Ruthless Player: A College Hockey Romance (Westfall U Series)

by R. C. Stephens

  I responded with, “It’s best for whom?” To which he responded that he felt like I was a spoiled kid who didn’t appreciate what she had and so I needed to go out into the world on my own and learn what it means to get by. Just thinking about his words make tears prick the corner of my eyes. How could he think that way? After all my hard work and dedication. I was burned out. Couldn’t he see that? Understand the pressure of school and work? Never having fun, never living just a little. Damn him.

  My cell beeps with a message and I pick it up to see it’s from Mary, our housekeeper. Even though she is so much more than that.

  Mary: How are you holding up, sweetheart?

  Me: Just fine. I’m here at Rebel’s. Spoke to Darren. Said he can give me extra hours.

  Mary: Baby girl, The Firken will pay your rent but not your education.

  Me: I applied for financial aid but given how close it is to the start of the school year they can’t guarantee I’ll be granted enough money to cover everything.

  Mary: I’m so mad at your father. The only reason I stayed working here this long was because of you.

  Me: I love you for it.

  Mary: You said that the full sum isn’t due until the second week of school. We will find a way.

  Me: I doubt that. My father seems keen on me and Paris being dropouts.

  Mary: I’m sure your mother set up a trust. I just can’t find the damn papers. Your father has been working from home lately.

  Me: Can you check the ownership on my car?

  Mary: Are you thinking it may be in your name?

  Me: Yes.

  Mary: Will do. Take care of yourself. I just heard him walk out the door. This is my chance.

  Me: Thank you.

  I don’t know what I would have done all these years without Mary. She held me as I cried myself to sleep every night after Paris left. She’s been my rock ever since I can remember. I know she wasn’t a big fan of my father. I just never realized how much she truly despised him.

  My phone rings and I pick it up.

  “Hello,” I greet.

  “Holland, it’s me,” Paris says and something in her tone sounds stressed?

  “Why is your number showing up as an unknown caller?” I ask her.

  “We cancelled my cell phone. I’m using Tobias’s and he’s weird with his phone,” she says. “We’re actually about forty-five minutes out.”

  I sit up quickly in bed. “Weren’t you supposed to leave tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, but change of plans,” she giggles nervously. “Aren’t you excited? It’s been so long.”

  “I’m very excited,” I say. I felt so excited about seeing them tomorrow that I lost my appetite and didn’t want to eat dinner. “You never told me where you were staying.”

  I wait and I think the phone has died.

  “Paris?” I say. I hear feedback so she must still be on the line.

  “About that. . .”

  My stomach sinks. Paris has had her share of trouble these last number of years because Tobias doesn’t always come through on things he says will happen. Like getting a job he doesn’t have lined up or not having money to make the rent. It’s why I had to work at The Firken because that guy isn’t reliable.

  “Paris, just tell me what’s wrong,” I say and my stomach turns.

  “The place we thought we were getting well. . .it turns out that Tobias didn’t send first and last so,” she sighs. In the background I hear Tobias snap at her and say not everyone needs to know their damn business. “She isn’t everyone,” my sister snaps back.

  “You know I’m staying at Rebel’s,” I say.

  “I know,” she says solemnly. I hate this life for Paris. She is constantly worried about where her next paycheck is coming from and how she is going to feed her son and keep a roof over their head.

  “Okay, give me a few to figure something out,” I say.

  “Thanks, Holland. I really don’t know what I would do without you,” she says.

  “Well, you don’t need to worry about that because I’m here,” I assure her.

  We end the call and I pace the bedroom back and forth, trying to come up with a plan. Rebel isn’t even here for me to talk to. She went with Wolfe to New York to help him set up his new apartment. She won’t be seeing him much once school starts and the hockey preseason has already begun.

  I head downstairs but Blossom isn’t home either. She’s been prepping herself for the start of the school year in a couple weeks. Dammit. Who can I talk to? I need a solution fast.

