Going all In (Men of the Ice Book 8)

by Michele Shriver

  ***

  Her ball, and there was only one way to play it. Lauren’s therapist liked to tell her she needed to take risks, and not worry so much about getting her heart broken. At the moment, it seemed like good advice. She still might get hurt, but Trent made her laugh. How could she turn down an opportunity to spend more time with him. Isn’t this what she wanted? To meet a guy who might actually like her enough to want to see her again? “Okay, yes,” Lauren said. “We’re going on a second date.”

  “Fantastic. Now, what are we doing? Where would you like to go?”

  Make it good, Lauren, because this may be all there is. She didn’t think it was a pity date. He seemed sincere enough. Sooner or later, though, he’d make the choice. He couldn’t date a fat girl. Not with so many beautiful, skinny women at his disposal.

  Before Lauren could answer, Riley materialized next to her. “Is this seat taken?” she asked.

  Lauren shook her head. “No, it’s all yours.”

  “Good, thanks.” Riley sat down next to her. “I want to watch Noah tee off.”

  “Lauren tells me it was your idea to introduce us,” Trent said, “so thank you.”

  Riley grinned. “Does that mean you’re having a good time?”

  “Yes,” Trenton told her. “In fact, we’re just discussing what we’re going to do for our next date.”

  “Go ice skating,” Riley said.

  “What?” Lauren turned to face her, mouth agape. “Where did that come from?”

  “Come on, you always say you wish you knew how to ice skate.”

  “I don’t always say that. I said it once.” The hockey game had been on at the hospital, and Lauren made one off-hand remark about wishing she could skate. Leave it to Riley to make more out of it.

  “Is that right?” Trent asked. “Because, you know, it just so happens I can skate a little.”

  “Then you’re the perfect person to teach her,” Riley declared.

  “I’d love to,” Trent said. “How about tomorrow? Are you free?”

  “Yes. I’m off all weekend,” Lauren said.

  “Great. Is it a date, then?”

  After a second, Lauren nodded. “Sure, okay.” Unbelievable. She was about to learn how to ice skate from a professional hockey player. Her therapist would get a kick out of that in their next session, for sure.

  “Yay. I’m glad that’s settled.” Riley settled back into her seat. “Let’s watch some golf.”

  They did, as the first few groups teed off, including Noah. Lauren knew enough about golf to determine his shot looked pretty good, but then again, Riley said he played a lot. As his group moved off the first tee, Riley got up. “Okay, time to go follow my man. You kids have fun.”

  Lauren laughed. “You’re a golf groupie now?”

  “Just for today,” she said. “If I don’t see you again, I’ll call you later, okay, Laur?”

  Yeah. To grill her about the date. Lauren rolled her eyes. “Fine.” As Riley left, Lauren decided it was the most relaxed and carefree she’d seen Riley in the entire time they’d known each other. Noah was good for her, that was for sure.

  “She must be a good friend.”

  “Yes, she is. I’m closer to Riley than any of the other residents I work with,” Lauren said. “What about you and Noah? Best buds?”

  Trent shook his head. “No, we don’t usually hang out together at all outside the rink. That’s why I was kind of surprised when he invited me here today.” He smiled at Lauren. “I’m sure glad he did, though.”

  ***

  They watched more of the golf, until the last group teed off at the first tee, then wandered into the clubhouse. Trent was hungry, and was glad there was still plenty of food left. He was also pleased to see Lauren fill a plate with various appetizers and eat, too. Hopefully it meant there wouldn’t be another awkward conversation about her weight. When she wasn’t beating herself up, she was funny and sweet. Trent liked her company and looked forward their ice skating adventure the next day.

  “Do you want to walk to one of the other holes and see more of the golf?” He asked.

  Lauren wiped her mouth with her napkin and tossed her empty plate in the nearby trashcan. “Would you be terribly upset if I said no, and that I should probably be going?”

  “Since you’ve already committed to a second date, I’m going to assume it’s not the company.”

