by L. P. Dover
“And no matter if we win or lose,” Dallas shouted, raising his arms, “we’re still partying it up at my house.”
Everyone hollered and left the ice, except me, Justin, Dallas, and Braeden. Braeden skated over to Kellan, while Dallas stayed with us. “Speaking of your house,” Justin said to Dallas, “I think I need to employ my cousin to fix up my yard. Yours looks so fucking awesome.”
“That it does,” Dallas agreed.
Justin’s smile faded slightly. “Our grandfather was a master at carpentry. He could build or design anything. He taught Maddox and me everything he knew, only Maddox comprehended it better than me. My grandfather even made Maddox’s surfboard.”
Dallas’s eyes widened. “Really?”
I nodded. “He was a talented man.” My grandfather was the reason I loved to surf. He was the one who took me to the beach, not my father. All my father wanted me to do was play hockey. They both had different plans for my future. I chose my grandfather most times over my father and it pissed him off.
“Our grandfather would’ve made millions if he’d actually started his own business,” Justin said.
“Yeah,” I agreed with a shrug, “but he didn’t care about money. He chose family over fame.” Then, when he died, I didn’t have him in my corner anymore and hockey was shoved down my throat. Not that I’m complaining; I’m successful and love the game, but I’m not as obsessive about it like my dad.
“Any word from your dad?” Dallas asked.
“Nope, but I’m sure he’ll be at the game tonight.” We skated toward Kellan and Braeden. Kristen, Kellan’s wife, charged over, clearly perplexed by the glare on her face.
She waved her hands. “We have a problem. I can’t get the computers to work.”
Kellan looked right over at Braeden. Of everyone on the team, Braeden was the one who could’ve gone to college to be a rocket scientist. “Can you look at them for us?” Kellan asked.
Braeden shook his head. “I have to leave to pick Lacey up from the airport. Can it wait until I get back?”
Kristen bit her lip. “Not really. I need it fixed as soon as possible.”
And just like that, I had my chance. “I can pick her up,” I offered.
Braeden jerked his attention to me and glared, but Dallas spoke up first before he could. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea. Do you mind?” he asked me. “She’ll have her bright purple luggage. You can’t miss it. Her flight lands in ten minutes.”
It took all I had not to grin at Braeden. “Of course. I can head that way now. I’ll drop her off at your house.”
The glare Braeden gave me hardened, but he didn’t say a word. A lot of the guys on our team were afraid of him. He was a silent striker. You never knew he was coming until he already had you facedown on the ice. I was not afraid of Braeden’s antics because I was the better player. Plus, he had no business being around my wife.
I took off my skates and rushed straight to the locker room to get my things. Snickering, Justin walked in behind me. “Lucky bastard. Talk about the right place at the right time.”
I winked. “Exactly.”
“What do you think she’s going to say when she sees you?”
Hopefully she’d kiss me and we could sneak away for a while. “I don’t know, but I’m about to find out,” I said.
It didn’t take long to get to the airport. There was a long line of cars at the curb of the arrival section, but it moved quickly. Then I saw her long blond hair. Her phone was against her ear, and the second I saw her eyes widen, I knew she’d gotten the news. She looked up with the biggest smile on her face, only I could tell she didn’t feel well by the look in her eyes.
I got out of the car and grabbed her suitcase. “You’re not angry I’m here instead of Braeden, are you?” I asked teasingly.
She giggled. “Maybe. Although I am glad to see you. I’ve missed you.” I helped her into the car and shut the door.
When I got in, I couldn’t help but look over at her. Eyes closed, she rested her head against the window. “Are you okay?” I asked, concerned.
She nodded but kept her eyes shut. “It’s been a long week. I haven’t felt that great.”
It was almost like she wasn’t the same woman. “Yeah, I could tell when I’ve talked to you on the phone.”
Her eyes opened and she looked at me. “I had some kind of stomach flu yesterday. I’ll get better soon.”
“Are you coming to the game tonight?”
