Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
THIERRY
Oh gosh, I am falling for her so hard; harder than I ever thought possible…
Gerry found himself watching Molly more than he probably should, but he couldn’t help it. She captivated him in a way no one else ever had. They had only been dating for two months, but in that short time, she had transformed his world into something brighter, better, and richer than he had ever known.
Every moment with her was magic, from the simple joys of cooking meals together in her tiny kitchen to sharing quiet evenings curled up on the couch. They talked about everything and nothing, letting hours pass without even noticing. And then there were her gestures—like the way she proudly wore his jersey; his number emblazoned on her back as she cheered for him both as his physical therapist and his biggest fan. She was everything he didn’t know he was missing.
And tonight, he was going to show her just how much she meant to him. Gerry had gone the extra mile to plan this surprise, even clearing it with the coach to make sure she could have the night off. He could already picture the way her eyes would light up when she realized what he’d done. That thought alone made his heart race.
But just as he was savoring the anticipation, his phone buzzed, jolting him back to reality. With a small groan, he set the weights on the rack and glanced at the caller ID. Of course—it was Bob, his agent. Bob was fantastic at his job, but he had a knack for calling at the most inconvenient times.
“Hey Bob,” he answered easily. “How are you?”
“Gerry… my man, my guy, my dude,” Bob wheedled enthusiastically, making him chuckle. The man was up to something. “It’s been a little bit, and I thought I’d see how you were doing. Ready for a change of scenery yet? I hear you’ve got a new girlfriend. How come your faithful agent has to hear it from the television and not from the horse’s mouth? I’m hurt…”
“You’re not hurt,” Gerry grinned. “And no. I’m not looking for a change of scenery. Why? Who’s looking?” And he hesitated, immediately leaping to his feet as the movement around the weight room slowed. He had eyes on him and was quickly walking out of the room as fast as possible, hoping that his agent kept his mouth shut for two more seconds.
“You’re not gonna believe this but…”
“Hang on, Bob,” Gerry cut in, his voice low and urgent. Without wasting a second, he darted down the hallway, his shoes squeaking faintly against the polished floor. His pulse hammered in his ears as he glanced back, making sure no one was following. Reaching Molly’s office, he slipped inside, shutting the door firmly behind him. She glanced up from her desk, startled, the phone pressed to her ear. Her eyebrows lifted in question as her eyes locked on his, a mix of curiosity and mild alarm.
“I’m i n a safe place to talk,” he murmured, his tone more composed as he leaned against the wall, his chest rising and falling.
Molly tilted her head, clearly perplexed, but returned to her call, her voice soft and measured. Gerry forced himself to focus on Bob, but a small part of him lingered on the way Molly's lips moved as she spoke, her presence grounding him in a way he couldn't explain.
“Go ahead,” he urged.
There was a pause on the other end of the line, just long enough for Gerry’s mind to race with possibilities. Bob’s voice finally came through, tinged with reverence and disbelief.
“Calgary called…”
Gerry straightened instinctively, his shoulders tense as he waited for the bombshell.
“They’re interested in you, and it’s a sweet deal.”
“You’re kidding me,” Gerry blurted out, a strange mix of hope and apprehension bubbling to the surface.
“No,” Bob replied, his voice gaining momentum as though the words themselves carried weight. “It’s a contract for five years. Endorsements. There’s even a shot at a possible clothing line. And get this, Gerry – two commas!”
Bob’s excitement nearly jumped through the phone. Gerry’s heart thudded harder, and he felt the gravity of the news settling over him. Two commas. The words echoed in his mind, a shorthand for something so huge it felt surreal. Over a million bucks a year.
His gaze flicked up to Molly, who had ended her call and was now staring at him, her brows knit in concern. She could read him too well, even without knowing the details.
“Are you serious?” Gerry asked, his voice quieter this time as if the weight of the moment had pressed the air out of him. His hand clutched his phone tightly, knuckles blanching, while the other ran distractedly through his hair. The room suddenly felt smaller, the walls closing i n with the enormity of the conversation.
“Would I be shouting if I wasn’t?” the man on the other end practically yelped, laughter spilling into the receiver like a burst of static. “They’ve got it so bad for Edmonton and Seattle that they’re going after the big guns… which is you, my boy!”
