stace!” Leah shook her head.

  “I’m serious, LeeLee. Don’t sell yourself short. Make him work for it.”

  “He has.”

  He’d proved it yesterday.

  Tonight, she’d tell him just how much it’d meant to her.

  The clock couldn’t run out fast enough tonight and not only because the Redtails lost the game with the score 5–2.

  When the last bell finally rang and the crowd cleared out, her heart pounded against her ribs like a trapped bird.

  She knew it would take him at least twenty minutes to shower and change and she had no idea if he’d added her to the list of visitors allowed to come downstairs to wait for the players.

  Stace gave her a hug and said good-bye, and Leah wondered if she should go home and wait for him or if she should check with the guard.

  Then Sophie linked her arm through Leah’s. “Come on, I know for a fact he put you on the list. Let’s go give our guys a hug. They’re gonna need ’em.”

  Was she out there?

  Kyle hoped like hell she was. He wanted her to be out there, wanted to see her waiting in the hall like she used to, a smile on her face.

  “Damn, man, yo