CHAPTER EIGHT
A FOUR-GAME LOSING streak was pathetic. Leo lined up another puck from the pile by his side and fired it into the net.
The GM wasn't happy. The coaches weren't happy. His teammates weren't happy. And the fans definitely weren't happy.
Even worse, six days had passed since Dylan had sustained his second concussion and he wasn't anywhere near ready to come back. On top of the concussion, he was also experiencing whiplash symptoms from that hit.
Fresh anger boiled his blood. He shot another puck.
He could kill Bertuzzi...
He huffed a sigh, glad to be alone with his thoughts in the practice facility. Coach LeClair had pushed them hard, upset over their effort in the previous night's game against Montreal. Lack of effort, his ass. The effort was there but he and his teammates were out of sync.
They needed to find their rhythm—fast.
A puck sailed past him. One that he hadn't shot. Not in the mood for company, he turned to discourage whoever it was to leave him alone.
Kelsey glided across the ice, stick in hand. "Mind if I hit a few?"
Just seeing her was enough to lift his mood. "Help yourself."
She was a right-handed shot. Gaze narrowed on the net, she executed a perfect slapshot. The goal slammed into the back of the net.
"Nice job."
"Thanks." She fired another. Tension lined her face and her movements were abrupt, like she was simmering with anger.
"Is everything okay?"
"I just got word that the league is suspending Bertuzzi for five games. They're slapping him with a fine too. But he isn't even sorry for what he did." She shook her head and her ponytail swayed back and forth. "I know none of that will help Dylan get better, but the lack of remorse really gets under my skin."
"Hit another puck. It helps." He waited until she did and then followed his own advice. "Did you see Dylan today?"
"I've been here all day. My parents were sitting with him. I'll stop by after I'm through here. I'm so frustrated. I'm worried, and my parents are worried, and the hardest part of all is there's nothing I can do to make him feel better."
He could sympathize. Boy, could he sympathize. Leo straightened and leaned on his stick. "I know how that feels. When Ryan was attacked last year, I felt the same way. Burning anger at the assholes who did it, and frustration and helplessness because I couldn't wave a magic wand and make him all better. He's my baby brother. I'm the one who babysat him while my dad worked at the gym. He always looked up to me. I was supposed to keep him safe." His voice caught and he cleared his throat.
Kelsey's eyes softened. She skated past the pile of pucks and wrapped her arm around his waist. "I'm sorry you both went through that."
"It was hard. He had a lot of injuries and recovery took a long time. My dad, Shane, Xavier, and I worked out a schedule so one of us was with him at all times." He drew comfort from her embrace, then remembered he was supposed to be comforting her. "So if you need to vent or talk or cry or scream into a pillow, I'm the guy to call."
"Thank you. You do get it. You're as close with your family as I am with mine."
"Family is everything." At least he'd always thought so before.
"I really like yours. I'm glad I got to meet them."
"They loved you." They had. He'd received phone calls from every member telling him how much. "I'm hoping they can come up here for some of the playoff games."
"You miss them a lot."
"I do. I've been away for about eight or nine months a year for the past fifteen years. I miss my family. I want to be close to them again."
"Close as in you wouldn't even consider signing a new contract with the Bedlam if they offer you one in the off season?" Her voice was high and tight and her expression unreadable.
He cradled her sweet face with his glove. "Up until recently, I'd have said no. The thought was play for Philly or retire. But now, honestly, I don't know. Buffalo has ended up giving me a lot of surprises I hadn't expected."
She leaned into him. "I hope they've been good surprises."
"I'm looking at the best one." He lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers.
Together, they took turns hitting the remaining pucks into the net. With a grin, Kelsey took off with the last puck, handling it from one side of the stick to the other, speeding up the ice.
Leo laughingly zoomed after her, grateful for a moment to play.
She twisted, skating backward. "Thinking about checking me into the boards, Mr. Enforcer?"
He snorted. "Right."
