Talk Hockey to Me (Bears Hockey #3) - Kelly Jamieson Page 0,84

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“It’s hard in the beginning,” Hunter Morrissette said. “Opening up and talking about it is the biggest, bravest step you can take. There’s no shame in showing emotion.”

* * *

Tonight’s game at the Apex Center is dedicated to promoting local mental health resources and to dispelling myths about mental illness. Hunter, Josh, and Easton have been making appearances and doing interviews. With the three of them together, it’s easier for them to speak up about their experiences. Hockey players are the toughest athletes on the planet, but even tough guys can struggle.

I’m so proud of Hunter and even more in love with him than ever.

And he loves me too.

Even though he’s no longer my client.

Vern got the okay to return to work about a month ago. He contacted a few of his old clients. Hunter and I had a good honest talk about the future. We’ve only been together about nine months, but both of us feel like this is forever. I don’t want to lose a client, but I think it’ll be better for our relationship if we’re not also agent and client. And I trust Vern.

So we parted ways…business ways, ha…and in January we’re moving in together. At first, Hunter said he wanted me to move in with Hakim and him, so he didn’t have to desert his buddy. I was… alarmed. Turned out he was just joking. They easily found another roommate for Hakim, a new guy on the Storm. Hunter’s going to move in here and we’ll start looking for a bigger place. With his big, beautiful new three-year deal with the Bears, he can afford it.

I smile and mentally pat myself on the back for that contract.

Hunter emerges from my bedroom, yawning and rubbing his bare chest.

“Hey. How was your nap?”

“Good.” He stretches, showing off that incredible lean and muscled body, his abs and obliques enough to make me drool. “I need my snack now.”

He strolls over to give me a long, scorching kiss before moving to the kitchen to make his sandwich.

I accommodate his game day routine. I know it’s important to him. After his nap, he eats a peanut butter and banana sandwich (whole wheat bread only) and downs a bottle of water. Then he dresses in his sexy game day suit and takes the train to the arena.

Today I’m going with him. I’m meeting Lilly and Sara and we’re going to grab an early dinner before going to the game. There’s going to be a special ceremony that Hunter, Easton and Josh will be part of, and we want to see it in person.

The guys have become close friends again, and I pretty much love Easton and Josh, too. And their girlfriends. Lilly and Sara are both amazing women. Also, I love Otis.

“I’m reading an article about you,” I tell him.

“There’s enough of them.”

I ignore his sour tone. He hates the attention, but he loves the cause they’ve been working for.

“Have I told you how proud I am of you?” I stand and move to the island. I want to steal a piece of banana, but that might wreck his groove. I respect the game day routine.

He ducks his head, but he’s grinning. “Yeah.”

“I’ll keep telling you. Gonna score a goal tonight?”

“Don’t say that!”

I smile. “Sorry.”

He smiles too. He doesn’t take his superstitions as seriously as he used to. But all hockey players are superstitious to some degree. Lilly and Sara and I shake our heads at them, but hey, we love our dudes.

One thing we’ve all learned is that you can’t just hope for a happy ending. You have to believe in it. You have to do the work. You have to take the risks. Taking risks is scary, but love is worth it. And we’ve all done that.

* * *

Want to read more about Josh and Sara? Check out You Had Me at Hockey.

And read on for an excerpt from Easton and Lilly’s story, Must Love Dogs…and Hockey!

Acknowledgments

For a while, I didn’t know if this book would get written or published! But I knew I had to tell Hunter’s story and wrap up the three former Warriors’ stories. Mental health is becoming more and more an open topic in hockey, with teams initiating events and dialogue about it. While my three hockey Warriors are fictional, many real-life players struggle with mental health issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, alcohol and substance abuse, depression, and anxiety, and the old way of toughing it out doesn’t work. It’s so important