by Mandy Baggot
The shower door opened and Robyn swung round. And there he was, her fiancé, absolutely naked and gorgeous. She bit her lip and looked at him, all the way down as he did the same to her.
He stepped into the shower and kissed her on the mouth, pulling her toward him.
‘You smell so good,’ he said, running his hand down her back.
‘Exfoliation, you know, the one you’re always borrowing,’ Robyn replied with a smile as he kissed her neck.
‘You should have woken me up,’ Cole said, stepping under the showerhead and circling his arms around her.
‘You were asleep and I needed to find the Advil.’
‘How’s your hand?’
‘Hurting. Listen, I’m going to the roadhouse this morning and then to the hospital. Dad was going down at seven, he won’t be done until at least two,’ Robyn informed him.
‘D’you want me to meet you there? I could get out of work,’ Cole offered.
‘No, you need to work. Your mom would kill me if she thought I was making you skip work. And if you’re planning to keep me in gherkins and beer and treat me to nights at the Old Country Buffet, we need to keep the dollars rolling in,’ Robyn reminded him.
The phone rang.
‘We should get it, it might be the hospital. I’ll go,’ Robyn said, opening the shower door.
*
‘Hello,’ Robyn answered, wrapping a towel around her and holding the phone against her ear with her shoulder.
‘Oh, Robyn, it’s me,’ Pam said soberly.
‘Pam? What’s happened? Is it Dad? Oh God, it’s Dad, isn’t it? I gave the hospital my number, why didn’t they call me?’ Robyn exclaimed, panicking.
‘It isn’t the hospital, honey, it’s Brad. He turned up here drunk last night and…’ Pam started.
‘And you’re calling me why?’ Robyn asked.
‘Because he wouldn’t stop talking about you. We made him about two gallons of coffee, but it didn’t help. In the end, Bob took him down in the basement to sweat it out playing hockey,’ Pam continued.
‘I still don’t know why you’re calling me. Didn’t he tell you I hit him?’
‘What?’
‘He’s being an ass.’
‘Robyn, he’s upset. He’s behaving like he behaved when Michelle left him for Randy Dennis. Could you talk to him?’
‘No.’
‘Robyn, you didn’t see him after Michelle left, he was a wreck. He almost lost his place on the force and he was out of control. I don’t want that to happen again.’
‘You aren’t his mother, Pam, and he’s a grown man. Besides, I said all I had to say to him last night, and he didn’t wanna listen because nothing I said was what he wanted to hear.’
‘He said you and Cole are dating.’
‘Yes.’
‘I thought you were just friends, you told me you were just friends.’
‘And now we’re more than that. Why is that so hard for people to get? I can’t run his life for him, I’m struggling to keep mine together right now. I don’t know what to suggest. Call his dad, maybe let him take responsibility for once,’ Robyn said as she watched Cole come into the bedroom, toweling himself dry.
‘Robyn, are you sure about Cole? I mean, we’ve all known Brad a long time and he thinks the world of you and—’
‘Oh my God! I can’t believe I’m hearing this! I’m gonna put the phone down now.’
‘Robyn—’
‘Goodbye,’ Robyn said, ending the call.
She tossed the phone down on the bed and began furiously rubbing at her hair with the towel.
‘You okay?’ Cole asked, watching her.
‘I’d be better if people kept their noses out of my business.’
‘That’s what it’s like when you live in a close-knit community—that’s what you love about it,’ Cole reminded her.
‘I like giving my opinion on other people’s lives; I don’t like it so much when they’re giving me their opinions on mine.’
‘Who was it?’
‘It doesn’t matter. It’s not important. I need to get going. Old Mrs Dill is popping in this morning with the new cushion covers. She’s almost ninety, she smokes roll ups, and the last time she came around, she drank half a bottle of gin,’ Robyn said, getting dressed.
Cole laughed and opened the closet door to get out a shirt.
‘Have you done any planning for the wedding?’ Robyn asked him.
He turned to face her.
‘What’s that look for?’ Robyn asked.
‘Do you really want me to tell you or do you want a surprise?’
