by Mary Smith
Hearing her excitement made Caryn realize she needed to tell the world she loved Cabel and she was Oliver’s daughter.
Caryn walked into her house and sighed with relief knowing the day was finished. Checking her phone, a small tinge of disappointment hit because Cabel hadn’t texted back. Flashes of last night came back and brought the same smile she had this morning.
Most of the time she was in control of her emotions, but they seem to have taken complete control of her lately. Seeing how kind and supportive he was with her issues made him even sexier. As if it were possible. It had been close to two years since she last had sex before last night. She wrapped herself up in her mother’s illness, grieving her mother’s death, and dealing with her newfound father and Cabel.
Pouring herself a glass of red wine, she sat down on the couch and reflected on her life. Tears built up as she wished her mother were here to celebrate with her. She could still hear her laughter, and it brought some comfort to Caryn. Cabel and her would have gotten along well together.
Knock. Knock.
Unsure of who would be coming by, she peeked through her curtain. Her heart skipped a beat seeing a fishbowl version of Cabel.
“I wasn’t expecting you.” She beamed, then quickly saw he was on a crutch. “What’s wrong?”
Cabel kissed her before answering, “I overworked it.”
“Oh no.” She figured it was because of her.
“Stop.” He kissed her again. “It’s not because of you.”
“Are you a mind reader?” she joked as she shut the door. They made their way to the couch.
“Not really.” He maneuvered to find a comfortable spot.
“How was your day?” She curled up next to him.
“I had to call Jackson Plumley into my office today.”
Caryn wondered if it had to do with Bas’ fight with him. Cabel went on to talk about how Jackson wasn’t being a team player and then went over Bas and Jackson’s fight. Obviously, Caryn knew about it already, but she listened intently as if she didn’t since Cabel was giving her more information than Bas did. Although no one was hurt and mostly words were exchanged, no one was in real trouble.
“What did Jackson have to say?”
Cabel shrugged his shoulders with a saddened expression. “I don’t think he wants to be a Bear.”
“Really?”
“Yes. He didn’t say it. However, his actions are speaking loud and clear. In fact, everyone can see it.” He fell into despair. “I’m unsure how to handle this.”
“Cabel.” She rested her hand over his heart. “You’ve dealt with difficult players before. The only difference is you’re a general manager and not their teammate. How did you handle it before?”
Thinking for a few seconds, he said, “I became their friend.”
Caryn grinned. She couldn’t imagine him doing anything else but that. “Then you should do the same in this situation.”
Rubbing his chin, he sighed. “I’m not sure it’ll work.”
“Why?”
“I can’t explain it, but I don’t think he cares.”
“About hockey or being a teammate?”
“Both. He’s a good hockey player but would be better if he focused. And I think he just has a bad attitude.”
“Some people just have it.” She shrugged. “I’ve had patients the same way.”
“What do you do?”
“You can’t change people, Cabel.” She sat up. “All you can do is give constructive advice of how they need to process other’s feelings. It’ll work or not.”
“And if it doesn’t work?”
“Honestly, then you have to cut him loose.”
Cabel furrowed his brow. “Cut him?”
“Look.” Caryn grew serious. “If you’re in a relationship and the person is nothing but mean and inconsiderate, what do you do?”
“Break up with them,” Cabel said and then a realization hit him.
“You’re in a business relationship, and he’s bringing it down.”
He sighed deeply. “This is the part of the job I dread.”
“I know what you mean, but it’s part of running any successful business. Have you thought about sending him to the minors?”
“It’s the next step if I don’t see any change in him.” He pulled her closer to him. “How was your day?”
Caryn went on to tell him about the RSVPs being returned. He seemed just as thrilled as she had been.
“I haven’t officially asked you, but would you be my date?”
Chuckling, Cabel nodded. “Sure. I think I can make time for you.”
“Well, Greer told me you were the first to RSVP.” She smirked.
“I like being number one.” He kissed her gently.
Gazing deeply into his eyes, she felt the love growing inside her. Their future flashed before her eyes. She could see them living together, traveling, even growing old together. All of it was clear for her. She had never seen a future with anyone before. Not like this. Sure, there were some she thought would be around for a while, but Cabel was much different.
The memory of the first time she made dinner for him came flooding back to her. She had been nervous to ask him over and to cook. She never worried about her cooking prior to that night. She wanted everything to be perfect. Her hands shook as she cut the vegetables. Somehow, it all came out picture perfect. To top it off, he loved it.
“You’re deep in thought.” Cabel’s presence broke through her memories. “Are you okay?”
Still staring at him, she said her innermost emotion. “I love you, Cabel.”
It took him a second for the words to sink in. A smile grew on his handsome face. “I love you, Caryn.” He cupped her face and kissed her passionately on the lips.
“We’re crazy, aren’t we?” Caryn half-joked.
“Well…” He tried to hide his smile. “You’re the expert. You tell me.”
The happiness fell for a second. By no means were they crazy. Although she wondered about his feelings about their unorthodox past to now. Obviously, it wasn’t fast, but she did withhold important information from him. She knew it would normally bring up trust issues, but Cabel hadn’t said anything.