Gerry’s breath hitched as he processed the words. His pulse thudded in his ears, each beat louder than the last. “I heard that the big three were looking…” he started, his voice trailing off into uncertainty.
“You want one of those teams instead? I can put out feelers and see what we can get, but they have a couple of big players. They’re looking for speed and…”
“Bob,” Gerry interrupted, his tone sharper now as his gaze flicked to Molly. She sat across from him, her hands twisting together in her lap. Her lips were pressed into a thin, nervous line, and her eyes flitted to his with a mix of hope and trepidation.
“Is this something I can think about over the weekend?” he continued, his voice softening as he watched Molly’s reaction. “I need to think about it, look at the details… and I really need to discuss it with my girlfriend.”
There was a pause on the line, then a grunt of assent. “Can you email me the details and let them know I’ll get back to you on Monday?”
“Yup – first thing Monday morning,” Bob replied briskly.
“First thing, I promise,” Gerry said firmly. His eyes didn’t leave Molly’s as he ended the call, placing his phone down with deliberate care. The tension in his shoulders didn’t ease as he settled into the chair, leaning forward slightly, elbows on his knees. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything. I just couldn’t talk in front of the guys and knew I wouldn’t make it to the parking garage before my agent star ted spilling the beans.”
Molly tilted her head, her expression unreadable except for the subtle twitch at the corner of her mouth. “Soooo…?” she asked, drawing the word out with a pointed edge. “I guess you’re considering it.”
“It’s something worth discussing between us,” Gerry replied, his voice steady but filled with meaning.
She arched an eyebrow, her posture stiffening. “It’s your job offer, Gerry.”
“It affects us both,” he countered, his tone as gentle as it was resolute. He reached for her hand, his touch warm and reassuring. “I’m not taking something across the country without discussing it with the most important person in my life.”
Molly’s breath caught, and her cheeks flushed faintly at his words. Her lips parted, but for a moment, no sound came. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper, heavy with emotion. “Oh, Gerry…” She hesitated, her fingers tightening around his. “Calgary?”
“It’s over a million,” he breathed, his voice low but filled with the weight of the decision. The sheer magnitude of the offer hung in the air between them as he gave her the details. “There would be endorsements and some other things, but…” He paused, running a hand through his hair as if trying to scrub away the anxiety bubbling beneath the surface. “I don’t know if I want to go to Calgary.”
Her brow furrowed, concern flickering in her eyes. “Why not?” she asked gently.
“Well, first and most importantly—you are here,” he began, his voice steady but his gaze locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath catch. “Secondly, here I’m somebody . But there…” He broke eye contact, his words faltering as he looked out the window into the fading light of evening. “There, I would be starting over. I’m not Thierry. I’m just another uniform on the ice until I make my mark.”
“And it’s scary,” she whispered knowingly, the words barely audible but striking deep.
“Very,” he admitted, his voice heavy with the truth. For a moment, the room fell into a hushed stillness. They simply looked at each other, the unspoken fears and dreams swirling between them like an unsteady current.
Finally, he stood, the movement abrupt, as if he couldn’t sit with the tension any longer. Crossing the room to her, he stopped just short of where she sat. Molly, sensing his need, rose to meet him, and in an instant, he pulled her into his arms.
The embrace was fierce, almost desperate, as he pressed her close, burying his face in the curve of her shoulder. His eyes slipped closed, and he focused on the steady rhythm of her breathing, trying to quiet the chaotic thrum of his thoughts. The scent of her shampoo, familiar and comforting, wrapped around him as he exhaled slowly.
Trading to another team had never been on his radar. He was happy here. Content. But the offer… the sheer amount of money they were dangling in front of him—it was staggering.
“What are you thinking?” Molly’s voice was soft, almost hesitant as if she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.
“I’m thinking with that kind of money, we would be very comfortable,” he admitted, his voice tinged with vulnerability. He leaned back slightly, his hands shifting to link behind her back, keeping her close. “I’m thinking of the future. I mean, someday we’ll want a place together, or maybe children…” His voice trailed off, his gaze searching hers for a reaction.
