by Mary Smith
Cabel scanned the list of names seeing who they could get, but it hurt him to think of trading his friends. “Dag is the only player who is playing well enough to gain any attention.”
“He has a no-trade clause,” Nova informed them.
“What about Zerrick or Walker?” Janan suggested not looking up from the paper.
“I hate to trade the ones who are actually making plays.” Cabel couldn’t look at the list anymore. He hated this part of his job description.
Nova dropped her pen and stared up at the ceiling. “What if we played around?”
“Played around?” Cabel furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
She leaned down onto her desk thinking of how to phrase her words. “The Tigers are number one in the minors. Five of the top ten scorers in the league are Tigers. What if we took those top five and moved them with our five lowest players?”
Cabel glanced at them. “I’ve heard other teams doing it, but we never have.”
He had really only heard of one other team ever doing this, but it certainly was a better alternative than trading everyone away.
“Hang on.” Janan sighed. “I’m fine to do the top five, but I think we need to discuss our goalies as well.”
“I know,” Nova said quietly.
“Nathan is letting the pucks fly by him without a second thought.” He has the worst percentage in the league,” Janan continued.
Everyone agreed.
“I suggest. Jackson, Jarvis, Walker, Finlay, and Gage.” Nova wrote down the names on a piece of paper. “Also Nathan, and…” She paused. “And Teo.”
“I agree.” Janan made notes on the steno pad she had in her lap.
“Not Jackson.” Cabel inputted.
Janan groaned, “He’s going to bring this entire team down.”
“Caryn is going to work with him. I suggest Ladd to go,” Cabel said.
Nova flipped a couple of pages, obviously looking over Ladd’s stats. “Fine with me, Janan.”
It took several seconds, but she finally agreed. Then they discussed the five players and two goalies they would bring up from Nashua.
“I’ll go and get everything ready. When everyone returns tomorrow we’ll get the rosters changed.” Cabel jotted down all the names. This big change better shake up the team, or he will have to start trading them all.
Cabel and his assistant got everything in order just before two o’clock. Even though it was past lunchtime he texted Caryn.
Cabel: Still Hungry?
Caryn: Starving.
Cabel: On my way.
As he drove to the hospital, he called Leia and updated her on his day. She excitedly told him about her classes and the book club. Listening to her every word, he smiled. He was proud of her and glad he listened to her.
When he reached Oliver’s room, Caryn wasn’t there. Only Oliver. “How are you feeling?” Cabel asked him.
“Ready to go home.”
“Where’s Caryn?”
“I’m here.” She walked in. “Had to get something.” She held up a bag of chips and a Pepsi.
“She’s been snacking all day,” Oliver informed him. “I told her to go to work.”
“I’m here and going to stay,” Caryn said, munching on a chip.
“Do you still want to get lunch?” Cabel questioned.
“You can in a second.” Oliver spoke up. “I heard through the grapevine you’re moving seven players.”
Cabel’s mouth dropped. “How do you know that?”
“I have a phone.” He nodded to the landline. “It’s still my team.”
“I know.” Cabel took the chair to his left and told him Nova’s plan.
“What do you think?” Oliver questioned.
“We don’t have to trade anyone and maybe this could be a kick in the pants some of them need,” Cabel told him.
“It had to be hard on Nova to send Teo down.” Oliver sighed.
“She knew it had to be done. It was her suggestion.”
Oliver smiled. “She’s strong. She’ll take the Bears far.”
“You’re right.” Cabel turned to see what Caryn had to say, but she was fast asleep on the couch.
“She’s been doing that most of the morning,” Oliver told him. “If she’s awake, she just eats junk food.”
None of that made sense to Cabel. Caryn hadn’t been much of a junk food person. Then again, he excused it to be the stressful week.
“When she was awake she talked about preparing Christmas dinner.”
“She did?” Cabel furrowed his brow.
“Yes. The Longs are coming, what about your family?”
