by Kat Mizera
Sara shrugged. “Maybe. Part of it, at least.”
“I think he has the same feelings for you that you have for him, but he’s just afraid. I don’t know whether it’s because of his past or he’s just being a guy or what, but he has feelings for you. Otherwise, the sex would’ve been mediocre. You were in the back seat of a car… That’s not exactly the time or place for mind-blowing sex, but it was. Which means there was more to it.”
“Aaron is part of why I’m frustrated, but not all of it. I think I’m going through an identity crisis or something. I hate everything right now.”
“Well, yeah, your life is shit. I mean, your home was destroyed in an earthquake and you’re bouncing around from Aaron’s to here. You can’t work at either of your jobs, so I’m sure you’re worried about money. Your leg is going to take a while to heal, which can’t be comfortable, so it makes sense that you’re struggling.”
“I guess what’s happened is that this whole thing has made me second-guess all my life choices. Both the good and the bad. I feel like I don’t have a direction anymore.”
“Well, I’m here with your look-on-the-bright-side solutions today.” Hailey smiled. “You have a lot of time to do nothing but think right now… Why don’t you do some soul-searching and figure out what’s bothering you the most and what it is you really want. I think there are a bunch of those quizzes online that help you find yourself, narrow down your fields of interest, stuff like that. Do yourself a favor and check them out.”
“Maybe I will,” Sara said, nodding. “And thank you for letting me vent. I appreciate it.”
“Any time.”
11
Aaron got home from the road trip feeling good. They’d won all three games in California and the team was ready for the regular season. They had two weeks of home games coming up, including one more preseason game and the start of the regular season, before they hit the road again, and he was looking forward to playing for their fans here at home. Coach Cade had a different style than Laurel, and though as a goalie it didn’t impact him as much, the other guys were torn. Half the team seemed to love him, the other half not so much. Personally, Aaron didn’t give a shit as long as they won. After last year’s playoff run, he was hoping for another.
He unlocked the door to his apartment and something wonderful wafted into his nostrils. Was Sara cooking? He put his bag down and called out to her.
“Hey!” she called back. “Go get changed and then I have a surprise for you.”
“Okay.” He hurried into his room, pulling off his suit, tie and dress shirt and tossing them into the hamper. He dug sweats out of his drawer and pulled them on, along with a T-shirt and regular socks since his dress socks had gone into the hamper as well. He had no idea what Sara was up to, but the tone of her voice was different, lighter, and she sounded happy. It had been a long time since he’d heard that from her and he couldn’t wait to see what his surprise was.
He joined her in the kitchen to see her hobbling around on one leg, her crutches nearby and Merlin on her shoulder, stirring something in a Crock-Pot. A Crock-Pot he’d never seen before.
“That smells awesome,” he said, joining her at the counter.
“I know it’s a little late for you to eat, but I had energy and wanted to make something we could eat tomorrow. It’s a low-fat version of beef stew with lots of veggies and lean meat, low sodium, and not a lot of potatoes, but I put some in because I like them.”
“Wow. This is great.” He took the lid off the Crock-Pot and inhaled deeply. “I’m thinking I might need a little bowl tonight. I didn’t eat dinner.”
“Oh, well sit down and let me—”
“Yeah, right.” He laughed and pointed to a chair. “You cooked, so I’ll serve. You want some too?”
“Sure. Thanks.” She sank into a chair and grinned up at him. “Hailey picked up the Crock-Pot from Dani’s and I brought it with me when they dropped me off here earlier. I went to the grocery store too and stocked up on everything we need. I figured I should donate to the household since I’m eating here too.”
“I don’t need money from you,” he said quietly, putting two bowls of stew on the table. “You want a bottle of water?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
He grabbed two out of the refrigerator, noting the shelves were full of all kinds of things, everything from fresh fruit to packaged salad to some kind of probiotic yogurt he’d never tried.
“You don’t have to cook,” he said, joining her at the table. “I like to cook and I’m happy to do it once preseason is over.”
“Now that we have a Crock-Pot, we can cook lots of great, healthy meals that don’t take a lot of effort with my leg and everything. I need something to keep me busy anyway, so it works out for both of us.”
“I don’t want you to think you have to earn your keep or something,” he said carefully. “I’m happy to have you here, Sara. Really.”
“I know. And I’m sorry for my shitty attitude lately. I did some soul-searching while you were gone and I realized I’m bitter because I’ve had the attitude that I’m stuck here in Alaska, living off the charity of my friends. But I guess that’s not true. It’s not like I couldn’t leave if I wanted to, right? I have my folks in Minneapolis and they want me to come home, so I have a place to go and I could get a job there…”
“But?”
“But I don’t want to leave. I like it here. I mean, it’s maybe not where I’d stay forever, but for now, it’s beautiful and there’s so much to see and do. I’ve buried myself in work as if that’s somehow going to make all the disappointments in my life go away, and that’s not a solution. I’d love to be a veterinarian but I have to accept that it might not happen. And if it does, it might happen on a different schedule than what I’ve been planning in my head.”
