Page 5 of From Ice to Home (The Heart of a Ranger #1)

LUCAS

A fter we won the Eastern Conference Semis, the team got a couple of days off to regroup and refresh.

It’s been a rough season and it started to show in the playoffs.

Round two against the Hurricanes was a battle and it got to some of the guys.

Coach was majorly impressed by our performance, despite some of the guys struggling to keep it together.

He figured the team was under too much pressure, and he needed his guys to relax.

At first the General Manager didn’t budge, but after he sat in Harry Matlock’s office for two hours, putting together a plan that worked for both of them, we got the good news.

We’re heading to Vegas for two days.

If it were up to me, I’d be in my truck, heading down to Georgetown to see my dad and my little brother, Noah. But that was out of the question for now. The agreement was that the team stays together, keeps it dry on the break, and sticks to strict curfews.

For some it might not seem like much, but to a team who has just played eighty-two games in their regular season, and fourteen in the postseason…

it was an opportunity none of us co uld turn down.

The guys were more than willing to sit through the entire flight, listening to Harry Matlock explain the rules, if it meant we could take a break from everything.

Right now, while sitting in a quiet restaurant, I’m convinced God had his hand in this little fluke of a getaway.

Because I’m staring at a waterfall of golden hair cascading down a backless white cocktail dress.

A flood of memories hit me, overwhelming my senses.

The smell of the ocean, her laughing beside me in my truck as we drive with the windows down, and the feel of her warm hand in mine.

When she turns, her familiar green eyes and breathtaking smile hit me in the chest like an arrow. And for the life of me, I can’t fathom how I ever let her go.

Hannah Sanders.

I haven’t seen her in five years, and she’s even more beautiful than I remember.

The last time I saw her, her eyes were filled with tears as she tore herself from my arms. Despite the feelings inside, despite what I wanted, I let her go.

I got in my truck and drove away. We haven’t spoken a single word since no matter how hard I tried to reach her.

Seeing her sitting in a restaurant in Las Vegas seems wrong in so many ways.

She’s the pastor’s daughter, someone who takes her plans for the future very seriously.

This isn’t the kind of place I ever pictured her in.

Yet she’s here, owning the entire room. The white cocktail dress suits her perfectly, and in some way, it screams Hannah .

Angel.

Innocence.

Beautiful.

Unattainable.

A waiter steps up to her table, a tray of neon red cocktails in hand and I can’t help but wonder if she ordered it. Hannah doesn’t drink. Especially not drinks that glow. Sure we were still High School kids back then, but she only ever looked forward to drinking champagne one day.

I suppose a lot can change in five years.

Following her and her friends’ gaze toward the bar, it’s clear that they didn’t order the drinks.

A flash of jealousy stirs inside of me when I spot the idiot in a suit.

I try to shake it off, but it sticks even if it has no right to.

She’s not mine. She hasn’t been mine for a long time.

She left me behind when she went to Duke University, insisting that I should follow my own dreams and forget about her.

Only I’ve never been able to.

How could anybody forget about her.

God knows, I’ve tried to move on with my life. I even tried dating once or twice, but my heart was never in it. I knew I should just give up, since it’s not fair to anybody that I’m comparing every single girl to the one who got away.

“What are you staring at, bro?” Declan asks, slapping me on the shoulder and drawing me back down to earth.

He’s my defenseman, and he plays like a guy with nothing to lose, but I know better. He cares more than he lets on. About the game, about us, about the people who matter. He just hides it behind all the chirping and the chaos.

He follows my gaze toward where Hannah is sitting with her friend, while the third woman gets up to go to the bar. “Why didn’t you just say so?” he asks, taking a step in Hannah’s direction, his signature smile already on his face.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I ask, pulling him back with a bit more force than necessary. I have no idea how I want to handle this situation, but I know I don’t want Declan to be the one to talk to Hannah.

“I’m going to talk to the pretty lady,” he says with a sly smile.

“You better not be talking about Hannah.” The tone in my voice surprises even me.

“So you know her?” he asks, looking over his shoulder to where she’s sitting. “The brunette that looks like she could run a Fortune 500 company and break your heart in the same five minutes?”

I sigh with relief. “No, the other one. And besides, you have a girlfriend. The brunette is nothing to you.”

