Page 67

I forced a smile. Maybe if I answered the easiest questions first, I could skip the painful ones. “He got called up. I dropped him off at the Calgary airport.”

Brooke pulled me into a hug, and it took all my strength not to collapse in her arms and start crying again. She gently pushed me toward the kitchen. “Come tell me about it.”

I sat down at the island, slowly sipping my water and trying to explain why I was so upset without spilling my secret. “Not much to tell. Wally called him, and he was due in Vancouver by tonight.”

Brooke’s eyes went wide. “That’s it? One minute he’s here, the next he’s gone?”

“That’s how it works, honey. I’m surprised you don’t remember that. I know you lost friends when their dads were traded.”

“Sure. Not usually this fast, though. The players went first, the families followed later. I always had time to say goodbye to my friends. That isn’t what I meant. What about the two of you? How will that work now that he’s in Vancouver?”

I rocked back on my stool, stunned. “The two of us?”

Brooke gave me the side-eye and shook her head.

“Don’t play dumb. I figured out what was going on the first time Carter got back from a road trip. Ethan took a little longer to realize you two had a thing going. Chad never was good at seeing what was right in front of his face. He still might not know.” She snorted, amused.

Well, shit. All the sneaking around we’d done, and my too-observant kids had known the entire time. “Actually, that’s why I kicked him out. He found me kissing Carter in the kitchen and was a total jerk about it.”

Brooke grinned. “Priceless.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you knew?”

“We figured if you wanted to tell us, you would. I wondered if maybe dating a player would be bad for your business at the ballpark. It wasn’t a big deal to us. But now that he’s gone, if he hurt you, I’ll . . . I don’t know, but I’ll do something.”

Brooke’s cheeks were pink, and she was glaring around the kitchen. I don’t know what she would have done if Carter was there, but her vehement defence of me made me smile. A genuine smile, my first one of the day.

“Him going is painful,” I admitted. “I wasn’t ready for it to happen. I always knew we had an expiration date, though.”

“What are you talking about? You two were so cute together. Watching games, analyzing plays and manager moves, smack-talking stupid choices. There was more too. He was constantly looking for ways to make you happy or help make your life a little easier: helping at the bakery, bringing home dinner on nights when he knew you were going to be tired from working. He loved you. I don’t understand why it has to end.”

I sighed inwardly. Even Brooke had realized how Carter felt about me, but I hadn’t been able to see it until it was too late. It wouldn’t have changed my mind, but maybe I could have found a way for both of us to hurt less. As much as I didn’t want to rehash this, she had seen me at my worst after Chad. Brooke deserved to know that I was making this choice for me.

“He does love me. And even though I never told him, I love him too. But.” I let the word hang there for a minute, marshalling my thoughts. “When I married your father, I gave up everything to support his dream. You and Ethan were little when we moved from city to city as he moved up the minor league system. Then he got traded to Texas, and for over ten years, we stayed in one place. You have to know how unusual that is for a ballplayer.”

“We were lucky that way.”

“We were. I enjoyed Texas, but I was never much for being part of the WAG club. I wanted to open my own business, to be baking and creating. Your father didn’t want me working. There was always the risk he would get traded and we’d have to move. I gave up my ideas, and in the end, lost my place in his world too. I never want to give up part of me in order to support someone else again. I can’t see a way for him and me to make it work with me here in Red Rock, and him always being gone.”

Brooke hugged me. “I get it. It sucks, and I think you’re wrong about not being able to make it work, but I get it. I’m proud of you for making the decision you think is best for you. I just wish you got your happy ending too. You deserve it.”

Her words lifted me, allowing me to hope that one day I would hurt less. Right now, the idea of a happy ending seemed impossibly out of reach.

“Now why don’t you go unpack and rest. If you cried as much as I think you did, you’re going to have a killer headache.”

I carried my bag upstairs, fighting to ignore the gnawing pain in my chest. I had made the best decision for both of us. I had to believe that. Anything else would mean I’d thrown away my best shot at true happiness.

Chapter 38

Carter

I surveyed the cabin of the chartered flight, trying to decide where to sit. Some guys had a specific preference for where they sat. As one of the new guys called up, the last thing I wanted to do was rock the boat on my second day. Enough wild stuff was happening with the club without me making waves.

“Cook, come sit with me. I wanted to talk to you.” Julio Hernandez was waving me over and pointing at the seat next to him.

“Tell your friend he’s good to sit anywhere he wants.” He pointed at Raine, who was following on my heels.

Exhausted, I settled into the plush leather seat. The last twenty-four hours had been the most emotionally draining since my accident recovery. More, considering the love of my life had sent me away and told me not to contact her until she reached out. How long was I going to have to wait?