She slowed her pace and he followed suit, pacing her. She came to a stop in front of the bench. Leo skated closer and then dropped his stick. He caged her in, resting his arms on the boards on each side of her body. Then he lowered his head until his lips nuzzled her neck. "I might have been thinking about getting you here like this. Holding you close. Breathing you in."
She dropped her hockey stick next to his and wrapped her arms around his torso. "And then what?"
"And then," he dragged his lips along the column of her throat, up to her soft lips. "This."
He lost himself in the taste of peppermint lip gloss and the feel of her body curling closer into his.
Salvation.
The word echoed in his head.
Serenity.
The feeling settled deep in his bones.
Home.
The knowledge clicked into his heart.
He'd never felt this way before. Overwhelming warmth and happiness just by being in her presence, and the desire to be with her and do anything he could to make her life better.
Love.
Rather than hitting him like a blinding check into the boards, the word whispered in his mind.
His heart beat wildly and his body tingled. He raised his head, needing to see her face. The sparkle in her eyes and the smile on her lips made breathing difficult.
One of her hands framed his cheek. "Are you okay?"
He needed to get himself together, to give himself some time to get used to the idea. He couldn't even begin to think about how to tell her. Forcing a smile, he nodded. "Sure."
"Let's get some coffee and take a walk along Canalside. I always do that when I need to think."
He'd found the riverside path while exploring his neighborhood but he'd yet to experience it with Kelsey. Walking hand in hand with her was something he could imagine doing over and over again, day after day, month after month, and year after year. Mentally slapping himself, he shook his head. He needed to stop jumping so far forward.
"Sounds good. We can visit Dylan after that." He leaned in for another kiss. He knew that she cared about him. But could she ever love him? Could he even be that lucky?
The goal siren wailed, jolting him into Kelsey. Leo whipped his head around. Three of his teammates stood behind the glass, doubling over in laughter.
Assholes.
Slater skated onto the ice, grinning. "Time's up, lovebirds. I need to practice my scoring. Looks like you're fine on that front."
Laughing, Kelsey picked up her stick and fired a shot to the redhead. "The ice is yours."
Leo flipped off his teammates and then wrapped his arm around Kelsey. The guys were cool with him, friendly, even in the face of Dylan's new injury. He'd warmed up to the team and the city far more than he'd expected. The chemistry of the team was just as strong as the bond he felt with her. That should have made him ecstatic, but it just made everything that much harder. He was torn between two cities, both pulling on his heart.
KELSEY SPENT MOST OF Saturday with Dylan. Her brother was still combating dizziness, still getting headaches, and still sensitive to lights and sound. His positive attitude wasn't quite so positive this time around. He was frustrated with himself for not healing quicker, and angry that his body was keeping him away from the game he loved. The guys were in Toronto for a seven-thirty game, and he wasn't happy about not being there. Nothing she said or did helped. When he'd dozed off around dinner
time, she bid Arielle goodnight and headed home.
An hour later, as she sat down to watch the Bedlam game, her best friend arrived at Kelsey's door. "Can I stay here and watch the game?"
"Sure. Is anything wrong?" She backed up to let Arielle pass.
"Blair called Dylan a little while ago to check in on him. She offered to stop over with dinner. After that, he asked if I was planning on staying home tonight. So I took the hint and decided to make myself scarce."
"Oh." She raised her brows. She and Arielle had discussed the Dylan-Blair relationship status at length. She hoped something amazing would happen there.
"Yeah." Arielle agreed. "I told him that I'd come here to watch the game but I'd be home before midnight. I feel bad for the poor guy but not enough to stay out all night. Besides, the team will be home by one-thirty or two, so Rod will be coming in then anyway."
"I hope Blair is able to help him feel better." Kelsey retrieved a second wineglass from the kitchen and filled it. "The game's about to start."
They settled in front of the TV with Icing between them. Arielle glanced at the dog. "How do she and Leo get along?"
At Leo's name, the dog's ears perked up.
"Mutual love." Kelsey rubbed the back of Icing's head.
