by Anna Sugden
Halfway there. All she had to do was stick it out for another couple of pages and she’d be done. “For the second part, we need to focus on you.”
Ike shifted uncomfortably. “Why? You already know me.”
“It’s part of the process of building a fuller picture, so I can make the best matches for you.” She forced a reassuring smile. “The first set isn’t too taxing. Favorite book, favorite film, that kind of thing.”
“Okay. Shoot.”
Despite his misgivings, Ike answered the questions honestly and cheerfully. He was thoughtful and often surprisingly expansive about his choices.
The tension in the room seemed to dissipate, along with the formality. The question-and-answer session became less of a brittle back-and-forth and more of a conversation. At the same time, Tracy’s body began to relax, the tightness in her shoulders easing. The whole thing became almost pleasant. Even their debates were good-natured.
She wondered if Ike was the first man in her life who’d listened to her opinions, let alone respected them. What did that say about her?
As she filled the pages with her handwritten notes, Tracy couldn’t ignore how much she and Ike had in common. Their tastes were similar in many ways. They might disagree about their musical preferences—he liked his rock hard and heavy, while she preferred hers soft and glam—or what they liked to read—his non-fiction and detective fiction versus her romance novels and dark thrillers—or watch—he wanted action, action, action, while she insisted on a happy ending. But the crucial thing was that they both loved music, reading and movies. And they were both addicted to computer adventure games, with the same classic King’s Quest as their all-time favorite.
Interestingly, Tracy learned a lot about Ike that she hadn’t known. Before today, she couldn’t have said what his preferences were for anything, except in bed. She felt as if she’d barely scratched the surface before. Perhaps they hadn’t been together long enough to discover those little tidbits about each other. She certainly never remembered them talking like this.
Would things have turned out differently if they had? Would their commonalities have drawn them closer, making their differences less obvious?
Unfortunately that ship had already sailed. That’s why they were sitting here, having this conversation. A pang of regret tugged at her chest, but she continued.
Keep your eye on the prize.
The final batch of questions was more searching, more personal. What would Ike do in certain situations? What did he think about certain actions? Which words and phrases described him, his personality and his values?
Tracy began to feel awkward, as if she were stepping into forbidden territory. Ike must have felt it, too, as his answers became shorter and more abrupt. The relaxed feeling had gone; stiff formality had returned.
They both sighed together as Tracy jotted down the notes for the final question.
“You now know everything about me, except my inseam measurement.” Irritation edged Ike’s words.
“I know it was hard work, but it’ll be worth it in the end.”
“Let’s hope so.”
She slid the completed questionnaire into his file. “I’ll input your responses this afternoon. That’ll generate a list of candidates for you to look over, which I’ll email to you tomorrow. You should be able to have your first date this weekend.”
Once again the words left a bitter taste in her mouth. He’d better deliver his side of the deal with knobs on, given what she was putting herself through.
Ike got to his feet. “I look forward to hearing from you.”
Once he’d gone, Tracy headed upstairs to her office. She dropped into her chair and swiveled slowly from side to side. She should be pleased; it had gone better than expected.
“That’s the problem,” she muttered.
She’d seen Ike in a different light. What’s more, she liked this Ike. The whole meeting had somehow put his old-fashioned views into context. She had new insight into the influence his childhood had had on his perspective on women. Being part of the extended family group, Tracy had heard many times of the responsibilities Ike and Tru had taken on when their father had left. But for the first time, she understood that while Ike saw his role as protector and provider, it wasn’t as dominator and king of all he owned. She could no longer fit him into the same category as her father and Hank.
Having a relationship together didn’t seem as awful as she’d once thought.
She could even see herself falling in love with him.
Her heart gave a heavy thud.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Tracy had burned a bridge that couldn’t be rebuilt. Ike had moved on and she had committed to helping him find the woman of his dreams. No matter how she felt, she had to fulfill the terms of their agreement. Business really did have to come first.
What a terrible time to realize that her fear of repeating the errors of the past had caused her to make a terrible mistake for her own future. And in keeping her eye on the prize, she’d missed the most important thing of all. The prize she’d once held in her hands and thrown away with both hands.
* * *
“SHOULDN’T YOU BE getting ready for your next date?”
Kenny’s question amped up Ike’s guilt. What did it say about Ike that he was considering staying in to watch Edmonton play Florida instead of heading out for dinner with the next woman on his list?
Macarty had given the team a rest day after their brutal schedule over the past couple of weeks since Thanksgiving, so Kenny had stopped by. The two of them were slumped on Ike’s couch. Open soda cans and a half-empty box of their mom’s Christmas cookies littered his coffee table.
“I’ve got time.” Ike didn’t move. “I don’t have to meet bachelorette number four until seven-thirty.”
“You sound like you’d rather have a root canal.”
“Nah, it’s not that bad.”
“I’m bowled over by your enthusiasm. Were the women all hounds? Did you at least get some mattress time?”
“No and no.”
