Hard Lines & Goal Lines (Fast Ice Book 2)

by Stephanie Julian

  “No. Well, okay, yeah, but only because I love you. You deserve to be with someone who makes you happy. Someone to lighten you up a little.”

  “Are you trying to tell me I’m a lead balloon?”

  “No. Of course not.” Sunny’s smile softened. “I just think you’re a great guy and you deserve an equally great partner. But if she treats you badly, just let me know. I have ways to make her pay.”

  Laughing, he shook his head. “Should I be worried about you taking me out while I sleep?”

  “Of course. It’ll keep you on your toes.”

  He had a feeling by the end of this weekend, he’d be a fucking ballet dancer.

  Eight

  Nervous anticipation had started churning in Gabby’s stomach sometime around five.

  She told herself it was something she ate or just her worry over RJ. But by six o’clock, she finally stopped lying to herself.

  It was totally because she was about to meet Tim’s mom and sister. Which was ridiculous. She’d met Samantha and Sunny before. Sure, it’d been years ago, and she barely remembered, but she met players’ families all the time. No big deal.

  Except…this was. At least for her. And not just because she was sleeping with Tim. Or not sleeping, which was more the truth. A hell of a lot of not sleeping.

  She’d met the parents of other men she’d slept with before. But none of them had made her feel like this. By the time she took the elevator down to the main concourse to meet Samantha and Sunny Stanton, her palms were sweaty and she could barely stand still.

  She tried to remember the last time she’d seen Tim’s mom and vaguely remembered a thin, strawberry blonde who’d been kind but quiet. As she stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby for the private suites, she immediately picked out Tim’s family in the small group of people milling around.

  Actually, it was his sister who was easy to pick out, with her bright red hair, which meant the older woman standing with her who looked just like her must be Samantha. They stood a little apart from the others, although, as Gabby watched, she saw Riley Hatch’s girlfriend, Aly Martin, approach them with a smile, quickly followed by Bliss Vescovi, goalie Shane Conrad’s fiancée.

  As Aly held out her hand to Sunny, Suki Williams’ one-year-old daughter made a dash for Samantha and attached herself to her legs. By the time Gabby made it across the room to them, Samantha had picked up Coco and was letting the little girl play with the bracelet on her wrist.

  A few of the other wives and girlfriends were milling around, chatting before heading up to the WAGS lounge. She smiled at them as she passed but didn’t stop to talk, as she might have done another night. She knew all of them by name and had a good relationship with almost all of them. There were a couple girlfriends who didn’t fit in or didn’t care for the hierarchy of the hockey wives, but Suki, as the oldest and wife of one of the assistant captains, did a good job of keeping the younger ones in line and showing them the ropes.

  As the daughter of an NHL player, Gabby knew how hard this life could be on players’ significant others. Outsiders thought the life of an NHL wife was all privilege and leisure. The ones who were only in it for the fame and money found out pretty quickly that for nine months out of the year, their lives revolved around their boyfriend/husband’s hockey schedule. Their days were ruled by workout schedules and practices and game-day routines and weeklong road trips. If they had kids, the women were practically single parents from September through April. And if the team made it through the playoffs, they could be playing through mid-June.

  Sure, those two months from the end of June through the end of August were filled with vacations in exotic locations and intensive one-on-one time with their guys, but she knew a lot of women who couldn’t handle the life. Several of the most stable marriages throughout the league were couples who’d been high school sweethearts. Like Colin and Suki. And Gabby’s parents. Being a hockey wife wasn’t for the faint of heart.

  Her cheeks heated as she remembered Tim talking about meeting her for the first time as kids. Then seeing her again when they’d started working together here. She hoped Tim’s mom attributed her pink cheeks to being out of breath.

  “Mrs. Stanton, hi, I’m Gabrielle Mitchell.”

