Player Substitution (Puck Battle Series, #0.5)

by Kristen Echo

  “Deal.” This group was the best thing to happen since Chuck dropped the bomb. Her smile wasn’t forced. Progress.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Game time. The arena was packed with thousands of fans, eagerly cheering on their favorite teams. Kyle had amazing seats two rows from the ice. Miranda had never been this close before. She could see the watermarks left by the Zamboni.

  The few times Chuck got them tickets, they’d been up in the nosebleed area. She hadn’t cared because the adrenaline of watching a game live was unparalleled. Her husband was obsessed with hockey, but Miranda loved it too. Chuck once called her a puck bunny because she finally agreed to go out with him only after he joined the local hockey team. She always thought he was attractive, but once he put on the gear, he became her wet dream. She adored hockey, and until recently, her hockey player husband too.

  Her plan had to work, and it wouldn’t be hard to achieve since the game was televised. Rosa turned out to be a pretty funny lady. Miranda had figured being at the game was revenge enough, but her new friend took it to an entirely new level of fun.

  “Do you think it’s too much?” Rosa wore a skin-tight jersey over black leggings, and her dark hair was styled on top of her head in a messy bun.

  Miranda had on a similar outfit, only her jersey was pink and had a deep v neckline. Her girls were on full display. The question wasn’t about the outfit, but the bright neon green signs in her hands.

  “I’m here; cheating husband is at home!” And her favorite. “Cheaters enjoy couch surfing!” Rosa read them both out quietly.

  The laugh that came out was loud and over the top just like the signs. “Brilliant. You are the most clever and cunning woman I know.” Miranda hadn’t laughed like that in far too long. It felt good.

  Rosa smiled. “Kyle said he knows a cameraman and promised they’d catch us a few times. I figured we should make the most of our ten seconds of fame. Letting them see us here is one thing, but telling the entire hockey nation what scumbags they are—that’s priceless.”

  Broadcasting her marital issues to the world wasn’t on the top of her list, but maybe Rosa had a point. Chuck would die when he saw her, but he’d crap his pants when he read the sign. All their friends and family would see her. He would have to face the music and deal with the fallout.

  “Like I said, you’re crafty and I love it. Want a beer or how about ten?” Miranda got up from her seat and grabbed her purse. Her phone poked out of the top, but she pushed it back inside.

  “No thanks, I’m too nervous. What if they don’t see this, then what?” Rosa sank down onto her chair. Deflated, she folded the signs and put them between her legs.

  “We have fun, that’s what. No matter what happens later, we can enjoy this moment. The seats couldn’t get any better.” Both women nodded and Miranda tried hard to convince herself to take her own advice. A fun night out.

  She craved a beer to calm her nerves and ordered two from the vendor. Her limit for the night since she needed to keep a level head, plus she was driving. This game was about payback and teaching Chuck a lesson he wouldn’t soon forget. She wasn’t someone to mess with. Miranda got dolled up for the game, wearing extra makeup. Her new friend looked hot as well. Their husbands would rue the day they cheated.

  When Miranda came back to her seat as the players skated into view. The alcohol helped calm her nerves, and she settled into her spot. They sat close enough to decipher the stubble on their chins and the sweat beading on their brows. If the Plexiglas wasn’t in her way, she could have reached out and touched them. Their blades cut through the ice, propelling them across the rink like they were flying.

  Most of the men were huge and undeniably sexy. Her pulse raced when a player from the opposing team stopped inches from the boards. He reminded her of Chuck, with his imposing size and sly grin. It was the same devilish smile that stole her heart when she was a little girl and still wooed her into bed nightly. Her legs clenched together as she shifted in her seat.

  “He’s hot. Built like a tank ready to do optimal damage,” Rosa said, eyeing the same player.

  “Yup, he could be my husband’s twin. They are the same size and that smile; holy cow.”

  Rosa smacked her arm. “Your man seriously looks like that? Damn, no wonder you want to find a way to make things work.”

