“We didn’t know what to do,” Derek, the third party present, said. “So I told Mack to run, and he did. I went to prison.”
“I think about it every day,” Mackenzie said. “Travis will always be with me. Since then, everything I’ve done has been out of shame or guilt. I’ve learned the hard way that that isn’t the way to redemption. I need to be better. I need to do better. I can’t let it destroy me.”
Today, Grant Mackenzie signs a contract extension. It is a two-year “show me” contract, minimizing the risk to the team if he continues to have off-ice problems.
“We were aware of Grant Mackenzie’s past when we made the offer,” says general manager John Simms. “And we have every faith in him.”
A last word from Mackenzie: “I’m going to bring a cup to this city. You can count on that.”
“It’s shorter than I thought it’d be.” Abigail grabbed the tablet from Mack and read the article again. “And nicer.”
“That would be the Simms spin,” Mack laughed, feeling relieved. The whole world now knew what he’d done, and he was glad.
The article was posted in the early hours of the morning and had since been picked up by every major news outlet.
Abigail’s phone chimed, and she scowled as she looked at it.
“Colin again?” Mack asked.
“Yeah, wants to know what I think about what you did.”
“What do you think?”
She rested her chin on his shoulder and ran a hand up and down his arm that was resting on the table. “One mistake doesn’t make the man.”
“Yeah?” He grinned down at her. “Then what does make the man?”
She smiled wickedly and he laughed.
“Press conference, remember?”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “You might want to get dressed.”
When he didn’t move, her hand wandered lower.
Their spell was broken by the sound of his phone cutting through the tension. She stood and looked down at him as he answered.
“Hello?” he said, not bothering to read the name on the screen.
“Grant,” a soft-spoken woman on the other end said cautiously.
“Elise.” He was too stunned to say anything further.
“I’ve missed you, brother.”
“Yeah?” His voice thickened.
“I saw the article.” Her quiet crying sounded in his ear. “I’m so sorry.”
He tucked his phone between his ear and his shoulder as he raised his eyes to Abigail’s.
“Me too,” he said. “You have no idea how sorry I am.”
“Labor Day weekend at Dad’s?” she asked. It used to be their tradition when their mom was alive. They’d throw big Labor Day bashes.
“I’ll be there,” he said.
Neither said anything for a long moment. Time and again, Mack had thought about what he’d say if given the chance to reconcile with his sister, and now none of it was coming out. He coughed quietly, trying to stave off the emotions swirling in his head.
“Brother,” she said softly.
“Uh huh?” he responded.
“I’ll see you.”
“Yeah.” He pulled the phone away from his face. “Bye, sis.”
Mack sat still for a bit, not quite believing that had just happened.
“I just talked to my sister,” he said.
Abigail ran a hand through his dark hair, cupping his chin with the other.
She just stared at him, leaning forward to brush her lips against his.
“She knows you aren’t that other guy.” Her breath warmed his lips. “And this man in front of me is all too easy to love.”
“Was that an ‘I love you’?” He smirked, pushing the phone call to the back of his mind.
“No.” Her voice didn’t waver.
“I think it was.” He stood, putting his hands on her hips.
“You’re delusional.” She squirmed, breaking free of him.
“I don’t know.” He scratched the back of his neck and looked away. “I mean, we haven’t been together long. You don’t really know me. You couldn’t possibly be in love with me.” He turned back towards her with a grin as he spouted off the same nonsense she’d said before.
She slugged him in the stomach. “I didn’t say I loved you.”
“Why, Miss Abigail.” He rubbed his stomach. “You do wound me so.”
“Why, Mister Mackenzie, you are an idiot.”
He grinned and pulled her back towards him. “You’re losing all credibility, you know.” He brushed his lips against hers. “Stop fighting it, babe.”
“Don’t-”
He cut her off with another kiss.
“Call you babe, I know.”
He kissed her again before she ducked out of his embrace.
“Come on,” she said, straightening up and bouncing on her toes. “Time to get ready.”
“Don’t be too excited. It’s only a press conference.”
“No it’s not.” Hands firmly planted on hips, she stared him down before breaking into a grin. “This, Grant Mackenzie, is your new beginning.”
“You think so?” he asked jokingly.
“Yeah. Don’t mess it up.”
Thank you for reading Confessions!
If you are interested in a review copy of Dreams, Josh and Taylor’s story, email me at [email protected]
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Books by Michelle Lynn
The Dawn of Rebellion Series
Dawn of Rebellion
Day of Reckoning
Eve of Tomorrow
The New Beginnings series
Choices
Promises
Dreams
Choices
A New Beginnings novel
Everyone makes lots of little decisions from the moment they wake up until they sink back into sleep at night. Decisions that have no consequences or expectations. But, what about the rare choices that could change everything? How do you know what is right for you?
Happiness is something you have to choose again and again, each day.
Michaela Matthews wants that more than anything. Standing in her way is a family pushing her down a specific path and the man she loves preventing her from choosing anything different. When she moves to the city for the next step in her parent’s plan, she starts to figure out what she wants - or more importantly, what she doesn’t want. She thinks she has to leave her old life behind to discover a new one. This throws every choice she has made into question. It isn’t until tragedy strikes that she learns that sometimes there is no choice at all. Sometimes you can have it all.
Jason Marks has had the kind of life where things have seemed to just happen to him, no choice involved at all. It’s a struggle for him to keep the past at bay while he tries to move forward. He is no longer the unwanted foster kid. He is a business owner, surrounded by people that love him. But, he isn’t in love. He’s not even sure he believes in it. Not anymore. At least, not until a heartbroken girl falls apart in his arms. It’s enough to make him a believer. Make him a dreamer. Enough to force him to answer that question. Do you give all of yourself to someone who might not choose you in return?
Yes. Yes, you do.
Promises
A New Beginnings novel
Do you promise you’ll always be here for me?
It was a game they played, only it wasn’t a game. Maggie Marks held on to Elijah’s childhood promises as a way of escaping a life that was far from perfect. Elijah Lugo was her neighbor, her best friend, her family. He was everything her parents refused to be, everything she needed. He was her first kiss and a witness to more of her father’s drunken rants than she could count. He was there at her wedding and then held her when it all fell apart. Elijah was in love with her, but she was afraid loving him
would eventually mean losing him too.
They were no longer kids, pretending everything would work out in the end.
When Maggie’s father reenters her life in an unexpected way, revealing long held secrets, her world is turned upside down and she will need Elijah more than ever.
A story of friendship and family. The promises you make and the ones you keep.
Dreams
A New Beginnings novel
Moving on is the hardest thing she’ll ever have to do. Taylor Scott sees the world differently than she did a year ago. She’s no longer the love-sick teenager, quick to smile and full of joy. Now she’s the broken college student just trying to get through the day without letting her feelings overwhelm her. It isn’t until she meets Josh that pieces of herself she’d lost start falling back into place and she can finally see that it’s okay to be happy again. Josh Walker is a professional athlete who’s always avoided distractions. His career is just getting started and he works harder than anyone else. Hockey is his life. It’s the only thing that makes sense to him. When a new coach joins the team, it’s his daughter that threatens to complicate everything. He wants to help her. Needs to help her. But when he needs her to do the same, he finds out what she’s really made of. No one ever told him that the hardest part of his hockey career wouldn’t have to do with hockey at all.
Confessions (New Beginnings #4) Page 9
