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  “Courtney Abbott?” he asked and held his hand out to her.

  “Yeah,” she said, eyeing him suspiciously as she shook his hand.

  “My name is Sid Clay.”

  “You’re a scout.” Court knew his name. She’d never met him, but she’d seen him in photos on the Canadian Hockey League website. She glanced at Lana, who seemed interested in their conversation. “This is Lana Caruso.”

  “Caruso,” he said with a nod. “I’m here to see Eric play. Are you his mother?”

  “Yes,” Lana said, sounding wary.

  “How did you hear about him?” Court asked. Clay’s reputation was a good one, and Court was thrilled for Eric because someone of Clay’s caliber was scouting him.

  “I have my sources.” He laughed and moved to the bench in front of them so he could speak to them together. He looked at Lana. “I know he had scouts watching him in Chicago, and I’m sure he’d be happy to play for one of those teams, but they’re minor league at best. Now that you’re living in Pennsylvania, he’s eligible for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft coming up in April. His chances of moving on to the NHL are infinitely better playing for us.”

  “Our permanent address is in Chicago,” Lana said, shaking her head.

  “Doesn’t matter. You’re living here now, and he’s playing here. When does he turn sixteen?”

  “February.”

  “And will you still be living here in April?”

  “Yes,” Lana said. Court took her hand and squeezed it. She could tell Lana was a little overwhelmed and wanted her to know she was there for her. Lana squeezed her back.

  “Then that’s perfect.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card which he handed to Lana. “Feel free to call me if you ever have any questions about anything.”

  “Oh, all right.” Lana took the card and looked it over. “Should I give you my number?”

  “No need right now.” He stood and shook her hand before grasping Court’s again. “I know how to get in touch with his coach, and if I like what I see today, maybe I can catch up with you after the game.”

  Court watched him as he walked away, wondering why he’d introduced himself to her in the first place if he hadn’t known Lana was Eric’s mother.

  “He seems a little full of himself, doesn’t he?” Lana asked. Court saw her shove Clay’s card into her back pocket.

  “He’s earned it,” she told her. “He’s scouted a lot of players who’ve ended up in the NHL.”

  “You really think he’s interested in Eric?”

  “I do.” Court took her hand and held it lightly between both of hers. “He’s improved so much since I first started working with him. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on a pro team in another four or five years.”

  Lana did her best to not act as excited as she felt. It was one thing to know there were smaller junior leagues interested in Eric, but she’d done her homework. The three leagues under the umbrella of the CHL were a huge source of draft picks for the NHL. If Eric could make it there, he’d be on his way.

  The final buzzer sounded and Eric’s team won seven to two. Eric scored a hat trick, and before Lana could even think about leaving her seat, Sid Clay was there to see them. She smiled at him, hoping he’d been impressed by Eric.

  “He’s definitely a talented kid,” he said with a nod. “I have his stat sheet, so I know this game wasn’t a fluke. Today isn’t the only time I’ll watch him either. I’ll be here for the last game of the season, right before Christmas. And I have no doubt they’ll win the championship if they continue to play like they did today. Your son could have a bright future ahead of him.”

  They talked while she and Court waited for Eric to shower and get dressed, and Lana did end up giving him her phone number. He assured her he’d be in touch as the draft approached to go over any details and answer any questions she might have.

  “Should I tell him?” Lana asked when they saw Eric, his gear bag slung over his shoulder, emerge from the locker room.

  “It’s up to you,” Court said with a shrug.

  Lana nodded, but she couldn’t shake the feeling she wanted Court to be involved in this. The truth was, she wanted Court involved with everything in her life, and the realization caused a queasy feeling in her gut. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. She stood to the side as a small group of kids approached Court for her autograph.

  She smiled as she watched them, Court being her gracious self and answering all the questions they could throw at her. Eric walked up to Lana and put his arm around her shoulders, dropping his bag to the ground beside him.

  “They really love her,” he said.

  “They do.” Lana nodded but never took her eyes off Court. And I think I do too. She gave herself a mental shake, trying to dispel the errant thought. It wasn’t part of their arrangement. And Court would probably laugh at her if she were to tell her what she was feeling. She needed to remind herself every so often, or else she was sure she’d be in trouble.

  It might be too late for that.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  “Mom!” Eric yelled as he entered the house, slamming the door behind him. It was Christmas Eve, and she didn’t feel like yelling at him for the hundredth time about slamming doors. “Mom! Where are you?”

  “In the kitchen,” she said, looking at Court and shaking her head. Court grinned at her but said nothing. They both knew why he was so excited. Sid Clay had been at his last game and talked to Lana about possibly taking Eric in the upcoming draft. There were other teams looking at him too, but Sid was the only one who had taken the time to speak with Lana. She’d decided not to tell him about it, but the only thing he got this worked up about was hockey, so she knew someone spilled the beans to him.

  He rounded the corner into the kitchen and his smile was bigger than she’d ever seen it before. He looked at them and shook his head, obviously able to tell they already knew.

  “I don’t need to tell you, do I?” he asked, but his smile never faltered.

