She shook her head. “No, not at all.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

Looking across the desk, she whispered, “He’s going to leave me.”

The surprise on Rachel’s face wasn’t unexpected, but what was was that Rachel listened as Lacey cried and told her everything that had happened. Rachel didn’t try to stick up for Lacey’s father or even herself when Lacey accused her of trying to push Lacey into doing things. She just listened. Like she used to do.

Wiping away her tears, Lacey said, “I just don’t know what to do. I love him, more than I could ever explain, but he wants kids, and I can’t give them to him.”

Rachel nodded as she leaned back in her chair, holding her stomach. Earlier that morning, she’d confirmed that she was pregnant with her and Grady’s third child. Lacey wanted to be excited for a new niece or nephew, but her heart just ached for Karson and his need for his own child. “Did you ever think that this is something you two should have talked about before you got married?”

Lacey nodded. “We didn’t talk; we didn’t even think. We just did it, and I don’t regret it, I don’t. I love him, but I know this is going to end my marriage.”

Rachel shook her head, visibly upset. Lacey wasn’t sure if she wanted to say “Told you so” or if she wanted to comfort her. “Don’t you remember Maddy and Richard?”

Closing her eyes, tears stung her eyes. She did remember and wished like hell she didn’t. “Yeah,” she whispered.

“Richard didn’t want kids and Maddy wanted them so bad. She stayed with him, but then she decided she wanted more and left with everything, and he was left with nothing. He thought they were forever, but he was wrong. Plus, she knew from the beginning that he didn’t want kids. Karson is just finding out.”

“I know,” she said, her throat closing with emotion.

“If he decides that it isn’t worth it, then he’ll leave you.”

“I know,” she said again, wiping away her tears as she sucked in a deep breath.

Leaning up, Rachel held her gaze and said, “Lacey, let him go. I know you love him, and I get it, but there is so much that isn’t working for you two. And sometimes love isn’t enough. You aren’t adjusting well to Nashville, to making friends. You hate when he is gone, he has sluts trying to get with him all over the place, and your family and your business are here. Plus, on top of all that, we all hate him. Maybe it’s time to accept defeat and just let him go.”

Lacey shook her head. “But I love him, and what if our love can hold us together?”

Setting her with a look that told her she was dumb, Rachel said, “Then what are you worried about? If your love is so strong and can withstand Hurricane ‘I Don’t Want Babies’ and everything else that gets thrown at you two, then why are you worried he is going to leave you?”

She bit the inside of her cheek as she looked away. Rachel had a point, one that was slowly cutting Lacey open and gutting her. If it wasn’t going to happen, why was she so worried about it?

Maybe she didn’t believe in their love like she thought she did.

Maybe it wasn’t as strong as she hoped.

Maybe it was time to let go.

Karson had played the worst game of his life.

It was just sad and ridiculous, and he wasn’t the least bit surprised when Coach threw him down to the fourth line. He sucked.

Majorly.

Embarrassed didn’t even cover what he was feeling. He was mortified. He had never played that horribly, never, not even in pee wees. He was missing shots, missing passes, and acting as if he hadn’t skated a day in his life. It was insane and it was entirely his wife’s fault. Or maybe his fault. He wasn’t sure, but he needed to get home. He was ready to talk this out and fix it so they could move forward.

This was stupid. He still couldn’t believe she just took off and didn’t even talk to him. That was going to have to stop. She couldn’t run or shut down every time there was a fucking problem. He was her partner, her everything; she needed to talk to him. He was there to be her rock, to support her and love her unconditionally. So why not take the support he offered? He understood that she was upset, and that was fine, but she had to allow him to help. It was his job. At least that’s how he felt about the whole thing.

Pulling into the driveway, his brow rose when he didn’t see any lights on. Maybe she’d gone to bed. It was late, and she’d had a late flight, so maybe she just hit the sheets. Deciding that was okay since he missed holding her, he rushed out of the cold, slamming the door behind him.

“Hey Lacey,” he called out, kicking off his boots and hanging up his jacket. “I’m home.”

But there was no answer. She must be asleep. Locking the door, he took the stairs two steps at a time, but when he entered their room, it was empty.

“Lacey?” he called, but it was silent. Looking around, nothing was clean and everything was exactly as he’d left it. Messy, of course, which meant Lacey wasn’t there because she would have cleaned. To make sure though before he started to panic, he rushed downstairs, calling her name and looking all over the place.

But she wasn’t there.

Cupping the back of his neck, he felt dizzy as he came to the realization that his wife hadn’t come home. Jerkily, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed her number as his heart pounded in his chest, vibrating his soul. When she didn’t answer, he called again and then again. Finally, she answered, her voice full of remorse as she said, “Karson.”