Fresh heat flushed her cheeks. Were they that obvious? Leo winked at her. Below the table, his thigh bumped and then rested against hers.
Thankfully, the death wings arrived. He held one up to the screen. "Going in."
He paused with it an inch from his face. "Whoa, that's strong enough to clear my head. Better than any smelling salts. Maybe we should have a bucket of these on the bench during games instead." He bit into the wing and groaned. Wincing, he ripped off another bite. Then another. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. His eyes watered again and his whole face flamed red. Dropping the bone, he reached for his beer. "Wow. That's really, really hot."
After downing that, he reached for the water pitcher, but Kelsey pushed the lemonade in his direction. He grabbed it and then knocked it back, throat working with every gulp. A bowl of celery sticks and baby carrots had accompanied the wings. He dipped a stalk into the blue cheese and chomped down.
More comments poured in, some cheering Leo and some trying to egg him on with more sauce challenges. Sensing that he was competitive enough to take them on, Kelsey hid those comments and handed him a napkin to dab the sweat from his face.
He blew out a breath and shook his head. "Wow. The sting is still lingering on my lips and under my tongue. I think the lemonade helped more than the beer. Where did you learn that?"
"My dad. He always ordered me a lemonade whenever we got wings when I was a kid. Citrus fruit will help neutralize the capsaicin in the pepper by binding with it, similar to what dairy can do. Water will only spread the heat around your mouth and make it worse. Alcohol is good, but beer is too watered down to be much of a help. For future reference, vodka works well." She nudged her shoulder into his. "I think you've earned that ice cream."
"The fire raging in my mouth agrees with you."
Laughing, she waved at the screen. "That's a wrap for this episode of Kelsey's Corner. As a reminder, the team's next two games are on the road, so I'll see you back at the Bedlam arena on Saturday for the seven o'clock game against Las Vegas. Thank you, Leo, for joining us today."
He nodded. "Thanks for having me. I hope you all will give me a chance."
"You ate a death wing for them. I'd say you've more than earned one." With that, she ended the recording.
Blowing out a breath, she relaxed into the chair and picked up the check the server had set on the table.
He reached for his wallet. "Let me get that."
"No. This is my treat. Well, it's actually the Bedlam's." She placed her company card in the folder.
"All right, but I'm buying the ice cream."
She packed up her laptop, pocketed her credit card, and shrugged into her coat. "The ice cream place isn't far. It's pretty much a straight shot, so just follow me."
Nerves fluttered again as she drove, eying Leo in the rear view mirror when stopped at red lights. He stood close to her at the counter when they both ordered chocolate frozen custard, and sat close enough that their knees brushed under the small table. Conversation wasn't easy with the crowd of kids wearing basketball uniforms, jumping out of their seats and rushing around, hyped high on a win and tons of sugar. But amid the noise and chaos, Leo seemed more relaxed, content as he shared smiles with her.
Without the laptop and broadcast to the fans, this was more like a date. She didn't date Bedlam members, not ever in her six years with the team. The possible drama that could stem from a relationship had never seemed worth it.
Until Leo.
But could she really go there, after what had happened to Dylan? The family loyalty that the one fan had questioned came roaring back. What would Dylan say? What about her parents? She still couldn't look at Leo without remembering what had happened. But Dylan was getting better, was insisting that he was nearly back to playing shape, and if he could return as good as new, then what was really holding her back?
Leo set down his empty cup. "Ready to go?"
She glanced at her own, surprised that she'd finished the whole thing. "Sure."
The night had turned colder. Wind whistled through the trees and a layer of clouds made spotting stars impossible. More snow was in the forecast. At times, it seemed like winter would never end. Staying close to Leo shielded her from the worst of the steady breeze.
When they reached her car, she turned to face him. "Thanks for doing the show."
He slid his hand along her arm. "Tonight was fun. My lips finally stopped tingling."
"Chocolate custard for the win." She fought off a shiver.
He stepped closer. "So, about Canalside or Niagara Falls. Are they going to be Kelsey's Corner segments, or are they not team-sponsored activities?"