  “Tell me what?” Lana asked, trying to sound innocent.

  “I’m probably getting drafted.”

  “Into the military?” Lana asked.

  “Ha ha,” he said. He shrugged out of his coat and hung it over the back of a kitchen chair. “You’re a comedian. No, in the QMJHL draft. You already knew, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, honey, I did,” she said, enveloping him in a hug. He had to bend over for her to do it, though. Not for the first time, she wondered when the hell he’d gotten so big. He was just over six feet tall and had to weigh close to two hundred pounds. He’d had a heck of a growth spurt in the past few months and had been working out with weights more. Frankly, she was having trouble keeping enough food in the house for him. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “I know I owe a lot of it to you,” he said when she released him, directing his comment to Court. She stood and Lana smiled as she watched Eric hug her too. He was even taller than Court now. “Thank you for all your help.”

  “So that’s it?” Court asked, winking at Lana over his shoulder. “You’re done with me now?”

  “No,” he said, sounding serious. “Not even close.”

  He glanced over his shoulder at Lana, who looked away from both of them.

  “Go get ready,” she told him. “Your grandmother is expecting us for dinner soon.”

  “Are you coming with us?” he asked Court, who shook her head with a small smile.

  He looked as though he had something else to say, but finally shook his head and left the room. Court sat once again and Lana could feel her eyes on her, almost like she was actually touching her. She hadn’t let Court know Eric understood they were together, but she also knew Court wasn’t stupid. It just wasn’t something that ever came up in conversation.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Court said after a moment. “Is everything okay?”

  “He knows we’re sleeping together.”

  Court nodded, but said
nothing. Lana saw the look she gave her and knew she was worried about what the revelation meant for them. She wanted to tell her nothing had changed, but she’d be lying. If Court thought it was because Eric found out, maybe it was for the best.

  “I think maybe we should stop.”

  “Wait, what?” Court asked. Maybe Lana had misunderstood the look. “I know that isn’t what you want, and neither do I. What’s really going on?”

  I’m falling in love with you.

  God, how Lana wished she could say those words, but what would it accomplish? She wasn’t about to give up her career to live in Kingsville, and she would never ask Court to give up hers and move to Chicago. Maybe it was better to end things now. Eric was growing too close to Court, and she knew it would hurt him more the longer she let this go on between them. Who was she kidding? It would hurt her more the longer she let it go on.

  “You don’t want to date a woman who has a kid, remember?” Lana asked, thinking if she pissed Court off she’d leave without her having to actually ask her to.

  “He’s not a kid,” Court said, shaking her head. “He’s a young man. A pretty awesome one, actually. What about the draft? You said you wanted me here for that.”

  “I do,” Lana said, somewhat surprised at the stab of pain in her chest. “I don’t want to lose you as a friend, but I think we’re spending too much time together. I don’t want Eric thinking this is going to be something that will last.”

  “Eric? Or you?” Court got to her feet so fast the chair she was sitting in fell backward. Lana could see both anger and hurt in her eyes. It was the pain she saw there that almost persuaded her to change her mind. Court pulled the keys out of her pocket and headed for the front door. “Merry Christmas.”

  Lana wanted to go after her, wanted to tell her she hadn’t meant it, but she couldn’t. A quick break would be better for them both, even if Court couldn’t see it now. When the front door opened and then closed, Lana let out a shaky breath, but she refused to cry.

  * * *

  “Seriously?” Lori asked after Court told her what Lana had said.

  They’d had dinner and the kids were in bed. They were sitting on the couch watching It’s a Wonderful Life—a Christmas Eve tradition that only served to make Court miss their father even more. She didn’t mind the fact they were ignoring some of it while they were talking.

  “Nice parting shot, by the way.” Lori nudged her with her elbow, and Court allowed a small smile. “How did she respond?”

  “She didn’t say anything, so I left.”

  “She didn’t try to stop you?”

  Court shook her head. She’d been angry, but she’d taken her time walking to the car, and then again backing out of the driveway, just in case Lana wanted to stop her.

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “The hell it doesn’t,” Lori said, turning to face her. “You’re in love with her, Court. And,” she added as she put her hand over Court’s mouth when she tried to protest, “she’s in love with you.”

  Court shook her head and pushed her hand away.

  “No, she’s not, and neither am I. We both agreed when this started it was temporary. Anything long-term would never work out.”

  “Bullshit,” Lori said, crossing her arms over her chest. “People have long-distance romances all the time. And whether you want to admit it or not, you won’t be playing hockey forever.”

  “No, but I have another year on my contract, and the team has an option for another year after that.” Court cringed at the thought of having to play with Jen Hilton for two more years, but she loved this team, and she loved the city. Not to mention Lori and the kids lived right next door. “This is my home.”

  “But it doesn’t have to be your home forever, Court.” Lori was exasperated, she could tell. “Don’t you dare tell me the only reason you want to stay here is me and the kids. At the end of the day, we aren’t your responsibility. Do I love having you next door? Absolutely. Will we miss you? Hell, yes, but you need to live your life for you, not for us.”

