One Timer(An Nashville Assassins Novel)(12)

I laugh. “Yeah, kiska. He loved you. So did my mom, Erik doesn’t care one way or another, but he thought you were cool.”

“Piper and Reese said I need to marry you.”

“I wouldn’t complain,” I say, to which she groans.

“I’m just now admitting I love you. Relax there.”

“Hey, we’re one step closer.”

She snorts. “You’re insane.”

“Yup, insanely in love with you.”

“Jakey,” she groans. “Stop. You make me feel all giggly.”

“Good,” I say, overwhelmed with all the feelings coursing through my body. “Listen, I gotta check on Shea. He’s butthurt over Elli.”

Harper laughs. “Why?”

“He thinks she’s gonna cheat on him or something insane.”

“What the hell?”

“Yeah, new relationship and all.”

“I don’t think that about you,” she says simply. “I trust you.”

“Exactly, because we’re in love.”

She groans more. “Bye, Jakob.”

“Bye, kiska.”

I hang up with the biggest grin on my face. When I reach the hotel room I share with Shea, I push the door open to find him sitting on the bed with his computer. He looks up at me and furrows his brows. “I thought you went out with the guys.”

“Nah, thought you needed to talk.”

Shea looks up, confused. “Huh?”

“You know, talk? Where your mouth moves and words come out,” I say, falling onto my bed.

“Shut up, asshole. I know what talking is. I just don’t know why I need to talk.”

I shake my head, a small smile on my face. He’s got it bad, and it’s cute. I like that he doesn’t know how to handle what he is feeling. I think it’s because it reminds me of Harper.

“Dude, you’re moody as hell lately. I don’t know what your problem is, but let it go. Did you and Elli get into a fight or something?”

“No, I just… I don’t know.”

He does know. He just needs a little push. “What’s going on with you, dude? You don’t call to go out anymore, and you are always with her. Is it really that serious?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Really?” I ask, curious as to how he is going to handle this.

“Things are different now, Jake. I’m not the guy I was six months ago.”

I laugh loudly. “Well, no shit, Shea. I knew that, but are you seriously for real about her? I mean, we all know I’m for real about any girl I get involved with, but are you?”

He just nods. “I am. I love her.”

There it is. With a grin filling my face, I say, “Good. You’re getting older. You need to settle down.”

He cringes, his whole body involved in the motion. “I never said anything about marriage, Jake.”

I pull my computer out from under the bed. Figure I can play some games or look at some naked pictures of Harper. She sent me a few a while back, and when I miss her, which is basically all the time, I look at them. Makes me feel closer to her. “You didn’t have to. You love her, so it will be just a matter of time. Since this is the one and only girl you have spent more than a day with.”

Shea just shakes his head. “You sound like my mom.”

“She’s a smart woman,” I remind him with a nod. I love Shea’s mom. She’s a hoot. But his dad, man, he is a blast. He’s taken us fishing so many times, and he treats me like I’m his son. It’s nice. I bet Harper would love them; they’re just like my parents. A grin pulls at my lips. It’s cute that she was worried if they liked her or not. They didn’t stop talking to her and gushing over how gorgeous she is to her face. How else could they say they liked her?

She’s so silly.

When my phone sounds, I look down to see a notification from Facebook.

Harper Allen says she’s in a relationship with you.

I jump up, my computer going one way as I shout loudly.

“What the hell are you doing?” Shea yells back.

“I need my phone!”

He points to the TV, where I had set my phone right beside Shea’s.

“Ah, thanks!” I yell, picking it up and calling Harper. I can hear it in her voice that she is about to be difficult.

Calmly, I say, “Hey there.”

“Hey,” she says cautiously.

“I saw your status.”

“So? It means nothing!”

“Oh no, you don’t. Don’t deny it, baby girl. I saw it.”

“Well, still. I just figure…may as well change it. You know, for the sake of everyone else and because we are in a…relationship, I guess. I mean, I love you.”

I laugh hard. “I hate to say this, baby, but I told you so.”