  It wasn’t his good looks that made her love him; it was his heart.

  He won her over from the moment they met. Miranda had been bullied for over a year by a mean neighbor a few years older than her. Every time they passed in the halls at school, he’d push her books to the ground or pull her hair. He’d do something to make her cry. Miranda was sure he kept doing it because she let him get away with it; too nice to make a fuss. It all stopped after Chuck moved to town. His first day of school, he witnessed Brian, the bully, calling her names. Miranda cried as usual, but Chuck stepped in and laid the kid out. Then he hugged her and told her no one would ever hurt her again.

  From that moment on, nobody messed with her or Chuck. He got a reputation for being an asshole and he didn’t bother correcting them. As the years went on and his size got even bigger, people thought he was a brute. Especially on the ice, it made him a great defenseman. He acted the part when he needed to, but he was a teddy bear on the inside. She missed him terribly.

  A male singer walked onto the ice and the crowd fell silent as he began his angelic rendition of the national anthem. Miranda wondered if Chuck was sitting on his mother’s pullout couch watching, or if he had gone out with the guys. They often caught the game at the local watering hole. Soon enough he would see her, and she wished she could catch his reaction when that happened. She’d pay big bucks to watch his face fall as he saw her seats and her sign.

  Worms wiggled across her stomach at the thought of using Rosa’s signs. Living well is the best revenge, according to the internet, and this qualified. It was one thing to rub the wicked awesome seats in his face, showing him that she wasn’t at home brooding. But it was another to plaster her own nose in his mistake. The fallout would be huge.

  Her mother would call, and their friends would get involved. She dreaded that part, but he deserved whatever consequences he got. Until tonight, she had told no one, except Carly and the fine folks from the support group. That was all about to change.

  The singer belted out the lyrics, and the fans shouted True North. She tried her best to snap out of her inner turmoil, but couldn’t do more than stand and mumble the words. The time to back out had gone, and her plan was moving full steam ahead.

  Step one to fixing her marriage wasn’t to keep painting the perfect picture. Pretend the high school sweethearts had the flawless marriage because that faultless couple didn’t exist. The last time she had doubts about her relationship they took drastic measures and it worked to build an even more solid foundation. This retribution plot would have to do the same.

  She checked her phone and there were no new calls or messages. The fifteen unread messages from Chuck sat in her in-box, but he had sent nothing new in the past hour. She supposed the game was providing a good distraction from his groveling.

  The first period had been a nail-biter. The score was tied at two and the home team looked sharp against last year’s defending champions.

  Chuck’s doppelgänger was on a mission to take out our most valuable player, Theo Montagne, but Theo was too fast. The young player didn’t get the rookie of the year title last year for nothing. Theo was amazing. His puck handling and stick work was the best she’d ever seen, but what made him great was the way he found openings. A real team player. She watched as Nicolas Ivarsson, the team captain, protected his teammates. The only reason they weren’t leading by ten or more was because Benny Wilder, the goalie for the opposing team, was a dynamo. He’d single-handedly saved this game from turning into a slaughterhouse. If we had that goalie we’d take home the cup for sure.

  Rosa noticed that the camera on the jumbotron was searching the crowd as the refs dealt w
ith a wayward puck. “Grab your sign; it’s show time.”

  Miranda picked up the bright green sign with the blood-red bubble letters and silver glitter just in time to see her face plastered on the screen. She smiled and waved with her free hand. Rosa used both hands to shake her sign from side to side drawing more attention to them. It worked and people all around them snickered. Within seconds her phone rang.

  The world took notice that two cheating husbands were stuck at home while their wives lived it up. The cameras stayed on them way longer than she was comfortable with, zeroing in on the signs and on their faces. No hiding anymore.

  When the cameras moved along, she looked down and her phone was blowing up with calls. It wouldn’t stop and neither would Rosa’s. The cheating bastards got voicemail, along with everyone else.

  “That was intense. My cheeks hurt from smiling,” Rosa said, folding the signs and putting them down.

