by L. P. Dover
Maddox: I don’t like you being alone with him in his house.
Me: Trust me. It won’t take long.
Dallas’s eyes widened when he saw Braeden and me walking down the hall. “Leaving already?”
I kissed his cheek. “I’m not feeling really well. I need some fresh air. I’ll be back soon.”
He hugged me and then fist bumped Braeden. “Good game tonight, brother.”
Braeden headed for the door, but I glanced over my shoulder at Maddox. I could see the pain on his face, and it killed me. I tapped Braeden’s arm. “I’ll be right out there. I want to say bye to Callie.”
He nodded. “Okay. I’ll be in the truck.”
Maddox met my gaze and I nodded toward the hallway. He followed me into the guest bedroom. “Let me come with you,” he growled low.
“That’s the worst idea ever.”
He huffed. “Fine, go. Text me as soon as you tell him everything. I’ll be here when you get back.”
He leaned down to kiss me, but I placed my hand over his mouth. “I don’t want you getting sick.”
He pushed my hand away. “I don’t give a fuck.” His lips crushed to mine and I let him claim me. “Hurry back to me.”
Placing my forehead to his, I breathed him in. “I will.”
Chapter 18
Lacey
“You’re working yourself too hard,” Braeden said with a huff as I got into his truck.
Luckily, he didn’t live far from Dallas. “It’s not that,” I replied. “Well, maybe just a little.”
The concern on his face made my heart break. He wasn’t self-centered and a complete douche like a lot of the guys on the team. That was one of the reasons we hit it off so well and became friends. Braeden placed his hand over mine. “It’s obvious you’re sick, Lacey. Running yourself ragged lowers your immune system. And you’re constantly around infections in that hospital.” He squeezed my hand and let go. “I don’t like seeing you this way.”
“It’s part of the job.”
“So what did you have to tell me?”
We pulled into his driveway and I took the keys out of his hand. Brows furrowed, he stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t want you being able to drive away.” What I didn’t want was for him to drive back to Dallas’s and start a fight with Maddox. Not that he would, but I didn’t want to chance it. I opened the door and slid out, hiding his keys inside my purse. My nerves were shot.
“Tell me what’s wrong. You’re scaring the fuck out of me. I’ve never seen you like this.”
We walked into his house and I sighed. “How do you feel about me?”
Shutting the door, he took a deep breath. “I think you know. In fact, I’m pretty sure you’ve always known.” Deep down, I guess I did know. I just didn’t want our relationship to change.
Closing my eyes, I let out a silent groan. That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
“Afraid? Why?”
“Because I’m afraid of hurting you. You mean so much to me and I don’t want to lose our friendship.”
“Hey,” he said, his voice firm. “You’re not going to lose me…ever. I’ve always been there for you and nothing’s going to change that. Just tell me what’s going on.”
I met his gaze, knowing full well I couldn’t take back my words once I said them. “Even if I tell you I’m married?”
His body froze and all he did was stare at me, completely in shock by the surprised expression on his face. I waited for him to turn around and storm away, but he just stood there, mouth gaping.
“You never told me you were seeing someone,” he said, voice low. “How the hell can you be married?
“I never told anyone.”
Eyes blazing, he threw his hands up. “I see that. Who is he?”
“That’s where things are complicated. You’re going to get angry, but I need you to promise me you won’t say a word about it to anyone. I know I shouldn’t ask that of you, but I’m trusting you.”
His jaw clenched. “Who is he?”
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slow. “Maddox. We got married a couple years ago in Vegas.”
The tension in the room skyrocketed. With a loud huff, he stormed away to the kitchen and I followed him. “Motherfucker!” he shouted. Hands fisted in his hair, he turned away from me. There was a bottle of whiskey on the counter and he turned it up, drinking it straight from the bottle. “The weekend you were supposed to be in Chicago. Where were you?”
My chest tightened and the pain consumed me. Tears flooded down my cheeks. “I didn’t want to lie to you or Dallas, but Callie said that Maddox needed help. I knew I was the only one who could get through to him. He was going to give up hockey. I couldn’t let him do that.”
Tossing the bottle onto the counter, he jerked around. “How the fuck is this even possible? This is Maddox we’re talking about.” Then his eyes widened and he huffed. “Fuck me.”
“What?”
His eyes blazed. “Callie and Dallas’s wedding. I should’ve known something was going on between you two then.”
“After we got married, I left him without a trace. He didn’t know me as Lacey. I went by my middle name. We got to know each other really well and I fell in love with him. But then I got scared and ran away. When I saw him again at Justin’s house, I pretended not to know who he was and he did the same. He was testing me. At the wedding he finally revealed that he knew who I was,” I confessed, sucking in a ragged breath. I could barely see him through the tears.
A low growl rumbled in his chest. “I can’t believe this shit.”
It broke my heart to hurt him. My shoulders shook with heavy sobs. “I’m so sorry,” I cried. “I don’t want to hurt you. You mean so much to me.”
Braeden rushed over and pulled me into his arms. I latched on to him as tight as I could. “I’m just shocked, Lacey. I can’t believe you’d marry that cocksucker.”