  I decide to call Cole because he’s become a friend and the guy seems to give good advice.

  After the first ring he picks up. “What’s up, Donovan?”

  “I’m in a pickle,” I say before I can think better of it.

  “What kind exactly?” he asks, and I hear his flirtatious humor through the phone.

  “I need your head out of the gutter. I have a serious problem,” I say.

  “And your calling me? Yes,” he hisses. “I told you we’d be good friends.”

  I can just picture his cocky grin and gleaming eyes. Damn those amazing eyes of his.

  “Cole, I need you to focus,” I redirect.

  He clears his throat with an exaggerated gesture. “I’m all ears.”

  “My sister is on her way to Westfall, like thirty minutes out, and she just notified me she has no place to stay,” I say.

  “But didn’t you say her boyfriend found a good job and an apartment?” he asks.

  “Damn, you’re a good listener. I did say that. What I forgot to mention was that sometimes Tobias talks out of his ass and he isn’t the most reliable guy on the planet,” I say.

  “Shit,” Cole grunts. “Give me a minute, ‘kay,” he says and I hear a big thump in the background.

  “Cole?” I ask, but he isn’t there.

  I wait, even though I consider hanging up. Maybe I should have just called Rebel. I can’t really ask her if they can stay here too. The house isn’t that big and there are only three bedrooms.

  “I’m back,” Cole says out of breath. “I just asked Dec and he said he’s fine with you being our roommate. You can take Wolfe’s old room. It’s empty,” he says.

  I feel a little tongue twisted and flabbergasted. “I can’t do that. For one, I don’t really have money for rent now.” Yes, I got paid well in Cape Cod and I picked up some shifts at The Firken these past few weeks, but it isn’t much and I need to be really careful with it.

  “You don’t need to pay rent,” he says.

  “There’s no way I’m taking a handout,” I say.

  I hear him blow out a breath. “Just call Rebel and see if your sister can stay with her. You come here and stay with us. I’d offer to take your sister in, but I’d rather have you as my roomie,” he says in true Cole fashion.

  “I’m really in a bind here,” I say. “But I can’t stay with you for free.”

  “I don’t know what you want me to say,” he says. “I took your advice and stopped taking money from my dad but that doesn’t mean my trust fund just up and disappeared. I’ve got money, Holland, and that room you’d be staying in doesn’t even put a dent in my wallet.”

  I’m left speechless. I’ve learned that Cole is a stand-up guy and a good friend, but this is above and beyond.

  “Okay, but only if you promise that I can pay you back slowly. I’ll be working at The Firken and. . .”

  “Fine, pay me back if it makes you feel better. Do you want me to come over there and pick you up?” he asks.

  My heart skips a beat. Why do you have to be so nice, Cole Davis? Damn you.

  “That would be really nice. Not sure where Blossom is and she has the car,” I say, because Blossom and Rebel have let me use their car when they haven’t needed it.

  “On my way, beautiful,” he says, and then it’s almost like he realizes his slip.

  “Thanks, Cole,” I say and I hear him mutter of course and the line cuts.

  I quickly call
Rebel and pray that she picks up the phone. She does.

  “Rebel, oh thank goodness,” I say.

  “What’s wrong?” she asks clearly concerned.

  “I’m sorry. Everything is fine. Well, it’s not fine but. . .”

  “Holland, take a deep breath,” she says.

  She’s right. I’m overwhelmed and anxious. Not only about seeing my sister but the fact that Tobias has pulled a fast one again.

  “Sorry. I’m okay,” I say, feeling my emotions heightened. It must be because it feels like my life has crumbled around me and I just feel so exhausted. “Paris is arriving a day early, and Tobias notified her that the place they were supposed to stay at fell through.”

  “Jesus H. Roosevelt. What is wrong with that dude?” she asks.

  “Lots,” I answer. “They don’t have a place to stay.”

  “Yes, they do. Give them my room until I get back, then we’ll figure something out,” she says.

