“Yeah.” Jake didn’t correct his friend’s assumption.
“Just keep it simple and stick to your game.”
A lightbulb flashed in Jake’s head. That was the answer. Not just to his play, but to the situation with Maggie. He’d go back to what he’d originally planned. A few dates, no commitment, no worrying about a relationship. No complications. Just enjoying each other’s company and having a good time.
The perfect game plan.
* * *
“ARE YOU LOOKING forward to opening night?”
Jenny’s question wasn’t a surprise, but Maggie had hoped her new friend would wait until after the cheesecake to ask it.
This dinner was their third get-together since meeting at the postgame meal. Their instant connection had continued; they’d talked and laughed through two lunches and endless texts as if they’d known each other for years.
Other than her sister, Maggie had never had a close female friend. Someone she could share confidences with and “ooh” over shoes or giggle over boys. She was enjoying the experience enormously.
At least, she had been until Jenny had asked the difficult question.
Maggie laid down her fork. “I’m not sure.”
Jenny’s teasing smile faded. “Is everything okay?”
“Jake and I haven’t spoken since he came to breakfast a few days ago, so I’m not sure where things stand.”
“What happened?”
“Breakfast had an inauspicious start.” As she explained, Maggie relived the emotional turmoil of the morning.
Having burned the bacon, she’d been on edge even before Jake had walked into the kitchen. She’d steeled herself for the disappointment she’d assumed she’d see in his expression because she’d failed to live up to expectations. Though she’d sworn she wouldn’t live in fear of another man’s opinions, that the only expectations that mattered were her own, her stomach had jolted sickeningly when she’d seen him standing in the kitchen.
Once again, Jake had surprised her. He’d made light of the whole debacle and, as he had with the banister knob, gone out of his way to reassure Emily.
“After that, everything seemed okay.” Maggie frowned. “Until I asked him to recommend a youth hockey program. We disagreed about certain points. Then something changed. It was like a switch had flipped and he couldn’t wait to get away.”
“Like most men, he doesn’t like being told he’s wrong.” Jenny’s husky laugh turned male heads at nearby tables. “Don’t worry, he’ll come around. He doesn’t hold grudges.”
“But in the meantime, what do we do with the opening night tickets?”
“Use them. You’ll have a great time.”
“What if he’s changed his mind? We’re supposed to sit with his parents. It’ll be awkward if he doesn’t want us there.”
“If he’d had second thoughts, he’d have said. I’d take his silence to mean he wants you to go.”
“Are you sure? Maybe he hasn’t called because he doesn’t want to speak to me.”
Jenny shook her head. “It’s not personal—he has a lot on his mind right now. He’ll be focused on his game, to the expense of everything else. The season opener will be especially tough for Jake.”
“Why? He’s already played a couple of games and he did okay.”
“Sure, but they were preseason games. It’s different when the points matter.” Jenny’s expression grew somber. “It’ll also be his first regular season game since the accident.”
“I imagine it’ll be hard for him to play without his friend.” Maggie’s heart ached for what Jake was going through.
“Definitely. It helps that he’ll be stepping out onto a different rink, wearing a different sweater. Still, Jake’s putting a lot of pressure on himself because he’ll be playing to honor Adam’s memory.”
“No doubt that pressure’s compounded by his survivor guilt.”
“Definitely.” Jenny traced a pattern in the condensation on her glass. “He changed after the accident. I think the realization that he wasn’t invincible made him reassess his life.”
“That’s understandable when his friend died too young.”
“Sure.” Sadness tinged Jenny’s blue eyes. “But I expected Bad Boy to live each minute to the full, not withdraw almost completely.”
“Perhaps he was scared. You know, there but for the grace of God.”
“I suppose. Especially because after Adam’s death everyone talked continually about lost opportunities and lost potential.”