  Samantha looked up and met Gabby’s smile with her own. “Hello, Gabrielle. It’s so nice to see you again. Thank you so much for having us in the team suite.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to say she did this for all the parents, but that wouldn’t be true. Most times, she got however many tickets a player needed for the lower bowl and never gave it another thought. Sometimes, if it was a special occasion or the parents had some connection to the team, Gabby would get the okay to invite them to the suite.

  This time, there’d been no question. Gabby’s mother had made the final determination.

  “Of course, Samantha and Sunny will sit with us. It’ll be nice to catch up. We haven’t seen each other for a few years.”

  “It’s nice to see you, too.” She turned to Sunny and held out her hand, which Tim’s sister took. “And you must be Sunny. Tim talks about you all the time.”

  The younger woman laughed. “I’m almost afraid to ask what he says. I love my brother, but he can be a jerk.”

  “Sunny! Don’t say that about Tim.” Samantha rolled her eyes, shaking her head but laughing. “I’m so sorry. My children are heathens, apparently.”

  Suki laughed as she reached for her daughter, now squirming in Samantha’s arms. “That’s not totally true. I can tell you Tim is wonderful with Coco. He’s even babysat for us. Twice. But don’t tell him I told you. I don’t think he likes people to know he has a soft side.”

  Wow. Another tidbit about Tim to sock away in her memory. She’d had no idea. Then again, she’d deliberately not been keeping tabs on him before Wednesday. Funny how your entire life could turn on a dime. Or a kiss.

  “Oh, my Timmy’s always been a marshmallow.”

  “Yeah, a marshmallow that’s been held over the fire too long.”

  The women all laughed at Sunny’s wry comment before Gabby began to hustle them all toward the elevator. The conversation muted a little as they rode up together. Suki and the other wives and girlfriends split off for the family lounge at the opposite end of the hall. The women would head out to their seats in the arena after they’d caught up for a half hour or so while Gabby led Sunny and Samantha to the owners’ suite, where her mom was waiting.

  As expected, her mom greeted Samantha like she was an old friend. Which was probably pretty close to the truth. Samantha’s face lit up when she saw Gabby’s mom, and their conversation took off. As mothers with NHL player sons, they had a lot in common.

  And so did Sunny and Gabby.

  She turned to find Sunny studying her intently. Not hostile, just…curious. Gabby smiled and took a few steps closer.

  “So…you and Tim, huh?”

  Gabby froze for one long second as she stared back at Sunny. Her immediate response was to deny, deny, deny. But she didn’t want to lie to Tim’s sister. So she gave her next words a few extra seconds of thought, while Sunny’s smile grew.

  “Tim and I have been friends for a long time.”

  Which made Sunny’s smile widen even more.

  “Yeah, I know.” Sunny moved closer, probably so their moms wouldn’t overhear. “He talks about you. And by talks, I mean he mentions you occasionally. You know Tim.” She rolled her eyes, which made Gabby bite back a grin. “It’s like pulling teeth to get him to say more than a few words at a time.”

  Gabby thought back to last night when he’d had more than a few things to say, but wisely kept her mouth shut.

  “But he actually talks about you sometimes. And he’s never mentioned another woman. I mean, like, never. Mom and I wondered if he was gay.” She shrugged. “Wouldn’t matter to us but it would explain why he’s never talked about anyone he was dating. I can’t imagine he’s been celibate for all these years. That’d just be gross.”r />
  Coughing to hide a laugh, Gabby shook her head. “I know Tim’s dated.”

  Just never the same woman for more than a couple of months. Actually, he’d gained a reputation as a recluse. But she wasn’t going to pass on gossip to his teenage sister. Especially not about Tim’s sex life. And most especially not when Gabby was his sex life.

  Sunny’s gaze narrowed, as if she could read Gabby’s mind. “Do you know who?”

  “I don’t think I’m the person you should be asking that question.”

  “You really think Tim’s going to answer?”

  “I think your brother’s love life is his business.”

  Okay, that was almost an outright lie because she totally thought his love life was her business right now. At least, she wanted it to be her business. And only her business.

  Sunny’s expression made Gabby feel like she’d accidentally exposed a secret. “And I think you’re really good at talking about a subject until the other person gives up in frustration.”