  Rebel was really upset when I told her while we were still in Cape Cod that Paris actually wasn’t attending Oxford in England, a lie my father insisted I tell everyone in fear of the truth coming out. I wasn’t honest with my best friend and the fact that I kept such a secret from her really hurt her, but in the end, she understood that I was trying to do my best to keep the only parent I had left happy.

  “Cole offered to put me up. I wouldn’t want to take your room from you,” I say.

  “Really,” she says like she is intrigued.

  “Don’t go reading into anything. We are friends. Just how you wanted,” I insist. “So are you okay with them staying in the spare room? Temporarily.”

  “You know I am,” she says.

  “It’s going to be a full house with Max and Tobias,” I say with warning in my tone.

  “Stop trying to scare me,” she laughs. “It’s fine.”

  “How can I ever repay your kindness?” I ask.

  “You know you would do the same for me,” she says, and I know I would.

  “Thank you,” I say. “I love you.”

  “Love you too. Give Paris a hug for me and tell her I say hi. Geez, it’s been so long. I’m really happy for you guys.”

  “Thank you. Even though it feels like things are about to get complicated,” I say.

  “When is life uncomplicated?” Rebel asks, and my other line beeps.

  “The other line just beeped; it must be Paris.”

  “Go to her,” Rebel says.

  “Take care of you,” I reply to her.

  “You, too. I’ll call you later to check in,” she says.

  “Okay, bye.” I end the call and pick up the other line.

  I give Paris Rebel’s address. Then I call Blossom because I don’t want her to come home and be overwhelmed when she finds out that she has an entire family moving into her house. I make the call and my luck; Blossom is just as understanding as Rebel.

  I head out to the driveway feeling a little weak and tired but excited to be seeing Paris. They finally pull up in a VW van that has seen better days, and just behind them Cole pulls up in his shiny black SUV.

  Paris hops out of the car and runs to me, gathering me up in her arms. A well of love and sorrow bursts inside me as I wrap my arms around my sister, taking in the floral scent of her brown hair. Oh, how I missed her. I don’t even have time to look at her because she is squeezing me so hard.

  Tears prick my eyes and fall aimlessly down my cheeks. “I missed you, Holly,” she says and then she takes a step back. “You’re all grown-up. A woman now. Gosh, when I left you were just a sophomore,” she says and she’s crying too.

  Through the blur I take in my sister. The messy bun on her head. Her clothes have seen better days and dark circles rim her eyes, but she feels like home. “I’m so glad you’re here,” I hiccup and the tears fall even harder.

  Cole slowly walks up to us and I pull away from Paris. “This is my friend, Cole.”

  “Friend?” Paris asks and quirks her brow. Then she extends a hand to shake his. “I haven’t heard about you but I’m sure I will.” She winks.

  Tobias comes up to us and I give him a half hug. We were never close and I didn’t really like him much while he was dating Paris in high school.

  Tobias and Cole shake hands and do the whole introductions thing. It feels a little awkward having him here but maybe because our friendship is still pretty new.

  Cole reaches down and shakes Max’s hand, and says, “Nice to meet you.”

  My nephew replies with the sweetest voice, “Nice to meet you too.”

  “Oh, you are so adorable,” I gush over Max.

  “For a sec I thought you meant me and I got excited,” Cole says.

  I punch him in the shoulder. “Don’t mind this one, he’s a real jokester,” I tell everyone.

  “Mommy, I really need to pee,” Max says.

  “I can take him in,” I offer. “Why don’t you unload the car in the meantime?”

  “Sure, thanks,” Paris says.

  “I can help unload,” Cole offers and Tobias thanks him.

  I head into the house with Max and take in his floppy brown hair and light blue eyes. He seems tall for his age, but what do I know. I wait for Max to finish up in the bathroom and meet everyone in the kitchen where the front door is located.

  “They are staying in the spare,” I tell Cole, who is holding a large brown paper box. He nods and heads upstairs.

