Breaking the Ice by T. Torrest

been dealt that year, I probably would have sunk into a pretty deep depression. But the reality was, there was too much to do. I didn’t have time to sink.
       Now here it was, four years later, and my Devils were serious contenders for The Holy Grail once more.
       Once more, without me .
       But I guess enough time had passed, because I managed to find a way to love the game again. I’d been obsessed with every second of this past season, rooting my boys on once more from the sidelines. Hell. I’d done it my whole life. All those years when the reality of playing for them was nothing more than a far-fetched dream. Could I really be anything other than excited about their success?
       “That would be... phenomenal, Ave. Where do we start?”
       She smiled slightly and took a sip from her drink. “I was hoping you’d be happy about it. Truth is, the guys are really looking forward to it.”
       “Well, of course they are. They’re looking at three Cup wins within a decade. That doesn’t happen every day.”
       “Yes, but they’re also excited to see you , Zac.”
       I knew “the guys” wouldn’t have said much about such a matter, but it was nice to know that at the very least, they hadn’t completely forgotten their old teammate.
       “Yeah. I guess I kinda... dropped out for a bit, huh?”
       “You certainly did.”
       I caught a hint of bite in her comment, but there was no way I was going to open up that can of worms. Besides, we both knew where I’d been these past years. Which was more than I could say for her. I tried to meet her eyes as she picked at a stray thread on her cuff.
       “I had my reasons, Ave.” I cleared my throat. “But what about you? What have you been doing with yourself? Aside from looking fantastic while taking on the world, of course.”
       I offered her a sidelong smirk at that, which she managed to catch once she stopped the inspection of her sleeve. Her face met mine in the first genuine smile I’d seen since she stepped into my bar. Something stirred in my chest at the sight, and it was strange to realize that the mere sight of her unreserved grin could have such an effect on me.
       I suppose I shouldn’t have been so surprised. I mean, I was crazy about this girl back in the day. We used to have a blast together. She was smart and fun and she knew how to have a good time. She also had this great dimple that would appear in her right cheek whenever she laughed too hard. For some reason, I started to wonder if I’d ever get to see it again.
       She looked at me for a moment longer than necessary, and then, just like that, the smile was gone.
       She shot a skeptical, half-lidded stare in my direction before placing a palm on the folder and sliding it across the table. She was back in all-business mode as she said, “The preliminary contract is in here. Just your standard, non-disclosure kind of stuff. Look it over, or just send it off to your lawyer for review. I’ll be in touch.”
       At that, she grabbed her briefcase, straightened her skirt, and walked out the door.
       I watched the door close behind her, then sat there for a few extra minutes, trying to pull myself together. Too many questions had just been unloaded into my brain and I didn’t like not having the answers.
       Aside from the fact that Avery’s mere reemergence into my life had thrown me for a loop, I now was faced with the possibility of having to see my old teammates again, too. I liked a lot of those guys, but it was pretty humiliating to think about seeing them again as an ex -player. Hell, if I hadn’t torn up my knee four years ago, I’d probably still be knocking around the leagues. As it was, I hadn’t returned to the ice even for fun. The day of my injury was the last day I’d ever put on a pair of skates. I could say it was because I’d been too busy running this place, but if I was going to be honest, I knew my avoidance was due to more