  She shook her head. “No, definitely not. I’ve already stayed longer than I intended because I like the company,” she said. “I want to get home and check on my cat, though. And that probably sounds pathetic.”

  “Not pathetic at all. I like cats,” Trent said. “What kind?”

  “Yellow tabby. Her name’s Buttercup. She’s fat, too.”

  No way was he going down that road. “Cute name. Maybe I can meet her tomorrow when I pick you up.”

  Lauren nodded. “Definitely. What time?”

  Trent scratched his chin. “Not sure. I’ve got practice in the morning because we have a game Monday,” he said. “Can I just call you or text you when I get done, and we’ll figure out a time?”

  “That works,” Lauren said. “Give me your phone for a sec.”

  Trent took it out of his pocket, entered in the passcode to unlock it, and handed it to her.

  Lauren tapped at the screen for a few seconds, and then Trent heard a sound from inside her purse. “There. I’m in your contacts now,” she said, passing the phone back to him. “And you just texted me, so you’ll be in mine.”

  He chuckled and slipped the phone back in his pocket. “The wonders of technology.”

  “Right? To think people used to write down phone numbers or try to memorize them,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Trent. It was nice meeting you.”

  “It sure was.”

  Chapter Three

  Lauren unlocked the door of her apartment and let herself in, where she was greeted with a loud ‘Meow’ as her cat rubbed against her leg. She recognized that tone, and knew what it meant. This wasn’t any typical greeting. Buttercup was hungry. So was Lauren, after only nibbling on a few apperizers at the country club, but after scoring a second date with a hot hockey player, she couldn’t blow it by stuffing her face.

  “Yes, Buttercup, I know. You want food,” she said. “Fine. Follow me.” She longed to take her boots off, before her ankles began to swell, but Lauren would attend to the cat first. Maybe it came with the territory of being a nurse, but she was used to caring for, and taking care of, others before herself.

  She wandered into the small, but homey, kitchen and got a can of cat food from the pantry. It was the pricey stuff—Buttercup had expensive taste, but Lauren didn’t mind indulging her loyal companion. She’d no sooner spooned the food onto a plate and set it on the floor before the cat dove in. “Jeez, you act like I never feed you, or something.” On the contrary, Buttercup was overweight, and Lauren recently put the cat on a diet. It was something they were doing together, although so far with little success. Lauren was doing better at keeping the cat on track than herself, recently. She was tired of dieting, although she hoped to have a little extra motivation to stick with it now.

  After tending to the cat, Lauren went to her room. She unzipped the boots and pulled them off. They were cute, yes, but not designed for maximum comfort, especially not on the feet of someone who carried extra weight around. Lauren massaged her feet, hoping her ankles wouldn’t swell too much, especially since she now had a date to go skating. Maybe a soak in the tub would help. She turned the water on, and added some bubble bath, before going back to the kitchen.

  Buttercup was finished eating, and gave Lauren a familiar look. She was hungry and wanted more. “Nope, sorry, kitty,” Lauren said, shaking her head. “No more for you.” She opened the fridge and pulled out an apple and a bottle of sparkling water. And not much for me, either. There was a time when Lauren would have reached for a bag of potato chips, but she was past that and knew how to make healthier choices now, at least w
hen it came to her snacks.

  She munched on the apple while the bath water ran, and stripped off her clothes, careful not to examine herself in the mirror too closely. Lauren might be down sixty pounds from her heaviest point, but she still wasn’t comfortable staring at her naked body, and wondered if she ever would be. She felt better, though, physically and even mentally, sometimes, even if she’d yet to see all the results she wanted.

  Since she expected Riley to call, Lauren kept her phone within reach as she slipped into the tub and sank down underneath the bubbles, enjoying the fresh scent of jasmine that was supposed to produce a feeling of confidence. She wasn’t convinced it did, but she was admittedly new to aromatherapy, trying it at the advice of her counselor. Lauren put it in the ‘might help, can’t hurt’ category.

  The phone rang, and sure enough, it was Riley. Lauren reached her hand out to answer the call, and put it on speaker. “Hey.”

  “Hi. What are you up to?” Riley asked. “Anything scandalous?”