  Paris and Tobias follow and I offer Max some food. We don’t have much in the house since I wasn’t expecting them until tomorrow and I thought they were staying elsewhere. Max says he loves peanut butter so I make him a peanut butter and honey sandwich, just like Paris and I used to eat when we were younger.

  Then I take Max and head upstairs to see what’s going on. I never unpacked my things. I’ve been living out of my suitcases like a gypsy.

  “Do you want me to take your suitcases downstairs?” Cole asks. With the five of us in this small room it feels overwhelming.

  “Thanks, that would be great,” I say.

  Cole reaches down and takes a suitcase in each hand. “I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

  “Okay, just give me a sec,” I reply to him.

  Cole leaves and Tobias picks up Max and does an airplane with him, spinning him in the room. I feel like I’m off balance but I shake it off.

  “So what is going on with you and that guy? He’s gorgeous,” Paris says.

  “Nice,” Tobias mumbles bitterly and Paris rolls her eyes.

  “Nothing,” I say with my tone high-pitched. “We’re just friends.”

  “Sure, yeah, okay, I noticed the way he looks at you.” She waggles her brows.

  “It’s really nothing,” I assure her.

  “So where is he taking your suitcases?” Paris asks.

  I explain that I’ll be staying with Cole in a spare room.

  “We don’t need to be here long,” Paris says.

  “I don’t need to go with Cole now. Why don’t you come downstairs? You guys must be starving. I think we only have peanut butter and bread, but it’s better than nothing.”

  “That’s perfect,” Paris says, and Tobias mumbles something under his breath I don’t understand.

  Max follows us down and I tell Cole that I will hang out here and walk over later since he lives within walking distance.

  “I’ll take the luggage to your new room now, but you don’t need to walk after dark. You can call me,” he offers in what I am learning is true Cole like fashion.

  “Thanks, Cole,” I say. I walk over to him and give him a hug because he feels very much like a lifesaver right now.

  “No worries.” He wraps me up in his arms and his scent envelops me. It’s fresh like a rain shower and pine trees all in one.

  Cole leaves and Blossom walks through the door. I introduce her to Paris, Tobias, and Max. Blossom is tired after a day of work at the diner, but she sits with us and enjoys a peanut butter sandwich too.

  “Aren’t you go
ing to eat?” Paris asks me.

  “Nah, I’m not really hungry,” I say because the thought of eating a PB and honey sandwich is making me queasy.

  “Do you guys need help finding a place?” Blossom asks Paris. “Not that you guys can’t stay here, but have you thought of where you wanted to be?”

  “I don’t really know. What I do need is a job and cheap rent,” Paris says, and it hurts me to hear my brilliant sister speak that way.

  “The diner I work at is hiring. I start school next week so they need someone to start right away. They pay minimum plus tips, but the customer turnover is pretty consistent. They also have a small apartment above the diner that I know you can get a good price on. It isn’t much but it’s a start,” Blossom says.

  Blossom had been in a major rut last year, but she applied to Westfall as a mature student and is taking psychology.

  “That actually sounds perfect. I don’t want to be any trouble. Maybe tomorrow we can head over there and figure things out,” Paris says.

  “Are you sure?” I ask my sister. “Don’t feel pressured. If you need to stay longer it’s okay.”

  “Yeah, no for sure,” Blossom says. “I didn’t mean to come across as wanting you to leave. I just thought it may be easier for you to have more space. That room upstairs is tiny.”

  “No, it was amazing that you offered,” Paris assures. “I’d really appreciate it if you can make the introductions with your boss. I’ve had a lot of experience waitressing.”

  My stomach sinks at her words. I know what her life has been like, but it’s different hearing it when she’s in another state.

  “Okay, then it’s settled,” Blossom says.

  “I’m going to go stay in Wolfe’s old room for the night,” I explain to Blossom.

  She nods.

  Paris yawns and Blossom offers to show them where the upstairs bathroom is.

  “I’m going to head out then,” I say to Paris. “I’ll see you in the morning. I can Uber with you over to the diner.”