Snowbound With The Hockey Star

Chapter 7

Luca’s Pov

I ran a hand over the rough stubble on my jaw. What the hell was that?

I stood there, long after the sound of Ava’s door clicking shut had faded, tasting the of sweetness lips on my mouth.

I came to this goddamn mountain seeking silence. Peace. A chance to hit the reset button after my suspension.

Two weeks of mandatory rest, isolation, and, according to the official statement, “reflection on conduct unbecoming of a team captain.”

Because of a stupid, unnecessary brawl where I let someone get under my skin.

Now I had a woman tucked into my room who smelled like trouble and sweatness, a woman whose lips had just annihilated every self-imposed boundary I build over the last six years.

I walked to the living room window, pulling back the heavy curtain. The snow was still coming down hard with no promise of stopping soon.

I let my mind go back to Clara, as it always did when I needed to find my way. L She was the one. The only one. The deep, hot response Ava had given me moments ago was a betrayal of that memory, and I hated myself for allowing it.

The smell of brewing coffee and bacon woke Leon up in the morning. He made his way to me rubbing his eyes with his fists, already halfway into his tiny, superhero-themed snowsuit.

l haven't been there for him as much of let because of the NHL and l hate it because l want to be there for every milestone but everytime l play with him watching he is always the happiest.

“Papa, is Christmas here yet?” he mumbled trying to hop onto the kitchen stool.

“Almost, buddy. Two more sleeps,” I said, flipping the bacon.

“Good morning,” l heard Ava say softly from the doorway but I didn’t turn immediately. I finished plating Leon’s eggs first. “Morning,” I managed, keeping my tone deliberately flat.

She was wearing the same oversized t-shirt and just like she in the early morning she wasn't wearing pants, It showed of her long legs and she had pulled her hair into a messy knot, and she wasn't wearing any makeup but she was still breathtaking.

She looked exactly like the kind of beautiful disaster I had no business touching.

“Sleep alright?” I asked, finally turning.

“Fine, thank you. You?” Her eyes flickered up to mine probably expecting something but she made it clear that there were boundaries not to cross.

“Like a rock,” I lied back smoothly.

The air thickened with unsaid things but Leon who was oblivious, broke the tension.

“Look, Miss Ava. Snow everywhere ”

Ava came forward, easing into the space beside the counter. She smiled at Leon, a genuine smile that did things to the pit of my stomach I didn’t appreciate.

The spoiled princess may just not be so bad but that doesn’t make her good for us..

“That’s a magnificent Leon. Have you ever played in the snow”

“No but daddy says we will..”

“We absolutely will,” I promised him. “After we get a few more logs from the shed.”

Ava poured herself coffee, and our hands nearly collided near the sugar bowl. I pulled mine back instantly not to avoid her but because he reaction to my touch makes this tension between us worse.

“You’re a good dad, Luca,” she said quietly.

“I try,” I replied because maybe to someone watching from a distance l am but l feel like l'm failing my son recently.

“You mentioned being a hockey player last night, l'm guessing you don't live here permanently” she inquired gently.

I shrugged, cutting a piece of bacon. “Yes Boston." l'm guessing she doesn't like hockey because l've been the leading Goalie for the Boston Bruins since last season.

Leon piped up, his mouth full of eggs. “Are we going to decorate the tree today? The big one with the shiny ball?”

“We are,” I confirmed. I kept a box of ornaments specific to this cabin, ones that had sentimental value.

“Is mommy happy because we came to her favorite place.”

The cabin went silent again, but this time it wasn’t strained; it was loaded. I watched Ava freeze, her eyes focused intently on my reaction.

I reached for Leon, pulling him onto my lap. He was getting too big for this, but I needed the physical comfort of his weight.

“Of course she is. l always tell you how much she loved this place and this time you're here. So why wouldn't she be happy." l assured him.

I looked at Ava. The pity I expected wasn’t there. Instead, there was a kind of solemn understanding, a deep sorrow that didn't feel directed at me, l guess she has also lost somebody.

Clara loved this place, loved Christmas, loved everything about making things bright. She was always the fearless one. The one who told me to take the jump, to go for the big league. She was my whole world, my first love.

l lost my love for Christmas after her death but for the past two years l've only been doing it for Leon but this is the first time l've brought him here.

Leon snuggled closer. He asked the same question every year breaking the walls l've built on my heart. “Is she an angel?”

“She is our angel, buddy. She was the bravest woman I ever met. She gave me you,” I confessed holding him tighter. “And then she had to go.” l said.

“She’s gone, but she’s not gone from our hearts” I continued, primarily for Ava’s benefit, letting her see the commitment I still carried.

We made a mistake that should never happen again. l don’t mind f*****g because l do it without strings attached and explanations but with her everything is different.