by Avery Flynn
They turned back to Dr. Kahn, the tension between them slowly returning. Jules shifted in her seat.
“It’s…different,” she began.
“How so?”
“Well, so much has happened in ten years. We’re married with two kids, one of them with special needs. Naturally, things between us would change.”
“Mason, would you agree?”
He shrugged. “Sure. No one’s perfect, right?”
Jules stiffened and pulled her hand from his. Mason instantly missed the small connection.
“How would you classify your marriage?”
“A work in progress,” Mason said.
“What sort of progress would you like to see?”
Mason gritted his teeth, irritated with her relentless questions. “I don’t know. Doesn’t every couple have issues they need to work through?”
“True. But what is it that you want in your marriage?”
He shrugged, not sure how to answer that, because he really had no room to complain. When it came to their kids and their home, Jules took care of everyone and everything. He would love it if she showed just as much interest in his career, but then again, she had never been much of a hockey fan. Or any sport, for that matter. He had known that when they had first met.
In a time when he had been surrounded by the press and puck bunnies, it had been refreshing to be with someone who didn’t particularly care that he was a professional athlete, and just enjoyed his company. Despite the challenges of a long-distance relationship, they had made it work, and one year later, he had married the woman of his dreams.
“Honestly, everything I want, I already have.”
Dr. Kahn nodded. “Okay. If you had to choose one thing that you could improve between you, what would it be?”
Mason thought about it, his first thought being their communication. But that wasn’t true. Jules always expressed herself to him, especially when she was angry. It was probably the cause of many of their arguments. With him, she always seemed to find something to be upset about.
“Mason, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?”
“Affection.”
Dr. Kahn arched a brow. “Like intimacy?”
“Yeah. We could use a little more of that, too. I would much rather be making love to my wife, but most of our time is spent arguing the minute I get home.”
Jules stiffened beside him, folding her arms under her breasts. “I don’t see how you expect us to be intimate when you’re hardly around, Mason.”
He frowned at her. “Don’t put that on me. Every time I try to touch you, you find something for us to argue about.”
“You can’t expect me to be in the mood just because you are. It doesn’t really work that way.”
“Then please enlighten me, because no matter what I do, you find an excuse to pull away.”
A tense silence fell in the room. Mason clenched his jaw, wondering how in such a short time they could go from laughing and smiling about their first meeting to snapping about their lack of intimacy.
And the unruffled therapist started right back with her damn questions.
“Jules, what’s the main source of your usual arguments?”
“Hockey,” she said without hesitation. “He puts his career before us, and it’s frustrating.”
Mason glared at her. “That’s not true, damn it, and you know it.”
“Let’s try to keep our cool,” Dr. Kahn said, staring pointedly at him. “It’s important to hear each other out so you can find out why your wife feels this way.”
“He knows why,” Jules said tightly.
“It doesn’t appear he does,” Dr. Kahn countered. “Why don’t you give an example of a time you felt he put hockey before you and your kids?”
“Well, there’s yesterday, for starters. He missed our session because he was giving a press conference. Then there’s that time a few weeks ago when he cancelled a meeting with the principal at our daughter’s new preschool. This is her first year, and he’s too busy with work to get involved with that.”
He couldn’t argue with her on any of that, because she was right. This past year, he had prioritized his team over his family. Those extra drills, the long hours of practice, the time spent developing new plays had won them the Cup. Now he was going to lose his family.
“It sounds like the main source of the tension between you two is hockey. Do you think it would help your relationship if your husband quit?”
Mason sat stiffly in his seat and braced himself for her response. He couldn’t see how backing him into a corner like that could ever save their marriage. But Jules had never given him such an ultimatum, and he’d always been grateful for that.
“No. I don’t want him to quit his job. I just want him to find a better balance. It’s like ever since his dad passed away, he’s—”
“Jules, don’t.”
She glanced at him, then fell silent, folding her hands on her lap. His tone was harsher than he had intended, and that drew Dr. Kahn’s interest.
“You don’t want to talk about your father?” she asked.
“I don’t want to make this session about him, because it has nothing to do with him.”
“According to your wife, he’s a small factor. When did he pass?”
“September last year.”
“And were you two close?”
Mason gritted his teeth and nodded, annoyed that she would continue on the subject of his dead father. He didn’t need some therapist to drum up daddy issues where there were none. Dalton Courage had been a great father to him and his younger brother, and it was through him that Mason had found his love for ice hockey. Even when his brother Ryder had decided that soccer was more his sport, their father had supported them equally, never missing a game. And when they had both gone on to play professionally, their father had been their biggest cheerleader to the very end.
“Could it be that you’re throwing yourself into your work to deal with your loss?” Dr. Kahn asked. “It wouldn’t be uncommon.”
“Maybe.” Mason let her conclude what she wanted.
“Perhaps you should seek grief counseling to better deal with your loss.”