"And how are you and Leo getting along?"
Kelsey laughed at her friend's wiggling brows. They'd been friends since high school and didn't have any secrets. "I always thought my rule about not getting involved with the players was smart. But with Leo..."
"Your face lights up when you talk about him."
"Does it?" She wrinkled her nose, not liking that her face gave her away. "Leo put up with a lot of crap from people over Dylan's first concussion, but just as that was going away, Dylan gets that second concussion, so now people keep bringing up the first one again and circulating blame. I know it's bothering him. And because it's bothering him, it's bothering me."
"You care about him."
"I do. A lot."
During the first intermission, her phone rang. She didn't recognize the number but knew the Toronto area code. Her heartbeat paused and then beat double-time. "Oh no, that's the area code for Toronto. The guys are there."
Imagining the worst, she accepted the call and put it on speaker. "Hello?"
"Kelsey Fraser?"
"Speaking." She frowned at Arielle and her friend moved closer.
"This is Constance Adler. I'm one of the executive producers here at the national hockey channel. We were very impressed with your broadcast at the Bedlam's outdoor game and would like to bring you on board during the playoffs as part of our "around the league" updates where we go live to each game. It would be a pre-game segment similar to what you do now, but with more commentating and news updates."
Kelsey gaped at Arielle. "That is my dream job. Thank you so much for the opportunity."
"You're a fresh face and an up and coming personality. We can't think of a better person to bring us a live look into the Bedlam. And it may lead to doing more work with us next season."
"Wow, that's amazing. I can't thank you enough." Grinning at Arielle, she gripped her friend's hand.
"Wonderful." Constance's voice warmed. "I'm happy to have you as a part of our team. I'll be in touch next week with more details and a contract."
Kelsey swallowed her excitement and managed a professional tone. "Thank you again."
The call ended. Then she jumped to her feet and pulled Arielle into a hug. "I can't believe it."
"I'm excited for you. And that definitely calls for some more wine. I'll refill our glasses. You have to call your parents."
"I'll do that now." She spent the next period of play on the phone, discussing both the job and the Bedlam game with her parents. The guys were trailing by two goals. They were in a tailspin since Dylan's injury.
By the time Arielle left the apartment at midnight, Kelsey was still flying high over the career boost. She sent a text to Leo, inviting him to come over no matter what time the team's private plane landed in Buffalo, and then fell asleep on the couch waiting for him to arrive.
The dog woke her before his knock could. Icing darted to the door, tail wagging. Kelsey yawned and stretched and sleepily made her way to the door. Leo's face smiled back at her through the peephole. She threw the door open.
He dropped his bag inside the door and hugged her tight. "You feel good."
"Yeah?" She snuggled closer, sliding her hands inside his coat.
"Yeah." Drawing soft kisses over her lips, he shut the door at his back and managed to click the lock in place.
At their feet, Icing whined for attention. Leo bent and scratched the dog's head. "Did you miss me?"
Kelsey opened her mouth to respond, unsure whether he was asking her or the dog. "I'm sure she did. She kept walking around the apartment. I think she was looking for you. And her ears perked up every time the play by play guy said your name tonight."
"Well, I'm home now." He grinned at the dog and tossed a chew toy into the kitchen. Icing darted after the toy puck.
Home.
Maybe he was thinking of Buffalo as home now, after all. Enjoying the thought, Kelsey led Leo to the bedroom.
He slowly unbuttoned his shirt and kicked off his shoes. "So you watched the game? It was pretty bad."
"It was...rough. But you guys did some good things."
"You sound like Coach in the post-game press conference."
She shrugged and sat on the bed. "I don't know what's going on with you guys but you'll turn it around."
"He's tried every line combination there is. We're now up to a five-game losing streak."
"Then you're overly due for some lucky bounces with the puck. I think you're all so stressed and tense, it's making things worse."
His lips curved in a half smile. "Are you volunteering to help with my tension?"
