Roughing (Ottawa Titans Book 1)

by Sarah Hegger

  The second hand inched closer to the twelve.

  “They’re not here.”

  Quitting time. Elizabeth surged to her feet. Maybe she could cast herself on the mercies of Maddy and Chris and spend her Friday night with them. Not obsessing about a man who didn’t call. Honestly, did the inability to call come hardwired in the Y chromosome?

  “They’re right there.” She stood in her father’s office door and pointed. “Underneath your Starbucks cup.”

  He looked up at her and scowled. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “Home.” She wrapped her scarf around her neck and shrugged into her coat. “And then out. It’s Friday night.”

  “But I’m still here.” He looked dumbfounded. “And what are Jane and I supposed to eat tonight?”

  God, it was so pathetic, she wanted to scream. “I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve left this office at the end of my working day. This evening I’m tired, and I want to go home, so I am.” She buttoned up her coat in short angry snaps of her wrists. “And you and Jane can eat whatever you like. It’s about time one of you learned to cook, and if that’s too much for you, get takeout.”

  She strode for the lift with her head held high. The look of amazement on Dad’s face had been priceless.

  “Your mother taught your better,” he yelled after her.

  No, her mother had taught her to be a doormat. That with a man like her father it was easier to go with the flow than stand up to him.

  It had gotten Mom nothing.

  Only after divorcing the miserable old bastard had she managed to go on a trip she’d been talking about for twenty years. Mom was tripping around Venice with Danica, and it was not Elizabeth’s job to step into the void she’d left.

  Even admitting that buoyed her spirits.

  The elevator opened to the parking lot. Her shoes clacked like a triumphant drumbeat on the concrete floor as she went to her car.

  She arrived home and parked in her spot. Another boundary conquered, although this one by Sam.

  Randy stuck his head out his door. “Yo! Elizabeth! You watching the game tonight?”

  “That’s the plan, Randy.” She let herself into her apartment and was heading for a pair of joggers and Sam’s sweatshirt when someone banged on the door.

  Chris and Maddy stood on the doorstep, both of them dressed in Titan’s gear.

  Exactly what she’d been hoping for. Elizabeth yanked open the door.

  “Told you so.” Chris smirked at Maddy.

  “Elizabeth.” Maddy’s mouth drooped. “You can’t go to a hockey game dressed like that.”

  True that. Her grey A-line skirt and white blouse looked more like a…

  Well, like a nun. Wait. “What hockey game?”

  “The one we’re going to.” Chris grinned at her. “The Titans are playing at the Canadian Tire Center so we’re going. Tonight he’s on home ice for the first time and the entire thing is reaching fever pitch.”

  God, she wished she could be with Sam right now.

  “Go and get dressed.” Maddy shooed her. “Wear those jeans and that shirt you wore when they caught you making out with Sam on the JumboTron. That ought to inspire him.”

  Chris burst out laughing. “If that doesn’t do it, nothing will.”

  Elizabeth headed for her bedroom. She wanted to be with Sam, and if sitting in the stands was the best she could manage, she was still going. “I’ll be quick.”

  “And don’t worry about makeup,” Maddy called after her. “I can do it in the car.”

  Elizabeth didn’t doubt that for a second. Maddy and her makeup brushes could paint the problems of the world away.

  Ten minutes later she sat as still as she could in the backseat of Chris’s car while Maddy made her pretty.

  “Firstly, we want you to blow Sam away when he looks at you. Close.” Maddy did something with her closed eyes.

  “Do we want him blown away?” Chris hummed. “I mean, we want to make sure he doesn’t lose it in front of the fans. And we can be damn sure the opposition is going to come after him. In none of the games he’s played so far, has Sam allowed anyone to crack him. Those Raps dickheads are going to see that as a challenge.”

  “We have to make sure she looks super hot.” Maddy dabbed at her face with something cold. “I’ve been a Fox for a long time and Sam does his best when he gets to strut his stuff. Seeing Elizabeth looking gorgeous will bring out his swagger.”

  “Huh.” Chris sang along to the radio for a couple of minutes. “How are you doing back there? Team minus five minutes.”

  “Done!” Maddy clapped her hands. “And some of my finest work.”

  Elizabeth blinked her eyes open.

  The rounded end of the Canadian Tire Centre wove into view, a blaze of lights against the sky.

  “Normally I wouldn’t do this.” Chris edged her car out of the long snake of traffic and into an access lane. “But we’ll miss the practice skate if I don’t, and that’s our best chance of getting Sam to notice her.”

  “You’re so right, babe.” Maddy squeezed Chris’s shoulder. “Good thinking.”

  “Let’s hope I know the officer on duty.” A knot of OPP officers stepped into the road to stop them. Chris slapped the steering wheel. “Score!”

  She rolled down her window. “Barker!”

  A tall officer stepped forward and his face broke into a grin of recognition as he strolled to the car, hands in his utility belt. “Excuse me, ma’am, but is there a reason for this flagrant disregard of traffic regulations?”

  “The best reason in the world.” Chris adopted Carol Kane’s voice from the Princess Bride. “True love.”

  Barker peered into the car, did a doubletake on Maddy—because who wouldn’t—and glanced at Elizabeth.

  Recognition dawned on his face. “Hey! Aren’t you—”

  “We thought our boy could use a little extra help tonight.” Chris winked at Barker.

  He broke into a massive smile. “You got it!” He waved them over to an empty parking lot right outside the center. “Take a pew over there and I’ll slap an official sticker on your windshield.”

  “Yes!” Chris pumped her fist. “I owe you, Barker.”