  Sunny laughed, her expression so adorable Gabby couldn’t help but smile back at her.

  “I like you. I think you and I are going to get along just fine because I think we know exactly what Tim needs and won’t stop prodding him until he gets it.”

  “Your brother loves you very much, you know.”

  Gabby didn’t know why those words were the ones that came out of her mouth next, but she knew they were the right words.

  Sunny’s laughter dissolved but her smile widened as she lifted a shoulder in lazy agreement. “I know. He never lets me forget it.”

  And that was a very good thing. When Tim decided you were his, he made sure you knew it. Gabby had realized that soon after she’d woken up this morning.

  “Gabby, please don’t let Sunny monopolize you all night.” Samantha came from behind Gabby to put her arm around her daughter’s shoulders. “I know you have work to do, and this girl will talk all night if you let her.”

  Sunny looked at Gabby with a smile that let Gabby know Sunny wasn’t going to tell her mother what they’d been talking about. It’d be their secret.

  Gabby smiled back.

  “It’s no problem. Really. But I do have rounds to make, so I’m going to leave you with my mom for now. Enjoy the game. I’ll be back sometime in the third quarter.”

  Gabby waved and headed out of the suite with a smile.

  “Timmy! Oh my god, you were great tonight! Who knew you could hold up a bench that well!”

  Laughing, Tim caught his sister in a bear hug as she threw herself at him. His mom and Sunny were waiting in the hall down from the locker room, along with the other team family members. He took a quick look around to see if Gabby was anywhere in sight and tried not to be disappointed when she wasn’t.

  “You’re hell on my ego, kid. You can stay home Sunday.”

  “Sunny, stop tormenting your brother.” His mom turned her smile on him. “I’m looking forward to seeing you play, but it was nice to watch a game where I wasn’t worried about you every second.”

  His mom reached out for her hug and let him squeeze her tight for a few seconds before pulling back to check him over. He hadn’t been in goal, but his mom never not checked him for injuries. He’d gotten used to it years ago, but it was strange to have her here to do it after being apart for so long.

  “You can criticize me Sunday. I’m set to play then.”

  His mom’s smile lit up and Sunny clapped her hands excitedly.

  “Wow, they really do pay you to play.”

  Tugging on his sister’s hair, he put an arm around both of them and started walking toward the exit.

  “You ready to head back to my place?”

  “Actually,” his mom patted his back, “Gabby’s mom invited us to join them at a hotel downtown for dessert. Unless you’re tired and want to get home.”

  Surprise made him stop in the middle of the hall and stare down at his mom. “You want to go?”

  “Yes, she does,” Sunny piped up. “And so do I. It’s Friday and we’re here to have fun. I think Mrs. Mitchell said Gabby will be there, too.”

  The smug expression on his sister’s face told him much more than the innocent tone of her voice.

  Biting back a sigh, he shook his head at her. But he wasn’t about to turn down an opportunity to spend time with Gabby, especially not when he wasn’t sure when he’d see her again outside of work. With his mom and sister staying with him for at least the next four weeks, he would either have to confess and tell his mom and Sunny that there was something going on or he and Gabby would have to get sneaky.

  Now, no one would ever accuse him of being brilliant because, until his sister and mom had arrived, he hadn’t considered what having them stay with him would do to his sex life. Of course, before they’d told him they were coming, he hadn’t had a sex life.

  Besides, one night didn’t exactly make a sex life. But he’d be damned if he let it stop at one night. Guess he’d be getting acquainted with that cat Gabby said she had—

  Someone smacked him on the back and Tim turned to see RJ smiling at his mom.

  “Oh, we’re definitely going to have some fun. Hello, Mrs. Mitchell, it’s nice to see you again.”

  RJ came up beside them, a welcoming smile for Sunny and Samantha making the guy look like he was in a fucking toothpaste commercial.

  Sunny’s eyes widened so much, Tim had to cover his grin with a cough. He’d be sure to use her obvious infatuation against her when they were alone. Anyway, she was too damn young for the guy.