Kenny shook his head sadly. “Jeez, I’m almost embarrassed to be your brother. Those women are desperate for it and you don’t get any bang for your bucks.”
“I’m not doing this for sex.” Why did everyone think that was the only thing that mattered? For that matter, why did everyone think he needed help getting laid?
“You can’t get serious about someone you’re not compatible with. You gotta test the merchandise before you buy.”
“I figured I’d leave that until after the first date. No point ‘testing the merchandise’ if it’s not what you want anyway.”
“I guess. But my way, you get something out of an otherwise wasted evening.” His brother grinned. “At your age, you can’t afford to be too fussy.”
“Some women prefer a mature man over a horny kid.”
“I’ve got one word for you, bro. Cougar. Rowr!”
Ike laughed at Kenny’s big-cat impression, complete with scratching claws. “Whatever floats your boat.”
“The question is why these women aren’t floating yours. I thought Tracy was doing some kind of magic to find the woman of your dreams.” He added in a singsong falsetto, “That you can marry and have cute babies and live in the happy land of rainbows forever.”
“Mock all you like, kid. Your day will come sooner than you think.”
“Please. I’ll retain my youthful good looks and prime physique long after I’ve hung up my skates.”
Ike had once had similar illusions. “Yeah. Look what happened to me.”
“You were never this good-looking, bro.” Kenny sobered. He nodded at Ike’s arm in its lightweight cast. “I pray to the hockey gods that never happens to me. You’ll be okay, right?”
“Doc says I’m healing bet
ter than expected and Cheryl’s pleased with my progress at physio.”
“Any word on when you’ll be back skating?”
“Not yet. But I should be cleared for light workouts in the new year.”
“Cool.” Kenny brightened. “So tell me about the not-hounds.”
Not much kept his brother serious for long. Ike suspected it had a lot to do with effectively being the youngest child—Linc had still been a baby—when their father had left. Ike and Tru had been the ones with all the responsibility, so Kenny had become the light relief, the sunshine in an otherwise grim situation. He still was.
“They were attractive. We just didn’t connect for a variety of reasons.”
Kenny feigned shock. “Hard to believe, you being such a sociable, fun-loving guy.”
Ike cuffed him across the back of the head. “I leave the clown stuff to you.”
“Yeah, yeah. You’ve been out with three women and didn’t hit it off with any of them?”
“Not enough to want a second date.”
He filled his brother in on the women. All three had seemed great on paper and had made a decent first impression. They were all attractive and good company. But beyond that, none had lived up to expectations.
The first one had seemed nice. She was a school librarian, loved kids, big into craft projects and enjoyed watching sport. Unfortunately, she’d wanted a guy who worked nine-to-five, was home for dinner promptly every night and at weekends, was willing to work on his “honey do” list. For the right woman, he’d have made a case for the future. But she’d seemed...inflexible. Everything in its place or done to schedule. To the point that she’d had to get home after their dinner to watch her favorite show and work on her latest crochet project. Hell, she’d made him feel spontaneous!
Dream girl number two had looked like a model and worked in finance for one of the local car dealers. She loved hockey and hockey players. It had become clear early on in the evening that she had her sights set on marrying a famous hockey player and living the glamorous life. The parties, the famous people, the paparazzi—so not his scene.
He’d really thought the third woman, Darla, had hit it out of the park. Smart, sexy, funny and liked sports. She had a career in advertising and was financially independent, but eager to marry and start a family. Ike had been congratulating Tracy on finding a woman who checked all the right boxes, until he’d asked if she planned to give up work or go back part-time when she had children. She’d looked at him as if he were nuts and said, “That’s what nannies are for.” Things had cooled pretty rapidly between them after that.
“Finding Ms. Perfect is more complicated than you thought, huh?” Kenny said. “How many more dates do you get?”
“One more after this one, if I want it.”
“What does Tracy say about you striking out so far?”
Something else that had Ike ready to toss in the towel. Not only was the search not working out, but Tracy’s cheerful attitude was bugging the hell out of him. She’d encouraged him after each failed date, then talked up the next candidate. He knew that’s what she was supposed to do, but couldn’t she be a little unhappy about introducing him to other women? Their friendship had stalled, too. They barely spoke about anything other than the damn project. The whole exercise was an unmitigated disaster.
At least she’d get something positive out of it. Even though he’d known it might not work, Ike had been true to his word and stirred up unrest among the players about the problems they’d had since the switch from Tracy’s company to Lois. From what he’d heard, the front office was taking a lot of heat and there’d been several closed-door meetings with player reps. He wouldn’t be surprised if Hardshaw didn’t change his mind any day now.
Plus, he’d been booked for the photo shoot after Christmas for Tracy’s advertising and promotional materials. He’d already submitted quotes for his endorsement and was waiting to hear back on whether she needed anything more.
Looked like she’d got the better end of the deal after all.
“Tracy gave me the standard bull. These things take time. Can’t expect to score on your first shot. She’s confident about the woman I’m supposed to meet tonight. Becca. Single mom, runs her own part-time craft business from home while her kid’s at school. The girl plays hockey with Emily.”