‘You’ve arranged something?’
‘Maybe,’ Cole said with a smile.
‘Do you have a preacher?’
‘Maybe.’
‘Can we write our own vows?’
‘Is that what you want?’
‘Don’t you think it would be cool? It’d be better than all that for better or for worse stuff that I don’t really get. We could say something that actually wasn’t written circa the beginning of time—something more relevant,’ Robyn suggested.
‘I’d like that,’ Cole agreed.
‘Have you booked Special Guest yet?’ Robyn asked excitedly.
‘I’m not telling you any more. Go and make coffee,’ Cole ordered, throwing a T-shirt at her.
*
‘Is there any more of that gin going?’ Ada Dill questioned later at the roadhouse.
‘I’ll get you some,’ Milo said, taking her glass and heading to the bar to refill it.
‘Better make this your last one, Ada, or you’ll be asleep before lunchtime,’ Robyn said, smiling at the old lady as she folded menus.
‘I hear that Sarah girl from the estate agents and that mechanic have split up,’ Ada said, snatching the glass from Milo’s hand and slurping the gin down.
‘Who told you that?’ Robyn inquired.
‘I never reveal my sources,’ Ada said with another raspy laugh.
‘Well, I wouldn’t listen to gossip, Ada, not all of it’s true,’ Robyn told her.
‘So they haven’t split up?’ Ada asked, leaning forward, intrigued.
‘They’re working through some stuff at the moment, that’s all,’ Robyn said.
‘That means they’ve split up,’ Ada said with a sniff.
‘Okay, what else have you heard?’ Robyn asked her.
‘Heard they were reopening your case. What that boy did to you, well, castration would be too good for the likes of him,’ Ada said.
‘How do you know all this? I only found out yesterday,’ Robyn stated.
‘When you’ve lived as long as me, you get to know a lot of people,’ Ada replied.
‘So it seems,’ Robyn answered.
‘You got to see the police again?’
‘Tomorrow.’
‘Fancy making you go over it all again after all this time… it isn’t right,’ Ada said, shaking her head.
The telephone rang and Milo hurried to answer it.
‘Eddie’s Roadhouse. Oh hi… yeah, she is… Robyn, it’s Nancy,’ Milo said, holding out the phone to her.
Robyn took the phone and put it to her ear.
‘Hello.’
‘Robyn, you need to get yourself to the hospital, honey,’ Nancy said in a rush of words.
‘Is it Dad?’ Robyn asked as her knees went weak, her heart flying up to her throat.
‘He’s not good.’
‘I’m on my way.’
*
He had a list of things to organize, and he was trying to sort through them while keeping an eye on what was going on in his Petri dish. Special Guest was booked, the preacher was booked, and he was being measured for a suit later in the week. What else needed to be done for a wedding no one knew about? Flowers? He didn’t think Robyn did flowers. Leonora. He could decorate Leonora and maybe get some equipment for a turkey shoot for the reception. Hell, maybe they could eat turkey at the reception. They needed to move the carcass ou
t of the freezer soon because it was taking up a third of the ice cream drawer.
‘Do you need any help with anything, Cole?’ Maggie asked, appearing at his shoulder and looking down at the list in his hands.
‘Maggie, hi. No, not right now, I’m good,’ he answered, putting the list face down on the worktop.
‘Are you organizing some sort of party?’ she asked.
‘Yeah, kind of.’
‘Well, if you need any help, my brother works at the party store in town. He could give you a good discount on streamers and balloons and stuff,’ she offered.
‘I’m good, thanks.’
She nodded and headed toward her workstation.
‘Hey, Maggie, hold up,’ Cole called.
She turned around.
‘So, it isn’t a party. It’s a wedding. It’s my wedding, actually. Have you any idea where I can get a great cake from around here?’
Thirty-Seven
‘Eddie? Can you hear me, sugar? It’s me, it’s Nancy.’
‘Do you think he can hear us?’ Robyn asked, peering at his face as if hoping to find the answer.
‘They say so, don’t they, when people are in comas and stuff,’ Nancy answered, holding tightly to Eddie’s hand.
