“Alex, I have to work on this book.”
“I know. I needed to see you.” He sounded so pathetic and lost, she couldn’t turn him away.
“Let me get another thousand words in, and we can do something.”
“Do you mind if I wait here? I have a book.” He held up a mystery novel.
“Okay, but I need uninterrupted time.”
“I understand.” He followed her out to the patio, where she’d been working, and settled in a chair several feet away. Unfortunately, he didn’t stay quiet for long.
Fifteen minutes later it was obvious Alex didn’t understand, and Rosalind was losing her patience, as Alex paced back and forth on her patio.
“Alex, I’m trying to write.”
He gave a guilty shrug and sat down in the chair. He picked up his book, riffled through it, and put it back down. He tapped his foot, then tapped his fingers.
Rosalind refused to drop what she was doing. He had to wait. She called forth her patience and put on her headphones, turned on her music, and did her best to ignore him. She finally finished her words, though they weren’t her best work. At least they were words, and words could be fixed.
“What’s wrong?” Rosalind pushed her laptop to the center of the glass-topped table and focused her attention on Alex.
“It’s Cave, uh, Jasper.” He raised his hands and wrapped them around an imaginary neck.
“Is he back?” She didn’t understand the problem. Jasper was a big boy. He could take care of himself.
“No, and the team has made him my responsibility. He blew me off earlier when I told him he was getting into hot water with them.”
“Why would the team make you responsible for him? Wouldn’t that be the team captain’s issue or one of the coaches?”
“They are testing me to see if I am worthy to be a captain.” He shot her that lopsided grin guaranteed to get him some action and her naked. Only this time she resisted.
“Is being a captain important to you?”
He furrowed his brow and became thoughtful. “I guess it is. I must impress on them I can take more duties. I need to rein Jasper somehow.”
“Alex, how are you going to do that? It’d be like reining in Clarissa, which is next to impossible.”
“I guess I will go to Victoria and drag him back if I find him. Clarissa is with him, is she not?”
“I haven’t seen her since those two met up, but she does text, and I believe so.”
“How can she afford this much time away from child?” His tone was one of censure, and Rosalind rushed to defend her friend.
“Her daughter is spending a month at her grandparents’ on the mainland—her father’s side of the family.”
“I see. Will you come with me?”
“I love Victoria. It’s a beautiful city,” she admitted, knowing she’d just committed herself to what might be a frustrating experience to say the least.
“Good, after we kick Cave’s ass, we can tour the city.”
“It’s a deal. When do we leave?”
“First thing in the morning.”
“I’ll be ready.”
“In the meantime, why don’t we work out some of my frustrations in a more positive manner so I don’t kill him when I see him?”
“Why don’t we?” She grabbed his hand and led him to the bedroom.
They didn’t emerge until the next morning.
~ ~ ~ ~
Alex would be the first to admit he hadn’t thought through this trip to Victoria very well. Canadians knew their hockey and their hockey players. The second they stepped on Canadian soil, he started getting looks as they walked down the sidewalk. He pulled his baseball cap farther down over his brow and put on his sunglasses despite the overcast day.
They’d taken a quick floatplane ride out of Sunset Bay that morning and arrived by nine a.m.
He ignored Rosalind’s nervous glances and took her hand, squeezing it. She smiled up at him, and he grinned back at her. The sooner he sent Cave back to Seattle, the sooner he could disappear back on the island and enjoy Rosalind’s company in relative obscurity. Unfortunately, touring Victoria wasn’t going to be in the cards, he now realized. Not with the impending danger of being discovered looming around every corner.
“You have fans, I see.”
He shrugged. “A few, I guess.”
“A few. I think more than that.”
“I am not here with them. I am with you.” He smiled down at her. She’d never dealt with his fame before, and he’d hoped to shield her from this part of his life. Ignoring the curious stares and the brave few who attempted to approach them, he hurried his pace.
They walked a few blocks to the hotel only to find Cave and Clarissa had checked out that morning. The front desk clerk believed they’d caught the morning ferry to Friday Harbor.
“I’m going to kill him after I roast his balls and feed them to sea lions,” Alex growled after they left the hotel but not before he signed autographs for the front desk clerk and one of the housekeepers. He pulled Rosalind into a small alcove and held her close. She wrapped her arms around him, and her closeness gave him comfort, dissolving the majority of his frustration. He’d never before imagined that just being close to someone would give him as much pleasure and comfort as having sex with a relative stranger.
Rosalind had to laugh. “What’s the plan, Sherlock?”
“I guess we hop a floatplane back and hope we can track him down.”
In the meantime, they attempted to enjoy lunch at a small pub overlooking Victoria Harbor and the Empress Hotel. The hostess had recognized Alex and asked him to sign a menu, which he did with more graciousness than he felt. A floodgate opened, and he spent more time signing than he did talking with Rosalind. She withdrew into herself and watched the steady stream of gushing girls and worshipful boys come and go.
During a lull, Alex turned to her. “I wanted to bring you and spend quality time. I am sorry it turned this way.”
“It’s fine, really. Anytime we’re together is quality time.”
