Miller’s expression shifted, and his eyes landed on someremote spot, as though he were watching something on a different plane. “Don’tknock it till you’ve tried it. I used to think settling down was for suckersuntil Andie waltzed back into my life. Christ, I hadno idea what I’d been missing.” He turned his gaze to T.J. “It’s nice havingsomeone you give a damn about who gives a damn about you. Know what’s evenbetter?”
“Being in bed with all the Dallas CowboysCheerleaders at the same time?”
“Forget it. You’re an asshole.”
T.J. belted out a laugh. “I didn’t mean to ruin our moment.Tell me. Please.”
Miller scowled at him. “Since you asked nicely.” He grewserious. “It’s knowing she’s got my back, that she’s always in my corner. Theworld can go to shit, and she’s there. No matter what.”
T.J. nodded as if he understood, except he didn’t. And henever would because that meant a lot of touch-feely crap, and that wasn’t him.
Miller cleared his throat. “Well, good talk.” Then helaunched into ticking off the Corvette’s list of intricacies. T.J. pretended tolisten while his mind meandered to the NHL draft when he’d been eighteen, backwhen he’d given a damn about someone he’d believed had given a damn about him.He’d been young and crazy in love—and utterly blind. The LA Kings had pickedhim in the second round, and no words had existed to describe his pure joy.He’d been on top of the world, the love of his life beside him. It couldn’thave been sweeter. The best fucking night of his life.Hours later, it had transformed into the worst night of his life.
Miller’s voice pulled him from his walk along Gloomy Lane.“How’s Denver treating you so far?”
“No complaints. Haven’t been ambushed by any haters yet, andI’m liking the team’s mindset. Tomorrow they turn me loose in the community tosee if my rep can be salvaged.”
“Any updates on May?”
“Funny thing about that. I wasn’t hearing a damn thing, so Isnuck into his hospital room to see for myself.” T.J. shuddered at the memoryof May that first time, the one that flooded him with guilt. Guilt he’d beentrying to squelch ever since.
Miller’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. “Are you fuckingkidding me?”
“Nope. In fact, I just saw him again today. He was looking alittle better.” More like a full-size sedan had hit him instead of a truck.
“Shit, that takes some cojones.” Miller seemed to assess himover a long, thoughtful swallow.
“That first time, definitely. But today he almost seemedhappy to see me. Asked me to come back.” T.J.’s chest tightened as he recalledthe slur in May’s speech. Shit. Was that permanent? Whatever it was, T.J.couldn’t say no.
“Jesus, you must have really dislocated his brain. Can’timagine why else he’d want to see you, of all people.”
T.J. shrugged to mask his unease. “I think he wants to talkhockey. His teammates are all in San Diego, so he’s with family who don’tunderstand. And that family includes an ex and a girlfriend. Talk about ajuggling act.” He paused to chuckle. “Girlfriend was running late this morning,and he was twitchy as hell.” The later she was, the more anxious May hadbecome, his mood darkening, leaving T.J. to wonder if the head injury was toblame. Finally, he’d told T.J. to leave, half-assinga joke that if T.J. saw how gorgeous she was, he’d try to steal her away—like T.J.would ever pull a stunt like that. Especially on someone he’d wrecked in acompletely different way. Especially since it had happened to him.
May had probably been worried about the girlfriend stickingaround for the long haul, and justifiably so. Women could mess with your headthat way. And if this one was in it for the money, she was probably halfway outthe door already.
“Your lawyer know you’re talking toMay?”
“No.”
Miller set down his beer on a side table and pulled out hisphone. “I’m texting you my lawyer’s contact information. Tom Carlisle.He’s helped me through a few scrapes, and he’s damn good.” Miller pocketed hisphone and looked back at T.J. “Call him. You need someone looking out for yourbest interests, not a lawyer working for your old team. Neither one of themgives a shit about you.” A beat later, he said, “Ready to join the party?”
T.J. warmed to the idea of switching gears, especially if itmeant forgetting the shitfest that was now his life.“Let’s do it.”
They made their way to a great room, where about a dozenpeople were lounging, talking, laughing. Expectant faces turned toward him, andT.J. held his breath. Please don’t recognize me.
“Everyone, this is T.J., an old buddy,” Miller announced.The faces broke out in smiles and hellos.
Paige appeared at his side, took him by the arm, and led himaround the room, introducing him to her construction crew. Some guy named Normcomplimented him on his style of play, and T.J.’s lungs relaxed.
They came to a dark-haired young woman with brown eyesbehind big, round red glasses. She was attractive in a girl-next-door kind ofway, though she wasn’t T.J.’s type. Blond-haired, blue-eyed, sex-on-legs werethe combination that usually snagged his attention, though lately a certainamber-eyed brunette was making frequent appearances in his imagination.
Paige bobbed her head. “This is Katie, my assistant.” Katie,reclining in a corner of an oversized leather couch, lazily scratching an earattached to a big, black fuzzball of a dog, gave hima smile. The dog watched T.J. from hooded eyes, its huge purple-black tonguelolling out one side of its grinning mouth.
“And that’s Hugo, Katie’s BFF,” Paige said.
Dropping on his haunches, T.J. scratched the pooch’s chin.“What kind of dog is he?”
“Part-Chow, part-Lab, and God only knows what else. Irescued him five years ago, and they didn’t know much about him.”
Hugo panted hot breath on T.J.’s hand. The dog seemeddocile, content to have his chin and ear stroked simultaneously. T.J.’s kneescreaked and complained, so he stood. Hugo whined.
“Hugo really likes you, which is rare. He’s prettyparticular.” Katie’s smile broadened. “You must be a dog person.”
“Used to be.”
Her smile shifted into skepticism. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing.” A familiar pain lanced him. “Just haven’t had onesince I was a kid.”
Thankfully, Paige’s expectant gaze fell on him, saving himfrom
