‘As a work thing, obviously,’ he’d insisted after, to save his embarrassment and also so she wouldn’t think he was hitting on her or anything. Ward sighed. As much as he wanted to sometimes. Most times. But he knew better than to rock the boat when things were on the right track, and she’d done so much to get him to this point.

He was almost afraid to get his hopes up about being welcomed back to the team, so he also knew that if things didn’t go as planned, having Hannah there would keep him on an even keel.

It was complicated too because he also recognized that what he felt for her wasn’t just attraction. She simply had this way of keeping him grounded somehow. A way of teasing out an inner, better side of him so that he didn’t have to feel so guarded all the time.

Lower the deflector shield …

And that was doubly scary, because Ward didn’t know what he’d do when all of this public makeover stuff did come to an end, and there was no longer a reason for Hannah to be in his life.

So he was in two minds. While getting back on the ice had been all he’d ever wanted, achieving that pretty much meant that he’d be saying goodbye to Hannah. Having overcome their initial teething problems, he’d since come to almost depend on having her around. A little too much if he was being honest about it.

But maybe she enjoyed being around him too, and their easy relationship would continue? Probably not. Women like her didn’t babysit guys like him unless they were being paid to do so. And yet, a part of him was almost certain that he and Hannah were more than that – more than just client and publicist.

But what did he know?

Went without saying that maintaining relationships had never been his strong point. Take Melanie for instance. An incoming call broke him out of his ruminations then and Ward tapped the earbuds he was wearing to block out the hoover noise.

‘Hello, stranger.’

The voice was low and throaty and immediately made his stomach tighten. Seriously?

It was almost like his thoughts alone had summoned a ghost.

‘Mel … hey. How are you doing?’

‘I’m good,’ his ex replied, ‘and from what I’ve been reading lately, it seems like you are, too.’

He chuckled. ‘Don’t believe everything you read.’

‘How’s the injury coming along? Physical therapy helping?’

Still numb with surprise, he sat down on the couch and leaned back against the cushions. As much as he hated to admit it, even hearing her voice brought back so many feelings that were hard to control.

‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘it’s coming along good.’

There was a long pause and then she added, her voice tentative, ‘And are you coping OK with the pain?’