“When I get you settled, I’ll grab you some Advil, okay? And if you’re hungry, I’ll make you something to snack on, but nothing major.”
The thought of food didn’t appeal to him. “I don’t want any food, but I’ll take a beer.”
“Nope. Doctor’s orders. No alcohol tonight. He wants to see how quickly the dizziness passes. Beer won’t help.” Good thing she was there to babysit him. Men never listened to doctors.
“One beer isn’t going to hurt, Lace. What are you, the beer Nazi?” He appreciated her concern, but she was going a bit overboard.
So, this will be our first home life test of wills, huh? He won’t win. “Call me whatever you like, sweetie pie, you’re still not getting beer tonight. Let’s compromise. You come with me now. I’ll undress you, and take a shower with you. Furthermore, I’m willing to wash you nice and slowly with my hands, and I’ll let you do the same to me. You may kiss me and hold me, but we will not make love tonight. You will take it easy if I have to sit on your chest and hold you down, got it buster?”
At the thought of showering with his gorgeous Angel, Jody’s mouth went dry. He loved running his hands over her slick body in the shower. “Okay … No, wait … What? I don’t get any?” Maybe this wasn’t such a great compromise. Where was his reward for … for … well, he wanted a reward for something!
“You’ll get love, compassion and a bowl of ice cream. Take it or leave it.” Lacey was not giving in. The doctor said he had to take it easy for the night, and he would, whether he liked it or not.
“Fine, whatever. Let’s just do this so I can at least snuggle with you. Am I allowed to do that?” Jody knew he was acting like a child, but he couldn’t seem to help himself.
“Not unless you change your attitude. Damn Jody, you’re a shitty patient, you know that?” Lacey shook her head at him, but smiled as she pulled him into the bedroom to undress and shower him.
Their disagreement wound up being a complete waste of time. When Jody was finally naked with Lacey in the shower, he found that he was not feeling as well as he at first thought. He just wanted to get done and sit in the chair to rest. The lights in the bathroom were too bright and were bothering his headache. Maybe he owed Lacey an apology.
“I’m sorry I’m such a pain in the ass tonight. I think I may have underestimated how shitty I feel. I’m ready to get out and go sit in the chair, okay?” Jody kissed her head and got out of the shower. “You finish up, and I’ll get dressed.”
By the time Lacey got out of the shower, dried off and dressed in a pair of Jody’s sweat pants and a t-shirt that hung down to her mid thigh, Jody was asleep. She covered him up with a blanket and then sat on the couch worrying about him.
Jody woke up in the middle of the night with a kink in his neck from sleeping in the chair. He looked over and saw Lacey lying on the couch, curled up in a ball. How did I get so lucky? Jody thought.
Rubbing his neck to get the kink out, he stood up. He wasn’t quite so dizzy, but still had a killer headache. After taking some more Advil, he went over to wake Lacey so they could go sleep in his bed. “Wake up sweetheart, let’s go sleep in the bed.”
Still half asleep, Lacey sat up and looked at Jody. “Huh? What time is it? Did the alarm go off?”
Jody laughed. “No sweets, we’re just going into the bedroom to sleep. Come on.” Jody just wanted to lie down. He was utterly exhausted.
Lacey rubbed her eyes and finally looked awake. “How are you feeling? Is your head still throbbing?”
“Yeah. I just took some more Advil. I’m not as dizzy as I was, but I’m exhausted. I feel like I could sleep for a week.”
They walked into the bedroom hand in hand. Jody was out again almost before his head hit the pillow. Lacey stayed awake for a while and ran her fingers through his hair. How did she ever think she would be able to resist him? She adored him, and she was really worried about the impact his concussion was going to have on him in the long run. Some players came back in a week, and some never came back. Concussions were tricky, but the doctor said it was a good sign that he didn’t have any blurred vision.
Snuggling up to Jody, Lacey fell asleep. Just before she did, she felt him kiss her head and sigh.
The next day Jody was going to the rink to discuss his test results from the hospital. He had slept until eleven, and since it was Saturday, Lacey stayed in bed with him.
