Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 132(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 132(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
I take a seat, and he sits behind his desk. “You had a great game tonight. I’m sure you’re going to be on a few highlights, and I’m already getting calls of people wanting you to do some interviews. You going to be in town the rest of the week?”
I think about everything I need to do before I go to Whiskey Run. I’ve been on this team for ten years and with Greg, the GM, for five of those. I owe him not to just bolt.
“I’ll be in town for two weeks.”
I mentally go through the list of things I need to do. Pack up and sell my house, buy a house in Whiskey Run, and the list goes on and on. But while I’m doing those things, I can do a few interviews.
I don’t know how else to do this. “I won’t be back next season, Greg.”
His mouth falls open. “What?”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry, but I think it’s time for me to retire.”
He starts to laugh, and when I don’t join him, he shakes his head. “Ryker, you’re at the height of your career. And yeah, I get it, you’ve done this for a long time—”
“I’m forty,” I tell him.
He nods his head. “Yeah, you’re forty, and you just hit the best game of your life. You’ve got a few years before you retire.”
Remorsefully, I shake my head.
He stands up and puts his hands on his sides. “What is this about, Ryker? Do you need more money? We can renegotiate your contract.”
I lean back in my chair. “I don’t need more money. I’m ready to retire, Greg. It’s time.”
He shakes his head. “Look, emotions are high. We just won the national championship. Wait a few days and then we can talk about this again.”
I stand up and hold my hand to him. “I appreciate what you’re doing. I really do. I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me, and I will wait a few days to announce, but my mind is not going to change. I’m ready to retire. I’m not coming back.”
CHAPTER 2
IZZY
I’m standing behind the nurse’s station, and Caroline is smirking at me. We’ve been best friends for most of our lives. We met in elementary school. We were best friends growing up. We even went to nursing school together. I helped her with the death of her husband years ago, and most recently she’s helped me deal with finding out my husband cheated on me, which is why he’s now my ex-husband. Caroline is usually more laid back, but right now she’s practically beaming with excitement. Like really excited and I’m not sure what’s going on. I should probably be nervous. I hold a file to my chest. “What’s up?”
She is practically bouncing on her feet, and she can barely contain herself. She leans in. “Ryker Kirby announced his retirement.”
I feel a jolt. It’s just an automatic feeling that rolls through my body, but I try to hide my reaction. I watched the Lonestar Thunder game the other night, and Ryker had the best game of his career. There’s no way he’s retiring.
“I don’t care, Caroline.”
She laughs and leans against the cabinets in front of me, blocking me from opening them. “Really? You don’t care that the man you’ve loved most of your life just announced his retirement?”
My mouth falls open, and I shake my head. “It’s none of my business.”
Caroline laughs. “First of all, we’re best friends, and I know you. You care, so you can quit acting like you don’t.”
I shrug. “I don't care. I haven’t seen him in twenty years.”
Caroline shrugs and looks at her short, painted nails. “So you don't want to hear about the gossip rags and what they're saying?”
“Nope. Don't you have patients to help?” I ask her, trying to get her back to work and off the topic of Ryker Kirby. It was twenty years ago that I told him I wanted to end things. And I’ve regretted that decision at least once a day since.
She stomps her foot. “Isabel Curtis, is that you? Where is my best friend? There’s no way you’re not excited about this.”
I gently shove her aside so I can get to the cabinet. “It’s none of my business, Caroline. I’m sure he has his reasons for doing what he’s doing, and they don’t have anything to do with me.”
She puts her hand on the wall next to the cabinet. “Oh yeah, there’s something else. You sure you don’t want to know?”
I slam the cabinet shut. “Nope.”
I turn to walk away and get three steps when Caroline drops the bombshell. “He did an interview, and they asked his plans for the future.”
My feet stop moving, and my head drops between my shoulders. Don’t ask. Don’t ask. I repeat the words over and over, but I can’t stop myself. “What did he say?”