She hugged him and rose. “Think about this...Maggie fell for you. Not your nickname, not your reputation. She thought you were worthy of her love. I do, too. Seems like the only person you need to convince is yourself.”
Long after Jenny had left, Jake sat staring into space. He wanted desperately to believe what she’d said, but how could he? He’d let Adam down. He’d let Maggie down.
No. Better he stuck to his guns and focused on the one thing he could do right. Play hockey. Because he was damned if he’d let anyone else down.
* * *
TIME WAS NOT the great healer everyone claimed.
Rain hammered the windows, making Maggie shiver and cradle her mug of tea tightly. She sat on the sofa, snug in a thick sweater, soft jogging bottoms and fleecy socks. Emily was at Amy’s and Tracy was at a meeting, leaving Maggie alone in the too-quiet house.
The dreary afternoon reflected her feelings. It had only been a week, but she didn’t feel the slightest bit better. Each moment that passed without hearing from Jake killed what little hope she had. She told herself it was for the best. If he couldn’t believe in her, in himself, in the two of them together, then their relationship wasn’t worth anything.
That didn’t keep her from missing him.
Work had kept her busy, but as most of their projects were for the Ice Cats, it had been impossible to keep her mind off Jake. Even the new business pitch to the local NBA team had involved going to the arena they shared with the Cats. Thankfully, the hockey team was away, so she hadn’t had to worry about bumping into Jake. But the familiar loop of videos playing outside had stolen her breath. Especially the one featuring Jake.
With his ice-blue gaze fixed on her, his growled challenge, “Are you ready for me?” had struck at her core.
“The problem is,” she muttered, “you weren’t ready for me.”
She’d scanned the internet daily, pathetically eager for information about him. His stats hadn’t improved. Clearly, ending their relationship hadn’t helped his play, but would Jake recognize that?
Maggie sipped her cooling tea. As Tracy had predicted, the media fuss had blown over almost as quickly as it had started. Lee had gone surprisingly quiet, too. Rumors that he might be traded during the upcoming transfer window made her nervous—he didn’t respond well to uncertainty.
She bit back a yawn. Sleep had been elusive. When she’d finally succumbed, her dreams had been filled with endless replays of that conversation in Jake’s den. Each time they reached the critical moment, where she awaited his reassurance, she would jolt awake with wet cheeks and an aching heart.
The phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. She let the answering machine kick in.
“Umm...hello. This is Patty. I...uh...wanted to speak to Maggie.”
Why on earth would Lee’s fiancée be calling her? As Maggie listened to the stumbling message, sympathy rose in her. Patty sounded upset, stressed.
Maggie jumped up and grabbed the receiver. “Hello.” The silence on the other end made her uneasy. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Patty released an audibly shaky breath.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m...nothing’s broken.”
She swore. “He hit you.”
“It was a misunderstanding.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Maggie said firmly. “This is how it starts. A misunderstanding, followed by a tearful apology and a promise never to do it again. Trust me, he won’t keep that promise.” Her healed arm twinged as if to emphasize the point.
“This is different. He loves me.”
Patty’s naive insistence sounded painfully familiar. “Even so, he will hit you again.”
“But he’s promised to go into an anger-management program.”
Maggie knew then she’d never convince Patty that Lee wouldn’t change. She softened her tone. “Good.”
“The team insisted. This is his last chance. I’ll work with him. We’ll find coping strategies together.”
If the club dumped Lee, Patty’s life would become hellish. “Good luck with that.”
Maggie wished she could save Patty from the pain to come but knew the younger woman would cling to her delusions until it was too late.
As if she’d read Maggie’s mind, Patty’s tone changed abruptly. “I don’t expect you to understand. If you’d supported him instead of attacking him, he wouldn’t be in this situation. And I wouldn’t have to sort out the mess you created.”
Maggie’s spine stiffened, all sympathy gone. “I presume you called me for a reason.”
“I want to offer you a deal.”
“Excuse me?” That was the last thing she’d expected.