But when he didn’t show up for the Olympics, that’s when she knew she needed to let him go. But she was having a really hard time with that. She wanted so desperately to be in love with someone who loved her back. She was almost thirty, still a good two years away, but she figured by now, she’d at least be in a relationship, ready to get married once she brought the gold home. That was her plan, at least. Instead, she brought her gold home to her parents’ house, along with a broken heart.
But Nashville was a new start. Karson had gotten her a job as a trainer with the Nashville Assassins. Something that was hard to get into. She was the first woman trainer in their club, and it only made sense since they had just drafted the first woman on to their team and into the NHL. That Elli Adler was making history for sure. Kacey was excited about this opportunity, knew that she would get along with the guys since they all loved her anyway. Then she’d find someone who wanted what she wanted, who would love her the way she needed to be loved, and she would be happy.
She wouldn’t allow Jordie to consume her soul any longer. So what? It didn’t work out. She knew going in that Jordie Thomas wasn’t into relationships and he couldn’t love anyone. It wasn’t in his DNA. That was fine. It was her fault for falling for him. If she saw him, she’d be cordial. She knew what she was getting into when she went to bed with him. She had to forget him and maybe even forgive him. Because this was her new beginning. It was time to let go of him, the pain and the rejection she felt, and find someone who would never cause her to feel like that again.
That was her plan, at least.
After saying goodbye to her parents, Kacey placed her gold medal in the front seat and drove out of her parents’ driveway for the last time. The next time she would be back, she’d be there to help them move, which they all hoped would be before Karson and Lacey’s baby came. Lacey wasn’t due for another month and a half, and her parents had already had a few bites on the house that Karson had bought her family so long ago. It was sad to see her home go, but she was excited to be closer to her new niece.
As her home disappeared in the rearview, she let out a breath and prepared herself, not only for the sixteen-hour drive but also for what Nashville could hold. Brushing her hair off her shoulders, she drove with her knee as she pulled it up into a mini ponytail. Growing her hair out from her pixie cut had been a pain, but she liked the result. Maybe now Karson would stop calling her a lesbian, not that she really cared what he thought. Having short hair was easy when she was wearing her helmet, and Kacey liked convenience. Now that she was done with hockey professionally, she was ready to look more like a girl. Maybe it would finally attract a good guy, since before, all she could get were douches or a lot of attention from women.
But it was so hard! Everyone talked about how great single life was, but Kacey found it really lonely. She wanted someone to come home to. Someone to hold her at night and tell her she was pretty, even when she wasn’t. Her life partner. The Lacey to her Karson. Unfortunately though, the last three guys she’d dated had been duds. All of them only looking for sex, no one wanting the white picket fence and kids thing like she had.
She had always wanted that. When she was little, there wasn’t a moment she wasn’t playing house. Usually, she made Karson be the dad to her many baby dolls, but that got weird quick when he told her they were supposed to kiss. No way in hell was she kissing her older brother. So then she moved to Barbie dolls, and when she wasn’t kicking ass on the ice, she was in her room, making little worlds with her dolls. It was great and she always knew she was going to be a wife and a mommy.