Page 175 of Face Off

“Good.”

She laughed softly through the remaining tears.

I adjusted my hat. “I have a bachelor’s in English with an emphasis in rhetoric and professional writing. It wasn’t decorative. When hockey is done, I want my master’s, maybe a PhD. I’d like to teach.”

Crystal’s eyes widened slightly.

“There’s that shock again.”

“No.” She shook her head quickly. “Not shock. Charm told me you wanted to teach. I only didn’t know you had decided how far you wanted to take it.”

“I haven’t decided how far.”

“You should go as far as you want.”

“I intend to.”

“I know you don’t need anything from me, and I would never insult you by pretending you do. I only want to tell you that when the time comes, I sit on several boards connected to universities and scholarship programs. If you ever want an introduction, I would be honored to make one.”

I looked at her.

Crystal immediately lifted one hand. “Not because I think you need help getting accepted.”

“Good save.”

“I am learning.”

“Slowly.”

Her mouth curved.

I let the offer remain without accepting or rejecting it.

Crystal glanced toward the ballroom. “May I ask you one question?”

“You used your four minutes about twenty minutes ago.”

“I noticed.”

I leaned one shoulder against the stone wall. “Ask.”

“What about my daughter?”

Every defense I had relaxed during the last few minutes returned. “What about her?”

“Do you still love her?”

I looked through the glass doors before I could stop myself.

Charm was still nowhere in sight. She was probably upstairs finishing her hair, putting on something designed to destroy my concentration, and planning the next move in a campaign I had already allowed much closer than she understood.

“The last fifteen months make anything I say sound like a lie,” I said. “I blocked her. I left. I made sure she believed there was nothing left inside me she could reach.”

“Was there?”

I pushed both hands into my pockets.

“There is absolutely nothing on this earth I wouldn’t do for your daughter.”