"I know a pretty good way to relieve it." She drew him into her arms. "Oh, wait, before I forget. You're looking at the newest Around The League correspondent for the Bedlam. The hockey network called me tonight. I got the gig for every playoff game."
"No way." Grinning, he hugged her so hard the breath rushed out of her lungs. Then he eased back and kissed her. "I'm so proud of you. Now we have extra incentive to go all the way. We need to get you as much air time as possible."
"And you'll start your win streak again on Monday night."
He cupped her face in his hands. "The whole flight here, I kept thinking about hitting pucks with you at the rink yesterday, and coming home to you tonight. No matter what, you always make me feel better."
She fell with him onto the mattress and they made love slowly and sweetly under the fleece blanket wrapped in sheets as soft as a cloud.
He'd mentioned home twice.
Maybe he would stay. From conversations she'd had with her dad, she knew the GM wanted him back next year. If they gave him an attractive enough offer, and they would... then the logistics problems would solve themselves. She'd have her roles with the Bedlam and the national network, and he would be on the team for the next few years. And life would be perfect. As long as nothing happened to throw a wrench into her plans.
CHAPTER NINE
LEO HELD OPEN THE DOOR to Tap Out and gestured for Kelsey and Rod to pass through. On the side of the room, Mitch Michaels laughed with his crew. The radio broadcast had been underway for a few hours, and he'd been ripping into Leo the entire time.
Leo's hands formed fists at the idiot's face. Kelsey's hand traced soothing patterns over his back. "Let me go on record as saying that I thought this was a bad idea two weeks ago, and I still think it's a bad idea now. And Leo, no matter what happens, you can't haul off and punch the guy, okay?"
"I can't make any promises." He rolled his shoulders. "Let's get it over with."
He led the way to Mitch's table. The show's producer or a crew member waved them on during a commercial break. Leo begrudgingly shook Mitch's hand. The radio host peered past him. "Rod, are you joining us too
?"
"I'm here to support my buddy but I'll join in and take questions." Rod clapped Leo on the shoulder and then took the vacant chair next to Mitch. He would be a physical barrier to the manipulative host.
"Kelsey, feel free to join in too as the mood strikes." Mitch waved like a king making a decree. He waited for his cue "And we're live here at Tap Out with Buffalo Bedlam center Leo Brennan. I'll start off with the first question. I see that Rod and Kelsey Fraser accompanied Leo Brennan tonight. But not Dylan. Where's Dylan?"
Kelsey leaned into Leo's microphone. "You know he suffered a concussion ten days ago. Lights and noise aren't good for him right now."
"Oh that's right. He suffered another concussion." Mitch smirked, putting emphasis on the injury. "You know, this one might not have been as bad if he hadn't sustained that first one back in February. How do you feel about that, Leo? Knowing that you're the reason he's going to take a long time coming back—if he comes back at all? Or knowing you've cost this team and this city a championship?"
"What the hell, Mitch?" Rod grabbed Mitch's mic. The reverb screeched, making everyone in the bar wince. "You have no idea what you're talking about. I don't see the letters MD after your name, but you seem to have a degree in BS."
Leo held Kelsey's hand under the table. Her soft skin and reassuring squeeze helped keep him calm. "It's fine, Rod. Look, I can't say that the first concussion isn't affecting anything and I can't say that it is. I don't know. I am sorry it happened. All we want is for Dylan to get better."
Mitch yanked his microphone away from Rod. "Your guys just came off of a five-game losing streak. I'd say that Dylan isn't the only thing to worry about. You can't win without him."
"We won last night."
"Please. It was against a mediocre team who is in last place in the league. You won't be getting off that easy in the playoffs." Mitch hit a button. "Okay, Christopher from Depew, one of our regular callers, you're on the air. What do you have to say to Leo?"
"You're a fucking piece of garbage." A young man's voice spilled from the speakers. "You fucked with our captain and you fucked with our season. If we don't win the Cup, I swear I'm gonna kick your ass."
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