“Mm-hmm. I promised my brother I’d be there.”
“Is that the only reason?”
She smacked my arm. “You know it’s not. I love watching you play.”
“Even if you’re sick? It’s obvious you don’t feel well.” I reached over and touched her forehead. A slight moan escaped her lips. “You don’t feel hot.”
She waved me off. “I’ll be fine, I promise. The turbulence on the plane made me a little nauseous.” Whatever was going on had me worried. I’d never seen her that way before. Clearing her throat, she looked over at me. “Dallas keeps telling me about the amazing work you did on his house. I can’t wait to see it.”
A sly smile spread across my face. “I’m proud of myself. I hope you like it.”
Her lips pulled back slightly. “I’m sure I will. I wonder what he’s going to say when he finds out the truth.”
“Hopefully he’ll give us his blessing. Although, maybe I should be worried about your father.”
She giggled and leaned her head against the headrest. “Probably.”
A couple of minutes passed and her breathing started to deepen as she fell asleep. I reached over and held her hand. We arrived at Dallas’s house and no one was there, which was another plus for me. “Wake up, sunshine. We’re here.” Holding a hand over her mouth, Lacey bolted out of the car and unlocked the door. When I got inside, she was nowhere in sight.
“Lacey?” A few seconds later she walked out of the bathroom, holding a washcloth to her forehead. I grabbed her arm and pulled her to me. Something was definitely wrong with her. I touched her forehead again, and it still wasn’t hot. “You need to get some rest.”
She shook her head. “I told you I’m fine. I want to see what you did in the backyard.”
Still holding on to her arm, I walked with her to the back door. As soon as she opened it, the gasp that escaped her lips was exactly what I wanted to hear. “Wow,” she breathed. “It looks amazing out there.”
I joined her, pointing at everything I’d done. “Thanks. I extended the deck and planted the flowers along that side. Callie wanted the twinkling lights above. You’ll get to see it lit up tonight.”
She peered up at the lights. “I bet it looks beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful,” I whispered. Her sad eyes met mine and I was just about to kiss her, but the front door opened and Dallas strolled in. He saw us through the window and came outside.
“It’s pretty fucking epic, isn’t it?” he stated happily.
Lacey grinned wide, but it was forced; it didn’t match her eyes. “It is. Maddox did a fabulous job.”
Dallas held out his hand. “Thanks for picking her up from the airport. I’ll see you at the rink.”
Nodding, I shook his hand. “See ya then.” I glanced at Lacey one more time before turning and walking out the door. She was only in town for the weekend and I hated that I had to share her with everyone else.
Chapter 17
Lacey
“Lacey, you about ready?” Callie called.
I looked at myself in the mirror. No amount of makeup was going to take away the droopy eyes. “Coming,” I shouted back.
Callie was just outside the bedroom door when I opened it. With her blond hair in waves down her shoulders, she had a glow about her I always loved. My brother had it, too, every time she was around. “Let’s go. We can get a hot dog at the rink.”
When we walked outside, there was a brand-new white Acura MDX in the driveway. “Dallas buy you that?” I asked with a
smile.
She giggled. “It was my birthday present. I think he’s telling me we need to have kids.”
I laughed nervously. I’d just gotten over what I thought was a pregnancy scare, but it turned out to be a stomach bug that I couldn’t seem to get rid of. Not that I was scared of having a baby. I just didn’t think Maddox and I were ready for that yet. “Enjoy each other first. Once you get pregnant, it’s constant tiredness, nausea, and weight gain.”
She looked at me over the hood of the car and her eyes twinkled. “True, but I can’t wait for the day we have a child together.”
“Just wait until your little boy grows up to be just like his father. My brother was a hellion and still is.”
Callie burst out laughing and we got in the car. “He is, but I love him to death.” The ride was silent until we get closer to the arena. “How was the drive with Maddox?”
“I wish I could’ve talked to him more, but Dallas showed up.”
“You’ll see him tonight. It’d be a lot easier when you two come out publicly.”