“I appreciate the concern, but I’ve dealt with it.”
In fact, he had found peace with his father’s passing a while ago. Losing him had hurt, but with his declining health, it had been expected. Throwing himself into his work had nothing to do with hiding behind his pain, and everything to do with winning the Cup for his dad. As a player, he had come close twice but never made it. This time, he had grabbed at the chance for the championship, and threw his all behind his players. Against the odds, they had won. Mason imagined his father was beaming down at him with pride that night.
These were all things he had learned to come to terms with. He didn’t need therapy, or Dr. Kahn, to tell him what he had since accepted.
“Dr. Kahn, I only brought up his father because that’s when I noticed the shift in his priorities where our family is concerned,” Jules said. “But hockey isn’t the problem. Not really.”
“Then what is the real problem?” Dr. Kahn asked.
She shifted in her seat, her hands clasped tightly together. “I feel alone in this marriage.”
Mason glanced away from her rigid profile, bothered at her admission. Though part of him was relieved that she didn’t want him to quit hockey, another part was disturbed by the fact that she felt lonely with him. Whether or not he understood how, that was how she felt in their marriage.
“We’re out of time for today,” Dr. Kahn said, placing her pen down. “But what I’d like you two to do before our next session is to go out on a date. Alone. It can be anywhere, but I want you to plan it together. When I see you again, I want to hear all about it.”
“Where do you think we should go?”
Mason shrugged. “You decide.”
Jules turned to him. His attention was focused on the road ahead. Their first marriage counseling session hadn’t been as u
ncomfortable as she had believed it would be. If anything, it had made her feel closer to him than she had in a long time. But while she was eager to begin planning their first obligatory date, he was uninterested.
“Mason, please don’t make me plan this on my own.”
“Sorry.” He reached over and gave her knee a squeeze. “How about we try that new seafood restaurant in the French Quarter?”
“La Bouff’s? I’ve heard good things about them.”
“Good. I’ll make a reservation for us.”
“Maybe we could go dancing after?”
He shot her a quick glance. “I’m not good at dancing.”
“Yes, you are. Dancing is like making love, and we have two kids, remember? Trust me, you’re good.”
The corner of his lips kicked up. “Well, if you’re talking about that kind of dancing, then yeah. I’m great at it.”
She rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t hold back her own smile. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. Even a pro needs practice.”
“When can we start practicing again?”
Her heart thudded in her chest from the low, suggestive question. From the husky desire in his tone, it was clear they were no longer talking about dancing, and her thighs quivered at the thought of being with him again. With last season’s playoffs keeping him away, and the rising tension between them because of it, there had been no room for romance or intimacy.
Yet, based on their session today, he wanted more of that between them. A revelation that surprised her. He had stopped making an effort to touch her, and didn’t appear bothered by their lack of lovemaking. She had assumed he had stopped caring about that part in their marriage. She was relieved to learn she had been wrong. Then again, would it be wise of them to jump back into bed so soon when they still had so much to work through?
Before she could approach that delicate subject, his cell phone began to ring. Mason answered it, and a familiar voice came clearly through the car speakers.
“Mason, I think that cocksucker—”
“Watch it, Doug. My wife’s in the car.”
“Oh… Sorry, Jules.”
“Don’t sweat it, Doug,” Jules said, finding her husband’s reproach amusing, since he rarely ever bothered to watch his language around her. “I’ve heard it all before. Now, you were saying…”
There was a brief hesitation before Doug spoke again. “It’s Harrison Stacey. I think he’s trying to make trouble for you, Mason.”
“Who’s that?” she asked quietly.
“I’ll tell you later.” Mason’s tone was low and guarded. He returned his attention to Doug. “What happened? Did he publish something?”
“No, but I think he may have filed a complaint with the league. I heard Steven got a call from the commissioner’s office, and now he wants us to meet with him today.”
“Today’s no good, which is why I blocked my schedule.”
“I told them that, but then they started talking about suspensions and fines if we don’t get this straightened out, so I called you.”
Mason’s grip tightened around the steering wheel as they sat at a traffic light. He turned to her, his expression strained and apologetic. She realized then he was waiting for her permission. With his free schedule, she had hoped they could have lunch together at home and maybe finish planning their date night. Apparently that would have to wait.
“Go,” she whispered. “This sounds important.”
“All right, Doug. I’ll be there in a few.” Mason ended the call and glanced toward her. “Sorry, babe. I was not expecting that. We’re nearly home, so I’ll drop you off first.”
She nodded. “What’s going on, though? Who’s Harrison Stacey?”
Mason sighed. “He’s some damn sports journalist I took a swung at yesterday after the press conference.”
Her mouth fell open as she processed his words. “What? Why?”
Mason clenched his jaw and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I should have known better than to let him get under my skin. That was stupid on my part.”