This question threw Cabel for several seconds. Last year, he and Caryn weren’t that close, so they didn’t exchange gifts nor did they spend time with each other. He did what he always had done, went to Chloe and Lex’s house, opened gifts there and had dinner.
“I don’t know,” Cabel answered truthfully.
“Did you purchase what we discussed?” Oliver lowered his voice.
Feeling like a failure, he shook his head. “I can’t seem to find one that fits her perfectly.”
“Maybe you should go to a store and look at some. That internet just doesn’t have the same effect as seeing it in person.”
Cabel agreed. Maybe he really needed to do just that to find the one. “I want to do it for Christmas.”
Instantly, the entire scene popped in his head. The Christmas decorations, Caryn in front of the tree, everything being picture perfect.
“Everything will be held at my house since it’s bigger,” Oliver informed him. “Besides my house has already been turned into a Christmas village.”
“It has? A Christmas village?” Cabel smirked.
“I have always loved Christmas.” Oliver’s face glowed thinking of the holiday. “Plus, if she wants to host it, I will let her.”
Like any father, his daughter was wrapped around his pinky.
“I’ll make sure my family is there.” Cabel glanced over at her. “Let her rest. I have to run some errands.” He shook Oliver’s hand before heading out. He wanted to kiss Caryn but didn’t want to disturb her.
When he jumped into his Hummer, he made a promise to himself, he wouldn’t go home until he had the ring. He knew she was the one, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
The first two jewelry shops resulted in nothing. Sure, he thought they had beautiful rings but not for his Caryn. However, the last shop seemed to have more of a different selection. There weren’t just modern diamonds, but a vast amount of colored stones and unique designs.
“What’s that?” Cabel pointed to a strange pink stone that shimmered under the light.
“That’s a pink topaz.” The saleswoman pulled it out. “It’s one and a half carat on 18k white gold.” When she told him the price, he felt like a cheap ass. Women want big diamonds that a man spent thousands and thousands of dollars on. However, this ring was her.
“I’ll take it.”
After the saleswoman finished the sale and wrapped it up, he drove over to Chloe’s house. Bria sat at the table doing homework. She rushed right over to him, wrapping her arms around him.
“Hey, there’s my girl.”
Bria immediately went into a nonstop talk about school and yet another play she was going to be in. He was proud of her. She was a star on that stage.
“Baby, go finish your book report while your father and I talk,” Chloe said to Bria.
“Okay.” She skipped off back to the table as Cabel and Chloe moved to the living room.
“Everything okay with Oliver?”
Cabel nodded. “He’s doing really well. Probably going to be released in a few days.”
“Wow.” Chloe seemed shocked. “That’s fast.”
“You know Oliver,” was the only explanation he had and Chloe seemed to understand. “I have a question.
“Shoot.”
“What are your plans for Christmas with the girls?”
“Caryn’s hosting a dinner with her family, and I want the girls to be with me when I’m over there.” His words weren’t harsh. In fact, he felt torn he wouldn’t be spending it with Chloe.
He watched as his ex-wife hung her head. He knew what she was thinking.
“I’m going to ask Caryn to marry me.” He pulled out the ring from inside his jacket pocket and showed it to her.
She displayed no emotion as she studied the pink ring. He wondered if he should have shown it to her.
“We’ve never spent Christmas apart since we’ve been sixteen.” Chloe’s voice cracked.
“You used to come to my parents’ house.” He had many fond memories of those times together.
She remained quiet for a long time. “It’s time you make new memories.” She placed her hand on his wrist. “I’ll keep the girls Christmas Eve, and you can take them Christmas Day.”
“I will always love you,” Cabel blurted out.
“And I you.” She hugged him. “But now it’s time for you to move on, and I couldn’t be happier.”
As the pink topaz shined in the sunlight streaming in through the window, Cabel realized his heart and soul only belonged to…Caryn. She was his everything.
