Dirty Score, A Rough Riders Hockey Novel(49)

Get out, she mouthed to them, stabbing her finger toward the ice.

The guys skated off laughing, and Mia smiled with a shake of her head. She brought the phone to her ear again, but her gaze roamed the rink. And while her new boss’s voice spilled into her ear, explaining character changes and episode rewrites in the upcoming season and how those would be reflected in the costumes, Mia’s gaze held on all the people who’d become more than friends over the years. The wives and girlfriends of the other players who felt like sisters. The players’ parents who had become like aunts and uncles. The team members’ kids who felt like nieces and nephews.

Her gaze pulled to Rafe like a magnet and held. He was down on the ice, sitting back on his heels, hands held up, acting like a goalie for Andre’s two-year-old, Dmitri. The boy was being held up by his father but was holding the stick on his own, swinging awkwardly at the puck and missing. Mia had no idea what was being said between the men, but Rafe and Andre were laughing so hard, they were fighting to stay upright.

The sight infused Mia with a conflicting mix of joy and loss, and tears rushed her eyes.

“That includes you, Mia.” Aaron’s voice pulled her back to the conversation, which was coming to a close. “Enjoy your family while you have them close. We won’t be doling out vacation anytime in the foreseeable future.”

That hit her in the gut, but she tapped the Mute button to confirm she’d heard him.

“I know this probably sounds intense,” Aaron told Mia, “but I did an apprenticeship for Shay Lawrence when I was just out of school, and if yours has been anything like mine, this is going to feel like a vacation once you settle in.”

That brought a round of laughter from the others but didn’t quite bring a smile to Mia. Shay Lawrence had been impossible to please, but she’d always been an hour’s flight away from people who could make her feel better.

“We’re excited to have you,” Aaron said. “And if you happen to get into town a few days early, shoot me an email or text. We’re having an end-of-episode party this week. It would be a great time for you to meet the crew in a casual setting. We work hard, but we play hard too.”

She said her thank-yous and good-byes, but a knot sat in the middle of her chest.

“Enjoy your family while you have them close.”

Laughter touched her ears through the glass, and a heavy sadness filled her. She found Rafe again just as Dmitri skated into him. Rafe grabbed the boy and fell backward, lying on the ice and holding Dmitri over him, tickling the boy into fits of giggles.

A wave of emotion overwhelmed her. She turned her back to the rink and covered her face with both hands. Tears leaked from beneath her lashes. “Shit.” She took a breath. Another. “Shit, shit, shit.”

Mia grabbed hold of her emotions before they completely unraveled, and focused on the big picture. Sliding her hands down to clear her eyes, she stared blankly out the front glass doors to the parking lot.

“I can do this,” she whispered to herself.

Her mind darted to other options, but there were no other options. DC was the antithesis of fashion friendly. Her only choice for a decent career was to go back to the fashion industry in New York. Where she couldn’t afford to live. Where there was snow and humidity and wall-to-wall people. Where she would work for yet another elitist designer, stifled by being forced to design in their mold. Even in LA, Mia could afford a decent place to live on her own. She already had a friend there. And her job would be exciting and challenging. The things she’d learn would make her stand out among the competition.

This was the right choice. It might not feel like it emotionally, but logically, she’d weighed out the pros and the cons dozens of times before she’d made the jump. Now she needed to trust herself.

She nodded, closed her eyes, and wiped the tears that fell. “I can do this. I’ll be fine.”

Mia shook off the gloom and reentered the arena. Cold hit her face, and laughter touched her ears. The knowledge that she wouldn’t be back to participate in another skate like this anytime soon created an ache beneath her ribs. But she’d been through enough transitions in life to know these feelings were normal and that eventually she’d adjust.

She took off her blade guards, and as soon as she glided onto the ice, Lily Croft skated over to show Mia how much the one-foot spin she’d taught the girl had improved. By the time Lily had executed the move, Amy and Rachel were there, demanding to show Mia what they’d learned. Soon, Sarah was standing beside Mia. And Rafe glided into the group as well. He hung back, letting the girls have the spotlight while Sarah and Mia talked, but his presence felt like a tight wire all through her body.