“He’s not a bad guy, Braeden. He’s had a hard life. If you knew what he was really like, you’d get along.” I let him go. “That’s why one day I want you two to be friends. I can’t have you both in my life if you’re at war with each other.”
“Maddox isn’t good enough for you. I don’t want you throwing everything away for him.”
I squeezed his hand. “He is good enough for me. Trust me, I’m scared, but I have to give our marriage a chance. That’s why I’m moving down here.”
His eyes widened. “When?”
“Next week. I haven’t told anyone yet so don’t say anything to Dallas. I want to surprise him.”
With a heavy sigh, he leaned against the counter. “What are you going to do if Ledger fucks up?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just hoping he doesn’t.”
“If he does, I’ll be there for you. I would never hurt you.”
“I know. That’s why you’re my best friend.” He flinched as if I’d slapped him. With knowing for a fact that he had feelings for me, it changed things. Maddox wasn’t going to like it at all. I only hoped he didn’t make me choose. I didn’t want to lose my best friend.
* * *
—
Braeden and I stopped by Callie and Dallas’s house to pick up my suitcase. Maddox had already left so I figured he was at home. I wanted to surprise him. Braeden wasn’t happy about dropping me off at Maddox’s house, but I told him it was either that or I was going to walk.
When we pulled into Maddox’s driveway, my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. Braeden drove away as I walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. I knocked at the same time, desperate for him to answer. He opened the door, dressed in gray swimming trunks, his hair and body wet. I didn’t care if he drenched me. I jumped in his arms and kissed him as hard as I could.
Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around my waist. “Wow, can you do that again?”
I kissed him again. “I’m staying here tonight. I
hope you don’t mind.”
He pulled me inside. “Sounds good to me. Gives us plenty of time.”
I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t come here for that. Although it would be kind of nice. I’m still not feeling all that great.”
He shrugged. “I can just hold you all night, then. Sex isn’t the only thing I want from you.”
“Glad to hear,” I said. My heart raced and I bounced on my feet. “There’s something I want to tell you.”
Entwining my fingers with his, I drew him closer. His warmth felt amazing against my body. I looked up at his face and smiled. “It’s official. I’m finally going to be moving down here with you.”
His eyes shot wide. “Holy fuck, are you serious? I thought it would never happen.”
Seeing the excitement on his face just made it that much better. “Me, too, but a spot opened up at the hospital here. I’ll be working with Callie.”
Bursting with laughter, he lifted me in his arms. “I can’t believe this. That’s awesome. When do you start?”
“Two weeks,” I squealed. “But I plan on moving out of my apartment next week.”
Setting me down, he cupped my face in his hands. “This is what we need, sunshine. We’re going to make this work.”
I held a finger to his lips. “I want to get settled before we spill the beans. Can you keep the secret a little while longer?”
He kissed my finger and held my hand to his face. “I’ll keep it as long as we need to, just as long as I have you. My neighbors down the street rent out their pool house. I’ll reserve it for a couple of months so if anyone wants to visit you, they can go there.”
“What if they ask questions?”
Chuckling, he held me tighter. “They won’t talk to the press if that’s what you’re asking. They’re good people. I give them season tickets to all the games.”
I smiled. “Sounds good then. Will I actually be living there during those two months?”
He snorted. “Only if I’m with you. The other nights you can stay with me.” It all sounded so exciting. I was ready for the week to be over so I could move. Sliding his hands under my legs, he lifted me in his arms. “I think we need to celebrate.”
“Oh yeah? What’d you have in mind?”
His lips connected with mine. “I want to make love to you.”
Giggling, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “What are you waiting for then?”
Chapter 19
Lacey
Next week I’d be in North Carolina, working under the supervision of Dr. Young, the same doctor Callie worked with in the emergency room. I had yet to tell her, and I’d asked Dr. Young to please keep it to himself so I could surprise her.
Sophia folded up the last of my clothes and placed them in my suitcase. My furniture had already been moved to storage for the time being. “I can’t believe you’re leaving. What did Myers say to you when you told him you wanted a transfer?”
Gene Myers was our program director at the hospital. It wasn’t advisable to switch residency programs, but at least I’d finished up almost a year and a half. “He wasn’t happy about losing me, but luckily there are other doctors transferring in. It makes me not feel so bad.”
She zipped up my suitcase. “Hopefully they’ll be easy to work with.”
“You could always move to North Carolina, too.” I held up my hands. “Just saying.”
“Yeah, right. I don’t have a reason to move, unlike you. Are you even going to stay in the pool house Maddox rented for you?”
“Probably not,” I replied, giggling. “It’s more for backup in case someone needs to visit me. His home is two houses down the street. In the next three weeks or so everything should be good to go public.”
“I’m assuming you’re going to tell Callie when you get in town?”
“Yep,” I said, feeling the excitement bubble in my chest. “She’s going to freak out. Braeden and I are going to surprise her and my brother tomorrow night.”
“What does Maddox say about you spending time with a man who has feelings for you?”
