Page 40 of Lucky Shot (Moonshot Hockey #1)

NICK

On Sunday I head to the rink after I drop off Aidan at his mom’s house.

Camp is less than a month away, but most of the guys that left for the summer are already trickling back into town.

We’ll start working out together and getting ready for the season.

I like to stay in shape year-round but some of the younger guys need that time before camp to sharpen their skills and conditioning.

The building is quiet as I walk back to the locker room. The only light streams out of our recovery room. I slow and peer inside as I come to it. Dr. Scott sits at his desk in the front corner. He looks up when he notices me.

“Nick!” He leans back in his chair. “I should have guessed I’d run into you here.”

“Hey, Adam,” I say as I step into the room. “What are you doing here?”

There’s a stack of boxes filled with things and my gut twists.

“Moving to a new office,” he says with a reassuring smile. He joined the team of doctors on staff last year, right after his residency but despite being new he has quickly become everyone’s favorite. “Finally getting out of this closet.”

“That’s great.”

He comes around his desk to move a box out of one of the chairs, then motions for me to sit. “How’s the shoulder and collarbone?”

“Really good. No pain at all.”

“That’s great. Did you have a nice summer?”

“I did.” My mind drifts to Ruby. It’s only been a day since she left, but things have felt weird without her around. “You?”

“It was great.” He pulls out his phone and then turns the screen to show me a picture of a baby wrapped in a pink and white striped blanket. “Meet Daphne.”

“She’s beautiful, man. Congrats. I had no idea.”

He waves off my concern. “Thanks. It’s been a blast. I’m going on zero sleep but all totally worth it, right?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“I swear I’m a doctor, but I had no idea what it’d be like. Reagan, my wife, shooed me out of the house today because I was hovering too much.”

I laugh as I try to remember those days. Aidan was a good sleeper, or at least that’s what people told me, but there were plenty of long nights worrying and taking care of him.

“Anyway.” He smiles at me. “Everything’s good? Ready for the season to start?”

“Definitely.”

When I don’t say more, he nods. “Well, if you need anything, I’ll be…actually I don’t know where I’ll be yet, but you’ve got my number.”

I nod to confirm that I do.

“Thanks and congrats again. It gets easier.”

“I appreciate that.”

I start to leave, then pause and turn back. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

I mull over the right way to ask then decide there is no easy way to talk about it. It’s why I haven’t. Only with Travis and my dad.

“My dad had a heart attack earlier this year.”

“Oh Nick, I’m sorry. How’s he doing?”

“Better. He had an angioplasty and has been gaining his strength back.”

“That’s good news.”

“His doctor told me heart disease is often hereditary.”

“It can be, but you get screened every year and nothing has come up, right?”

“Right. Totally fine. I saw a cardiologist earlier this year.”

“Did he have any concerns?”

“No,” I admit. “But my mom passed away young, and then after everything that happened at the end of the season, I don’t know, I guess it’s been weighing on me heavier.”

He nods slowly like he’s finally understanding. “It’s definitely something to keep an eye on, but you’re young and take great care of yourself, so even with any predisposed genetics, I would put your risk at low.”

I know what he’s saying is the odds are in my favor, but it doesn’t make me feel better like I think he intends.

“Have you talked to Dr. Ariak?”

“I did my sessions with her after the surgery.” Our team psychologist is great, but I guess I wasn’t ready to talk about it at the time.

“It might not be a bad idea to keep seeing her. Taking care of an aging parent can be hard. Especially when you add in your own health anxiety.”

“Health anxiety?”

“It’s common. Especially in your line of work where injuries are inevitable. If you aren’t comfortable with Dr. Ariak then I can make a referral outside of the team too.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Of course.”

I shift my weight to leave and Adam moves back behind his desk.

Standing in the doorway, I linger. “Congrats again on the baby. Best thing I ever did.”

Once I step on the rink, I mull over everything Adam said. The only other time I had anxiety was right after my mom died, but it makes sense that it would show back up now.

Surprisingly, it’s Ruby that I find myself wanting to talk to about it.

I haven’t shared much about my injury or my dad’s health with her, but she’s become someone I trust. My friends are great and I know they’d listen, but I like the way Ruby sees the world with her rose-colored glasses and endless optimism.

I pull out my phone to text her, hovering over her contact.

The last I heard from her was a picture of her with her niece after the game last night.

They won and she looked so happy and proud, pure sunshine.

I know what her family means to her and I’m happy she could be there, but it’s a reminder that this isn’t home for her.

In another week, she’ll be gone for real.

I’m not the only one that’s going to miss her when she leaves either. Aidan has gotten attached to her too. Every day when we get home from the rink, he’s practically giddy to grab his guitar and head over to the cabin. He talked about the cookies they made all day yesterday.

I type out a text asking her when she’s coming back, then delete it. Fuck. I’m really not good at…this, whatever it is we’ve been doing the past few weeks. Calling it a fling feels disingenuous, but a relationship with an expiration isn’t much of one at all.

I toss my phone onto my bag, sitting on the bench, and push my legs faster to warm up. I’m on my third lap when I hear music playing from somewhere. I recognize the catchy upbeat Sabrina Carpenter song, but as I scan the empty seats I can’t figure out where it’s coming from.

Finally, the music gets louder, and I locate its direction. Out of the darkness steps Jack fucking Wyld.

He holds up the phone and bops his head in rhythm. I skate over to him, happy to see my old teammate but confused too. I’m not even sure how he got in the building.

“What the hell are you doing here, Wyld?”

He presses stop on the music and flashes a grin at me. “Miss me?”