Page 6 of The Rebound Play

There are plenty more fish in the sea.

So, even though it broke me, I told him to go. We broke up.

I told myself at the time I had big plans of my own. I might not have been on a sports scholarship at a top school, but I knew I wanted to make something of myself. When everyone tells you at seventeen your high school sweetheart is only your first love and not your last, you believe them. And besides, I didn’t want to be the one to stand between Dan and his dreams. Breaking up was the right thing to do.

Or so I thought.

It turns out they were wrong.

Dan was my first love, and although it’s only been ten years since he left Maple Falls, no one else has even come close.

Breaking up with him was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and my heart has never recovered.

And now he’s a big star, big goal scorer for the Chicago Blizzard. He’s talented. Famous. Women love him. He leads this crazy, glamorous, exciting life. A life I know nothing about.

Me? Not famous. I glance down at my jeans, sneakers, and red puffer jacket. Definitely not glamorous. What’s more, I’m still living in the small town I grew up in. I’m just plain old Keira Johnson—never changed, and probably never will.

Dan’s a big hockey star, coming home to play on the Ice Breakers team, and I’m just his high school girl.

I haven’t seen him since we broke up. Not officially, anyway. As embarrassed as I am to admit it, I saw him last winter. He was at the diner downtown, enjoying a meal with his family, home for the Christmas holiday. I was in a booth in the back with Hannah and Benny, and as soon as I laid eyes on him, I slid down in my seat so he couldn’t see me, making it a game for the delighted kids. Then as he was posing for selfies with fans, I bundled the kids up and snuck out the back as quickly as I could, much to the surprise of the kitchen staff.

Mature, right?

But when the guy you’ve never been able to forget turns up in town, looking irresistibly handsome and thoroughly happy with his life’s choices, you do what you’ve got to do and, in this case, that involved me pretending with Hannah and Benny that we were spies and needed to ninja roll and then crawl—quite literally—out the back door. Shirley May, our regular server and a kindly resident of the town, unlocked the door for us, and we climbed into my car, and slunk away without even switching on the headlights.

The kids thought it was super fun. I thought it was super necessary.

I knew seeing him could stir up a whole load of feelings that would be far from helpful. And seeing him so happy? Well, I needed to protect my heart. Pure and simple.

And now, today, I know it makes sense that people are excited about him coming back home to play on the charity team. Dan’s the local guy who went off to play in the big leagues. He’s our hometown hero, Maple Falls’ answer to Sidney Crosby. He’s big news around here.

The fact he’s also the ex I’ve never been able to forget? Well, that’s really only big news for me.

CHAPTER 3

DAN

I admit it’s weird to be back in my hometown for a full six weeks, rather than for just a handful of days. Of course, I’ve been back since I left: holidays, birthdays, stolen long weekends when I could fit them in. My parents, Emmy, and my grandma Mimi, all still live here, and sometimes it’s nice to have a place to retreat to when I need to get away from the NHL and everything that goes with it.

But in all those visits, I’ve not met up with Keira, not even once in all the years since I left. I’ve not even bumped into her accidentally. Maple Falls isn’t a big place, so it’s weird, almost as though she’s been actively avoiding me.

But that makes me sound paranoid. I guess the truth of the matter is, our paths simply haven’t crossed.

If I have my way, all of that is about to change.

I park on the leafy street outside my parents’ house, the home I grew up in. The big tree in the front lawn still has a swing hanging off it, and the white picket fence, although freshly painted, is the one I used to jump over after school each day.

Sometimes it pays to be tall.

The front door swings open and out strides my dad, trailed by my mom. Their faces are beaming, happy to see their oldest son home.

I climb out of my rented SUV and bound over to them, jumping right over the white picket fence, just like I used to. I collect both my parents in a bear hug.

“Mom, Dad.”

“It’s good to have you back here, son,” Dad says as he slaps me on the back.

“Let me take a look at you.” Mom holds me at arm’s length, looking me over. “How’s your wrist, honey?”