She licked dry lips and tilted her head to keep connected with his gaze. "I..."
"Because I know which one I'd prefer." His body shifted until scant inches separated them. "Just the two of us."
Her pulse throbbed at his scent and nearness. The intensity in his expression deepened as he lowered his head and leaned in. The urge to pull him down and kiss him rushed through her like a rapid river. She rested her hand on his chest. Even through the thick layer of his coat, the touch was intoxicating.
But once she kissed him, she couldn't take it back. Her mind spun, thoughts jumping as emotions pulled her toward Leo and reasoning pushed her away. "Wait."
"What's wrong?"
"I don't normally do this. Correction, I don't ever do this."
He raised a brow. "Ever?"
"Not with a Bedlam player."
"Oh." He slowly lowered his hand. Disappointment clouded his gaze, but he nodded and stepped back. Wind whipped in between them, teasing her for her choice. "Conflict of interest?"
Kelsey wrapped her arms around her torso. "I can't say that I don't want this, but after what happened with Dylan..."
He scrubbed a hand over his face and then a heavy sigh escaped his lips. "I'm never going to be able to escape that, am I?"
Regret swarmed in, blanketing her wants and worries. She grasped his hand. "I'm not saying no. I've always been confident in my decisions because I've trusted my gut. And my gut says I need to think some more about this."
Some of the light returned to his gaze. His strong fingers squeezed hers once and then let go. "I can wait."
If he'd pushed, that would've been a red flag. But his response—the immediate patience and understanding—made her want him even more. She made herself take another step away and dug her keys from her coat pocket. "Good luck on the road trip."
"I'll see you at Saturday's game." He back-walked a few more steps. "Drive safe."
Tightening her hand to retain some of his warmth, she climbed into her car. She hadn't felt the connection she'd had with Leo in ages, if ever. Could she really turn her back on it?
CHAPTER FIVE
ON FRIDAY MORNING, Leo dragged himself into the practice facility behind Vince. Yawning wide, he accepted a coffee from the defenseman. Vince had become his seat buddy on the team flights, as well as his one-man cheering squad. Having the widely-liked veteran on his side had helped a lot of his teammates warm up to him. Even Rod wasn't as distant. He'd offered Leo a good job and a high-five after the previous night's win in Ottawa. Still a bit awkward, but much less tension-filled than before.
The locker room buzzed with an extra energy and heightened voices raised in tumbling conversations. Rumor had it that Dylan was in the building. Coach LeClair had confirmed the injured captain had been skating on his own for the past few days. So, any day now, he would be cleared to play.
That day couldn't come soon enough. Then maybe, just maybe, the fans and sports radio jockeys would move on.
Sucking down coffee, he pulled on his gear. A night spent dreaming of Kelsey should've put him in an energized mood. But in every sequence he remembered, she'd told him she couldn't see him and turned away. Or told him yes and then disappeared, fading into mist. He'd woken up countless times, reaching for the space beside him, only to find it empty.
He tied his skates
and reached for his water bottle. Beside him, Vince gave a happy shout then launched himself across the room. Several of the guys followed.
Leo stood. His teammates parted enough to show Dylan standing in the middle of the room, dressed in practice gear.
Unsure of his reception, Leo joined the guys. Snippets of conversations floated past him.
"Dylan's back."
"Cleared to practice, and to play in tomorrow's game."
Slowly, the room fell silent as all of the guys stopped talking and turned toward Leo and Dylan, waiting for the reunion. The way the bodies parted and formed a circle reminded him too much of the street fights he'd brawled in as a kid. And now, as back then, a rush of adrenaline charged like a lightning bolt along his skin.
Dylan walked toward him, hand extended. "Hey, man. Welcome to the team."
Guard still raised, Leo accepted the shake. "Thanks."
Then Dylan's other hand clapped him on the back. "It's good to have you here."
One by one, Leo relaxed his muscles. He shouldn't have expected any less from the captain, the team and city's golden boy, the consummate professional. Thank goodness.
Coach LeClair strode in, surveying them with a smile he fought to hide. "All right, boys. Show's over. Everyone on the ice."