“Caryn, what is it?” he asked with deep concern.
“Just…” She didn’t know how to say it. If she said it out loud, then it would need to be dealt with.
“Hey, just say it, baby.”
The simple term of endearment brought her elation. “Our relationship—friendship—isn’t a standard one.”
Cabel busted into laughter. “No, it’s nowhere near standard. But what is?”
“True point.”
“I’m happy. I’ve not been this happy in a very long time. Not to mention, the last time I’d been in love was many, many years ago.” He paused. “You and I have a future, and I’m ready to have a happy one with you.”
“You say happy a lot.” She smirked.
He rolled his eyes. “Well, deal with it because I don’t have an extensive vocabulary.”
Now she giggled and kissed him. She could care less about his vocabulary and how many times he repeated a word. He saw a future with her, and she wanted to start it—right now.
Caryn knew Cabel couldn’t stay the night because the Bears were going on a game road trip to Maine and then Utah. He would have to travel with them. He wanted to keep an eye on Jackson.
Glad it was Saturday, Caryn decided she was going to do some yoga, clean the house, and go shopping. Even though she forced herself to go out and deal with the public from time-to-time, she worried about running into her patients.
After her yoga session, she first started cleaning in her bedroom, stripping the sheets and putting on new ones, and vacuuming. She then went to the kitchen and deep cleaned it. Finally, she went through the living room.
When she finished cleaning, she noticed there was a text from Cabel that he sent over thirty minutes ago.
Cabel: Landed in Maine
&nbs
p; It made her happy to know he was safe.
Caryn: Glad you made it. Just finished cleaning the house. About to head to the shower and go shopping
Cabel: Shower? Thank you for the lovely mental picture
Caryn: You’re welcome *smiley face*
The hot shower relaxed her after the busy morning. Not wanting to dress up by any means, she slipped into a pair of skinny jeans and a hoodie, paired with sneakers. She twisted her red hair into a knot and skipped any heavy makeup. Just a swipe of mascara and lip gloss.
Deciding to drive to the outlets Caryn made a mental list of the holidays coming up. She wondered if she could host a real Christmas dinner for everyone. A task she had never done before. Then again, she never had a large family before. Her mother always loved Christmas and would go all out with decorations and presents. Even her last Christmas on Earth.
With Christmas approaching fast and then her fundraiser, would it be too much?
Parking and heading into the outlet mall, she knew it would be too much. Plus, the Bears schedule seemed hectic in December, so they would be traveling a lot. Maybe she’ll work at The New Outlook. The holidays seemed to be the worst for some people. Nonetheless, she could get presents. She hoped the girls would like her. The day she met them at the hospital, everyone’s emotions ran high. They probably didn’t remember her because they were thinking about their dad.
Strolling into the Michael Kors store she moved about the purses and wallets, seeing if anything would catch her eye. Nothing did, and she moved toward Pottery Barn. She picked up a new set of sheets and a couple throw pillows.
Just as she finished paying and walked out, she heard her name being called. Turning around to see who called out to her, she saw Janan, Nova, and Klara, being pushed in the stroller, coming up to her.
“Hello, ladies.” Caryn beamed. “I see you’re doing some shopping.” Nodding to the numerous bags Janan carried.
“Yes, we’re having a girls’ day,” Janan informed her. “Are you doing the same?”
“I am.”
There was a silence that fell between them. Caryn had remembered this happening at the dinner when they found out she was Oliver’s daughter.
“You two didn’t travel with the team?” she asked to break up the uncomfortable silence.
“No,” Nova answered. “We have a sponsor meeting early Monday with Uncle Oliver. We decided to stay behind and prep.”
“Oh.” She hated she couldn’t think of anything else to say. “Well, have fun with your girls’ day.” She gave them a large smile and turned to walk away.
“Hey, Caryn.” Janan’s voice made her stop and face them again. “Come hang out with us.”
She was going to decline with a simple excuse of wanting to be alone.
“You’re a girl and we’re having a girls’ day.” Janan tried to reason. “Plus, you’re family.”
The last part warmed her heart. Having a family was something she had always wished for.
“Sure, I’d love to.”
For the next couple hours, the girls went store to store looking at clothes, purses, and everything alike. Caryn even purchased a couple of outfits for Klara. She saw a watch for Cabel and purchased it for Christmas. Again, she wondered about his girls and what they would like.
“You’re lost in thought.”
Janan’s voice startled her. She had been staring at a wall of lotions. “Thinking of Christmas and being worried,” she told her honestly.
“Worried?” Janan raised an eyebrow.
“I’ve only briefly met Cabel’s daughters, and I’m not sure if they’ll like me once they get to know me.”
“They’ll love you.” Nova moved up to her other side with the stroller. “They’re two wonderful girls. They both have Cabel’s demeanor.”
It relaxed Caryn a bit knowing they were like Cabel. Obviously, she fell in love with his Mr. Nice Guy attitude.
“I’m starved, and Klara is as well. Let’s grab some lunch,” Nova suggested.
At that time, Caryn realized she hadn’t eaten. Her belly rumbled at the mention of food and suggested a local Mexican restaurant. They agreed to meet there. Caryn dropped off all her bags at the car and decided to walk to the restaurant since it wasn’t far. On her way she texted Cabel.