“What brought about this change of heart?” he asked, taking a bite of stew and wondering how something low sodium, low fat and low carb could be so good.
“Hailey reminded me that my life here is pretty great, no matter what other plans I had, and she’s right. I mean, I have the best friends in the world, I take care of a little boy I adore, and I get to work with animals, which is my passion. I shouldn’t complain.” She paused. “Well, I’m gonna complain the whole time I have this damn cast on, but I shouldn’t complain about other stuff.”
He chuckled. “Sounds fair. And damn, this stew is awesome. How’d you make it so healthy but still delicious?”
She told him about the ingredients she’d used and a few tips she’d gotten from Dani, who wasn’t just an athletic trainer but also focused on nutrition and dietary needs.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better in general,” he said.
“Me too.” She started to get up to take her dish to the sink but he stopped her.
“I’ll do it,” he said. “Just give me a minute.”
“I can help,” she said, getting to her feet.
He loaded the dishwasher while she put the stew in two plastic storage containers and let them cool on the counter. “Don’t forget to put those in the fridge before we go to bed,” she told him.
“Got it.” He turned on the dishwasher and they moved to the living room.
“So has Dr. Harjo had any luck finding a more permanent home for Merlin?” he asked.
“Tweet, tweet!” Merlin chirped, flying from Sara’s shoulder to Aaron’s.
“Hey, big boy.” Aaron absently scratched the bird’s head as they talked.
Sara told him about Dr. Harjo’s money problems. “He’s a fantastic human being and an excellent doctor, but a terrible businessman. He doesn’t send bills and sometimes people go years without paying.”
“That’s not good.” Aaron grimaced.
“No. I’ve tried to help, telling him he could set up payment plans and such, but he said he can barely afford the hours I work now, much less me working any extra doing billing. And of course, his wife is the receptionist so she doesn’t want any extra work.”
“Me either.”
“Well, it’s a shame, but nothing we can do about it, you know?”
“Yeah. But what this means is that we’re kind of stuck with Merlin because Dr. Harjo doesn’t see anyone now other than his farm patients.”
“Once you move back to Dani’s, I can’t keep him.” He looked at her guiltily. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint her, and he’d gotten pretty fond of the big red bird, but what would he do with him when the inevitable two-week road trips came along? The team and the league worked together to make travel as easy as possible for them, but the distance was still a factor. A trip from Anchorage to south Florida was longer than some trips to Europe, so they had to be cognizant of that. When they went to the southeast, they had a day off to get used to the four-hour time difference and jet lag, and then they played the teams in that area in a methodical pattern that brought them at least a little closer on the flight home.
“What if we shared him?” she asked quietly, her eyes boring into his like twinkling lasers of sincerity. “Like, you know, he lives here when you’re not traveling and lives with me at Dani’s when you’re on the road? I can take him over there, I don’t think they’d say no, but I probably won’t be able to take him with me if I get accepted to vet school and he already loves you…” Her big brown eyes turned molten and he nearly groaned aloud.
“Hon, he’s a great bird, something I never thought I’d say, but if you do go away to school, what will I do with him when I go on road trips?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted, “but I can’t imagine letting him go. And honestly, he doesn’t have anywhere to go right now, so can we just have him here with us and we’ll deal with finding him a new home when and if we have to?”
There was absolutely no way in hell to say no to that face, looking up at him so sweetly, so he didn’t. “Okay. Merlin stays here, as long as he doesn’t start to scream all the time. Right, big guy?” He turned and started scratching him again, unwilling to let her see the desire that was probably written all over his face. When she looked at him like that, as if he was important to her, it always did weird things to his gut. He wanted to put the brakes on his feelings, on everything to do with her being in his life, but it was too damn late and he didn’t have a single clue how to show her what he was feeling without making a big mess of things. Again.
He was so screwed.
12
The first game of the season was a home game for the Blizzard, the first week of October. Everyone they knew was going to the season opener so Hailey and Amy insisted Sara go too, even though it was a little bit of a hassle. Gage generously offered to let Sara, Hailey, Amy and the twins sit in the owner’s box since it would be impossible for her to navigate the seats on crutches and it would be easier for Hailey and Amy to have the twins contained in a relatively safe area.
Sara had Kelsey on her lap for the beginning of the game, but Hank was too excited about seeing Daddy on the ice and kept squealing with delight, pointing to the ice and laughing. He kept Amy and Hailey busy and Sara was content to bounce Kelsey on her knee.
“How are you feeling?” Gage asked, sitting beside her and taking Kelsey when she held out her arms to him.
“It’s less painful, but the cast is still a pain in the ass.” She laughed.
“It’ll be off before you know it.”
“Mostly, I miss driving. Everything else is an inconvenience, but not being able to go where I need to go, when I want to get there, drives me nuts. No pun intended.”
“If you ever need a ride,” he said, “please don’t hesitate to call. When I’m not traveling, I don’t have that much to do while Laurel’s working, so I’d be happy to take you to the store or a doctor’s appointment or whatever.”
“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“When do you go back to work?”