‘Shall I sing?’ Robyn suggested.
‘H… hell… no,’ Eddie croaked and he blinked opened his eyes.
‘He spoke. Did you hear that? He spoke! Eddie, honey, Robyn and me are here,’ Nancy said, squeezing his hand tighter.
‘Yeah, I heard. He told me not to sing,’ Robyn said happily, looking at her dad.
‘How d’you feel? D’you want some water?’ Nancy fussed.
‘No, you know I hate the stuff. What time is it?’ Eddie asked, coughing and trying to get his voice back.
‘Just after six. Do you feel any better? You gave us a bit of a scare earlier, Nancy almost asked me to be her bridesmaid,’ Robyn joked.
‘Just after six? What you doing here, Buttercup?’ Eddie questioned, trying to sit up but just managing to flail.
‘Making sure you’re not gonna try and get another slot in the operating room.’
‘But you have a game, against Grand Rapids,’ Eddie stated, trying to adjust one of the monitors on his chest.
‘The team do, I’m staying right here. I’ve given Cole my instructions,’ Robyn informed him.
‘Are you insane? You’re the manager! You need to be there, ice side. You need to make sure they capitalize on that victory last weekend. Get out of here! Nancy, tell her!’ Eddie said, raising his voice and looking uncomfortable.
‘Eddie, stop wriggling about. You’ve just had a long and difficult operation,’ Nancy ordered him.
‘She shouldn’t be here fawning over me—she should be with the team. I don’t want you here,’ Eddie yelled at her.
‘Eddie, will you lower your voice? Robyn, he doesn’t mean it,’ Nancy assured her.
‘Yes, he does,’ Robyn said.
‘Yes, I do, so get out of here! Get down to the arena and sort out the team. I’ve got one woman who isn’t gonna leave my side, I don’t need two—particularly when one should be filling my shoes at the rink,’ Eddie blasted.
‘I’m going,’ Robyn said, standing up.
‘I’ll call you, sugar, let you know how he’s doing,’ Nancy promised.
‘I’ll be back after the game,’ Robyn said, opening the door to leave.
‘You will not, you’ll celebrate the victory, like we always do. Get going!’ Eddie barked and then he started to cough.
*
She did the drive in under ten minutes. The arena car lot was filling up, but she managed to get her usual spot. Looking at her watch, she saw it was a little more than thirty minutes until the face off.
Reaching the locker rooms, she could hear raised voices from her team.
‘What the hell’s going on?’ she demanded to know as she flung open the door and entered.
No one said a word.
‘I said what’s going on? Man, what’s that smell? Have you been drinking in here? It smells like someone fell into a vat of Jack Daniels,’ Robyn announced, trying to sniff out the offending area of the room.
‘It’s Brad,’ Cole informed her.
‘I had you down as someone who couldn’t be trusted from day one, didn’t I? Didn’t I! Did you know they’re dating? Him and Robyn! Yeah, all this platonic bullshit was just that—bullshit,’ Brad yelled to the room.
‘You’re drunk,’ Robyn stated, looking at him with disappointment in her eyes.
‘Oh so what? You’re not my freaking mother! I don’t have to answer to you,’ Brad retorted like a child.
‘You do when it’s team business. You can’t play out there like that. You’d be useless to us and a danger to yourself. Take the pads off,’ Robyn ordered.
‘Listen, I’m just fine. I’ve been skating since I was two, I could play blindfolded. Besides, you need me, you only have six,’ Brad told her with a laugh as he banged into Wes’ locker and hit his elbow.
‘Is that true?’ Robyn asked, looking to Cole for confirmation.
‘Yeah.’
‘You’re kidding me! Where are the others?’
Nobody answered.
‘I don’t need this right now,’ she said with a sigh.
Why was nothing straightforward? Her dad was recovering from a major operation and she had left Cole to manage five players and a drunk, angry ex-boyfriend.
‘Get your pads off now,’ Robyn ordered Brad.
‘You can’t play this game without me,’ Brad said, a grin forming on his reddened, drunk face.