“Whatever. I gotta go,” she says shortly, but I’m on cloud nine.

“Okay. Love you.”

She sighs sweetly. “I love you more, Jakob.”

As I hang up, I’m grinning from ear to ear.

I’m so winning at life right now.





With the puck on my stick, I move it back and forth as my team sets up. This game is an all-out war. We’re fighting for the number one spot in our division, and with a win here, we’ll make it. Apparently the Blues don’t want to help us out and just lose. Nope, they want to be assholes and come at us like they’re gonna get in first. They aren’t even on anyone’s radar. When Welch hits the ice, I rocket the puck to him and head toward the blue line. Shea is there, yelling, “Dump! Dump!”

Welch does as he’s told before we all rush the net. Shea and I wait at the blue line as our forwards fight for the puck. When it comes to me, I send it to Shea for the one timer. He shoots, but it goes wide. I rush to it, getting there first and sending it to Welch, who is by the net. He shoots from his knees, but the goalie snaps it up like it’s nothing. As we head to the bench, we’re all frustrated. We’ve been fighting for a goal for the last ten minutes. They haven’t even entered our zone, but their goalie decided to come to play today.

I reach for my Gatorade bottle, squirting some into my mouth as I watch the game. From beside me, Shea leans over the bench, yelling, “Guys! Tighten up. Fight! You got this. This is our game to lose!”

He isn’t wrong. I draw in deep breaths as I watch our boys stay in their zone, not allowing them to leave. A minute passes before the goalie finally gets the puck, holding it to provide relief for his guys. Coach taps my shoulder, and I hop over the boards to go line up.

When Shea comes up beside me, I look over as he leans in. “One timer, left.”

I nod. We’ve done this play before, and I’m stoked. Hopefully I can make the shot. Unfortunately, we don’t win the face-off, and they carry it up the ice. I skate backward, watching the puck with laser focus. I read the play before the guy even has time to make it. He’s trying to hit his forward.

Not on my watch.

I break the pass, getting it on my blade before I haul ass up the ice. What I don’t see is their goon coming right for me. All I see is the world spinning before I hit the ice face first. I feel my teeth hit the back of my throat, pain explodes up my legs, and then everything goes black.

Completely black.





I blink a few times before I’m able to focus.

I feel like I’m flying, almost like I’m not even in my body. I feel pain, but it’s numbed, if that makes sense. My damn face hurts like hell, though, and when I move my tongue along my gums, I realize my front teeth are gone. Fantastic. I’m sure that will turn Harper on real well. I roll my eyes in their sockets, trying to figure out if anything is broken in my face, but I don’t feel anything. I move my fingers, but I can’t feel if I’m moving my toes. That’s not good. I sit up a bit to see my leg up in stirrups with a brace around it. Wow, this is awesome.

I then notice that someone is lying on my chest. I’ve seen this view many times before, and my heart soars.

She’s here.

I move my hand to her head, threading my fingers in her hair, and she sits up quickly. Her eyes are bloodshot and drool is on her chin, but the stricken look on her face takes my breath away.

“Oh, Jakob,” she cries before wrapping her arms around my neck as gently as she can. I hold her with one hand, kissing her jaw as she holds me close to her. “I was terrified.”

“I’m sorry, kiska. I never saw that jackass coming,” I say, and my voice sounds very fucked up. Groggy.

She kisses my neck, my jaw, my cheek, before pressing her lips hard against mine. “I thought I would never see you again. You hit the ice so awkwardly, it scared the hell out of me. I’m so sorry it took me so long to get here.”

I make a face. “I just woke up. How long have you been here?”

“Um, about eight hours now. I got here when you were in surgery,” she says, holding me close, her nose still nuzzled in my neck. “I tried to get here before you went back, but Shea promised he would keep an eye on you.”

“I don’t remember any of this,” I say, confused. “When did he leave?”

“When I got here. They had to fly out,” she says, still not moving or letting me go. “Please don’t ever do this to me again?”

I try to smile, but it sort of hurts. “Can’t promise you that, my love. It’s the name of the game.”