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that’s good, too.”
    Damn, they were bending over backward for him, and Blake felt ungrateful. Their coaching suggestion didn’t appeal to him. He wanted to play hockey, despite how improbable that particular want might be.
    Without Sarah, hockey was all he had, and a life without both looked pretty bleak. He’d most likely take the Sockeyes up on their offer eventually . What better option did he have? He needed time and space to absorb the reality of his situation.
    They all looked at him expectantly, waiting for his answer. “I appreciate your offers. I need time to mull this over, and I’ll be in touch.”
    “Take all the time you need,” said Ethan, while Lauren and the others nodded. He hated the sympathy in their eyes, even if it was well-intended.
    Blake nodded and stood, ready to get this meeting over with. The group stood as well, and he shook their hands and hurried out the door to the parking lot. A fine sheet of rain was falling. The grey Seattle skies reflected his mood. As he opened his SUV door, a shadow crossed over him. He spun around as best he could in the cast.
    “Oh, fuck, it’s just you.”
    His buddy, Isaac “Ice” Wolfe, stepped from behind a car.
    “What the hell are you doing lurking in the bushes like a stalker? Keep that up and someone will blow your brains out.”
    Isaac chuckled, not the least concerned by Blake’s response. “How’d it go in there?” he asked.
    “Like expected. They’re hanging up my skates.”
    Isaac nodded, acknowledging the death of Blake’s career with a wry smile. “Sorry about that, buddy.”
    “Not as sorry as I am.”
    “What’re you going to do?”
    “They asked me to coach and issued an open invitation to decide when the time feels right.”
    “I see. This couldn’t have come as a surprise so you must’ve given it some thought.”
    “Yeah, but I’m no closer to making a decision than I was a year ago when my career was dead the first time around.” Blake stared at his cast, as if it were personally to blame for his current woes.
    “You have to give them credit. They take care of their own.”
    “Yeah.” Now if Blake could only figure out how to take care of himself. “I’m going off the grid for a week or so, figure out what to next.”
    Isaac nodded. “I wanted to invite you to join the family for Christmas.”
    “Thanks, but I think I’ll be on the island, chilling and getting my head on straight.”
    “The offer stands if you change your mind.”
    “I know, I appreciate that.”
    Isaac’s ice blue eyes cut through the bullshit, and Blake was pretty damn sure his friend saw him for the mess he was. With a grim nod, Isaac reached out and shocked Blake with a bro hug.
    “Take care of yourself.” Shaking his hand, Isaac left Blake alone in the parking lot with nothing but his broken dreams and an uncertain future, both of which were piss-poor company.

Chapter 3
    On Ice
    S arah locked the clinic door for the night, stepping outside into a fine mist. Cyrus, her St. Bernard cross, followed her to Jeep. She opened the back hatch, and he jumped in, tail wagging, and more than ready to go home. Only they weren’t going home. They were going to a Christmas party at the home of Sarah’s good friends, Mandy and Brody Jenson. They owned and operated a beautiful bed and breakfast on Fiddler’s Cove, which they’d officially opened for business a few months ago.
    This was their first Christmas party together at the B&B, and as much as Sarah would like to go home and cuddle up with a good book, she didn’t dare miss it. Mandy would be horribly disappointed, Janna, her office manager and good friend, would fret, and several other friends would most likely form a posse and track her down. No, not worth the hassle. She’d make an appearance and leave early.
    By Saturday night, Sarah was usually too exhausted to do anything but go home. This Saturday night was no exception. Many of the part-time residents came to the island for the