He smiled at her and took her hands in his. “You’re a special woman, Rosalind. I’m not sure I deserve you.”
“I’ll be the judge of that. You’re good for me. You make me think outside my box and plan less and live more. And my sex scenes are going to be epic.”
He threw back his head and laughed a long, hearty laugh, and she joined in. “I aim to please.”
“You are. Trust me.”
Alex’s phone beeped, indicating a text. He looked down and frowned as he read it.
“What is it?”
“Jasper wants to know where we are. He’s on Madrona Island.”
“Then he’s right where you want him.”
“Where I want him is back in Seattle because then he becomes Ice’s problem.”
“Ice?”
“Isaac Wolfe. One of the Sockeyes’ team members. The dude most likely to be our captain next season.”
“I see. Why don’t we stay the night? Jasper is safe and sound on Madrona.”
He opened his mouth to agree and shut it. A few tables over, several teenage girls giggled and pointed at him. They knew who he was. They were scantily dressed, and considering his rep, he didn’t want Rosalind to get the wrong idea that he might be interested in any or all of them.
In a few minutes, the tall blonde in the short-shorts and tight tank had amped up her nerve. She sashayed over to them. Her gaze passed over Rosalind, and she dismissed her as if considering her unworthy of being competition.
“Hi, there,” the girl said, effectively putting her body between Alex and Rosalind and leaning on the table, blocking his view of Rosalind.
“Hi,” he said, forcing himself to remain civil.
“You’re Rush.”
He nodded.
“I have a poster of that nude image of you that was in ESPN Magazine. It hangs on the ceiling over my bed. Keeps me company at night.” She pushed out her chest, showing her ample cleav
age. To his credit, he kept his gaze on her face. She did not interest him. A month ago, he’d have been propositioning her, and they’d have been fucking each other into oblivion on the bathroom counter.
Her attitude rankled Alex, but he had always done his best to be courteous to fans. Considering he was still in the team hot seat, he didn’t dare be rude, even though he wanted to be nothing but.
“We are late for appointment.” Alex stood quickly and threw a couple bills on the table. “Let’s get out of here. I need to get back and take care of Jasper.”
He grabbed Rosalind’s arm and steered her past the shocked blonde and the table occupied by her girlfriends, toward the seaplane dock. He’d charter a plane no matter how much money it took. He ignored the hurt expression on Rosalind’s pretty face.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so rough. I just wanted away from her.”
“She was a little over the top.”
“Yeah, well, my rep probably gave her courage.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you really not know about me? My reputation?”
“Not really. I haven’t Googled you. I wanted to know the guy under all that before the way I saw you was tainted by your public persona and all the rumors swirling around famous people.”
“Here’s the problem, Roz. Those rumors? Most of them are true.” His laugh was hollow. “You know your playboy hockey hero in your second book?”
“Hector?”
“Yeah, Hector. The man whore, the party boy, the guy who’s juggling women? Well, that guy is—was—me.”
Why hadn’t he talked about this before? That answer was complicated too. As he contemplated his reluctance to talk about himself, he could only come up with one thing. He didn’t want his reputation to ruin the good thing they had going.
And he had no idea how to prevent it.
~ ~ ~ ~
The trip back on the floatplane was a quiet one, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Rosalind sorted through her jumbled feelings. Alex had never hidden who he was, but he hadn’t talked much about his life as a celebrity, and she’d not seen it as an issue. Until now.
She’d been living in denial, as she was fond of doing, and hadn’t absorbed the full impact of how recognizable Alex’s face was and how much of a public figure he was.
There were even nude posters of him? She might have to get one for her own bedroom. She snickered to herself.
She was living a plot from one of her own books where the girl next door fell for a hockey player and struggled to deal with his fame. On the island, they were isolated. She’d had a taste of what it might be like off island, and she’d been uncomfortable, but so had Alex. He’d hustled her out of Victoria as quickly as possible, which brought up another possible issue. Was he ashamed to be seen with someone like her? Her clothes weren’t stylish. Her makeup wasn’t perfect. Her hair wasn’t perfectly highlighted. She didn’t fit in with the glamour set, and Alex traveled in those circles without giving it another thought. He partied with the rich and famous because he was one.
Her insecurities were surfacing full force, but as long as this thing between them remained on the island, she could battle her shortcomings. After he went back to Seattle, then what? They hadn’t discussed a future, and it was probably too early to do so. Yet that planning part of her hated not knowing where they’d be one week, one month, one year down the road.
She’d written about such issues in her books, but her books always had a happy ending. Life wasn’t like that, but maybe it should be. Maybe she should plot a direction and follow it to a happily-ever-after ending, a cliffhanger, or a sad goodbye.
Rosalind had no idea, and she fretted about her options until she was so sick of thinking about it, she could hardly stand herself any longer.
The plane had landed, and Alex drove her to the mansion instead of her cottage. She didn’t complain. She didn’t have any reason to go home, except to work on a book she was woefully behind on.
She followed him into the mansion and didn’t get past the grand entry before he turned quickly to face her. Alex pulled her into his arms, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her tenderly. She sighed and leaned into him.