I nodded. “I know. We will soon.”
Once inside the arena, we made our way to the private box where our seats were. Kristen was already there with her daughter, Addison. She looked exactly like Kristen with auburn curls and freckles. Miranda sat beside them along with another woman I’d never met. Miranda had her dark hair lightened with some caramel highlights and the other girl had wavy chocolate brown hair and wore way too much makeup.
“Great,” Callie grumbled. “I was hoping she wouldn’t be here.”
Miranda glanced back and waved, her smile as fake as her breasts. “Hey, girls.” Callie and I both waved and she sat down beside Miranda while I sat on Callie’s other side. “I hear the party is at your house tonight.”
“It is,” Callie answered blandly. “Are you coming?”
Miranda snorted. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
Miranda’s friend held out her hand to Callie. “I’m Laura. I think we met at Justin’s house.”
Callie shook her hand. “We did.”
I shook her hand as well. “I’m Lacey. It’s nice to meet you.”
Clearing her throat, Callie leaned in close. “She’s the one from the picture.” As soon as she said it, my teeth clenched. In the picture, I never saw the girl’s face. No one was allowed to touch Maddox other than me.
“Got it,” I growled low.
The lights in the arena shut off and music vibrated all around us. When the lights came back on, the Strikers appeared on the ice. The energy electrified all around us. Braeden glanced up at our box and waved. I waved back, but my focus landed on Maddox, who stared up at me and then over to Braeden.
Callie noticed the exchange. “It’s only a matter of time before they really butt heads. Just saying.”
“Braeden and I are just friends.”
She snorted. “Yeah, but what if the other party wants more?” Braeden had never said a word about wanting more from me in the years we’d been friends. If he did, I had no clue. Or maybe I’d simply ignored it, just like I planned on doing with Callie’s comment.
The game started and Justin ended up with the puck. He shot it over to Maddox, and it was as if something had changed in him. The way he handled the puck was like magic. One of the opposing players barreled toward him, but Maddox slipped out of the way, straight for the goal. He hit the puck. Score.
I thought he’d skate around and brag like he used to do, but instead, he grinned up at me. I clapped and smiled back. “Oh my God, Laura, he’s smiling at you,” Miranda said.
Jerking my head to the side, I tried to see who Miranda was talking about but I couldn’t tell who they were looking at. “Who are you talking about?” I asked.
Miranda pointed at the guys. “Maddox Ledger. I’m trying to set him up with Laura.”
“Is that right?” I replied, stomach clenching tight.
Laura perked up. “I’m not going to let him say no to me tonight.”
Callie nudged me in the side. “You have nothing to worry about. He blew her off and he’ll do it again.”
“I just hate he has to do that in the first place.”
“Believe me, I know. It’s sickening how many women throw themselves at Dallas. I trust him, though. If he ever did cheat on me, I’d cut off his balls.”
“And I’d help you,” I said with a laugh.
Her serious gaze met mine. “And I’d help you. No matter what you think, I do love Maddox and he’s my family, but so are you. I would never let him get away with hurting you.”
I laid my head on her shoulder. “Thanks, Cal. So far he’s doing pretty good.”
Miranda and Laura kept talking about Maddox and I was sick of listening to it. Halfway through the game, I left my seat to walk around the arena. I loved seeing all the fans shouting for the Strikers and seeing all the little kids wearing the numbers of our guys. There was a blond-haired little girl with pigtails wearing Maddox’s number. It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.
I grabbed a water from the concession stand and watched the game from an empty seat. It didn’t matter where I went, Maddox always managed to find me in the crowd. He smiled at me and no one else.
* * *
—
The Strikers won, three to nothing, with Maddox scoring the one goal, Justin another, and Cliff, their new player, one. But the Strikers wouldn’t have won without Braeden’s defensive skills and Dallas in the goal. It was a good comeback from their devastating Stanley Cup loss last season.
“There you are,” Callie shouted, squeezing through the crowd. “Where did you go?”