  Miranda didn’t feel the same sense of accomplishment or joy from what took place. “It was something else all right. I’m done with the signs. Let’s enjoy the rest of the game. Okay?”

  “We did the right thing, putting it out there for the world to know. They can’t get away with it. Once it’s done, it can’t be undone. Maybe our display will stop another cheater.”

  She hoped Rosa was right. In the pit of her stomach the hesitation remained. Part of her refused to believe he’d cheated, even though he admitted to it. It made little sense.

  Chuck always doted on her like she was royalty, going above and beyond to please her. The last time they’d made it to a game, he rented them a hotel room for the night. They’d enjoyed wild and crazy sex before the game and after had been even better. He didn’t stop until she’d been so exhausted from coming that she literally passed out in the middle of an orgasm. They were that kind of happy only a few months ago.

  A tremor rippled through her body at the euphoric memory. Would she ever get to come again? This punishment, and their time apart was killing her. But if the result brought them closer together, it would be worth it.

  Hit him where it hurts, Carly had suggested. Check.

  The home team won, and Miranda and Rosa celebrated their victories with a hug and a high five. She’d had a lot of fun and regardless what happened to their marriages, the women vowed to stay in touch. They exchanged numbers and wished each other luck. Rosa called her husband before Miranda was out of earshot, and things did not sound good.

  She decided not to check her messages until she arrived home. The elation from the game had worn off by the time she pulled up to the house. Dread seeped into her bones when she spotted a familiar truck in the driveway.

  The moment she stepped out of her car, he stepped out of his truck. His jacket and baseball cap made him look even larger than the hockey player she’d considered his twin all evening.

  “Saw you on TV, babe.” He stepped towards her, closing the distance quickly with his large strides.

  “I figured you might. Well, I—.”

  His mouth covered hers in a kiss that obliterated any words she was about to say. She opened to him and his tongue found hers. The soft wet tangle followed as their lips reacquainted.

  Too many days without this, and Miranda was delirious with lust. Desperate to be near him again, she clutched his arms and held him. His fingers threaded through her glossy mane of curls and his body pressed against hers, plastering her against the car door.

  Her senses fired on all cylinders. His masculine, clean scent with a hint of diesel tantalized her nose, as her taste buds soaked him up. Miranda had imagined touching him and feeling him again, but this was real. She looked into the deep green of his eyes as her knees gave out.

  He held her, pinned against him. His erection poked into her belly. Chuck did everything one hundred percent, and his kisses were no exception. Miranda missed his lips, his tongue, and she missed him. But he shouldn’t be here.

  She pulled her mouth away. “I’m not ready,” she said, while trying to catch her breath. Her lips were swollen and begging for more. Her body vibrated with need.

  “I know, but I couldn’t stay away. I love you so much, Miranda.” His eyes darted to the snow-covered sidewalk. He looked miserable, like the only place he wanted to be was buried inside her, and she wouldn’t let that happen.

  The cold hadn’t even registered. She’d been too hot to see him, to feel him again, that nothing else mattered. “Goodnight,” she said, walking away and into the house.

  Chuck followed her to the door, but didn’t come in. It tore a piece of her heart out to close the door on him, but he caused this mess. Miranda sank to the floor in the foyer and hugged her knees to her chest. The ache wouldn’t go away.

  She closed her eyes as the soft sounds of a guitar played from behind the door. Chuck sang her favorite Christmas carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas. They didn’t have twelve days until Christmas. It was creeping up fast. Step two of her plan was set for tomorrow.

  “I love you too,” she whispered, getting off the ground and heading to bed.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The cold air slapped Miranda in the face, demanding she wake up. It was after one in the afternoon, but she couldn’t drag herself out from under the warmth of her covers. When her alarm went off at five, she called Mr. Richardson and he told her to take a few days off. He’d seen the game, no doubt. After that, she buried her head under the mountain of blankets to hide from the world.