Caryn: Ran into Janan and Nova. Going to have lunch with them.
Cabel: Sounds fun. Plumley is working my last nerve.
This made her stop in her tracks.
Caryn: Oh no, what’s going on?
Cabel: Have a good lunch. I’ll explain later.
She pondered how bad it really was since he can’t speak about it now. Having such a big rift in the Bears truly was the cause of their fall in the standings. Knowing how committed Oliver, Cabel, and the Longs were to Manchester and hockey, it must be killing them seeing the hopeful season sinking.
Nova, Janan, and Klara were already seated in a booth. Klara, who was strapped into a highchair, banged on the tabletop with her little hand.
“Yum. Yum,” she said loudly.
Caryn slid in across from the girls, smiling at the child.
“When are you going to start popping them out?” Janan inquired, picking up a chip and dipping it into the salsa.
“Personally, I would like to be in a serious relationship before having one.” Caryn thought about it from occasionally. She knew she was getting older, but many women in their late thirties had babies. Plus, she wanted to make sure The New Outlook ran on its own.
“You and Cabel aren’t serious?” Nova’s question came with a deep curiosity.
“We are, but I don’t think at that level.” Yet. She left out the last bit.
“But you want to be.” Janan hadn’t asked it in a question.
Caryn only smiled, knowing well enough, if he asked her today, she would marry him and bear his children. She never felt this way about anyone, and it scared her, but also filled her with excitement. Everything all rolled into one.
“What’s everyone going to have?” She picked up the menu to study it, ready to change the topic.
They began to comment on items listed. Caryn learned some of their likes and dislikes—food wise. Surprisingly, they were similar to hers, except she hated avocados, and the girls loved them.
After the waiter came and took their order, they had a lengthy debate about avocados, and she relaxed. She was having fun…with her family.
Caryn shook her head as the clock winded down to the final buzzer. The Bears played worse than the last game. She knew Cabel and especially Oliver, would be in poor moods. She turned on Netflix, but nothing seemed interesting. Instead, she picked up her Kindle.
Getting lost in her latest read, she almost didn’t hear the buzzing coming from her phone. Seeing Cabel’s name, she tossed the Kindle to the side.
“Hey,” she answered. “How are you?” Asking the question was more out of habit because she knew he was not okay.
“Hi,” he answered back breathlessly. “Listen, I just got to the airport, heading to the next game. I’ll call you tomorrow when things die down. I really wanted to say goodnight.”
Hearing his voice made her smile. “Thank you for calling. It’s great to hear you. I’ll look forward to our next call.”
“I can’t wait either.”
When their call ended, she was still smiling.
Chapter Eleven
Taden, Oliver, and Cabel stood near the bench observing the Bears practice and one particular player.
“I’m through with him,” Oliver growled.
Cabel could feel the anger radiating from him. Then again, he was upset as well.
Zerrick Justice, a player for the Bears, had pulled the three of them to the side and told them what he heard. Jackson had been the one to go to Jerry and talked about Caryn being Oliver’s girlfriend. Zerrick also saw Jackson and Jerry’s assistant at a bar. He told them Jackson never saw him, but he heard everything from their conversation.
“We should cut his ass.” Oliver
’s jaw ticked where he had grinded his teeth.
“We have no real grounds,” Cabel reminded him but kept his focus on the ice.
Taden, who leaned against the boards, stated, “You might not want to be reasonable and give corrective criticism.” He smirked at Cabel.
“Just get him off my ice,” Oliver ordered before turning to go down the tunnel.
“We’re in Utah,” Taden hollered at him. “This isn’t yours.”
Oliver cut him an extremely mean look but said nothing as he continued to walk away from them.
“You’re as mad as he is,” Taden commented, glancing over Cabel.
“Yes, but I’m not going to cut him.” Cabel wished he could though. “Let’s get him off the ice.” Cabel headed in the same direction as Oliver. Taden yelled for Jackson just as he hit the end of the tunnel.
Cabel took a seat in a small attached office adjacent to the locker room. This would be the first time he’ll do this. However, it needed to be done. He, himself, never went to the farm but had seen how others took the news of being sent down.
“Yeah?” Jackson walked into the office, still in skates and uniform.
“Jackson, I need you to change and pack up your personal items. There’s a car waiting for you to go to the airport.” Cabel’s voice was steady even though his nerves were not.
Narrowing his eyes, Jackson asked, “Why?”
Before Cabel could answer, Oliver came up behind the player. “Two reasons. One. You need to learn how to share. And two. You need to learn how to keep your mouth shut about stuff that isn’t your business.”
Cabel would have said the same thing but differently.
Glaring at Oliver, Jackson said nothing. He kept eye contact with him as he walked past him but still no words were exchanged.
Once Jackson was out of sight, Cabel’s shoulders relaxed. He didn’t want a confrontation between him or any player. Jackson had been a great player before being traded to New Hampshire. There had to be something else going on.
Cabel went passed Oliver and into the locker room where Jackson sat in front of his locker. Approaching him slowly, Cabel took a seat next to him.