The conversation with Taden and the coaching staff seemed to be welcoming after, yet another, Bears loss. Taden agreed with the decision of exchanging the seven players. Cabel told him to have the team ready for a meeting in the morning. The Tigers players already knew and will be in Manchester for practice.
Cabel: How are you? Still feeling bad?
He hadn’t talked to Caryn since he left the hospital that afternoon.
Caryn: Open your front door.
He went to the front of the house and pulled open the door. On the other side was the most beautiful woman.
“Hi,” he said breathlessly to Caryn.
“Hello.” She stepped up and gave him a huge kiss.
“How are you feeling?” he asked as he closed the door.
“Much better now.” She held up an Arby’s bag Cabel hadn’t noticed. “Hungry?”
“I could eat.” He led the way to the kitchen.
“Where’s Leia?” Caryn questioned.
“She and Bria are having a sister’s night at Chloes.”
“Aw, how sweet?” She began to remove the items from the bag, spreading them out on the table.
Cabel took note of the amount of food but passed it off as stress eating. “It is.”
“Oliver told me he told you about Christmas.”
“He did.” Cabel set a bottle of water down in front of her.
“I wanted to ask you myself.”
“Not a big deal. The girls and I will be there.”
Caryn stopped mid-bite of her beef and cheddar sandwich. “What about Chloe and Lex?”
Now, Cabel stopped eating. “What do you mean?”
Putting down her sandwich, she wiped her hands on a napkin. “You told me you spent the holiday with them.”
“Yes.”
“Then why wouldn’t they come to Oliver’s and have Christmas dinner with us?”
“I thought…” He didn’t finish his sentence.
“You know I don’t mind Chloe. I don’t know Lex very well, but that’ll come with time. They’re your family.” She rubbed her hand up and down his back.
“They are and you’re right. However, I think I’ve been using Chloe as a crutch.”
“How so?” She kept her focus on him.
He explained how much he loved Chloe and what she truly meant to him. He further went into the pain he hid from himself and everyone else. “She’s something comfortable but things have significantly changed in my life.”
“Wait, Cabel. I don’t want you to change your life because of me. That’s the mother of your children and your very dear friend. You can’t cut her out just like that.” She snapped her fingers.
“I’m not cutting her from my life. I couldn’t be cruel. However, I have a family with you.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“I truly appreciate it, but I worry it’ll hurt you, Chloe, and the girls. Too much change too fast can be traumatic.”
Cabel took a bit to think about it. “I’ll talk to the girls and see what they want to do. Sound okay?”
“Yes. Please.” She went back to her food. “Now tell me about this player…rotation…thing.” She giggled at herself for not being able to complete her sentence.
He went on—in detail—about Nova’s idea, explaining how to get everyone exchanged without causing issues and hoping it would all go well when it was announced tomorrow. “All in all, I think it’ll go okay. These guys need a kick in their ass and maybe it’ll work.”
Caryn had finished another sandwich and a large curly fry. “I think it’ll all work out.”
Many, many years ago, Cabel learned to never ever comment on a woman’s age, weight, or intake of food. Nonetheless, he watched her dive bomb the food in front of her. Again, he chalked it up to stress eating and thought nothing more of it.
As they cleaned off the empty wrappers, Cabel almost thought about asking her to marry him, but he decided against it. Instead, he pulled on her arm gently and kissed her lips. She relaxed into him, opening her mouth and inviting his tongue into hers. Their tongues battled for control until neither of them could breathe.
She was the first to pull away, gasping for air. Her eyes were dilated, and her chest heaved up and down. “Let’s go to bed.”
She didn’t have to tell him twice. He took her hand, leading her up to his bedroom and kicking the door shut.
“Don’t take this the wrong way.” She began to unbutton his shirt and tugged it from his pants. “But I really need you.”
He pulled her shirt over her head taking a long look at her lace white bra. “Trust me, I need you too.”
