Crista McHugh - Breakaway Hearts

The Range Rover swerved across the center line as it all came flooding back to him. Ben yanked the wheel, jerking the SUV back into his lane. His heart pounded, but it had nothing to do with the fact he’d almost run off the road.

“Ben, are you okay?”

“Fine, fine,” he replied, even though his lungs were working overtime. “I just remembered where I knew her from.”

“Oh?”

His cheeks grew warm, and he debated if he should elaborate. Out of his six brothers, only one knew what had happened that night in Vancouver. “Did Caleb ever tell you about that girl I met when we went to the playoff game nine years ago?”

“The one with the blue hair?”

He bit back a groan and twisted his hands along the steering wheel. “Yeah, that one.”

“Is it her?”

“Ninety-nine percent certain.” She had the same build, the same eyes, the same dimples. The only thing different was the hair color.

Oh, and the fact that she obviously seemed to hate him now.

“So what are you going to do?” Adam asked.

“Find out what’s happened over the last nine years.” And maybe see if the chemistry’s still there .

“Good luck to you.” Adam seemed to be ending the conversation, but a second later he added, “By the way, have you been on the ice yet?”

“No.” Not a subject he wanted to discuss.

“You’re going to have to face your fears sometime. You love the game too much to walk away from it.”

Ben blew a breath out through clenched teeth. Adam was right, but he refused to admit it. “Still waiting for the knee to be a hundred percent,” he lied.

“It’s been three months.”

“Yeah, and an injury like mine can be a career ender.”

A sigh of defeat came through the speakers from the other side of the line. “Fine, do what you want, but I know you won’t be able to stay away for long. Eventually, you’ll feel the need to put your skates on again.”

It was scary how well his older brother knew him. The ice had called to him today, and he’d felt that itch. But it still wasn’t strong enough to make him want to venture out onto it again. “Maybe. In the meantime, I have other things to worry about.”

“Let me know how it turns out.”

“Same here. Hopefully, the next time I talk to you, you’ll be an engaged man.”

Adam chuckled. “Fingers crossed. I just have to work up the nerve to ask her.”

A stab of envy pierced him. His brother had everything. A secure job managing the family’s real estate. A place overlooking the lake. A fabulous woman he was on the verge of marrying. He actually sounded happy.

The stab deepened into an ache of regret. If he’d bothered to have gotten Hailey’s number that night before falling asleep, would he be the one leading the charmed life?

“Talk to you later,” he said and hung up on Adam.

For the rest of the drive, he focused on Hailey and why she’d acted the way she had after nine years. Every time he tried to think of something he might’ve done, he drew a blank. After all, she was the one who left him without a word. Not even a phone number. Just a quick note thanking him and telling him she’d never forget that night.

He pulled into the garage and pulled the note out. Nine years in the back of his wallet had taken their toll on the flimsy piece of paper, but the ink was still visible. He ran his thumb over the little heart she’d drawn.

Sometimes life was about second chances, and now that he’d been given one with her, he wasn’t about to let her slip through his grasp this time.

Hailey breezed in through the front door of the Sin Bin and stopped short of the bar.

A pair of slate-blue eyes stared back at her from a photo by the register, and a wave of grief rose from her chest and threatened to spill out from her eyes. She snatched the photo off the jar and slapped it facedown on the counter before the tears fell. She hadn’t cried since the day she’d learned about Zach’s diagnosis, and no amount of tears would bring him back now.

Her father looked up from the newspaper. “What did you do that for?”

“Pop, I thought we’d talked about this.”

“And I made it very clear that just because Zach’s gone doesn’t mean we have to give up on other kids like him.”

She stared at the back of the photo that was lying on the counter. Part of her wanted to tear it to shreds just so she wouldn’t have to keep reliving the pain that was still raw, even after a year. But the rest wouldn’t allow her to do it. Pictures were all she had left of her son.

She shoved it under the jar. “Fine, but can we please collect money for the children’s hospital without using his picture?”

She continued on to the kitchen to drop her purse off in the back office. The scent of spicy peppers burned her nose as she passed the oven. That meant only one thing—Cindy’s meatloaf was the special tonight. Maybe she could blame her watering eyes on that.

Her dad followed her into the office. “Is something wrong, Hailey?”

“No.” She swiped the back of her hand across her face. “It’s just still hard, you know?”

And it didn’t help that Zach’s father had just mysteriously appeared in town one year too late.

He pulled her into a hug. “I know, sweetie.”

“I keep hoping that if I just keep my promise to him, it will get easier.”

“It will.” Her father would know. He’d dealt with the loss of a child, an older brother she barely remembered. It was his death that had driven her parents apart. “Just stay focused on the positive.”

“I’ll try.” She pressed her palms to her cheeks and removed any lingering wetness. “So, it’s meatloaf night, eh?”

Her father winced and then nodded. “Yeah, Cindy was wondering why we hadn’t featured it in a while.”

“Maybe you should try being honest with her.”

“I know better than that.” He gave her a playful tweak on the nose. “Do you think we’ll sell any tonight?”

She laughed, shaking off the last of her heavy grief. “I think the whole town knows about Cindy’s meatloaf. It should come with one of those biohazard warnings.”

Now it was her father’s turn to laugh. “I guess Dozer will be feasting tonight.”

“If he’s brave enough to come near it. You know something’s bad when a dog refuses to eat the leftovers.”

They shared another laugh and went back into the bar. It was late afternoon, but the regulars were starting to filter in. The Whales weren’t playing tonight, so Cindy had the night off. It meant that Hailey had to take care of all the tables, which was fine until an hour before closing when he walked in.

Ben stood in the doorway, his gaze locked with hers. Neither of them moved. It was like a showdown between two gunslingers in those old Westerns. Finally, he looked away and went to the same table he’d occupied before, barely leaning on the cane in his hand.

Her dad came alongside her, drying a glass. “Is that the same guy who left Cindy that outrageous tip last night?”

“Yep.”

“Can you kindly drop a hint that she’s happily married to me?”

“Will do.” Along with another hint that he wasn’t welcome here .

She took her time crossing the room from the bar in the center to his little corner booth. “Back again?”

“Couldn’t resist,” Ben said with a grin.

Nine years ago, that same grin had won her over and had her ready to follow him back to his hotel room for best orgasm of her life. But now she knew what he was really like.

That still didn’t ease the twinge between her legs when she remembered how wonderful he’d felt inside her.

“What’ll you have?”