"Hello?"
"Hi, Caitlin Shaw?"
"Yes."
"This is Al Pine, from the Canadian Avalanche Dog Rescue Association, we just had a major avalanche up in Newfoundland and we are calling all the SAR dogs that have been certified in avalanche rescue to come help us. You are on our list with three other dogs... um... let me see... Hawkeye, Flash, and Bran. Are you able to come up and help us. I mean apparently, it is going to be extremely rare to find anyone living by the time you get up here, but do you think you could help us?"
"Definately," I say, now fully awake and out of bed.
"Okay, great. Um... the avalanche took out a whole town, so we're still looking for survivors that might have found shelter and then of course the bodies. How soon can you be up here?"
"I can be at the airport in 2 hours. Where exactly is this?"I say already pulling my suitcase out of the closet.
Al continues to give me the where abouts and all other details, before hanging up. I call Beth, still packing my suitcase with the stuff, I know I will need and the stuff the dogs will need. I'm not a rookie, but I'm nervous none the less. Although I do search and rescue a couple times a year and train a few times a year to keep my avalanche skills up to par, I have only done one other real avalanche rescue, but it was on a small scale.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Beth, it's me. Are you doing anything for the next couple days?"
"Umm... no. Why?"
"I was just called up to Canada, they had a pretty bad avalanche in Newfoundland, and it apparently decimated a town near a ski resort."
"Okay, just bring up Maggie and Koda," she responds. Beth is usually the one that watches the Maggie and Koda for me when I go on Search and Rescue missions, being that they're not trained in Search and Rescue.
"Okay, thanks. I'll see you in a little bit." I say hanging up the phone.
Two and a half hours later, I'm getting on the airplane to take me to Newfoundland. After hours of flying I finally land at my destination and rent a car to take me to the hotel where the rescue teams are all staying. With my boys by my side, I go to the brief meeting and then head off to bed, to get a few hours rest before the long week ahead of me.
Sid's POV
"Ah, what was I thinking!" I scream as soon as I get in my house. Victoria won't be home until tomorrow. Should I tell her I kissed Caitlin? Do I still have feelings for Caitlin, I've tried to push them to the back of my mind, but maybe I do. Ugh, and the look on her face, the hurt in those gorgeous brown eyes, it was enough to rip my heart out. I needed to talk to someone. I pick up the phone and think of who to call. For the past few weeks, I would have called Caitlin with problems like these, knowing she would just listen and then give advice where it was needed. But I couldn't turn to her with this, I've already hurt her enough as is, I should probably stay away from her for a while. Finally, I decide to call Army.
"Hey, Sid what's up?"he asks cheerfully from the other line.
"I am so confused, I need someone to talk to."
"Why, don't you just talk to Caitlin? She's a great listener."
"I can't, I'm confused because of her." I groan into the phone.
"Oh, why don't you meet me down at the arena and we'll talk about all this on the ice."
"Yeah, good idea. I need to clear my head."
I quickly gather up my gear and head to the arena. After lacing up my skates, I go onto the ice to find Army and Flower waiting for me.
"So what's up?" Army asks as I skate over to them.
"Yeah, I thought you weren't coming home from LA until tomorrow,"Flower replies.
"I didn't go to LA. Victoria went the day before me and I hung back to get a few things done before hand, but then the snow storm came and grounded all the flights. So I went with Caitlin to spend Christmas with her and her family, which seemed better than spending it alone. But after what happened, I think it would have been better if I spent it alone," I sigh shaking my head.
"What happened? Did you not like her family?" Flower asks.
"No, I loved her family. They made me feel welcome and at home with them. But when we went to her grandparents on Christmas for dinner, she and I were alone, and I spotted some mistletoe hanging above us."
"And?" Army presses.
"And, I meant it just as a quick kiss, no big deal. But, then I couldn't seem to stop myself, and she kissed me back. It was really starting to heat up, but then her grandfather, called her from downstairs, and it kinda brought us back to reality. God, you should have seen her eyes when she pulled away. We basically haven't talked to each other since. I just keep hurting her, I know I do. I didn't think she still had feelings for me, or I for her, but now I'm not sure."
"What about Victoria?" Flower asks quietly.
"I don't know," I sigh, "I didn't think of her once when I was with Caitlin, at least not until that kiss."
"I think we should tell him," Army says looking at Flower.
"Yeah, I guess we should." Flower sighs.
"Tell me what?"
"Sid, do you love Victoria?" Flower asks in a very serious voice.
"Of course I do, I wouldn't have asked her to marry me if I didn't."
"Sidney, you just told us that you didn't think of her once when you were with Caitlin. Do you really love her. Can you picture yourself having children together and growing old together, like we both know you want?"Army asks.
"I... I... I don't know," I respond trying to picture Victoria with kids.
"Sid, here's the thing. None of us really like Victoria," Army states, not even hesitating.
"Who is us?" I reply in surprise.
"The whole hockey team, and our wives," Flower frowns.
"But, I thought..."
"Sid, the way we see it she's just after you for your money and your reputation. She's a puck bunny," Army says.
"Sid, we thought you would see it too, and dump her. Especially after you saw Caitlin, but..."Flower says guiltily.
"Wait, what does Caitlin have to do with any of this?"
"Oh, come on Sid. Don't tell me you don't see it," Army sighs.
"See what?"
"She loves you," Flower says quietly. It feels like some one has just hit me in the head, Caitlin loves me?
"How do you..."
"Everytime she sees you her eyes light up. And she told Colby..." Flower starts.
"She told Colby what?" I ask, frantic for answers.
"She told me that she never stopped loving you." Colby replies quietly. I inhale sharply as if someone has just punched me. Ugh, what have I done.
"You sure?" I ask weakly.
"Yes."Colby says,"Sid, no matter who you choose, we'll be there for you because we're you friends, but you asked for advice and now here it is. Victoria is a puck bunny and your rebound girl, you don't love her, but you've tricked yourself into thinking you do."
"Sid, you should see the way you look at Caitlin, as if she is the only one in the room," Flower continues. I stand there baffled and speechless.
"Ah, shit, we have to go. We left the wives at the mall, and they'll spend way to much, on stuff they don't need, unless we go over there." Colby says looking at his watch.
I stand shocked in the middle of the ice after they leave. Caitlin's in love with me, it has to be so painful for her to be around me especially seeing me with Victoria, but she's still there for me. God, now I'm even more confused then when I first came here.
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