As his teammates filed out, Leo stayed in his place and Dylan did the same. More needed to be said, and Coach was giving them a chance. Leo gestured helplessly with his glove. "I know we exchanged texts after the incident but I can't not apologize again. I'm sorry about that hit. How's your head?"
"I'm fine. Completely healed." Dylan glanced behind him at his locker, tucked into the corner. "The guys aren't being dicks, are they?"
"Nah. Most are fine. Now. But—"
"I know. I heard about what happened with Slater. I had a talk with him earlier. Told him that's not how things work on our team."
"If it had been a dirty hit, I'd understand. Hell, if the roles were reversed, I'd probably have landed a few punches of my own. He's young, and I can't fault a guy for sticking up for his teammate."
"We all saw the video. Multiple times." Dylan rolled his eyes. "It just went wrong. If my helmet hadn't come off, I might not have ended up with the concussion at all, or symptoms for as long as I did, and maybe wouldn't have missed three weeks. It's cool. We're cool."
"We are?" He really needed them to be.
"Dude, I've been playing this game a long time. Long enough to have a few hits go wrong myself. We're fine."
Tension he hadn't been aware of fled and Leo's muscles fully relaxed. Even breathing seemed easier. "Good."
Dylan nodded toward the door. "Let's get out there. I've missed being out on the ice with the guys. Coach is going to work on shifting the lines today."
Leo grabbed his helmet. "I'll let you have your spot back."
Grinning, Dylan shook his head. "That's nice of you."
"Playing alongside Kreider and Celek has been great but I'm sure they'll be glad to get you back." Walking side-by-side with Dylan, he felt lighter than he had in weeks.
He skated onto the ice. With Dylan back, the mood was happy as though all was right with the world, and the guys were laughing and joking as they went through the drills.
Leo spent time centering the second line, surprised when Coach tried him on a power play unit with Dylan, then again on Dylan's penalty-kill unit. It was almost as though he was out there not only for his skating and scoring abilities, but also as Dylan's bodyguard. Protecting the captain, especially after the type of injury Dylan had sustained, fell within his natural inclination anyway. But the possibility that it also might factor in Kelsey's decision and sway the balance in his favor... he'd take any break he could get.
By the middle of the second period of the game against Las Vegas, Leo's theory of being Dylan's unofficial on-ice bodyguard had been confirmed. Coach LeClair kept changing up the lines, pulling Kreider and sending Leo in his place nearly every shift. Going from center to left wing took some adjustment, but after a few hiccups he and Dylan and Celek at right wing worked out a good system without losing their sense of timing too badly.
The crowd had cheered long and loud when the PA announcer had called out Dylan's name. The building pulsed with an energy that was palpable, feeding the crowd and the team in an unending cycle.
Leo checked well, throwing his body around enough to show every player who attempted to hit Dylan that they'd end up answering to him.
On the bench during a commercial break, he sat between Dylan and Celek. The camera focused on Dylan, zooming in on his face. The fans cheered. Then it panned to him. A chorus of boos erupted from the stands.
Sure, some fans were probably doing it to get a laugh, but it echoed from more than one place. There were enough boos from different sections to make him sure the fans' dislike of him was fairly widespread. Winning over the fans was going to take more than simply having Dylan back on the team.
After his next shift, he collapsed on the end of the bench, next to Vince. Dylan climbed over the boards, nudged Vince over, and squeezed in beside Leo. He patted Leo on the helmet. "Nice work out there."
Calling out encouragement to the guys, he left his hand resting on Leo's shoulder long enough for the cameraman to zero in on it. The image appeared on the Jumbotron and stayed until play resumed.
Vindicated, Leo pushed hard for the rest of the game. He assisted on a goal for Celek and a goal for Dylan, but mostly, he kept Dylan safe, including during the goal celebrations and when the team gathered around Dylan at the end of the game to celebrate their win.
After the game, he followed his teammates to the locker room. Kelsey and the camera crew stood by the door, interviewing Dylan. Both of the Fraser siblings beamed. Rod jumped in, throwing his arms around them and completing the trio.
