Page 32 of Any Second Now (Fort Collins Blizzard Hockey #2)

Unexpected but Inevitable

ATTICUS

an hour earlier

T he Aussie is sobbing in the penalty box.

“For fuck’s sake,” Barrett says, paused next to me on the ice, staring at Lachlan.

For once, I agree with the sentiments from the young hotshot. I don’t even mind that he’s standing next to me, matching my posture with crossed arms and helmet tucked in an armpit.

“I don’t think he’s ever been dumped before.” I shake my head. I know he hasn’t. He’s got a slightly stronger dating history then I do, but not by much. I suspect Lachlan’s a giant softie inside and just pretends to be a player to protect himself.

Whereas I’m an asshole, through and through.

“This is why dating is a bad idea.” Barrett scoffs. “Giving women that kind of control? Falling in love ? The fucking worst. Just punch me if I ever try to do that.”

“What, are we fucking friends now?” I turn to look at Barrett.

“Why not?” He smirks and shrugs.

“Because you fucked up my fucking groin, dipshit.” I shove him in the arm, not not aggressively .

“Ow!” He rubs his shoulder, looking hurt. Emotionally.

I’d rather have punched him. He’s like the incredibly annoying pain-in-the-ass little brother I’m thankful I never had.

Barrett’s face turns red and he scrunches his face and groans dramatically.

“Yeah. I know.” He’s got the common courtesy to cringe. Or maybe that’s a pout.

I grind my teeth together. I’m actually going to punch him.

“Listen.” Barrett clasps his hands together. “I really am sorry about that. I’ve been meaning to apologize but didn’t want to sound like a dick.”

“So you thought not apologizing was the way to handle it?”

“Is this our first fight?”

I’m gonna kill him. I growl.

“Okay, okay. I should’ve apologized right away.” Barrett rubs a hand behind his neck and stares down at the ice. “But you and Lachlan… I don’t want to look like a loser in front of you two. You’re like, my big brothers.”

For fuck’s sake.

I shake my head, words escaping me. Barrett looks up at me with wide eyes, and I almost feel bad.

“I— I get in the zone on the ice and feel like I can bust through walls, like the Hulk on ice.”

I grunt. I know the feeling. And it’s what makes him so damn good. I’m finally starting to accept that we’re probably lucky to have him on the team.

“But you look good now? Aren’t you all healed?” Barrett looks at me like a wounded puppy.

I’m back to wanting to kick him.

Not that I’d ever kick a puppy.

Is this what it’s like to have a little brother?

“Yeah,” I hiss. “I’m fine. Whatever. You’re forgiven. Let’s never speak of it again.”

Barrett smiles broadly and I turn back to the penalty box with a roll of my eyes.

Shit, when did I become the old curmudgeon? Barrett is me five years ago. Hell, he’s me one year ago.

And when I look at Lachlan, I feel like he’s future me, when Raleigh leaves Fort Collins.

Two. Weeks.

I shake my head to get the image out of her driving the Pink Palace out of that campsite and onto the highway back to Connecticut. It’ll take her at least a week to get back to the East Coast. Will she leave in a week? A few days?

We haven’t talked about it at all. Like we’re pretending there’s no expiration date to our relationships.

When she goes, I’ll be the one crying in the penalty box. Fucking pathetic.

This is why I’ve never let myself date.

Wait, no, that’s not true. I’ve never been afraid of being the one devastated. I’ve been afraid of being the asshole, hurting women along the way.

But it’s different with Raleigh.

I turn into the campsite and let my eyes land on the RV.

Lachlan’s breakup is throwing me off. I couldn’t even get details from him on what exactly happened with Melissa, just that she broke up with him and it was very much one sided.

He said he was going to her house after practice to beg her to work it out.

We tried to talk him out of it—and I cannot believe I’m referring to me and Barrett as ‘we’—but he couldn’t be reasoned with.

I even texted Kellen in England and Harley in Maine to see if they would reach out to him.

The whole this-will-inevitably-crash-and-burn vibe is spot on to me and Raleigh .

I’m so lost in my thoughts that I don’t notice what is happening in front of the Pink Palace until I pull up and find the spot next to Raleigh’s car already taken by a shitty compact car.

And then my eyes land on Raleigh.

She’s standing in front of her RV with a dude. A dude who looks like he belongs in a tiny cubicle at some soulless corporation that make something dumb like door knobs or garden hoses.

