Page 92 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

He smiles. "No."

Another mile passes, then he adds quietly, "But you're still working toward the same place."

I stare out the windshield. The city rolls past outside. Life is moving forward. My own just happens to be moving at a different speed.

"I hate feeling useless." The words leave before I think about them.

Colby doesn't answer immediately. When he finally does, his voice is calm. "You know what Jillie asked me yesterday?"

I glance over. "What?"

"She wanted to know if Captain Jamie was still helping people."

I blink. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her yes."

I shake my head. "I'm sitting in a truck."

"You visited a kid in the hospital last week."

I smile a little.

"You checked on Ethan before you asked about yourself."

I look out the window again.

"You've spent your entire career making sure everybody else is okay."

He turns into the rehabilitation center parking lot. "One injury doesn't erase that." The truck rolls to a stop. Neither of us moves right away.

I look at the people coming and going. A man on crutches carefully making his way toward the entrance. A young woman helping her mother out of a car.

Everyone here is trying to get something back. Different injuries. Same goal.

Colby reaches for the keys, then pauses. "You know..."

"What?"

"I've never been worried about whether you'd play hockey again."

I frown. "You haven't?"

"No." He shrugs. "I've watched you long enough."

"And?"

"If anybody's stubborn enough to beat this..." A grin spreads across his face. "...it's probably you."

I laugh. Quietly. "You make stubborn sound like a compliment."

"It depends on who's wearing it." He climbs out of the truck before I can answer.

A moment later he opens my door. I step carefully onto the snow-covered pavement.

The cold bites immediately and I hug my coat a little tighter. Then look toward the entrance. Time to go to work. Not the work I want. The work I need.

I take a slow breath. "Ready?" Colby asks.