His phone buzzed, and Hawk answered it right away. “Hey, babe.”
“Hey.” Caleb sounded kind of scratchy and hoarse, but awake and aware. “I’m glad you texted.”
“I am too. I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to be a dick. How’s your foot?”
“Broken.” Caleb chuckled. “It’s gonna take surgery, but we’re going to wait until I get back to Colorado. Right now, I’m trying to figure out logistics with my coach and shit.”
“So, what you’re just air-casted now or something?”
“Yeah, they’re putting me in a great big boot, and as much as I can do it, they’re going to want me to be on crutches, which will probably be good because it hurts pretty damn bad.”
“Are you going to be able to come down to Milan? Or willyou go straight home?” Hawk wanted Caleb with him in his hotel room. He wanted to make sure Caleb was comfortable and pampered a little bit.
“I’m clear to come to you. In fact they want me to hang for a few days before flying for the swelling to go down. I’m just waiting on Justin, who’s one of my buddies. He’s going to help me with all the gear and stuff, so I can come down and not have to bring things in stages or whatever. Jamie said he would help, but slopestyle is a ways off. But I’ll be coming down today.”
“I’ll call the hotel and tell them I’m adding you to my room. There will be a key waiting for you at the front desk. That way you’re not stuck in the village. If you have appointments, I can get you there.”
There was a long pause, and he could hear Caleb’s steady breathing. “So, not a deal-breaker, then?”
“No, babe, not at all. I just freaked out at the idea of you letting yourself get hurt. But you were right. It was hypocritical. We all do dangerous stuff for our sports.” He’d had way too much time to think about all of this. He’d broken his damn knee and not let them take him off the ice until he’d accepted the damn Cup.
Who was he to fucking judge Caleb out of fear?
Caleb’s soft, pained chuckle made him smile a little. “I’m officially retired, by the way.”
“Yeah?” Relief made him a little light-headed. “Got your gold, huh?”
“Fucking A.” Caleb chuckled. “Okay, so in the morning I have an appointment with the doc at the main village, but other than that, probably nothing until I get home. So I’ll, um, I’ll see you tonight.”
“You will. I need to grab a sandwich, baby. If you need me to come up, though, my last game ends about five, so I cancome get you.”
“No. No, I’ll be down by then. Just— Can we get room service?”
“Fuck, yes.” He would let Caleb rest and wallow in the big bed and get him soup or polenta or fucking kids’ cereal for supper. Whatever he wanted.
“Okay. I’ll get Justin to help, and they’ll probably send me on a bus or private car. I’ll see you tonight.”
Thank God. “If you need me between now and then, text.”
“I will.”
“Bye, baby.”
“Bye. See you soon.”
Hawk hung up before heading back to the broadcast break area, grinning with a mixture of relief and gratitude that Caleb hadn’t told him to fuck off.
“Hey, Puck. You okay?” Casey came to hand him a plated panini with veggies, dip, and polenta fries. “You’re smiling again. That’s good.”
“Yeah. I heard from Caleb.” Casey pretty much knew all. She was a good listener. “He’s stuck in the country for a bit, so he’s coming down to stay with me.”
“Oh, that will be nice for him. Being stuck in the village with an injury sucks so hard and trying togeta hotel now is insane.”
“Right? I’m just glad this is a broken foot in a boot and on crutches and not something worse. And that he’s talking to me.”
“That’s a bonus since he’ll be in your room,” she said drily. “Eat up. Back to work in twenty.”
He groaned, because honestly, all he really wanted to do was go wait for Caleb and make sure he was all right. Hell, Hawk wanted to gogetCaleb and fucking carry his ass down the mountain.