She studied him as they neared their home. It was true her husband had a temper, but his fighting days had come to an end after his last season as a defenseman. His reputation may have advanced with him into his coaching career, but he wasn’t the guy to just go around punching people or things.
Yet he had done exactly that.
“Did he deserve it?”
He glanced at her, his brows lifting. “Yeah, he did. And I sure as shit don’t regret hitting him.”
“Then this will all work itself out. Don’t worry.”
“Who says I’m worried?”
“Your white knuckles.”
He looked down at his hands, and they both chuckled. He eased his hold as he began to turn the wheel. It took her a second to realize they were pulling into their driveway.
“When I get back tonight, maybe we can order in and put on that panda movie Jeremy loves.”
“The kids would love that.”
Jules started to exit the car then stopped. Turning back, she leaned over and pressed her lips against his cheek. She caught the stunned look on his face and smiled big. Pleased with herself, she started out of the car again.
To her surprise, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him. Looping his hand around the back of her neck, he brought his lips lightly down over hers. His lips moved over her gently before he deepened the kiss. Something warm unfurled inside her, and she instinctively rested her hand on his arm. No matter how much they fought or how angry he made her at times, he was the only man that could make her feel this way.
With a tremulous sigh, her lips fell open, and he slowly slipped his tongue into her mouth. The taste and texture of him was familiar, but there was something new in the way he moved his tongue along hers. He took his time, as if savoring the very essence of her. The sensation left her tingling with warmth all over. She released a soft moan and returned his kiss with all the passion and fire she still held for him.
Eventually, he pulled away and cupped her cheek. She held his penetrating gaze as he stroked the pads of his thumb along her jaw.
“Thank you.”
Jules tilted her head slightly. There were several ways she could interpret that, but she decided to just let it be, and gave him another quick kiss on the lips.
“Hurry back.”
5
Mason turned the page and read out the final passage.
“‘At the foot of the hill, Mowgli waved to Mother and Father Wolf. Though he never saw his wolf parents again, he did not forget the jungle he came from and the animals he first loved.’” Mason closed the dense picture book on his lap. “The end.”
Madison shifted where she lay nestled at his side. “Daddy, I don’t like this story.”
He stared down at his daughter’s large hazel eyes, her expression grave. “What part didn’t you like?”
“The last part. Why does Mowgli need to find another family in the human village? Why can’t he live with his jungle family forever and ever?”
She had a point. He wouldn’t have chosen such a bittersweet ending for a children’s story, but tried to help his daughter understand.
“Because he’s a human, sweetie. It’s okay for people to have two families.”
“But his wolf mommy and daddy will miss him. That makes me sad.”
Mason leaned down and kissed the worry from her brow. “Don’t be sad. Mowgli just wants to find a family who is just like him.”
But instead of comforting her, his words only brought tears to her eyes. “Does that mean Jeremy will find another family like him?”
“Of course not. Jeremy is special in his own way. Just like you’re special in your own way. But that’s what makes our family special and perfect for each other.”
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and smiled. “Like the Incredibles?”
“Exactly,” he said, not certain who she was referring to, but it seemed to make her happy.
Mason glanced at the time and shook his head. “Sorry, sweetie. It’s already past your bedtime.”
“Please!”
She pouted, and he couldn’t resist that face. He turned the pages to one of her favorite princess stories and began to read. He was halfway through the story before he realized she had fallen fast asleep.
He placed the book on the nightstand, then carefully extracted himself from the bed. She settled onto her side and tucked the covers around her. Strands of her thick auburn curls escaped her plaits, and he brushed them behind her ear, marveling at how much she was starting to resemble Jules.
It was jolting to think that not too long ago they had brought their tiny bundle of a daughter home from the hospital. Now she was about to enter preschool. Before he knew it, there wouldn’t be any more bedtime stories.
Mason left her bedroom, leaving the soft night-light glowing. Though Jules had put Jeremy to bed, Mason still went across to his son’s room to check in on him. He’d had a meltdown earlier that had unnerved them all. Luckily, Mason had gotten home in time to help Jules and Carrie calm him down. After, Jeremy had retreated into his room and had remained under his blanket for the rest of the day.
Mason entered his room, and as he suspected, his son was under his covers, a soft glow of light shining through. Mason tugged at the sheets and found Jeremy with his tablet, his earbuds firmly in place.
“Time for bed, Jeremy,” Mason said, tugging off the earbuds.
Jeremy grabbed them back and stuffed them back into his ears. “Panda babies,” he said, pointing at his tablet.
From what Mason could tell, it looked like a documentary about the black-and-white bears.
“You can finish watching it tomorrow.”
“Giant panda.” Jeremy pointed at the screen again.
“I see,” Mason said, reaching for the device. “But it’s getting late.”
Jeremy tightened his hold around it. “Finish!”
Instead of getting into a tug of war over the thing, Mason let it go. “You want to finish watching?”
