Filed to story: Luci Forrester and Easton Reed: Hockey Romance Story
“Yes. She lives there for now.”
“She doesn’t want to see me?” The pain in his voice cuts through me.
“I send her pictures of you every month. She… she can’t come to see you right now. But she loves to look at your pictures.”
He sits in silence for what feels like an eternity, and I wait patiently. “Anything else you want to know, Cole?”
He shakes his head, looking down. “Don’t be mad, Daddy. At Uncle Becker or…” His voice trails off, and I can see the distress in his eyes.
“I’m not mad, Cole.” I gently smooth his hair back, offering him a reassuring smile, trying to ease the worry in his heart.
“I asked Luci about her. She said she didn’t know about my mom, but I could ask you because you love me tons and bunches like I love you. That you wouldn’t get upset with me.”
A chuckle escapes me, lightening the mood. “Luci is right.”
“She told me that not everyone will love me, but that’s their bad luck. And that I have lots of people who love me. If only one person loves you, but if it’s big enough and special enough, that’s all you need. Is she right?” I can’t help but feel a swell of pride for Luci. She’s done well, just as Becker said.
“Yes, she is. Luci knows how to talk to you, buddy, doesn’t she?”
“Yeah, she said she loves me.” The admission hits me hard in the chest.
“She does. You can see it in her eyes when she looks at you.”
“I love her a lot. She needs it.”
His words surprise me, and I frown. “Why do you say that?”
“I just do.” He glances over at Becker, who gives him a wink. “You’re not mad at Uncle Becker, right?”
“No, I’m not. Cole, you can always come to me when you want to know something. About me, your mom, any of that, okay? I will never get mad at you. Some of it upsets me because it hurts you, but I will not get upset with you.” I realize I need to extend that same understanding to everyone else in my life too.
Luci
“I need to pick up Cole at three. Is that enough time for lunch and your nail salon plans?” I ask Sydney, glancing at her as we cruise toward the restaurant, the sun filtering through the trees lining the street.
“Absolutely! Stormi is so excited. She hasn’t been to a hockey game yet,” Sydney replies, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm.
As we step inside the restaurant, I scan the room for the tall blonde. I can’t help but think how I’m surrounded by a sea of blondes. From the Reed brothers to Cole and Barrett, and now Sydney’s friend Stormi, it feels like I’m in a golden-haired bubble. Stormi’s platinum locks fall just below her shoulders, framing her pale face and bright green eyes that remind me of freshly sprouted leaves in spring. She waves at us from a table, beaming in her light blue sweater and jeans. “I thought I’d snag a table for us! I can’t wait for this game. Although, I have to admit, I know nothing about hockey. I’m trying to learn because one of my new assignments at the paper is to write a weekly sports column from a female student’s perspective.” She rolls her eyes, laughter bubbling up. “What a great job for the new girl who only knows baseball!”
“Well, you’re in luck! There are two little boys who know a LOT about hockey coming with us. Cole has been teaching me the ropes. He even quizzes me on the rules, which is a bit sad, honestly. But I do enjoy the game; it keeps my attention. Baseball, on the other hand, does NOT.” I remember how Stormi had caught me zoning out during our coffee date, prompting Sydney to gently bring me back to reality. We had shared my ADHD diagnosis with her, and I appreciated her understanding nature.
Stormi, with her determined spirit, is aiming for a major in communications and a minor in journalism. She’s sharp and focused, a quality I admire in her.
“Does Cole know about your focus issues?” Stormi inquires, her curiosity evident. I can see that she harbors no judgment about it.
“No, not really. I just mentioned that I can get lost in my thoughts sometimes, so he knows to give me a nudge if I drift off. Honestly, it’s not a huge issue with him; I seem to pay attention to kids just fine,” I respond with a shrug, trying to downplay my quirks.
We make our way to the nail salon, and Sydney convinces me to go for colored nails. Ice blue, in honor of the hockey team. I roll my eyes internally but know Cole will appreciate it. They decide to get matching nails too.
“Are you sure we don’t look like puck bunnies?” I ask, half-jokingly, as the nail technician finishes up my manicure.
“Are you fully clothed? Do you smell like desperation? Are you planning to throw yourself at a hockey player while licking your lips and twirling your hair, offering yourself on a silver platter for just one night?” Syd replies dryly, her eyebrow raised.
“Fair points all around,” I concede. “Stormi, what brought you here?” I ask, genuinely curious as they start on my pedicure.
“My dad got a job transfer, and I didn’t want to be too far away from home. We’re a very close-knit family. Plus, Kenton has a fantastic communications and journalism program,” she explains, her passion shining through.
As they chat about the program, I sneak a glance at my phone, noticing a message from Janet. She wants to have lunch over the Thanksgiving break, which I think I can manage. My mind drifts to the upcoming holiday. Thanksgiving is fine by me, but Christmas and New Year’s? Not my favorites. I’ll just have to get through them.
“Luciiii,” Syd calls gently, pulling me from my thoughts. “Your feet are done. Are you ready to go?”
I nod, and she drops me off at home so I can change before heading out to pick up Cole.
As I step out of my car, I spot the three brothers emerging from their house, all decked out in suits for the game. They look more like models from a fashion magazine than hockey players. If their hockey careers don’t take off, they could easily make a fortune in modeling. Or, who knows, they could do those romantic audiobooks and charge women for their sultry voices. All of them have those deep baritones, especially Easton. Just thinking about it sends a shiver down my spine whenever he says my name, though I’ve learned to mask my reactions better. BookTok would go wild if they discovered him. Sydney even joked about whether there’s a finder’s fee for turning the four of them in.
“Luciiiiiii Loooouuuu…” Becker’s voice breaks through my thoughts, and I refocus to find him smiling at me, while Jackson and Kingston watch with a hint of concern.
“Sorry, just got lost in my head again,” I admit, shaking my head slightly to clear the fog. “I’m sure you all know about my little issue,” I add, knowing Easton has likely shared it with his brothers.
He frowns slightly. “I left your tickets with Baker. Just a heads up about this game-the other team has some wild fans. They can get really loud and have some creative insults for us. We tried to prepare Cole for what he might hear, but be ready for him to ask about some of the things he might hear.”
“Worse than drunk sailors, Luci,” Jackson adds, grimacing slightly.
“Wonderful. Maybe I’ll pick up a few new insults to add to my repertoire. I could use some fresh, creative insults for a few people I know,” I reply with a light laugh.