Chapter Twenty

Reeve

Sitting on the padded table in the belly of the stadium, running through every strength and stress test on my knee that Dr. Omar could do, I wait with bated breath to hear his prognosis.

We still have a week and a half before he assesses me at my six-week appointment, but I'm hoping that this appointment will give me a glimpse into what I can expect for an answer as to whether he's going to clear me for practice or not.

I glance over at Coach Bex who's standing in the corner of the exam room, one arm crossed over his chest, his other elbow perched against it with his hand resting against his mouth.

He's as anxious as I am to get the news.

Finally, Dr. Omar looked up from my knee after rotating my leg—the last test, he told us he wanted to run. He jots down some notes on his clipboard, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Well, Reeve, I have to say I'm impressed. Your knee is looking remarkably good, especially considering the severity of the initial injury."

There's an audible exhale from both Coach Bex and myself.

I feel a surge of hope, but I try to keep my expression neutral. "That's great to hear, Doc. So what does that mean for my recovery timeline?"

Dr. Omar glances at Coach Bex before answering. "Honestly, I'm tempted to clear you now. Your range of motion is excellent, and the strength tests are promising. Your PT did an excellent job, and your body seems to be healing nicely. However," he holds up a hand, sensing my excitement, "I want to wait for one more set of scans before I let you skate out for practice. We can't afford to rush this and risk re-injury."

Coach Bex steps forward, his arms crossed. "And when will those scans be ready?"

"By the end of next week," Dr. Omar replies. "If they look as good as I expect them to, we could be looking at clearance for light practice at the six-week mark, assuming that Dr. Woods agrees. And I want Dr. Morgan to take a look, too, before you're cleared for more than that."

My heart races at the prospect of making the deadline that I set. Getting cleared for practice is better than nothing, but every game I miss feels like an eternity. If I want to get back out there and help my team make it to the playoffs, I need to be able to play.

Coach Bex nods, his expression softening slightly. "That's good news, mate. But remember, we need you at 100%. No cutting corners, understood?"

"Yes, Coach," I say. "I'll do whatever it takes."

As we wrap up the appointment, I glance at the clock on the wall and realize with a start that I've completely lost track of time. Keely's soccer game – I promised I'd be there.

"I hate to rush out," I say, hopping off the table, "but I've got somewhere I need to be. Thanks, Doc. Coach, I'll see you at practice tomorrow?"

Coach Bex nods, a knowing look in his eye. "Off you go then. Don't keep her waiting."

I feel a flush creep up my neck, but I don't deny it. As I hurry out of the stadium and to my car, my mind races with possibilities. The future I've been working towards is within reach – both on and off the ice. Now I just have to make sure I don't mess it up.

Pulling into the emptying parking lot, I notice players and spectators loading into their cars and getting ready to leave.

My stomach sinks—I missed it.

She knew I had a late doctor's appointment when I told her I was coming to her game today. And I told her I'd be cutting it close but now I've missed it entirely.

As I approach the tightly cut green grass, the late afternoon sun is starting to set across the soccer fields. The last few players toss their duffel bags over their shoulders and head in the opposite direction, waving at me as they go. My eyes scan the crowd, searching for Keely.

The moment I spot her, I see she's talking with Dr. Morgan near the sidelines, her cheeks flushed from exertion and her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She looks beautiful.

But I'm not the only one who notices.

Jaxson stands close. Closer to Keely than I'd like. He smiles down at her. I'll admit the guy is in good shape for someone who spends most of his waking hours working in a hospital. And he's not only good at his job, he's one of the best in his field. I don't have to wonder why Keely agreed to dinner.

And the biggest kicker?

He's not Keely's patient.

I hesitate for a moment, not wanting to interrupt. But then Keely glances up and sees me. Her face breaks into a wide smile, and she waves me over.

"Reeve, you made it!" she calls out.

I jog the last few steps to join them, my knee feeling strong and capable under me. "Hey, sorry I'm late. How'd the game go?"