‘Is that right? So, you’re pissed with me and Cole, you got drunk and you’re prepared to wreck the Panthers chance of not being relegated this season,’ Robyn said, narrowing her eyes at him.
‘I’m the captain,’ Brad reminded her.
‘Not tonight. Now, I’m gonna ask you one last time—take off the pads!’ Robyn ordered angrily.
‘Make me,’ Brad spat back.
‘Fine. Cole, Mickey, Wes, Henrik, take his pads off,’ Robyn ordered her team.
‘Robyn, I don’t think…’ Cole started.
‘I no like…how you say…fight with team friend,’ Henrik agreed.
‘Fine! Forget his pads, I’ll get some more.’ She took Cole to one side. ‘Have you submitted the team list yet?’
‘No.’
‘Good, cross Brad’s name out, put yourself as captain, and put down Art,’ Robyn said.
‘But Art isn’t here,’ Cole reminded her.
‘No, but he’s the closest build and coloring to me,’ Robyn replied.
*
‘Are you crazy? You can’t play,’ Cole told her as Robyn began to strap the pads to her body.
‘I don’t have any choice. You know we can’t play if we can’t field a full team, and we’ll get points deducted and a fine, we can’t afford that. And we have over three thousand people out there expecting a game of hockey,’ Robyn reminded him.
News of the Panthers’ victory against top of the league Reading had spread, and there were new faces in the crowd, people who hadn’t shown an interest in the game before. She didn’t want to lose new spectators.
‘But if we get caught fielding an illegible player then…’ Cole started.
‘We aren’t gonna get caught. As far as everyone’s concerned, I’m Art. I’m wearing his shirt, his helmet, a mouth guard. As long as I don’t speak, who’s gonna know except us?’ Robyn asked him, pulling up the trousers and looking for something to use as a belt.
‘You think you can stop talking for a whole match?’ Cole asked her.
‘I’ll put on my gruff voice.’
‘I’m not comfortable with it. It’s physical, Robyn, it’s brutal out there… you know that,’ Cole said.
‘And I’m quick, you know that. I can outsprint any of you on the ice. As long as I don’t get caught, I’ll be good,’ she insisted.
‘And if you do get caught? If their enforcer p
uts you in the boards?’ Cole questioned, looking at her with concern.
‘It’s probably best not to think about that. I might do a really girlie scream and blow our cover,’ Robyn answered, putting Art’s shirt over her pads.
‘I’m not going to let you do this,’ Cole told her seriously.
‘You can’t stop me,’ Robyn told him with a laugh.
‘I don’t want you going out there,’ he repeated.
‘I don’t have a choice, not now Brad’s gone all psycho on us. I can’t have him out there making a fool of himself and the team,’ Robyn insisted.
‘This is crazy. I’m gonna find Bob,’ Cole said, heading for the door.
‘Don’t you do that! Don’t you dare do that!’ Robyn warned him.
‘Then stop this.’
‘No.’ Robyn sat down on the bench and began lacing up her skates.
‘Robyn, I don’t want you getting hurt,’ Cole told her.
‘You’re getting sentimental on me and you’re trying to look after me. I don’t need looking after, remember,’ Robyn said, frantically lacing up her skates.
‘I’m not so sure about that when you do crazy things like this,’ he answered.
‘You won’t change me, Cole. I hope you know that.’
‘I don’t want to change you.’
‘Then live with the fact that I’m going out there. How can I not? I love the Panthers, you know I love the Panthers. I can’t let them down because I’m scared I might get mashed by their gigantic number twenty-two,’ Robyn told him.
‘I won’t let you get mashed,’ Cole promised.
‘I know. And that’s what I’m counting on,’ Robyn said, looking at him and smiling.
Thirty-Eight
He had never been so nervous about a game before. What Robyn was doing was insane and it was dangerous. He’d seen strong men really hurt on the ice and he didn’t want that to happen to Robyn. This was a nightmare. He wasn’t going to be able to concentrate on the game, his eyes would be on her and anyone who came near her. Brad was an asshole, and if his attitude cost Robyn, he’d kill him.