“First, she’s not my girlfriend. That’s too official,” he says, pointing at me. “And secondly, I was just thinking she’s perfect for EJ.”

“Sure, you did,” EJ says from beside me, clearly hearing the conversation now that he’s been pulled into it. “One of these days Megan is going to kick you to the curb.”

“She knows we’re not exclusive,” Declan says with a frown.

“So make it exclusive,” I tell him. “That shouldn’t even be a thing.”

EJ lets out a huff. “Yeah, like that’s going to happen.” He looks toward the table where Hannah is sitting, a small smile tugging at his mouth. “Which one is mine again?”

“The brunette,” Declan reminds him, clearly not thrilled about the turn of events.

“How do you know the blonde?” EJ asks, nodding towards Hannah. “She’s definitely turning heads.”

“From home.” I try to keep my voice neutral, but it’s all but impossible. When he looks at me with a raised eyebrow, I add, “We used to date.”

It’s definitely the understatement of the year.

It’s more than just some past relationship.

It’s Hannah . She’s the girl I thought I’d end up with.

I wouldn’t have minded staying in Georgetown and taking over the family farm to stay with her.

We were young then, but I couldn’t see it ending.

I just thought we’d stay together until we’re old enough to get married.

But that’s not what she wanted.

So instead of doing what I thought was right, I entered the draft, signed the contract and went all in. The rest is history.

“So what are you waiting here for?” EJ asks with a smile. “We have to head back in the morning, Lucky Luke. There’s no time to waste.”

He’s right.

Tomorrow I’ll be on a plane heading back to New York.

Looking over to where she’s sitting, the draw inside of me is strong. She takes a sip of her drink, scrunching her nose in a face of disgust and I can’t help but smile.

Honestly, I don’t know what I’m waiting for. I’ve been wanting to see her, to speak to her, since she walked away from me. I should’ve fought harder for her that day, but idiot that I was, I let her go.

And now, I’m sitting here trying to make sense of what’s happening, as if seeing her after all this time isn’t ripping me wide open.

She’s always been a part of me, a part I couldn’t shake no matter how much time has passed. I shouldn’t be here, watching her sip a drink that doesn’t suit her and acting like I’m not consumed with the urge to run to her, grab her and pull her close.

But what good would that do?

She’s the one who ended things, she left. She told me to go and follow my dreams. That’s exactly what I did, all the way to New York. But it wasn’t long before I realized that dreams mean nothing without the person you’re supposed to be with.

Mind made up, I get up from my seat. “I’m going to need some champagne.”

“Wait…What?” EJ asks, looking at Declan with a frown on his face.

“Are you coming or not?” I ask, already heading to the bar, whether they understand it or not.

With one more look at the brunette with Hannah, both EJ and Declan get up and follow me.

EJ has been keeping Liz entertained all evening, his arm now casually draped along the back of her chair.

Declan is on her other side, not allowing to be completely cut out of the conversation.

I’m not sure if EJ genuinely likes Liz or if he’s working hard to keep Megan from killing Declan before we win the playoffs.

Either way they’re keeping her busy enough for me to have a few precious moments with Hannah without much interruption.

The rest of the team has already gone back to the hotel to make curfew, but my defenseman and my wingman decided to stay behind with me, always having my back.

I’m almost certain if Jenn, our PR manager, finds out we split up, she’ll have a fit.

She planned this trip with military precision, determined to keep things low-profile and playoff focused.

EJ gave the quick version to Mitch, our captain, giving us another hour without raising alarms.

Hannah is next to me, too close and too far away all at the same time.

Her face is filled with excitement, her cheeks tinged pink.

Whether it’s from the two glasses of champagne or the way I tucked her hair behind her ear, I can’t tell.

Seeing her like this, relaxed and comfortable with me, stirs up memories I thought I’d buried long ago.

It’s already past one in the morning, and the weight of time passing is pressing on me.

I’m already over curfew, and my teammates are here with me.

I should be heading back to the hotel and following the rules.

I should be walking her back to her room and calling it a night, but the thought of saying goodbye now…

I can’t. Not when I just got her back. In a few hours I have to fly back out to New York and who knows when I’ll see her again, if ever.