Heart and Snow (Texas Highlanders Ice Hockey) Read Online Free Page A

important that I hang out here for the media.”
    Charbonneau shrugged. “Don’t look at me. Vince is running the show today.”
    “Shit,” Cody replied. Vince wouldn’t care about him needing to talk to his wife. He was one hundred percent about the team and that was it.
    “Look, stick around for another ten minutes, and then I’ll talk to Ellie. Okay?”
    Cody nodded, relieved. Eleanor Jenkins was Vince’s daughter. A lot of the time, she was able to talk to her father when no one else could. “Right. Okay.”
    “Hey,” John stopped him as Cody turned back toward the next line of people waiting. “Get this settled pretty quick. Trust me when I say the game is only as good as you are.”
    Cody remembered how crappy his best friend Darren had played when he was on the outs with his ex, and even more recently with his new girlfriend, Val. He absently signed a couple more jerseys and autograph books as he thought about the mess he’d fallen into. He had to go home and talk to his wife. This whole thing had started because their communication had broken down. He had to keep that fixed, now that he knew about the problem, and try to maintain the open part.
    God it was hard. He hadn’t realized how separate their lives had become, not until this whole thing had gone down. Sure they’d talked, but really, they didn’t do anything together anymore, except sleep in the same bed. Maybe that needed to change, because now he was having trouble talking to his wife, and he was about to be a father in a little more than seven months. What did one do in that situation? Because Cody was fresh out of ideas to try. The way they’d done things just wasn’t working anymore.
    *~*~*
    Single parenthood.
    The thought was terrifying. She wasn’t a mother. She had no real skill set. She was a professional hockey wife, and had been for the last decade. She couldn’t give this baby up either. But what if Cody didn’t feel the same way? What if he made her choose? Leaving him wasn’t something she wanted to do, but if she had no other choice…
    That brought up another issue. If she had to leave Cody because he didn’t want the child, then how would she function? She had no real discernible skills. She’d barely finished her Art History degree before becoming Mrs. Cody Baker. She didn’t want to have to be dependent upon child support, even though she knew that Cody would do it. Whether he wanted the child or not, he would make sure it was cared for, even if he didn’t want to be the one to do it.
    Joey paused mid-flight on the stairs. The sheer number of people in the hallways suggested the practice was over. A rope barrier had been set up. One side had fans and bloggers and general media. The other side was cleared for the players. Oh, it was Community Outreach Day. She’d forgotten about it.
    Cody was over there talking with some of the fans, a big smile on his face. She knew it as his performance smile. Cody had a hard time keeping a poker face for the masses. Well, at least she knew the difference. To see that smile, to know that it was fake, and it was because of her… it hurt her deeply. She’d never wanted to cause Cody pain. She’d wanted to save him from it.
    He glanced up as she stepped off the last stair and met her eyes. He had a notebook in his hand, and a black marker. He scribbled his name onto the page, and handed it back to the fan waiting. It was a small boy, and he jumped up and down with excitement. He waved to her, and moved toward her when her foot slipped on the last step.
    Her world spun, and her tailbone hit the cold concrete floor, sending her purse flying. She winced as pain shot up her tailbone.
    “Jo!”
    She cringed, hearing her husband’s voice. She glanced up to him towering over her.
    “Come here,” he said, holding his hand out. “Are you okay?”
    “I’m fine,” she replied. Jo took his hand and let him help her up. Her ass throbbed in pain. She’d probably bruised the stupid