I shrugged. “He doesn’t like it, but Braeden’s my friend. He knows where I stand. All we’re doing is going over to Callie and Dallas’s house and then he’s dropping me off with Maddox.”
“I hope they don’t butt heads.”
“Me, too.” I really didn’t want to think about it. “Now to change the subject, you’ll have to come down and visit. I’m not going to be able to go for long without seeing you.”
She hugged me tight. “Definitely. I’m going to miss you so much.”
“Same to you. To be honest, it’ll be nice getting out of the big city.”
“And I don’t know anything but the city,” she said, letting me go. “I wouldn’t know how to handle being in the South.”
“You’d love it. Maybe you could meet a country boy.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice.” She pushed my suitcase out into the hall. “So what are you going to do with all the furniture you had put in storage?”
I shrugged. “Leave it there for a while or sell it. The pool house I’m renting is furnished and Maddox already has everything for his house, so there’s no need for any of it.”
She glanced down at her phone. “When is Maddox supposed to be here?”
“Right about now, I believe. He flew up and we’re renting a truck to take back so I can bring all my things.”
“Does he even know that Braeden has feelings for you?”
With a heavy sigh, I shook my head. “I kind of didn’t mention that part. The last thing I want is to make things more difficult.”
Just then, the front door slammed shut. “Lacey?”
“Back here,” I shouted. Maddox appeared in the doorway, dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with a baseball cap over his dark brown hair. “Was your flight okay?” I asked him.
“Yeah, it was good.” He smiled over at Sophia, then back to me. “I hate to cut this short, but we need to get on the road. Not unless you prefer to be in the car all night.”
“Not at all, I understand. I know you have to get back and rest up before practice tomorrow.”
Maddox grinned at Sophia again. “It’s nice to see you, Doc. I know you’re going to miss Lacey being up here with you.”
“You have no idea,” she replied, smiling back. “Great game last night, by the way. That last play was brutal. I’m surprised Carrigan got up after the way you pummeled him.”
There was a twinkle in Maddox’s eyes, but he shrugged it off. I knew he liked flattery, but I could tell he was trying to be modest. That was new for him. “It was pretty epic,” I agreed. Maddox played better than ever before.
While Sophia and Maddox carried on about the game, I walked through my apartment one last time. The only things left were the boxes at the front door and my suitcases full of clothes. It was strange to think of leaving. I’d spent years in New York, and now it was over…but for a good reason.
“I guess we should load everything up,” I called. Sophia and Maddox kept chatting about the game when they left my room. Since my TV was gone, I’d stayed at her house to watch the Strikers play against Boston. It was amusing watching how angry she got when the other team scored. Luckily, we won the game four to two. Dallas was pissed when they scored on him.
Once everything was loaded in the truck, I hugged Sophia as hard as I could. “I’ll keep in touch.”
“You better.”
I let her go. “I will.” Maddox opened the truck door and I hopped in. It was going to be a long ten hours. I waved at Sophia as we pulled out of the parking garage until I couldn’t see her any longer. Once out of the city, it really sank in that I was leaving.
“Did any of the guys ask where you were going when you left Boston?” I asked.
He nodded. “I told them I had some friends I needed to see.” We pulled up at a stoplight and he looked over at me. “Have you told Callie yet?”
“Not yet, but it’s going to be one hell of a surpri
se.”
Chapter 20
Maddox
“Ledger, pay attention,” Kellan shouted. The puck sailed past me and hit the wall. I rushed over and made a breakaway for the goal, but Dallas stopped it.
“Ha-ha. Next time, fucker,” Dallas chided.
Kellan blew his whistle. “All right, guys, take a break. Not you, Maddox.”
Justin’s eyes widened when he looked at me. “Someone’s in trouble.”
Kellan skated over to me while the others left the ice. He was annoyed with me by the look on his face. “What’s going on, man? Your concentration is for shit right now.”
“I know. I’m working on it.”
Lacey and I had arrived just in time for me to park the moving truck and head into practice. The energy drinks I gulped down only helped for so long. Now it felt like I was going to pass out on the ice.
Huffing, he shook his head. “Get it handled. I need you completely focused.”
“Will do, Coach.”
Kellan skated away and blew his whistle. “Let’s get back to work.”
For the rest of the day, I worked my ass off. When practice was over, I was the last one to enter the locker room. Braeden rushed past me, already showered and dressed. He and Lacey were going over to Dallas and Callie’s house to surprise them with her good news.
I took a quick shower, thinking of all the ways I could beat Braeden’s ass if he so much as laid a hand on Lacey. In her eyes, he was her friend, but in mine, he was waiting for the day she’d choose him. That shit wasn’t going to happen on my watch.
Dallas was already dressed by the time I got out of the shower. He slid his phone into his pocket and grabbed his bag just as Justin walked past. “Callie called. She wants you both to come over for dinner.” Perfect fucking timing. Now I could be there when Lacey and Braeden showed up.
“What’s the occasion?” Justin asked.
Dallas shrugged. “Just because, I guess. Oh, and the invite did not include Miranda. Callie can usually put up with her, but she must’ve had a busy day at work. Her patience must be low.”