  Today was a big day, and she dreaded it. Kyle had called last night before she fell asleep, and he commended her on her bravery. She acted like a coward, avoiding her friends and family. His was the only call she accepted. Her phone had blown up as expected. Everyone and their dog wanted to know the details of her misery. Vultures.

  Sleep hadn’t come easily. She kept picturing Chuck’s sad green eyes as she closed the door in his face last night. He wasn’t angry with her or upset when he had every right to be. He mentioned nothing except that he loved her. Then the Christmas serenade had pushed her over the edge. Her tears had mixed poorly with the ice-cream, but it didn’t stop her from gobbling down two bowls of the creamy chocolaty goodness.

  Her phone vibrated on the nightstand. Something it had been doing intermittently since nine. She reached over and looked at the display. Carly.

  “S’up girl,” Miranda answered.

  “You’re not dead, phew. That’s a relief. I imagined Chuck might have killed you after your all-star performance at the game last night.” Miranda cringed as her friend prattled on. “You looked smoking hot, by the way, and you were the highlight of the night. Me thinks the cameraman has a crush on you since your face flashed across the screen more times than the puck,” Carly joked.

  Darn. A part of her had hoped she could pretend it wasn’t her, but there would be no hiding from the truth. “Guess everyone watched the game then. Are you at work?” The gossip mill would be in full force. Especially, if Mrs. Richardson caught it. Her small town swarmed around heartbreak like cats pounced on their prey. Miranda was glad to be home, avoiding life.

  “On break now. Those that didn’t catch the game are getting the abbreviated version on Dotty’s phone. She finally figured out how to use a smart phone and recorded you holding the sign.” Carly chuckled, but it was one sided. “Tank, the asshat, make a scene or is he ignoring you?”

  Miranda rolled her eyes at her friend’s nickname for her husband. Chuck was built like a tank, but he wasn’t an asshat, asshole or anything remotely similar.

  “He came over, but he wasn’t mad. Just hurt. Carly, I’m not sure I’ve got a vengeful bone in my body. Last night, when I noticed the cameras panning our way, I swear I almost blew chunks all over the guy seated in front of me. Afterwards, all I wanted to do was call Chuck and check on him. He was with the guys, and I bet he got it bad from them. He didn’t tell me, but I can imagine.” Miranda twisted the ruby red covers into a ball and placed her head on his pillow. It smelled like him.

  Carly sighed into
the receiver. “Rightfully so. He deserves to be called every name in the book. He cheated on you. Have you forgotten that little detail?”

  “I can’t forget. Tonight, I’ve got more planned, but so far, I feel worse instead of better. I’m so darn confused and exhausted. Can you believe I’m still in bed?” She wanted to burrow into his scent until it magically made him appear. The only times she stayed in bed this long was if they were wrapped around each other, making love. That would not happen today, or anytime soon.

  “Yikes. That’s totally not you. Okay, here’s the deal. Get your pretty little behind out of that bed and march yourself into the shower. Get dressed and come here for a slice of chocolate pie. It won’t make the problems disappear, but it will taste amazing. At least your taste buds will be happy. It’s chocolate. Who can say no to chocolate?” Carly’s answer for everything was chocolate.

  “Pass, but thanks for checking in on me. I’ll see you in a few days. Before Christmas I promise. Don’t worry about me.” Miranda and Carly chatted for a few more minutes about their work before disconnecting.

  She couldn’t hide in bed forever. Eventually, all her problems would catch up no matter how hard she willed them away. She placed another call. This one to Kyle.

  He picked up after the first ring. “I thought maybe you were getting cold feet when you didn’t answer my earlier calls. You’re not backing out. Are you, Miranda?”

  Yes and no. She wanted to call the whole thing off, but Chuck’s sad eyes haunted her. This was the only way to fix her marriage. “I’m calling to confirm, and to apologize for not calling earlier. It’s been a rough morning, but I’ll pull myself together in time for our pseudo-date.”

  “You can call it a date. Lightning won’t strike you down.” Kyle laughed, deep and husky. She followed along though she disagreed with his comment.