She didn’t want things to change. She wanted their relationship to be stronger so it might weather whatever storm came. She wanted things she couldn’t have, but at the same time wondered why she couldn’t have them. This relationship was too new to push Alex. She’d have to do the one thing she didn’t do well, just go with whatever happened and see where it went. No amount of planning could guide them in the direction she wanted them to go, if she even knew yet what that direction was.
“Hey, get a room!”
Alex groaned, and as one, they turned to find Jasper grinning broadly at them. Clarissa stood next to him. Neither appeared any worse for wear other than bloodshot eyes with dark circles under them. They’d managed to survive their endless partying quite well.
Jasper’s huge smile showed off perfect white teeth. He lifted a beer to his lips and took a long swallow, offering it to Clarissa afterward. She finished it off and hiccupped loudly, drawing a chuckle from Jasper and a giggle from Clarissa. Only then did Rosalind realize they were both drunk as they swayed on their feet and attempted to prop each other up.
Alex rolled his eyes, and Rosalind sighed.
“Hey, Rush, what’s got your tighty-whities in a wad?”
“You,” Alex ground out, his expression thunderous.
“Get over it. You’re not my keeper.”
“The team seems to think I am, and I’d like to stay with the Sockeyes, even though you don’t seem to care.”
Clarissa yawned, as if this argument was boring her. “Roz, could you take me home? We’ll leave the boys to their bickering.”
“Sure.” Rosalind was torn between staying with Alex and getting away from a potentially explosive situation between Alex and Jasper.
“Go ahead, I’ll call later,” Alex assured her, seeming to sense her indecision.
Reluctantly, she ushered her drunken friend from the old mansion. Clarissa leaned into her heavily as they navigated the front steps and Rosalind managed to roll her into the front passenger seat.
She glanced at the mansion doorway but didn’t see Alex or Jasper. Sighing, she turned her attention to her inebriated friend and getting her home. Clarissa was now singing along with the radio at the top of her lungs.
It was going to be a torturous ten minutes.
An hour later, Rosalind had tucked Clarissa into bed and returned home. She desperately needed to talk and there was only one person she could think of who would understand.
She walked into her house, threw the keys on the entry table, and punched up Lavender’s number on her phone. The phone rang several times before she heard her friend’s breathless voice.
“Did I interrupt something?” she said with a wicked cackle.
“I wish,” Lavender sighed dramatically. “Three kids make it impossible to catch a little naked time with my man. His head is deep in training camp, and he comes home only to sleep. Mia skinned her knee, and you would’ve thought she was being murdered. Jackson is feuding with the little girl next door. I think he has a secret crush on her. And Brian has three little boys over to play video games. It’s chaos as usual.”
“It sounds lovely.” Rosalind meant every word.
“Are you sick or just plain crazy?”
“Probably crazy, but I envy you.”
Lavender sighed. “It’s not always easy being married to a pro coach, and specifically Tyler, but I wouldn’t trade my life for anyone else’s. I love that man.”
“I can tell. You’re so lucky.”
“Enough of me. What about you? What’s going on with Rush?”
“That’s why I called. We were in Victoria, and he was constantly bombarded for autographs and women blatantly came on to him like I wasn’t even there. How did you handle that?”
“Oh, fame. It’s a downside of being
with a guy who’s a celebrity. You’re pretty sheltered from it on Madrona, but once you venture off the island, watch out.”
“So I noticed.”
“There are a lot of women who consider the fame aspect a plus. Not me. But I did learn to live with it. You have to be secure in the knowledge that no matter how many women throw themselves at your man, you’re the one he’s coming home to at night.”
“We don’t have that kind of future.”
“How do you know? I didn’t think we did either. They’re very similar types, those two. If Tyler can put aside his partying ways and grow up, so can Alex.”
“I don’t know. Alex is hard to read at times.”
“Tyler was too. He prided himself on saying what he thought, except when it came to matters of the heart. I’m not sure he knew what was going on in his own head for a quite a while. Don’t rush it. Let the relationship follow its course, and see where it takes you. Don’t worry so much.”
More words of wisdom from a woman who’d lived through heaven and hell with a famous athlete, and Rosalind need time to process all these changes in her life.
For now, she’d bury herself in her latest book and pretend she had as much control over her own life as she did her characters’. Funny thing was sometimes she didn’t control their actions. They often did their own thing.
Chapter 15—Unveiled
For the next two weeks, Alex and Rosalind became inseparable in and out of bed. He thought being around her constantly might dull this aching need he had for her, but instead he wanted her more. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her or tire of her company.
He picked her up at nine on Saturday morning for a hike and a picnic. The Brothers had told him about a secret path through the woods to a private cove where they wouldn’t be bothered by anyone, and he’d been down here a few times. Homer had given him a key to a locked gate so they could drive down to the path.
Alex held her hand as they picked their way down the overgrown path. The path eventually opened up into a sun-drenched clearing. Old apple trees from a long-abandoned orchard marched up one side of the clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a derelict house with a sagging roof, broken-out windows, and missing front door.
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