“I can’t believe I slept this late.” Lacey was not normally a late sleeper, but the events of the previous night had exhausted her, too. “How are you feeling this morning? Any different?”
“Well, I’m sore, but I guess that’s normal. My headache is still there, but it’s bearable. Vision is good. I still have that painful stiffness, though,” he groaned as Lacey got up and stretched. She was either cold or feeling amorous, because her nipples were straining against his t-shirt that she wore. “And that’s not helping my achy parts, Lace. Come on, how ‘bout you give Jody a little somethin’, somethin’. What do you say?”
Lacey was fingering the hem of the shirt and raised it up enough to bare her midriff. She made little circles around her belly button with her finger and peeked up at Jody. “I don’t know, Jody. If I say yes, you have to listen to me. You’re supposed to be taking it easy.” She lifted it a little more to show the swell of the undersides of her breasts. “Do you agree?”
“Sweetheart, I’ll agree to just about anything if you’ll just take that damn shirt off.” Jody was already hard as a rock, and he needed her. As Lacey took her shirt off, Jody ripped off his pajama bottoms. “Now lose the pants and come over here.” At her raised brow, he added, “please.”
Lacey walked over to him slowly, running her fingers down her body, pausing at her nipples. She pinched them and let out a little gasp. “I’m ready for you now. All I have to do is look at you and think about what you do to my body, and I’m ready.” When she reached the bed, she leaned down to give him a smoldering kiss. While still nipping his lips, she flung her leg over him and straddled him, taking him deep inside of her until he couldn’t go any farther.
“Jesus Lace, I swear, that feels better every time.” Lacey proceeded to show him exactly how much better it felt with each up and down motion she made.
Zoe was looking forward to spending the day with Lacey. They hadn’t had much girl time lately, and they were going to do some shopping. Zoe was looking for new living room furniture. She was bored with her other set, even though it was only two years old.
“What are you going to do with your other furniture?” Lacey knew Zoe wouldn’t just throw it out and waste it. She did quite a bit for charity. While Lacey was all about volunteering at animal shelters, Zoe volunteered at Social Services, and since she had a shopping habit, with the money to support it, she bought new things often. That left a lot of items to donate.
“I’ll put up a flyer to see if anyone from work wants it. If no one responds, I’ll donate it. The Veteran’s Society will come pick it up.”
As they were passing the medical center, they saw Vlad walking out rubbing his hip. Lacey told Zoe to stop in there.
When they pulled up next to him, Lacey put her window down and asked him what he was doing at the medical center.
Vlad looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Uh, nothing really. I was just … uh, getting a massage.” A massage? Dammit, I should have gone out the back.
“A massage? And you wouldn’t go to a spa for that, or the trainer for that matter? What’s up Vlad?” Zoe was leaning over Lacey to talk to Vlad.
Vlad could see right down Zoe’s blouse. God, she was a sight! Her breasts weren’t large, but they were perfect. They were perky, and he knew they’d fit in his hands perfectly. Shit, she asked him a question, didn’t she? “Huh?”
Zoe saw where he was looking and put her hand up to her chest to block his view. “Forget it. We have to go. Hope you had a good massage. See ya.” Zoe took off with more speed than necessary.
“That was kind of rude, Zoe. I kn
ow the deal with you two, but why are you so mean to him lately?” Zoe didn’t used to be so flippant with Vlad. Now she just barely tolerated him.
Zoe let out a long, heartfelt sigh before she answered, “I don’t know. Probably because I think I’m a little bit in love with him. Fuck, dammit and all the other bad words. If I analyzed myself, I think I’d find that, because we’re in an impossible situation, I’m trying to push him away, which makes me want him more.”
“Sorry Zoe.”
“I know. Forget about it. Wanna grab lunch before we hit the furniture store?”
Jody’s test results came out much better than they could have, and he was grateful.