I waved around the arena. “Out here. My tolerance was really low tonight.”
She snorted. “Tell me about it. I can’t wait for my brother’s one-year contract to be up. That way, I don’t ever have to see Miranda again.” Linking her arm through mine, she guided me through the crowd toward the exit.
“What are we doing? Are we not going to see the guys?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Dallas texted and asked if we’d get to the house first and make sure everything is ready. They’ll be right behind us.”
“Okay.” I followed Callie out to the car, and luckily, when we arrived at the house, the DJ was already there, about to set up.
Callie nodded toward the kitchen, where the counter was lined with bottles of liquor. “Care for a drink before everyone shows up?”
“Nah, I’m good. A water will be fine.” I opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water. There was a bowl full of apples on the counter so I snagged one and fetched the peanut butter out of their cabinet. I’d stayed at Dallas’s house so many times I knew where everything was.
“That’s a nice combination,” Callie said with a laugh.
I cut up the apple and spread peanut butter on each slice. My stomach was a little queasy but it wasn’t as bad as it was before. At least it meant I was getting better. I shoved a slice into my mouth. “It’s so good,” I replied, mouth full. “Hopefully it stays in my stomach. I’m just now getting over a nasty bug.”
“Yikes. You probably got it from the hospital. That crap’s spreading around like crazy.”
“Tell me about it. You’d think we’d be immune to the stuff since we work around germs all day. If it doesn’t go away, I’ll write a prescription for antibiotics.”
She nodded. “That’s one thing I love about working with doctors. If I ever get sick, I have you guys right there to help me out.”
Grinning, I stuffed another piece of apple into my mouth. It wasn’t long before people began to show up. The DJ had the house pumping with bass and the bartender had arrived, mixing a gazillion drinks a second.
I finished the last bite of my apple just as Dallas and Braeden strolled into the kitchen. Braeden’s smile widened and he came straight to me, folding me in his arms. “I’ve missed you,” he shouted, swinging me around.
As soon as he let me go, I backed away. “I missed you, too.” Maddox walked b
y, his jaw clenched.
“I’m sorry about today. I wanted to be the one to pick you up.”
I shook my head. “No worries. I was so tired I wouldn’t have been good company anyway. Maddox got me here safely.”
His gaze narrowed. “You okay? You don’t look right.”
I could sense Maddox’s eyes on us, and when I turned to look at him, Laura had her arms around his neck, trying to rub up on him. Grabbing her wrists, he pulled her away, but not before I felt the contents in my stomach rise up my throat.
Slapping a hand to my mouth, I raced down the hallway to the guest bedroom where my things were. My chest ached from heaving so much. Out of all my years of medicine, I’d never thrown up so much. Once everything was out of my stomach, I sat on the bathroom floor. “Please, God, let me start feeling better.”
“Lacey?” A soft knock rapped on the door. “Who are you talking to?”
“God. I’m praying he’ll help me feel better. I think I caught something at the hospital.” Quickly, I brushed my teeth and rinsed with mouthwash. I barely recognized myself in the mirror. Maybe I was working too hard.
When I opened the door, Braeden was right there. He ran a hand through his blond hair, his concerned gaze on mine. “You know you’re my friend, but, Lacey…you look like complete and utter shit. If you were sick, why didn’t you just tell me? I can take you to my house so you can get some rest.”
I really wanted to talk to Maddox, but I had to tell Braeden the truth. “For now, let’s go to your house. There are some things you need to know. Then afterward, you should probably bring me back here.”
“What is it?”
“Just give me a few minutes to make sure my stomach has settled and then I’ll tell you when we get to your place.” Once I told him the truth, I was hoping he’d keep it to himself.
I dreaded Maddox watching us leave together, but I couldn’t tell Braeden the truth with him around. Shutting the bathroom door, I quickly texted Maddox.
Me: I’m going to tell Braeden the truth. We’re leaving to go to his house, and then I’ll get him to bring me back. Please don’t lose your temper.