"We won." Keely beams. "It was close, but we pulled it off in the end."

Jaxson nods in agreement. "Keely here scored the winning goal. She's been a great addition to the team."

I feel a twinge of... something. Pride? Jealousy? I push it aside and focus on congratulating Keely.

"That's awesome! I wish I could have seen it."

Dr. Morgan glances at his watch. "I've got to run - emergency surgery. Great game, Keely. See you next week." He nods to me. "Reeve."

As he walks away, I turn to Keely "So, things are going good with the doctor?" I ask.

"We're not together. I told you… I'm not going on a date with him until after your six-week check-up."

"Right. Okay," I say, because what else is there to say?

She won't consider us since I'm her patient, and with the way things are going, she'll be the new PT for the Hawkeyes.

"Oh! You had your appointment today," she says, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "So? How did it go?"

I can't help but grin. "Really well, actually. The doctor says I'm healing faster than expected. If I keep up with my PT, I might be back on the ice in a few weeks."

Keely's face lights up. "Reeve, that's incredible. I'm so happy for you."

Without thinking, I pull her into a hug. She stiffens for a moment, then relaxes into my embrace. I breathe in the scent of her shampoo mixed with fresh grass and sweat. It's intoxicating.

I pull back, suddenly aware of how close we are. "So, uh, since I missed the game... think you could give me a reenactment of your winning goal. That is if you can get it past me." I challenge.

Keely raises an eyebrow. "Oh really? You think you can block my shot?"

I laugh. "I may be injured, but I'm not dead. And I'm as good as cleared from the doctor."

She grins, a competitive glint in her eye. "Okay then. You're on, hockey boy."

We head out to the middle of the now-empty field. Keely grabs a ball from her bag and starts dribbling it between her feet.

"Alright, hotshot. Let's see what you've got," she teases.

I move towards her, careful of my knee but determined to show her I'm not completely useless. She dodges around me easily, laughing as she goes.

"Come on, Reeve! I thought you said you could keep up!"

I chase after her when she turns and starts running for the other side of the soccer field towards the other goal.

"That's cheating," I yell after her.

She squeals and then starts giggling the second she glances quickly over her shoulder to find me chasing after her.

The cool evening air fills my lungs.

For a moment, I forget about my injury,about the pressure of returning to the ice. It's just me and Keely, running and laughing under the darkening sky.

Finally, I manage to catch up to her, my arm wrapping around her waist.

She squeals again right before she loses to footing and we both tumble to the ground.

We land in a tangled heap, breathless and laughing. I find myself hovering over her, my face just inches from hers. Our laughter fades as we lock eyes.

My heart races, and I know that my self-control is wavering.

"Keely," I say softly, "I'm about to kiss you."

Her eyes widen slightly, but she doesn't pull away. Instead, her eyes dip down to my lips, and she licks her tongue and darts out to wet her bottom lip.

I start to lean in, giving her a second to deny me, but instead, she wraps her hand around the back of my neck and pulls me against her mouth.

My heart pounds against my chest as Keely pulls me closer, her lips meeting mine with unexpected intensity. The kiss deepens quickly, weeks of pent-up tension pouring out between us. Her fingers thread through my hair as my hand cups her cheek, holding her close.

I want this kiss to last longer—all night, if I had a choice, but we're in the middle of a soccer field and once we break away, I know I won't have a shot at reproducing this moment back at the apartment.

When we finally break apart, we're both breathless. I rest my forehead against hers, not wanting to put any distance between us.

"Reeve," she whispers. "It's starting to rain."

Then I feel it, a drop against the bare skin at the back of my neck. Then droplets begin to fall all around us, disappearing into the surrounding grass.

I sit up and then stand to my feet, giving Keely my hand to pull her up.

She and I stand there staring at each other for just a second and I can already see in her eyes that she knows she let down her guard. The guard she's putting back up between us.

That was it.

That was the last time I'll ever kiss Keely.