“You do have some bruising, but that’s to be expected,” the doctor told him. “I still want you to take it easy for a while. Let’s say you sit out for tonight’s game and Tuesday’s, and I’ll re-evaluate you on Wednesday.” He then went on to ask whether Jody was experiencing any trouble with his vision, ringing in his ears or headaches.
“I don’t have any vision problems or ringing in my ears. I do still have a headache, but it is seventy percent better than last night.”
“Okay, that’s normal. I want you to continue with Advil for two more days, and use a cold compress a couple of times a day.” He stood up and shook Jody’s hand. “I’ll see you on Wednesday.”
After the doctor left, he sent Lacey a text.
Jody: Hey Lace. Tests came back good. Just slight bruising.
Lacey: Hi Jody. That’s great news! How long will you be out of the game?
Jody: Doc is going to re-evaluate me on Wednesday, so I’ll miss the next two games at least.
Lacey: Well, I’m glad they’re keeping you out. You need time to fully heal.
Jody: Yeah, yeah. So, I’m having some stiffness again …
Lacey read that last text and laughed. She and Zoe were sitting in a bar on the beach having some lunch. “His mind is on sex almost constantly.”
“Oh, you poor dear.” Zoe threw a french fry at her. “I’m so sorry you’re having too much sex.”
“Well, stop being so picky and go get some!” Lacey’s phone beeped again.
Jody: Lace? You thinking about how to help me? It’s really stiff!
Lacey: You’re incorrigible! I’ll see you tonight for dinner?
Jody: It’s a date. And Lace?
Lacey: Yes?
Jody: Don’t wear any panties, ok?
Lacey: I rarely do anymore. What’s the point? You just rip them off me. :)
Jody: How bout that? Just got stiffer.
In a million years, Lacey would never have believed that she’d dabble in ‘sexting.’ She wasn’t a prude, but she just wasn’t a wild girl either … until Jody.
Before Jody got back onto the ice, Coach wanted him to talk to Zoe about the incident. He invited Lacey to sit in with them, but she declined, thinking it might be better for Jody to talk to Zoe alone.
A couple of days later, Jody showed up at Zoe’s a little before two o’clock for his appointment. He still had a slight headache, and Zoe had the blinds mostly closed to keep the brightest light out of the room. Jody was not her first patient who had suffered concussions.
“Hi Jody, come on in. You want water or something?”
“Hey Doc, got anything stronger? Lacey hasn’t let me have a beer in days. The doctor says I’m good to go, and she says no.”
“One beer coming up. Not something I usually offer my clients, but I’ll make an exception.” Zoe left the room and grabbed Jody a Molson. She knew that was his favorite.
Jody popped the cap off and took a long pull. “God, that’s good. Thanks.”
“Sure thing. So, how are you feeling? I was glad to hear that your test results came back pretty well.”
“Physically I’m almost as good as new. I still have a little bit of a headache, but I can deal with that. Thanks for closing some of the blinds, by the way.” Jody didn’t know how much he wanted to delve into his mental state. Being knocked out for so long had freaked him out a little, although he played it off like it wasn’t a big deal.
“You’re welcome. So, you stated that physically you’re pretty good. Tell me what’s bothering you mentally.” Zoe was beyond pleased that Jody was willing to open up to her. She saw a difference in him already, just from their few sessions together. He was more willing to offer information, and she didn’t want to force any answers from him or say anything that might make him clam up. Therapy worked better when the patient didn’t feel cornered – when they felt like they were the offering up information freely.
“It’s really probably nothing. I mean I’m sure anyone would be a little freaked out being unconscious for so long, right?” Jody laughed self-consciously.
Zoe gave him half a nod. “Well, I would think so, but I’m really only interested in how you feel about it. There’s no shame in being afraid. I can’t imagine someone hitting me like that. And then going down so hard the way you did.”
Jody looked toward the door and then at Zoe. “Okay, well it’s Lacey. I mean, I’ve always tried to be careful with head hits, but it’s not always easy, especially since getting hit in the face is kind of part of my job. But now I feel like I have more to lose.” The next part was killing him to say. “I almost feel like I don’t want to do this anymore, and that scares the shit out of me. I feel weak.”