  “Ha. As if. And if I were, I sure wouldn’t have answered the phone.” Lauren laughed. “I’m just taking a bath. I’ve got you on speaker.”

  “Okay. I won’t keep you, but I did want to check in and say hi. Sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk more at the country club.”

  “It’s okay. I know you were busy playing golf groupie,” Lauren teased.

  “You know it,” Riley said. “Did you have a good time, though? It seems like you and Trent must have hit it off.”

  Had they? Lauren considered it. “I suppose. I think he’s nice, and attractive,” she said. “I have no idea what he thinks of me, though.”

  “Seriously? Come on, Laur. He asked to see you again within a half hour of meeting you. I’d say that’s a pretty good sign, wouldn’t you?”

  “I suppose, yeah,” Lauren admitted, letting out a sigh. “This is all new to me, and I think I’m still pre-disposed to doubts and insecurities. I’m trying, though. I really am. When he suggested another date, I said yes right away. I didn’t search for reasons to question his sincerity or put myself down,” she said. “That’s progress, right?”

  “Yes. It’s good progress, and I’m proud of you,” Riley said. “I’m glad I came along when I did to try to help out with suggestions on where to go.”

  “Me too, or I might have found a way out of it.”

  “No, none of that. You’re going to go out with him, learn how to ice skate, and have a good time.”

  Lauren smiled as she rested her head against the wall above the bathtub, wishing the bath pillow she’d bought for this purpose actually stuck to the wall like it was supposed to. “Yes, I am.” As she said the words, she even believed them. Maybe it was the jasmine effect.

  “Good girl,” Riley said. “Now that that’s settled, I should go.”

  “Is Noah with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thank him for me, will you? For introducing me to Trent?”

  “I sure will,” the doctor said. “Night, Laur.”

  “Good night.” Between the glass of wine she’d had at the country club, a hot bath, and thinking about Trent, Lauren had a feeling she’d sleep very well.

  ***

  Trent was one of the first to to arrive at the practice rink on Sunday morning, as he usually was. He might not get much playing time in the games, but he gave his all in practice, always striving to improve—and hopefully catch the coaches' eyes, too. He tried not to dwell on his limited ice time. After all, Trent had already achieved his dream of making it to the NHL level. For a guy that went undrafted, it was an accomplishment to even make it this far. But once he did, Trent set a higher goal. He didn’t just want to make it to the NHL. He wanted to stay there. With a talented group of prospects in the Generals organization, that was no guarantee. He could be sent down to the AHL affiliate in El Paso anytime, and Trent always worried he was one bad game away from being shipped off to the desert. The worry kept him focused.

  As he put on his gear in the locker room, preparing to take the ice for practice, Noah peppered him with questions about the afternoon with Lauren. “I heard you’re seeing her again today. Does that mean you two clicked?”

  Trent considered the question, and gave a shrug in his response. “I suppose. She’s nice, and pleasant to talk to. She’s not what I expected, though.” Then again, Noah hadn’t told him much before the date, so maybe that wasn’t fair.

  “You mean because she’s a little on the heavier side?”

  Trent wished he hadn’t said anything. He didn’t want Noah to think he was shallow. “Yeah. I mean, I’m not bothered by it,” he was quick to say. “I like her. She’s pretty and seems sweet, and I want to get to know her better. Under other circumstances, though, I might not have even given her a second glance.” Did that make him a jerk?

  Noah nodded. “I know, she probably gets that a lot.”

  “And it sucks. I know what my sister goes through,” Trent said. “There are a lot of jerks out there. I don’t intend to be one of them. I enjoyed her company, so I want to see what else might be there, whether there’s any attraction or not.” And if there wasn’t, maybe they could be friends. Except Trent had a hunch Lauren wasn’t interested in being relegated to the ‘friend zone.’ No, he suspected she wanted more. Passion, love, the whole deal. And if it wasn’t there for him, if he didn’t feel the same way, did he join the list of those that hurt and disappointed her? Yikes.

