Page 26 of A Match Made In Fall

“I’m sorry you got dragged into this.”

She laughs. “Don’t apologize. It’s kind of fun knowing Dexter is freaked out enough to text me.”

I’m quiet, remembering what my mom said about Dex.

“Do you think Dex is threatened by the attention that comes with my career?” I ask finally. “That’s what my mom thinks.”

“Oh, for sure,” she exclaims.

“Wow. I can’t believe I never considered that could have led to us splitting up. I really believed it was the timing.”

How could I have missed it?

“Don’t you dare blame yourself for the relationship not working out,” she snaps.

“I’m not,” I say softly. At least not completely.

“Anyway, he hasn’t responded to my message. I guess he thought he’d get more information out of you.”

She scoffs. “Ha. Not a chance. I will give him the least bit of information possible.”

“Thanks, girl.”

We talk for a few more minutes until Elise gets a work phone call.

One thing is for sure. I won’t let my mom talk me into anymore of her brilliant ideas.

CHAPTER EIGHT

AUSTIN

Ineeded a day off more than I realized. Between the road trip, a full day of practices and meetings, and the game last night, I’ve been running on fumes. The Bears have earned this break. It’s only two days, but I’ll take it. At least we managed to pull out a win last night, which made the exhaustion a bit more bearable. Admittedly, I kept looking for Isabella in the crowd, but no luck. Maybe she was there and I missed her. Abby was waiting for Nick after the game, but Isabella wasn’t with her. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t bummed about it.

The good news is I’ll see her tonight on this group outing Abby organized. I don’t know if I can call it a date yet—not until I talk to Isabella myself instead of relying on everyone else to play the go-between. I still can’t believe I never asked for her number. It feels ridiculous now, especially because she’s been on my mind a lot. This is a nice change from the constant focus and demands of my career. Hockey always has a way of consuming every part of my life. With practices, travel, and workouts, it’s easy to convince myself there’s always time for everything else later. But with Isabella, I don’t want to put it off, especially because I have no idea when she’ll be leaving.

There’s something about her that keeps pulling me in. Maybe it’s how easy she is to talk to, or her smile. Whatever it is, I’m intrigued. And tonight, I’m hoping I finally get the chance to know her beyond the quick conversations we’ve had at the game or the fall fest.

After a quick stop at the gym and a few loads of laundry, I spend the rest of the afternoon trying to relax. I need some time to not think about stats or potential trades. Of course this isn’t easy. By the time I’m getting ready to leave for the Coffee Corner Café, I already feel that nervous anticipation building. And this isn’t the same feeling I get on game days. Admittedly I looked up some details about Isabella and watched some clips of her dancing. She’s so talented, and you can tell she’s worked to get to where she is. From what I saw, she could’ve gone all the way and won the Ballroom Dance America competition. And then the Achilles injury happened. From years of playing a sport, I know how absolutely devasting that moment can feel. The heartbreak of everything you worked for being gone in a flash. While I haven’t personally had a career threatening injury, I’ve seen it happen with my teammates and other players in the league. I can’t imagine how difficult this is for Isabella. I truly admire the hard work and drive that inspired her to try out for the new show, make it more than halfway through the comp, and then disaster struck.

The sound of my phone buzzing pulls me out of my thoughts. It’s a text from my brother Logan.

Call me when you get a chance, but not before 6 am pacific standard time.

I chuckle to myself as I click on his number.

“That was fast,” he answers after the first ring.

“I thought about calling you in the morning, but I’m feeling generous today.”

“I appreciate that,” he says.

“What can I say, you caught me on a day off, so I’m feeling good,” I tell him.

I don’t mention my date, but that’s a big part of it for sure.

“Yes. Good game last night,” he says.

Oh yeah, that too.