Leo ducked his head, intending to pass in the background along with the rest of the guys. Dylan looked over and then grabbed his arm and pulled him into the camera's view.
Slinging his arm around Leo's shoulder, he stared into the camera. "In addition to thanking the fans for their well wishes for my recovery, I have something to say. We're lucky to have Leo Brennan on our team. I know some of you are still giving him grief and talking trash about that hit. For the record, it was clean. Seriously, watch the video. I'm fine. I'm back. And as you can see, Leo and I are friends. Rod and Leo are friends. Kelsey and Leo are friends. We need every member of the team if we're going to have a successful payoff run. Leo is a part of our Bedlam family now. Treat him like it."
Leo gaped at Dylan, sure that his expression matched Rod's comically shocked face, but the captain just smiled.
Kelsey pulled the microphone back to herself. "And that's a wrap from Kelsey's Corner."
The camera turned off and Kelsey lowered her mic, her gaze darting from Dylan to him and back again. "What was that?"
"That was the captain taking a stand." Dylan nodded toward the locker room. "Let's get through the media interviews. And then, I'm taking my friend here out for a beer. Kels, you should join us. We're going to Tap Out."
Titling her head to the side, she surveyed them. "I'll be there."
Other than Vince, none of the guys had invited him out prior to Dylan's offer. Leo allowed Dylan to pull him toward the locker room. "That was a nice thing you just did."
"You and I both are sick of talking about the hit. Some of those sports radio guys don't help things. They keep riling up the fans because they need controversy, even if they have to invent it." Dylan pushed through the door. "You can follow Rod and me to the bar. You know his car, right? The brown SUV that smells like coffee?"
"Keep it up, and you can walk there." Rod grumbled from behind Leo, but then he grinned at his brother.
A swift pang of loneliness shot through Leo. He missed his brothers. A lot.
He arrived at Tap Out right after Dylan and Rod. The bar, tucked in the Buffalo suburb of Holiday, was covered from wall to wall with hockey and other sports memorabilia.
&nb
sp; Dylan commandeered a high-top table by the bar. "Celek, Krieder, and Vince are on their way. I'll buy the first round."
Before he'd finished speaking, two pitchers of beer were delivered to the table, compliments of the owner.
Rod took a long pull from his glass then he set it aside. "I guess I'm sorry that I punched you."
Leo snorted over his drink. "You guess?"
"Okay, I'm not really sorry." A wicked smile sliced across Rod's face and his eyes crinkled. "But Dylan wanted me to apologize anyway."
Wearing a pained expression, Dylan sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "Nice job, Rod."
Laughing, Leo toasted Rod. "Rod's reaction on the ice was what mine would have been. In the heat of the moment, all you see is that someone hurt your family and you want revenge. No one messes with family and gets away with it."
Rod twisted toward Dylan and then slung a companionable arm around Leo's shoulder. "See? He gets it."
Dylan shook his head and reached for his own beer. "Even so. You still needed to apologize."
Leo looked at the grinning goalie. "I have to admit, your expression when Dylan announced that you and I were friends tonight was pretty funny."
"Yeah, a little warning would've been nice, D." Rod refilled his glass. "I'm hoping the camera was zeroed in on you for that part. Leo and I didn't look very convincing."
Celek, Krieder, and Vince headed their way. Vince claimed the bar stool next to Leo and the discussion fell to dissecting the game and talking about the upcoming outdoor game held at the frozen rink the league had created at the football field. Having the guys treat him like a regular member of their group went a long way toward easing his pangs of not belonging.
Leo turned in his stool to ask Celek a question but his gaze caught Kelsey and a shorter woman with curly hair making their way across the crowded space. Abandoning his question mid-sentence, he stood and found a second free chair.
The curly-haired woman snuggled up to Rod before introducing herself as his fiancée Arielle.
Kelsey started off next to Dylan, but slowly made her way over to Leo. He curled his fingers into his palm to avoid touching her. He'd agreed to give her time. "Can I buy you a drink?"
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