Well, that took Zoe back. She had no indication that Jody would consider not playing. “Why do you feel like that? Is it the trauma to your body? Does it have more to do with Lacey? Or is there something else involved?”
Jody ran his hand through his hair thinking. “Well, it’s not one particular thing, but the hit was like the straw that broke the camel’s back. What if I got hit again, and I wind up like Lindros or Primeau? Both of those guys had multiple concussions and have never been the same since. I don’t want to live the rest of my life battling headaches, fatigue or issues with my vision. So here’s my problem, and I know it’s my pride that’s suffering. Does that make me weak?” He couldn’t imagine being sick for the rest of his time with Lacey, but if he quits, is he weak? “I plan on having a life with Lacey, and I don’t want it ruined by something I could have avoided.”
“Jody, I think you have very valid points. I certainly can’t answer those questions for you, but think about this. If a man who has already had a great career and is financially secure wants to move on to the next phase of his life – loving a good woman – how does that make him weak?” Zoe could tell that Jody had thought a lot about this.
“It doesn’t, and realistically, I know that. I mean I’ve been in the league for fifteen years. I’ve had a great run, and I’m getting too old to be an effective enforcer with all these new, strong kids coming up in the league.” Jody laughed. “And hell, I don’t want to get shown up in every fight. Sometimes I think I should just quit while I’m ahead. I’m starting to lose fights here and there. I don’t want to be that old guy that gets his ass handed to him by some twenty-five year old kid night after night.”
Zoe shook her head. “Well, for what it’s worth, it sounds perfectly reasonable to me. I think you’ve got your head on straight here, Jody. At the risk of sounding condescending, I’m proud of you. It takes a big man to address issues that he’s not comfortable with. I think you already know what you do or don’t want to do. My advice is to listen to your gut. And I’m always here if you need to talk or vent or anything else.”
Jody stood up and walked around Zoe’s desk to give her a hug. “I’m sure this isn’t proper protocol either, but let’s face it, you’re Lace’s best friend, so you’re kind of like a sister to me. Thanks for listening to me, Zoe. It felt good to voice that out loud. I’m not going to say anything to Lace yet, though. I want to think it through some more.”
“You do that. It’s a big decision.” Zoe walked him out to the door, and they said their goodbyes. She had high hopes for Jody. He was thinking things through carefully, and she was sure he would make the best decis
ion for himself.
Jody’s first game back wound up being a week before Thanksgiving. He stayed out a bit longer than expected, just to err on the side of caution. His headaches hadn’t gone away until three days earlier. Finally, he was cleared to play.
They were playing Chicago, who was at the top of their game. Chicago was currently in first place in the Western Conference, with the Scorpions in second. Chicago didn’t have a true heavyweight, who Jody would need to go up against, but the Scorpions had suffered a few injuries, and Jody was in the lineup.
Vlad was the starting goalie. He’d been in a bit of a slump for the past week. Two games ago, he was pulled in the second period. He was so pissed at himself that he broke his stick over the crossbar of the net before he skated off the ice.
Amid pats on the back as he took his seat near the bench, Vlad threw his glove down the chute toward the locker room. The trainer worked his way over to him. “You okay, Bejsiuk? Looked a little stiff out there. Anything bothering you?”
“No, I’m fine. Just having a bad run.”
“You sure you don’t want me to look …”
“I said I’m fine.” Vlad knew he was being an asshole, but there it was. He just wanted to be left alone to wallow in his own self-pity for his awful performance in the net lately.
“Well, you know where to find me.” Bill made his way back onto the bench to be available if anyone needed him.
Jody found the back of the net, late in the third, scoring the game-winning goal. He was on cloud nine. In his fifteen years of playing in the NHL, he’d only scored twenty-five goals. His first two months of the season with the Scorpions, and he’d already scored two. Being an enforcer, he didn’t see a lot of ice time, so it was especially gratifying to contribute a goal to help win the game.
The Enforcer (NHL Scorpions) Page 23