  “I’m glad, man,” Noah said, “and I’m going to hope there is. Riley cares about Lauren a lot.”

  Was there anunspoken ‘so don’t hurt her’ at the end of that sentence? Not that it mattered. Trent wasn’t planning on hurting anyone. “I’m taking her skating later,” he said. “She’s never been, so I get to teach her.” First things first, though, he had a practice to get through.

  Coach Moreau put them through the paces, and Trent was tired when it was over, but he got some good news when he learned he would make it into the lineup for the next game. After spending the past three games as healthy scratch, Trent was anxious to get the opportunity to play again, and he wanted to share the news with Lauren.

  He called her as soon as he left the rink. “How’s your Sunday going?” he asked when she answered.

  “Uneventful, so far. Just cleaning. How was practice?”

  “Good. I got the word I’m playing tomorrow night when we go to Columbus. No nacho box for me.”

  “I’m glad,” Lauren said. “Are we still on for you to show me some of your skating moves today?”

  “We sure are. I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “What time?”

  “Anytime. I told you, I’m cleaning. Please, give me something else to do.”

  Trent chuckled. “Mission accepted. Let me go home and change, and I’ll pick you up. Text me the address,” he said. “I’ll forget otherwise.”

  “Will do. And Trent?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I’m looking forward to it, too.”

  ***

  Lauren ended the call more nervous than when she’d answered it. Instead of Trent calling to cancel on her, he was on his way, and she wasn’t ready. At least she had a clean apartment. She rushed to her bedroom. It was time to face the great ‘what to wear’ dilemma. If Riley were here, she’d tell Lauren not to worry so much, which was easier for others to say—others who didn’t face the same struggles.

  She settled on black jeans, figuring they might be the most practical for ice-skating, in spite of her self-consciousness that they made her look fat. Besides, Trent already knew she was fat, and there wasn’t anything Lauren could wear to completely disguise that fact. She may as well opt for practical. Maybe that was Laci’s advice finally setting in. Lauren paired the black jeans with a light pink sweater that was at least long enough to hide some of her sins, if not all of them, and pulled her hair back in a clip.

  “What do you think, Buttercup?” she asked. “Does mama look okay?” The cat let out a ‘meow’ that was at least diffe
rent from the one when she wanted food. “I’ll take that as a yes,” Lauren said with a laugh. “I’m glad you approve.”

  She brushed her teeth—for the third time that day, but one could never be too careful—and put on clear lip gloss, then deemed herself ready. Good thing, too, because she heard the doorbell ring just as she finished up. Trent was here

  Buttercup trailed behind Lauren as she went to answer the door, apparently wanting to make sure her date earned the cat’s seal of approval. She pulled the door open to find Trent standing there, dressed in jeans, a red shirt and black leather jacket.

  “Hi.” He greeted Lauren with a smile that she returned.

  “Hi. Did you have any problem finding the address?”

  “Nope.” He held up his phone in one hand. “This trusty thing always gets me where I need to be. No one can remember anything anymore, but at least we don’t get lost.”

  Lauren chuckled. “That’s the truth.”

  “Are you ready to go?” He asked.

  “I think so. I was wondering if I should take a jacket.”

  Trent nodded. “Not a bad idea. The rink’s indoors, and it can get kind of chilly.”

  “Okay. Just a sec.” Lauren grabbed her favorite jacket from the hall closet. She put it on, then turned around to see Trent crouched down, petting her cat. “I see you’ve met Buttercup.”

  “I have.” He stood up. “She’s very friendly.”

  “Actually, she’s mad at me right now.”

  Trent raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Why is that?”

  “Because I’m not feeding her as much as she’d like,” Lauren said. “She’s on a diet. Both of us are.” She was always quick to point that out, and Lauren figured it was a result of years of being belittled and badgered over her weight. She always wanted people to know ‘Hey, I’m trying.’ Laci liked to tell her to stop drawing attention to it, but that was easier said than done.

  She waited a beat for Trent’s reaction. Would he say anything? If so, what?

  Instead, he simply nodded and reached for her hand. “Let’s go skating.”