“How did that make you feel?” Bethany asked and he shrugged again, leaning on his knees.
“I didn’t like it obviously ’cause I knew she wanted to,” he said, and Jordie tapped his thigh.
“How’d you know? You don’t talk well with women, nor can you read them right. So hearing this, I’m sorry, dude, but I’m holding back my laughter.”
Benji smiled back at him and nodded. “She’s different. I mean, right off the bat, I knew I wanted to know her. And the way she looks at me, it’s just special, you know? But she shot me down, and I’m sure it’s ’cause something is holding her back. Maybe her daughter.”
“Her kid plays on the team?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“I could understand her hesitation, then. I’m sure she worries that if things end badly with you two, then it would be awkward for her daughter,” Bethany added, and Benji got that, he did, but that would never happen. He would never treat Angie any differently. He just wanted a chance. He still couldn’t shake that look in Lucy’s eyes. She wanted him, and he didn’t know how to reassure her that, no matter what happened, he’d always do right by Angie. “I see it on your face, Benji. This is bothering you.”
He shrugged. “It’s just frustrating. I finally meet someone who makes me want to try, and she shoots me down.”
Jordie scoffed beside him. “And you’re gonna give up? That doesn’t seem like you.”
Benji looked over at him. “I just worry that maybe it’s a sign, that I’m not supposed to be happy.”
“No, son. God wants us all to love our life. He has a plan for you, son. Maybe it’s not her, but then, maybe it is,” Gabe said, his old eyes holding Benji’s. “You just gotta pray on it.”
“He’s right,” Jordie said. “But, dude, you are supposed to be happy, you know that. We’ve had this talk many times. You have to make your happiness. Surround yourself with people who do that. You’ve done it professionally, and if this girl seems different, then you can’t give up.”
Jordie made it seem so easy, but Benji knew it wasn’t.
Not when the girl was Lucy.
He just didn’t understand why she’d lied to him. Why she’d looked him in the eyes and said no. He could see it all over her sweet face. The way her lips parted, the way her body arched toward his. Her eyes were dark emeralds, and they narrowed like a cat that was being stroked to oblivion. She wanted him. Damn bad. And fuck, he wanted her.
But along with the lust in her eyes, he could see the hesitation. The hurt. Her backstory, the reason why hurt and hesitation were in her eyes wasn’t for the fainthearted. He could see that and he hated it. He knew his story was one hell of one, but his was only his fault. He deserved his hurt. But someone had hurt her, and that didn’t sit well with him. He didn’t want anyone causing her pain, nor Angie. He cared for them.
Maybe he was crazy. He had only known them for a couple days, but not since Ava and Leary had he felt so overprotective of someone. After the car wreck, after losing his wife, daughter, and brother, and then his family because of it, he hadn’t been able to feel anything. He went through life, building it back to somewhat normal. It wasn’t easy, and it sucked being sober, but he was finally good in life. He had a good career, he had friends, but he yearned for love.
And then Lucy and Angie came along.
They were different.
They were special.
He just needed a chance.
And he was going to get it.
After the whistle blew, Angie raced across the ice, falling down on her stomach and then getting back up before skating back and redoing it with the rest of the team. Benji stood with Shea and Vaughn, watching as the girls did the drills, working hard. But something was off. He wasn’t sure, but he thought that Angie was upset about something. He had tried to ask her, but she just shook her head, claiming nothing was wrong.
He knew that wasn’t true, though.
“Hart seem okay to you guys?”
Vaughn shrugged, and Shea looked over at him. “I thought she was a little off. She doesn’t seem as peppy, not like Wednesday when she was bouncing off the walls. I don’t know, maybe this is her normal?”
Benji shook his head. “No, something is up.”
“Okay, just keep an eye on her. I’ll say something to Lucy about it,” Shea decided, but once more Benji shook his head.
“No, I will.”
Shea smiled and Vaughn laughed. “Someone’s got a crush.”
“Shut it, Johansson,” Benji said as Adler blew the whistle and the girls stopped, gasping in deep breaths.
“Water break!” Adler roared across the ice and then looked to Vaughn. “You guys leave Sunday?”
He nodded. “Yeah. So we won’t be here for the next week. The game next Saturday is at nine, right?”
“Yeah, you guys will make it?”