“Well, I can’t drive, so I can’t take Niko to school or pick him up, and Dr. Harjo closed the clinic because there’s more damage than he can afford to fix.”
Gage shook his head, his silver eyes gleaming. “That was a really old, beat-down building… Is he not going to rebuild?”
She shrugged. “He says he can’t afford it, so I’m out of that job as well.”
“Sara, whatever you need, please just ask. I know it’s awkward, and people would rather die than admit they need money, but you’re part of our family here, and the truth, as much as it pains me to say it, is that I have more money than Laurel and I, and even the fifteen children I’m fairly certain we’re not going to have, will ever spend.”
She chuckled but shook her head. “I can’t take money from you for doing nothing.”
“You people are all so stubborn,” he muttered. “I’m going to start giving everyone really expensive birthday gifts.”
She laughed. “That, I’ll take.”
“When’s your birthday?”
“April.”
“That’s not helping you now.”
“I’ve got money,” she said. “Not a ton, but enough. I don’t have much in the way of expenses so my money is mostly for things like toiletries, gifts for my friends, and saving for when I go back to school. I’ll have to dip into my savings a little, but that’s okay.”
“My assistant is taking a personal day next week and I was going to hire a temp from the agency we use. What if you worked with me for the day instead?”
“Are you making this up?”
He shook his head. “No. I swear. She takes four personal days a year, one each quarter, because she works a lot of hours for me, and the next one is coming up. Twenty dollars an hour sound fair? Under the table so we don’t have to deal with paperwork and that nonsense since it’s just one day.”
“I can answer phones and take messages like a boss,” she said, nodding. “I’ll do it.”
“Great.” He smiled and got up, Kelsey still in his arms. “I’m going to take Miss Kelsey for a little walk. I’ll be back.”
She watched him go and was once again reminded how lucky she was. She really did have the best friends here in Alaska, and she’d miss them when she left. The question was, if her life here was so good, why was she so anxious to leave? It might be time to ponder that question more seriously than she had been.
Getting up to go to the arena with Aaron in the morning was weird, but Sara was excited about working for Gage. Aaron walked with her to the elevator, but he got off on one of the lower floors while she was going up to the executive offices.
“Have a good day,” he told her. “Let me know if you’ll need a ride home later.”
“Thanks.” She waved as the doors closed behind him. She got off on the executive level and Gage was waiting for her, a grin on his face as he greeted her. “Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning,” she replied.
He showed her to her desk and explained how he liked his phones answered, how he wanted messages written, and how to transfer calls from the phone on her desk to the one on his.
“If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.” He pointed. “Restroom is over there and if you need coffee or anything, let me know, because you can’t carry coffee while you’re on crutches.”
“Coffee would be great,” she said. “Just a little cream, no sugar.”
“I’m on it.” He walked away and she smiled to herself, thinking how silly it was for a billionaire like Gage to be getting coffee for her instead of the other way around.
“I’ll be on a call with my attorney for the next hour, so no interruptions until you hear from me, okay?” He handed her a steaming cup of coffee. “Just take messages and tell people I’ll get back to them. The only exception to that rule is my wife, though if it’s important, she’ll most likely call my cell.”
“I think I can handle it,” she said.
“The password for the Wi-Fi is on a Post-it on the desk, so f
eel free to get online or whatever. The phones shouldn’t be too crazy.”
“Thanks. Got it.” She took a sip of coffee as he shut his office door behind him. Then she logged in on the computer to check her email.
The morning was slow, the phone only ringing a few times between nine and eleven.
Gage stuck his head out of his office after he hung up with his attorney. “I have an appointment at eleven thirty, so just buzz me when he arrives.”
“Of course.” She answered a call that turned out to be a wrong number and was just about to play a game of solitaire on the computer when the elevator dinged and the doors opened. A man stepped out and she looked up to see a familiar face.
“Dr. Sullivan?” she asked in surprise.
“Sara. Hello.” He went over and shook her hand. “It’s good to see you. How’s the leg?”
“Annoying, but hopefully on the mend.”
“I didn’t know you worked for the Blizzard.”
“I don’t.” She smiled. “I’m helping Gage—Mr. Caldwell—because his assistant took a personal day. And since I can’t work my regular jobs with my leg in a cast, I can help here today… What are you doing here?”
“I’m talking with Gage about coming on as the team’s orthopedic surgeon. I’m moving out of emergency medicine and opening my own practice.”
“How exciting.”
“I think so.”
“Let me tell him you’re here.” She depressed the intercom button on the phone. “Gage? Your eleven thirty is here.”
“Thank you. I’ll be right out.”
She glanced up at Dr. Sullivan again. He was good-looking, if not a little conservative for her taste, with his close-cropped short hair, clean-shaven face, and navy suit. His face was handsome, though, and he was in good shape from what she could see through his clothes. Nowhere near as hot as Aaron, but still nice to look at. He had long-lashed dark eyes, dark hair and a cleft in his chin that was pretty sexy.
“I’m sorry, what?” She’d been so intent on looking at him, she didn’t realize he was talking to her.
