The Long Change

By Jennifer Loring

A secret affair...an unspoken love...the change of a lifetime. Andrew Ellis is a winger on a failing hockey team and sees an opportunity for change in the upcoming expansion draft. Through that, he believes he can escape his ex-wife and the painful memories of their daughter’s death from cancer. Not to mention the secret he’s been hiding—his year-long affair with his team’s equipment manager. He’s afraid his career will suffer if anyone finds out. Will Andrew find the courage to acknowledge he’s gay and admit his feelings for Dylan Murphy before it’s too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Release date: Sep 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781509216840

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The Long Change

by

Jennifer Loring

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

The Long Change

COPYRIGHT © 2017 by Jennifer Loring

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: [e-mail]

Cover Art by Kris Norris

The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

Visit us at www.thewilderroses.com

Publishing History

First Scarlet Rose Edition, 2017

Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-1684-0

Published in the United States of America

Dedication

To all the readers

who have taken this journey with me.

The Long Change

Let me talk to my… Andrew Ellis pinched the bridge of his nose. Six months since the divorce and as hard as ever not to call her his wife. To Emily. Please.

I don’t think that’s a good idea today, Andrew.

His skin crawled at the way the slimy son of a bitch spoke his name. And why the hell was he monitoring her cell phone? Do you know what day it is?

That’s why it’s not a good idea. She doesn’t want to talk to you right now, so maybe call back later in the week?

The silence of a disconnected call ensued.

Fucker. Andrew slammed the phone face-down on the coffee table. She hadn’t hurt him enough by divorcing him over a rumor, then intentionally stringing along her douche of a boyfriend so she could suck as much alimony out of Andrew as possible. Now she had to rob him of their one shared memory that still mattered.

He grabbed his phone and called Troy. He’d see him at morning skate tomorrow, but game day afforded no time for private conversation. Hey, man. You busy?

Nah. Just getting shit done around the house. What’s up?

It’s, uh…you know, Izzy’s… She’d have been six. First grade. Fucking cancer. They’d had such big plans for her. As it turned out, cold, merciless life didn’t give a shit about you or your plans.

Oh. Oh, shit. Are you okay? You wanna grab a beer or something?

Andrew rubbed his gritty eyes. He held out hope that someday he would not see Isabella’s swollen, post-mortem face every time he closed them. You know what? I would.

****

Their usual spot was a dive bar where Andrew and Troy had been regulars since their arrival from Nashville seven years ago. Not important enough to be among the handful of protected players, both were