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  Looking deep in her eyes, she shrugged her shoulders, “It’s a long story.”

  “And I have all night. I want to know.”

  Audrey nodded, removing her hands from his neck to place in her lap, where she twirled a ring around her finger. “It’s basically the same story of Fallon and Lucas, minus keeping the baby and living Happily Ever After.”

  “Huh?”

  Audrey looked up, “Oh, Lucas never told you about him and Fallon?”

  Tate shook his head, “Parts.”

  “Oh, well here is my version,” she said taking in a deep breath, “I was twenty when it happened. I was messing around with this guy, Derek Rambles, he was tattooed up, spikes through his lips, total hottie and my dad hated him,” she said with a shake of her head, “We’ll we were careless and the next thing I know, I’m pregnant.”

  “But I thought you couldn’t have kids?” Tate asked confused.

  “Oh, I could have, but after Derek left me and my dad caught wind of it, he demanded that I get an abortion or he would take everything away from me. I was scared and young, so I went along with it.”

  Tate’s brow came together, he didn’t understand. How could a man do that to his daughter? “That’s insane.”

  “Yeah, well, I had to go to Kentucky to get the abortion because my dad didn’t want anyone in Tennessee to hear about it. So after a long, horrible, painful trip, I came home and a couple days later, I was in horrible pain. Apparently the doctor at the clinic had no clue what he was doing. It was his first day or week or something, I don’t remember, but I got a really horrible infection and they said I can’t produce eggs. My tubes are blocked and all this other crap I don’t remember. I don’t like to think about it, but I do all the time because all I want to do is hold a baby of my own.”

  Tate took her hands in his. He didn’t understand a lot of what she said, but he could see the pain on her face. He hated that and wished he could make it better. “So there is no fixing it?”

  Audrey shook her head, “No, I’m one of the 2.1% that this can happen to. It drives me insane because if I could have been strong like Fallon was when she came home pregnant, I wouldn’t be having this problem. I would be raising a child on my own, because Derek was an idiot but I would have a baby, and the option to have more, you know.”

  Tate nodded as she went on, “But now, I’m this woman who has spent the last eight years feeling like I am not a real woman because I can’t give a man a child. It’s hard, and I still haven’t coped with it. That’s why I’ve always dated assholes because they don’t want kids, they just want to have someone to fuck, and I was that girl-”

  “But not anymore,” Tate said interrupting her. He didn’t want her to feel like that, ever again. He wanted her to feel good about herself. Love who he knew was an amazing woman. “You will never feel like less than the gorgeous sexy woman you are while we are together. I like you the way you are, love, and that will never change.”

  “I want to believe you so bad, but I’m so scared.”

  Tate nodded, leaning towards her to dust her jaw with kisses. When he reached her mouth, he whispered against it, “Don’t be scared. Everything is going to be fine.”

  “I hope so,” she whispered, “Thank you for listening, I actually feel so much better telling someone.”

  Tate nodded, his eyes drifting shut as he said, “I’ll always be here to listen.”

  Moving his lips against hers, he deepened the kiss, holding her face in his hands as he held her close. He hoped that he was there for her, that he was supportive but he didn’t understand it all. That would change though, he planned on doing research and finding out if there was a way to help her, because if he could give her the world, he would.

  Parting, Audrey looked up at him through heavy lidded eyes, “Do I get kisses like that all the time when I’m your woman?”

  “All the time, even when you don’t want them.”

  Audrey smiled, “Then hell, where do I sign up?”

  Chapter 18

  A week later, Tate sat outside the office of Eleanor Adler.

  His palms were sweating.

  His heart was racing.

  And he was pretty sure he was about to have an anxiety attack.

  Beside him sat his agent, Koey Lefeber. Koey had been with Tate for the last 9 months. He was a good guy, honest, to the point, and knew how to get his players what they needed or wanted. He was on the small side for a guy, Tate thought, he only came up to Tate’s elbow but Tate would admit he was a good looking guy. With short blonde hair, blue eyes, and a killer suit, the guy knew how to work the ladies along with the guys.

  “You’re nervous, I see,” Koey observed as Tate checked his phone for what seemed like the 100 time. For what, he didn’t know.

  Tate nodded, “Yup.”

  “It’s going to be fine. They aren’t going to let you go, they need you. You won them the cup, and you have the makings to do it again, so stop worrying.”

  It wasn’t that easy though. The dream team goalies from last year, Jordan Ryan and Matthew Haksson, were back. Both were healthy and ready to play. Jordan Ryan had been backing Tate up, not that he needed him, but he was there and Matthew was right behind Jordan. So what kept Tate there? He was young, he wasn’t as experienced as the older guys, and he didn’t have the connections.

  He was just some kid from Sweden who could keep the puck out the net.

  Taking a deep breath, and holding it, Tate closed his eyes as he leaned his head against the wall of Elli’s office. He was on a streak and that was great, but was it enough? Nine shut-out games. Over 270 shots on goal, and not one puck got past Tate. They were great numbers, but would they impress Elli?

  When his phone signaled a text message, he let out the breath he was holding and looked down at the display.

  Elli isn’t dumb, you’re the best, and she only wants the best for her team. So stop freaking out and be the confident, cocky guy I know. The one who I can’t wait to see and celebrate with. I’m not going to tell you what flavor the cupcakes are, but there’s a platter of them waiting for you. Good luck, not that you need it.

  Tate’s face broke into a huge grin as he re-read the text message from Audrey.

  His Audrey.

  Tate couldn’t believe how happy she made him. He couldn’t describe the feeling that she gave him. It was intense and made him feel that nothing in the world could touch him or bring him down. When she went back home from California, he honestly felt like she was taking a part of him with her. Tate didn’t know what that part was or why he even thought that, but for the past year, he had felt so empty, felt like he was going through the motions of life without really living. But from day one after meeting Audrey, he felt that he had lived more than he had his whole life.

  I really needed that, thank you. I can’t wait to see you, and your cupcakes.

  He couldn’t help but laugh out loud when her text came back, despite the looks from Koey.

  I’m not really sure if you are talking about my cupcakes in a dirty sense or not.

  Tate bit his lip, his body becoming hotter by the second as he typed back quickly.

  It would have been dirty if I asked to eat them off you. Jeez, get your mind out the gutter.

  After reading her next text, he was left hiding a hard on.

  So asking if you want to would be totally inappropriate, huh?

  Tate internally groaned as he typed her back.

  You are asking for it.

  Asking for what?

  You’ll see when I get home, love. It’s been a long week without you.

  And it had been. Exiting the team plane, he had come straight to Elli’s office for their meeting, which meant he hadn’t seen Audrey in person, touched her face, or felt her lips in six days. Their nightly chat on Skype wasn’t enough. He missed her. Bad. It was fun getting to know her and watching their shows over the computer together. But he’d much rather have her in his arms. When her text came back, he smiled a