Page 35 of Flashback for the Forward

So, instead, I pressed dial on one of the other two numbers saved in my contacts.

I placed it on speaker, and it rang twice before the line connected and a now-familiar voice spoke. “Bridget, hey!”

Her bright and happy greeting sounded distant with the roar of blood in my ears.

When I opened my mouth to respond, only a strangled squeak came out.

Arizona immediately picked up on my distress. “Are you okay?”

I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see me. “No,” I croaked, barely audible.

“I’m coming to get you, and I’m going to stay on the phone with you the whole time so you’re not alone.”

The woman might as well be my personal savior. She knew what I needed, knew how to make me feel safe, without me having to ask.

Growing up, I’d been part of the hockey community by virtue of being Bennett’s little sister. And damn if I wasn’t grateful that finding myself under Cole’s roof meant I was once again reaping the benefits of a group of teammates—and their families—who looked out for each other, no matter what.

It felt like coming home.

Upon her arrival, Arizona made me pack a bag, declaring that I would be spending the night in one of the guestrooms at her house. Then, with the hood of the same black sweatshirt I’d made my escape in only forty-eight hours earlier pulled over my head, we drove through the city to a gated neighborhood filled with stunning mansions before pulling into the garage of one that sat on the oceanfront.

She led me through the mudroom, instructing me where to take off my shoes, the hallway spitting us out into a large family room, where two teenagers were sprawled out on the couches watching television. One of them was the girl who’d come to Cole’s house yesterday; the other was a boy with glasses who appeared to be the older of the pair.

“Maisie, Austin, we have company,” Arizona announced.

Both heads swung in our direction, and the girl—Maisie—jumped up, her face alight with excitement. “Hi! Do you remember me from the other day at Uncle Cole’s house?”

I gave a jerky nod, the memory of our initial meeting sending heat up my neck that settled on my cheeks.

The other teen wasn’t nearly as peppy, jerking his chin upward in a nonverbal acknowledgment of my presence before returning his attention to the movie playing on screen.

Arizona lifted my overnight bag. “Let me show you the guest room, and when we come back down, I’ll make you something to eat.”

“Oh, no, you’ve already gone to enough trouble—”

“I get it. Accepting help is hard, but know that I’m offering it freely from a place of compassion.”

How the hell could I argue with that?

I trailed her up the stairs. “Okay. Thank you.”

My head was on a swivel as we moved through the luxurious home.

“Your house is beautiful,” I remarked, unable to contain my awe.

Arizona hummed. “Never imagined when I sold Levi this house I’d be living in it myself.”

Trying to work that out in my brain had my steps slowing enough that the woman walking ahead of me paused to peek back.

Sensing my confusion, she explained, “It’s a long story how we ended up here, but I started out as his realtor. Funnily enough, it was Cole who recommended me after I helped him buy his current house.”

Huh. Interesting.

“How long have you two been married?” I figured the least I could do was show an interest in her life after she’d been gracious enough to let me crash at her place during the Surf’s road trip.

“A little over seven months. Levi only got traded to the Surf nine months ago.”

My eyes widened. Must’ve been one hell of a whirlwind romance for them to end up married within mere months.