  “You aren’t listening, Lori. She ended it, not me.” Court stood to go. She just wanted to be alone, and her head was starting to ache. She rubbed her temples, her finger running across the scar under her eye. Lana was at the game when it happened. She’d likely never be at another game, and the realization threatened to rip Court apart. “I’m not going to beg her to continue something that would be over again in another few months.”

  “You are infuriating, do you know that?”

  Court chose not to answer, figuring it was a rhetorical question anyway. She slipped her shoes on and grabbed her jacket.

  “I’ll see you in the morning?” Court asked. Lori just waved in her direction, a sure sign she wasn’t happy with her.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  “How’s your mother doing?” Court asked Eric a couple of weeks later when he showed up before her morning skate with the Warriors. He was sitting on the team bench waiting for her when she emerged from the locker room. She hadn’t seen or heard from Lana or Eric since Christmas Eve, and she lost track of how many times she’d driven to the pizzeria only to leave again without going inside. “And you missed a couple of our sessions. A phone call would have been nice.”

  “She told me not to come anymore,” Eric said, looking at his feet.

  “Look at me when you’re talking to me,” she told him. It was something she’d instructed him to do while they were working together.

  “She told me not to come anymore,” he said again, meeting her eyes and sounding angrier than he had the first time he said it. “What did you do to her?”

  “Nothing. She ended things, not me.”

  He stared at her; no doubt his mind was racing to try to reconcile what she’d said with whatever story his mother had given him. Court didn’t have time for this. She turned to skate away from the boards, but his voice, full of hurt, stopped her in her tracks.

  “She’s miserable,” he said. “Are you?”

  “Eric, this really isn’t any of your business, okay?” she said, trying to sound sympathetic, but not knowing if she was succeeding. His words gave her hope, but she’d learned long ago that hope was fleeting.

  “My mother isn’t my business?” he asked incredulously.

  “No, that isn’t what I mean,” she said. She returned to the boards and lowered her voice when she saw the rest of her team coming onto the ice. “You guys are leaving in a few months. It was never going to last, Eric.”

  “So, what? You both just give up? God, adults are so ridiculous.”

  Court couldn’t help but laugh, because she kind of agreed with him.

  “Hey, Abbott, I haven’t seen your girlfriend around lately,” Jen Hilton called from a few feet away. Unfortunately, she’d been doing her best to get under Court’s skin again. Court tried like hell to ignore her, but it was almost impossible. “You moved on to little boys now, pervert?”

  Eric looked at her, but Court shook her head. It wasn’t worth getting into it with her, and Court didn’t want him starting anything.

  “You’re going to let her talk to you like that?” he asked. When Court just shook her head again, he looked across the ice toward Hilton. “Hey, bitch, come over here and say that.”

  “Eric, knock it off,” she said under her breath. Too late. She heard Hilton come to a stop behind her, spraying ice on her and Eric in the process.

  “Isn’t this sweet,” Hilton said. “You need a little boy to fight your battles.”

  “Shut the fuck up,” Court said without turning around. She was still hoping she’d be able to defuse the situation, but the look on Eric’s face told her it was too late. In fact, he started to climb over the boards so she placed a hand in the center of his chest and held him in place. She lowered her voice so Hilton couldn’t hear her. “You really want to fight with a woman? I’m sure your mother would have both our heads if I let that happen.”

  After taking a deep breath, she finally turne
d and faced Hilton.

  “Did your girlfriend dump you because she found out you liked little boys?” Hilton asked.

  “I don’t need anyone to fight my battles,” Court said through clenched teeth. She didn’t even pretend to give credence to her last comment. “Especially against someone like you.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Hilton dropped her stick and gloves, but Court just shook her head and chuckled. “You’re going to laugh at me?”

  “Back off, Hilton,” Court said, then glanced over her shoulder. “You need to leave now, Eric.”

  “But, Court—”

  “Now!” Court ducked just as Hilton threw a punch. She didn’t bother looking behind her again. She just hoped he was doing as she told him. She shoved Hilton in the shoulder, knocking her to the ice. Court hovered over her. “You’ll stay down if you know what’s good for you.”

  “Fuck you,” Hilton said with a sneer. She got to her feet and tried to hit her again, but Court blocked the punch with her gloved hand. “Fight me, dyke.”

  “Is that supposed to be an insult?” Court asked. “I’ve heard much worse, and from far better people than you.”

  “You’re an abomination, and an embarrassment to this team,” Hilton said. She was so angry she was spitting while she spoke. “You’re going to hell, you know that, right?”

  “Seriously? Some days I feel like I’m already there,” Court told her and couldn’t help but laugh. It only made Hilton angrier. “I’m so sick of people using religion to justify their hate. If you want to hate me, then own it. Don’t hide behind the church.”

  Court tried to skate away, but Hilton went after her. Court was expecting her to, and she was ready. She tossed her gloves and turned, all in one swift motion, and threw a right cross. It hit its mark, and as soon as her fist made contact with Hilton’s jaw, Hilton crumpled to the ice.