“No.” She had already undone his belt and pants. “I want you…as in hard and fast.”
“You read my mind.” It had been too long since they had sex. He didn’t think he could go slow without exploding.
“Fast and hard,” she uttered again as they got completely naked, short of Cabel’s knee brace. “Hard,” she repeated.
Kissing her hard, he backed her up to his bed. Cabel’s bed sat high. He pushed himself into her hip, but that’s not where he wanted to be. He quickly broke from the lip lock and spun her around, placing her chest on the bed.
“Yes, please, Cabel,” she begged parting her legs on her own accord and began to rub her ass against him.
“Don’t tease.” Caryn panted, her red hair flowing down her back. She turned her head sideways. “Please.”
Not only did he want to be inside her, but he was also enjoying teasing her as he slowly slid his fingers into her, feeling her wetness. He wanted to tease her for a long time. He even enjoyed hearing her beg. However, he’ll have to wait until next time. Like her, he couldn’t wait. Removing his fingers he lined himself up at her opening and pushed down on Caryn’s hips. He slammed into her. A hiss came from both of them and she pushed back on him wanting more. Cabel pulled back and then slammed into her, again.
“Faster.” Her hips began to bounce up and down, and he didn’t want her to stop. Together they found their rhythm. They called out each other’s name and panted for air. Cabel could already feel Caryn tightening around him, and he pounded as hard as he could into her, moving past the pain in his knee.
“I’m coming,” Caryn yelled and her body began to shake.
“Damn.” Cabel dug his nails into her skin and found more strength deep within him. He wanted to feel her excitement running down his thighs.
“Yes! Yes!” she belted out.
Grunting as he felt her wetness, Cabel finally released into her. His entire body jerked and spasmed like it never had before. Once he had finished he could barely hold himself up.
Caryn aimlessly clutched the blankets, yanking them down. “Let’s see if I can
get us into bed.”
Cabel lifted her up and got a delicious view of her perfect round ass. He watched her collapse onto her back, and he did the same next to her. They both tried to grasp any air they could get and calm their racing hearts.
“Thank you, Cabel.” She rolled over on her side to face him.
Chuckling, he mirrored her position. “I think I should be thanking you.”
Her cheeks reddened.
“I’m surprised you wanted to do it that way,” he commented.
“Hey. Sometimes a girl just wants it hard and fast.”
“I didn’t say it as a bad thing.” He reached over pushing a strand of hair resting on her cheek. “What would a professional say about such a thing?’ He smirked at the question.
“Sexual acts, as long as they’re consensual, are very healthy. Sure some might have underlying issues, but for me,” she propped up on her elbow, “I was extremely horny and wanted to climb you like a tree.”
He roared with laughter at her brutal honesty, but it was another trait he loved about her. “Well, trust me, I wanted to do the same to you as well.”
Moving closer to him, she cupped his face with one hand. “I’d like to stay the night.”
“You’re not going anywhere.” He covered her body with his. “Not for a long, long time.”
Cabel, Janan, and Nova stood in his office after they finished talking to the seven players heading to Nashua. Cabel made sure that there would be a van waiting for them in a couple of hours ensuring they’d make it to the Tigers practice.
None of them were too pleased, but Cabel reassured them this would be a time for them to get back on track and prove they wanted to be a Bear. None of them yelled or carried on, but you could tell they wanted to just by their expressions. The seven Tigers had arrived and were already in the locker room with Taden and the rest of the team. The Public Relations department released the new roster for the Bears as did the Tigers Public Relations team.
When everyone left his office, he let out a deep sigh. He knew all eyes were on him right now, and the media was picking him apart. Making his mark had been harder than he ever thought.
Hockey was easier.
Cabel went down to the ice and watched the entire practice from the stands. There seemed to be some better chemistry on the ice but not with Jackson. He continued to do his own thing. However, Cabel noticed one player in particular.