  “RJ, how are you? It’s been years. It’s so nice to see you again.”

  As his mom and RJ held a short conversation to catch up, Tim watched his mom. She actually looked happy. Her smile didn’t look forced and her shoulders weren’t hunched like she had the weight of the world on them. She even looked years younger than he remembered seeing her. Or maybe that was just perception.

  Whatever was causing it, he didn’t care. She looked happier than he’d seen her in years. Which wasn’t saying much, because he’d seen her so rarely over the past three years.

  And there was that damn guilt again, making his gut clench. He shook it off and, after a few more minutes of talk, got everyone moving toward the garage, where they all agreed to head straight to the hotel restaurant where Mrs. Mitchell had reserved a room.

  On the drive, his sister and mom kept a running conversation about the game. Both were almost as knowledgeable about hockey as he was. Sunny surprised him with a deeper understanding of the game than he would’ve expected, laughing at him when he mentioned it.

  “Dude, when guys find out your brother’s an NHL player, they like to brag about how much they know about the sport. Most of them don’t have a clue. If I know more than they do, I don’t want to know them. They’re just assholes.”

  “Sunny. Language.”

  He and Sunny exchanged a grin in the rearview over their mom’s admonishment.

  “Sorry, Mom. They’re douchebags.”

  It was their mom’s turn to roll her eyes. “Yes, they probably are. And you definitely don’t need to date a douchebag.” She paused and looked up at Tim. “Speaking of dating, are you seeing anyone right now? I only ask because I don’t want to cramp your style while we’re visiting. Sunny and I can always stay at a hote—”

  “You’re staying at my place. And no, you’re not cramping my style.”

  From the backseat, Sunny made a point of clearing her throat, which made their mom turn to look at her before stopping to stare at Tim.

  Traffic on Broad Street was a mess, so he couldn’t take his attention away from the road. But he knew if he didn’t say anything, his mom would interrogate Sunny and his sister wouldn’t keep her mouth shut.

  “Are you dating someone right now?”

  He could honestly answer that one. “No. I’ve gone out with a few women over the past few months, but I’ve been busy with work.”

  “You know you’re not getting any younger,
honey. Don’t you think it’s time to settle down?”

  Now Sunny started to laugh as Tim shook his head.

  “Yeah, Tim, why don’t you find a nice girl and settle down?”

  “Did I invite you two to visit just so you could harass me?”

  It was so good to hear his mom and sister laughing, it was definitely worth the possibility of his relationship with Gabby being discovered.

  And from Sunny’s knowing looks, she already had her suspicions. Which would probably be confirmed the second he and Gabby were in the same room together.

  Do you care?

  Honestly? No. Unless Gabby did. Then he’d do whatever she wanted.

  Arriving at the restaurant a few minutes later, a hostess led them to a private room in the back, where Gabby and her mom stood talking to another woman Tim didn’t recognize. Gabby’s back was to the door, so she didn’t immediately notice their arrival. But her mom did. She waved and motioned them over.

  Gabby turned and caught his gaze. And he figured anyone who saw the smile on his face had them figured out in a heartbeat. Gabby’s own smile was more restrained but the heat in her eyes… Yeah, it was there.

  So what the hell were they going to do about this?

  Nine

  “Can I talk to you for a second? I’ve got a question I need you to answer.”

  Gabby looked up into Tim’s eyes, her heart doing that little stutter that happened way too much when he was around. You’d think she was a teenager being asked out by Justin Timberlake. Or whoever teenagers thought was hot right now.

  They’d kept their distance so far, not making it obvious that they were trying not to talk, and probably making it totally obvious that there was something going on between them.

  Still, there wasn’t much they could do about it. Eventually someone would figure it out and then everyone would know.

  And when they did?

  It would be a relief. Because even though they’d only spent one night together, she wanted a hell of a lot more and she was getting close to the point where she didn’t care what anyone else thought. Amazing how that had happened over the course of a day.