Her lips parted, and he caught the way her eyes shimmered, a glimmer of emotion he hadn’t expected but couldn’t look away from. “That doesn’t worry you—that I think about things like this?” he asked, his voice quieter now, unsure.
“No,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “I’m honestly really touched that you’re planning so far ahead.”
“I mean, Molly, I’m not going to play forever,” he said, the reality of his career’s finite nature sinking in as he spoke. “But it’s a lot of money.”
“It is,” she agreed, her voice thoughtful. “But… you’ll miss your friends.”
“I would,” he admitted, the words weighted with truth. “But if I took it, I’d find us a place as quickly as I could.”
“You sound like you’re considering it,” she observed, tilting her head as if trying to read his expression.
“I need more details,” he replied, his tone practical but still laced with uncertainty. “We’ll have a chance to talk about it this weekend.”
“Are we still on for our date?” she asked. Her attempt to steer the conversation into lighter territory is evident in her tone.
“Absolutely,” he replied with a faint smile. “Can you be ready to go in an hour? Are you almost done here?”
“Yes,” she said with a nod. “I’ll finish up. Just come get me when you’re ready.”
“Molly…” he began, hesitating as he reached for her hand.
“Oh, I know, Gerry—I won’t breathe a word,” she offered quickly, her tone reassuring. But he didn’t let go of her hand, and when she looked up at him, she saw something in his expression that made her heart squeeze.
“No,” he said tenderly, the word carrying an unexpected weight. Slowly, he leaned down and dropped a soft kiss on her lips, his touch light but full of meaning. “I’m really glad I have you in my life, and we can talk about things. You’re my rock, Molly. You keep me steady—and I just wanted to tell you how much you mean to me.”
Her breath caught.
At that moment, all the uncertainties and fears faded like the tide retreating from the shore. The ch aos in his mind quieted, leaving only the steady, unyielding truth: her. In his arms, with those words spoken between them, Gerry felt a profound sense of clarity settle over him. He could see their future more vividly than ever before. Every doubt, every hesitation that had plagued him about what lay ahead dissolved.
She was his anchor, tethering him to a sense of purpose he hadn’t known he needed. The way her gaze softened when it landed on him, the gentle curve of her lips, the warmth of her presence—all of it fortified him in ways he couldn’t put into words.
She was his rock.
Molly was the one who stilled the turbulence in his soul, grounding him in a security he never thought possible. And if Calgary wasn’t what she wanted? Then Calgary wasn’t what he wanted, either.
It was that simple.
“I’m so…” she began, her voice thick with emotion, her eyes glistening as she swallowed hard. Her face was an open book, each movement of her features revealing the depth of what she felt. “I’m so glad we managed to find our way. You mean a lot to me, too.”
Those words hit him harder than he expected, filling the cracks he hadn’t realized were still there. His chest tightened, not from fear but from the overwhelming flood of affection and gratitude he felt for her.
“We’re a team,” he said, his voice steady, though his heart pounded against his ribs.
“We’re the best team,” she replied, a small, tender smile curving her lips as her hand reached up to rest against his cheek.
He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that spoke of promises unspoken and a love that ran deeper than words. When he pulled back, his throat felt tight, and his chest ached with the intensity of his emotions. He wasn’t used to this—to feeling so much at once—but she made him brave enough to face it.
Still, reality tugged at the edge of his consciousness, reminding him of what waited outside the cocoon of their moment. He let out a small sigh, brushing his thumb across her cheek one last time before stepping back.
“I need to get back to the gym,” he said, his tone laced with regret. The weight of the decision he still had to make loomed, but he wasn’t ready to share it with anyone else. Not yet. “Finish my circuits. And avoid the chatter with the guys.”
Her brow arched slightly, but she didn’t push. She never did.
“The last thing I need is for this to get around before I’ve decided,” he admitted, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “When it comes to money, you’ve got to keep your secrets for a reason.”
As he left her, the echoes of their words lingered in his mind, intertwining with the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. He wasn’t sure what the future held, but with her by his side, he knew one thing for certain—he was no longer afraid to find out. He couldn’t wait for this weekend to be alone with her, and maybe they would discuss a few things besides Calgary.
Like their future.