“Sounds like your kind of woman.” Kenny frowned. “Why aren’t you more excited?”
Ike shrugged. “So I won’t be disappointed if it doesn’t work out again.”
“For sure it won’t work out if you sit on your ass all night.” Kenny slapped him on the back, then got to his feet. “I’m out of here. I have my own hot date later, with ‘Misty from Minnesota.’ She loves hockey players with dark hair and green eyes.”
“Since when did puck bunnies become choosy?”
“Who cares? She can wrap those long, long legs around me and I’ll be happy.”
Ike envied his brother’s easy attitude. Had he ever been that laidback about women—or anything else, for that matter?
Once Kenny had gone, Ike went upstairs to shower. He didn’t hold out much hope for the evening, but it was too late to back out now. If this woman was a bust, too, Ike would pull the plug. No point putting himself through this anymore.
An hour later, his driver, Frankie, pulled up in front of the fancy steak restaurant in Weehawken, where Ike and Becca were due to meet.
Frankie got out to open Ike’s door. “Have a nice evening.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Ike said as he got out of the car. “I’ll call you when I’m done.”
“Sure thing.” Frankie touched his cap.
Ike watched Frankie drive off. His last chance to renege on the evening had vanished. He inhaled deeply, then reached for the brass handle and opened the door. He might as well get this over with. At least he knew the steak here was excellent.
Becca was standing by the window, staring out across the Hudson at the city lights, so Ike got a chance to observe her unnoticed. He recognized her from the photograph on her profile, though the picture hadn’t done her justice. She was pretty, rather than stunningly beautiful, with dark, shoulder-length hair. She wasn’t over-dressed or under-dressed; her blue sweaterdress was the perfect choice for the restaurant.
All in all, he had a good feeling about her.
Then she turned toward him and Ike realized she was on her phone. He couldn’t help being disappointed. Not another woman who couldn’t switch off from work.
Don’t be dumb, he told himself. She could have been speaking to anyone. It wasn’t fair to judge her based on Tracy’s actions.
Becca spotted him as she hung up and walked over to meet him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d arrived.” She smiled warmly. “I was checking in with my daughter. Jade likes to know I’m okay when I’m out. Since it’s just the two of us, she’s a bit of a worrier.”
Ike’s disappointment vanished. He remembered all the times he’d worried about his mom and was impressed that Becca had taken the time to reassure her daughter. “No problem. I only just got here. Shall we get seated?”
“Yes, please. I’m starving. I don’t often go out for fancy dinners, so I deliberately didn’t eat much today. I want to be able to enjoy every mouthful.”
It was a nice change to have a date who wouldn’t be fussing about what she ate. Tracy had always enjoyed her food, too. He shoved down that thought before it got any further. No more thinking about Tracy. There would only be two people on this date. “I know what you mean. There’s a monster rib-eye with my name on it.”
By the time they’d been shown to their table, consulted the menus and placed their order, Ike was relaxed and enjoying himself. He was glad he hadn’t canceled the evening.
Over appetizers, they talked generally, getting to know each other. Becca admitted to loving hockey, but
she wasn’t an Ice Cats’ fan. “My late husband introduced me to hockey when we lived in Denver, so I’m afraid I bleed burgundy and blue.”
“You’re lucky,” Ike said with mock seriousness. “The Avs are the only other acceptable team to support, because my brother plays for them.”
“Believe it or not, Jade got Tru’s jersey for her birthday from her grandparents.”
“Hmm. Maybe she needs to have a sweater from the more skillful Jelinek brother.”
“What number does Kenny wear?”
He laughed. Sharp. A sense of humor. Things were definitely looking up.
The conversation turned more personal as they dug into their steaks. She asked how he was coping with his injury and he found himself admitting how difficult it had been. The excruciatingly slow progress with physiotherapy. Sticking to his promise to do exactly as he was told, even though he was sure his muscles were atrophying from lack of use. Crossing off the days until he could start working out. Missing the ice. Missing his teammates. Dealing with the isolation.
Becca was easy to talk to and a good listener.
In return, she told Ike about how tough it had been losing her husband when her daughter had only been a year old. He’d been an adrenaline junkie who’d competed in extreme sports and had died extreme-skiing. Although she’d been left comfortably off, she’d decided to move back home to New Jersey, where she’d have her family’s support.
“So, you run your own business.” Everything was going so well, Ike hated to raise the subject. But he wanted to deal with that thorny issue up front. The past had taught him that much.
“Yes, but it’s more for fun than a serious career. Once Jade was in school, I found I needed something for me. To get me out of the house and occupy my time. Even if I loved housework—which I’ll tell you right now, I don’t—there are only so many hours you can spend cleaning and washing. We won’t mention ironing.” She gave an exaggerated shudder, then leaned forward, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “I love my daughter dearly, but I needed adult company and adult conversation that didn’t revolve around children.”