It’s gotta be her ex-husband.

But what the fuck is he doing here?

Raleigh’s eyes are wide as she watches me pull to a stop.

A primal instinct takes over and I wrench the door to the Wrangler open and hop out. I clench my fists as I stride over to them. Raleigh’s watching, and his gaze swivels to me. It seems to take a million years to walk the handful of feet to where they are standing.

“Who’s this?” The guy says and turns back to Raleigh, as if I’m just some annoying neighbor or a fucking flower delivery driver.

“It’s Lucy’s brother. Who lives in Fort Collins.” Raleigh throws one hand up in the air. She’s clearly annoyed at him. And at me? She didn’t toss me a smile, exasperated or otherwise. “You know who Atticus is.”

Jacob stares at me with narrowed eyes. I’ve got at least five inches and seventy pounds on this guy, and his confident look only lasts a split second before he flinches and breaks eye contact.

“Yeah, from the ridiculous cross-stitch video,” he mumbles.

Does this dude have a death wish? How dare he talk shit about our video. That was pure art. The best thing I’ve ever posted on social media.

“Yup. That’s me.” I enunciate each word carefully.

“I’m Jacob,” he says in a voice that he probably thinks is strong, but reveals his uncertainty with a slight wobble. “Raleigh’s husband.”

I’m going to end this asshole .

“Very much ex -husband,” she says quickly and glares at him.

“Atticus Knox.” I pause. “Raleigh’s boyfriend.”

Both of them drop their jaws at the last word.

“Boyfriend?” Jacob darts a look at Raleigh, but she keeps staring at me, the spot between her eyebrows crinkled into double lines. Her eyes are wide and the corners of her lovely pink lips turned down.

Well, shit. That was the wrong thing to say, I guess, especially before we even talked about what we are. Not that we were ever going to do that. There was no need since our end date is both close and clear.

“I’m not sure there needs to be labels,” Raleigh says carefully, looking at me with a blank stare and then at Jacob with a withering expression. He looks down and kicks a pile of gravel like a chastised child.

“Jacob arrived a little while ago. I didn’t know he was in town. I didn’t realize he was coming to see me,” Raleigh says, her words to me but her current glare directed at her ex-husband. He meets her gaze, his expression much softer and filled with tenderness. “He wasn’t invited.”

“But I know you like surprises,” he says.

Does she? Shit, I don’t even know. But given the look on her face, maybe he doesn’t know either.

I don’t like the tension between them. Right now it’s negative, but I think any kind of tension between two people could turn into something. Hate could turn into passion. Anger into ecstasy.

Especially given their history.

They were married.

Husband and wife.

Now we’re all standing around staring at each other. I want to send this asshole away. I want to do more than send him away, actually, but that would have to do. It’s up to Raleigh, and she’s just standing here, not saying a damn thing .

“Raleigh and I have some really important things to talk about.” Jacob turns to Raleigh as he speaks. He’s probably too chicken to hold my gaze.

I let out a low growl and Raleigh’s eyes widen as she looks between us.

Why does she look so confused?

“Raleigh?” I say, and she finally seems to see me.

“Um.” Raleigh clasps her hands together like she doesn’t know what to say.

Um? That is not the response I want from her. It feels clear what should happen right now, and it’s Jacob getting the fuck out of this campground.

“I just need to think for a second.” She squeezes her eyes shut.

What is she thinking? She doesn’t want to be with her ex-husband. I know that. He’s had boundary issues from the moment they got divorced.

So what’s going on here?

But I have a feeling I know.

It’s me.

She’s not unsure about her feelings about Jacob. She’s unsure about her feelings about me .

Insecurity roars over my head and I can’t catch a breath.

This is why I don’t date.

It’s too complicated. Too messy. I don’t want to be insecure about anything.

Something aches in the pit of my belly. I take a deep breath.

“Well. I’ll give you two some time to… catch up.” I pause for a second, hoping she insists I stay, hoping her ex-husband leaves instead, but nobody moves. Nobody says a thing.

Fuck.

I spin around and stride quickly back to my car, jumping in and throwing the Wrangler into reverse.

“Atticus!” Raleigh calls, but it’s too late and I don’t even turn around .

This thing with Raleigh has gotten out of control.

I’m out of control.

And it’s going to end badly, just like Lachlan and Melissa.