Free Dreams (New Beginnings Book 3) by Michelle Lynn

what?”
    “Different.” He sighed and leaned closer to her. “I’ve called a few times.”
    “I know.”
    “I’ve been worried.”
    “I’m sorry,” she whispered, shifting her eyes away.
    “I want to be friends with you, Taylor,” he said, reaching out to grab her hand. “I like being around you.”
    “I just …” She lifted her eyes to his and was trapped in his gaze. Did she want to be friends with him? He made everything too confusing, but being around him felt different somehow, better. Something about his presence was calming. She could almost forget and that was the problem.
    “Don’t say no,” he pleaded. “I get that what happened is too much for you right now. So, just friends. I promise.”
    “I can’t be around hockey. Everything about it brings back too many memories.”
    “I won’t talk about it,” he said. “You don’t have to come to games. Come on, I think I can help you. I might even be good for you.”
    She looked down, a small smile coming to her lips. Confusion be damned. She just wanted relief from her grief and he gave her that. “Okay.”
    “Is that a smile?” he teased. “Told you I’d be good for you.”
    “Just go.” She threw the pillow at him. “Before my dad finds you up here.”
    “Good idea.” He stood to leave. “They’ll start to worry about me if I have to spend this long in the bathroom.” He winked. “You should come down and get something to eat.”
    She stuffed her hands into the pocket of her hoodie and leaned back on the bed. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
    “Okay, well we’ve got a stretch of games coming up and I’ll be really busy. But, let’s hang out early next week.”
    “Sure,” she said, still on the fence about this new friendship. “Friends. I can do this.”
    He grinned once more before leaving just as Abigail returned with their food.

Seven
    Josh scored his first goal of the season against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It wasn’t a pretty one, most would call it a garbage goal, but that was his specialty. He wasn’t the guy that was going to take the puck end to end, deking defensemen on the way, but he got his team on the board. His line-mates mobbed him behind the net and his team went on to win the game.
    After three straight losses, the Jackets were back on track. Carter Neil scored his first NHL goal, a game winner, the next night and they won the two after that as well. After each win, the music was cranked up in the locker room and the mood was good. After they said a few words, the coaches would leave the rest to Olle. It was one thing to be the captain when the team was losing, but another when they were winning. Some said it would be harder to lead a winning team. Harder to keep the guys from getting complacent, satisfied. The only time in hockey that you should be satisfied is when you are raising the Stanley cup above your head.
    The regular season is a slog and the playoffs are grueling. Any time someone asked Josh why he gave up so much for a game, he’d just smile and tell them they wouldn’t understand. Hockey was a love affair. Each player that made it to the NHL did so because they gave the game a part of themselves. A part they knew they’d never get back.
    When he wasn’t playing well, Josh felt like he was letting the game down. When he was, when everything was in sync, he felt whole. That was why he tried so hard.
    “Walker,” Coach Scott called above the music.
    Josh followed him down the hall to his office.
    “What’s up, Coach?”
    Coach Scott gestured to the empty chair in front of his desk. He wasn’t the head coach, but he was still very involved with the players.
    Josh sat, bouncing his leg nervously as the coach studied his face.
    “This is how I know you can play,” he started. “Wherever your head has been at this week, keep it there.”
    “Thanks, Coach.”
    “Now, hold on. I didn’t call you in here to inflate your ego. Whatever you’ve been doing to help Neil,