  He winked at her. “Anything for true love.” He nodded to Elizabeth. “Go and give our boy a reason to do good.”

  Elizabeth couldn’t believe Chris. Normally a stickler for the rules, Chris had never have used her position like that.

  After parking, Chris leaped out of the car and motioned them to follow. They joined the queue shuffling into the stadium.

  The man in front of them turned, spotted her and grinned. “Stoner!” He raised his hands. His friends turned and stared at her. “Tell Stoner the boys from the Bell in Carp say he rocks.”

  “I’ll tell him.” Elizabeth’s face flushed. This was about as close to famous as she ever wanted to get.

  “Move!” Her friend from Carp nudged his friends. “Stone’s girl is here.”

  Chris surged into the gap. “Thanks, guys, we’ll get her ringside as fast as possible.”

  People turned, and Carp guy kept up his shepherding her to the front.

  Once through security, they moved with the massive crowd deeper into the center. Chris located their gate and led them through, and then down and down until she stopped right behind the glass.

  “Chris.” Elizabeth couldn’t believe the seats. “These must have cost a fortune.”

  “Nah.” Maddy nudged her from the back. “I called in a couple of favors.”

  The mind boggled and Elizabeth pinned her with a stare. “What sort of favors?”

  “I called Guy.” Maddy giggled. “He was more than happy to organize these seats.” She winked at Elizabeth. “He likes you. So maybe if this thing with Sam doesn’t work out…”

  Chris gave Maddy a mock stern stare. “Are you pimping out my friend?”

  “Damn straight.” Maddy rolled her eyes. “Hockey players make great lays.” She nud
ged past Elizabeth and looped her arms around Chris’s neck. “At least that’s what all the straight Foxes tell me.”

  “Nice recovery.” Chris hooked her forefingers through Maddy’s beltloops and pulled her closer. “So what do they say about cops?”

  “The best.” Maddy kissed her. “Nothing beats a cop.”

  Elizabeth took her seat and left them to it. Chris was so happy, and she’d waited so long for someone as special as Maddy to appear in her life.

  Seeing the ice made her nervous for Sam. Somewhere down the tunnel to her right Sam was waiting to play.

  “Beer.” Leonard appeared in front of her. Looking dapper in a sport coat and cravat, he smiled. “You look nervous.” He giggled. “Truth to say, we’re all a bit nervous, and we thought you could do with some liquid fortification.”

  “We?”

  Leonard pointed.

  A group of people stood and cheered. Elizabeth couldn’t believe it. She recognized several residents of Mountain Vista, along with a handful of Chris’s kids and their parents. There was even a small group of the kids who had dunked Sam at the high school.

  She took a hasty sip of her beer. Before she burst into tears. They were all here for Sam.

  “Elizabeth.” Maddy pinched her arm.

  Bodies filled the tunnel and burst onto the ice. The crowd surged to its feet and yelled.

  Maddy bounced on her seat. “Do you see him?”

  “No. Maybe.” Chris scanned the players milling about in the practice skate. “There he is.”

  Without his helmet, hair flowing, Sam took slow circles around the ice.

  “Sam!” Chris banged against the glass. “Sam!”

  Elizabeth wanted to crawl under her seat. She really wasn’t a limelight sort of girl.

  As he crossed the goal, Guy stopped his robotlike jerks and stretches, and yelled at Sam.

  Turning so abruptly he made snow, Sam locked eyes on her. He stared and then the biggest, goofiest grin broke over his face.

  He beelined straight across the ice for her.

  Elizabeth pushed past Maddy and Chris and into the corridor.

  The glass in front of her pissed her off and Elizabeth stood as close to it as she could.

  “Lizzy.” She couldn’t hear him well but she lip-read.

  Closing his eyes, he pressed his forehead to the glass.

  Elizabeth pressed hers to where his pressed and raised a hand.

  He took off his glove and put his hand to hers.

  “Aww.” Someone sniffed from behind her. “It’s Sam’s girl.”

  “Nice ass,” a man said.

  She didn’t care.

  Sam lifted his head and looked over his shoulder. He mouthed that he had to go.

  She nodded and smiled. Then she said loud enough for anyone to hear, “You fucking rock, Sam Stone.”

  A huge cheer arose behind her.

  Laughing, Sam winked at her and skated away.

  Halfway through the first period, Elizabeth didn’t think her nerves could stand anymore. By the end of the second, she knew they couldn’t.

  Sam had gotten the ice time he had wished for, but it came at a price. Karlov’s teammates were gunning for him. She lost count of how many hard checks he took to the boards.

  Once they even tipped him into the opposing bench and he came back up with a split lip.

  If it carried on, someone had to die. Elizabeth wondered if Chris had her gun in the car because she couldn’t sit there and take any more punishment on Sam.

  The only thing that kept her sane was Sam. He showed no signs of losing his temper. He took the checks, managed a few subtle jabs in return, but kept right on playing his game.

  The reward for him was one goal about five minutes into the start of the game and another one before the end of the second period.

  Someone in the Sam contingent behind her kept her supplied with beer. Trent, who had led them to their seats when she’d come with Sam, kept appearing with another beer.

  She was definitely getting buzzed, and her jeans would be way too tight next time she wore them.

  Maddy and Chris cheered and hollered and wound themselves around each other.

  Elizabeth didn’t care. All her attention stayed with Sam. Even when he was off the ice, she watched him on the bench. He didn’t look at her, not once, but somehow, she knew that he was aware of her.

  As the third period began, the Titans led the Raptors three goals to two.

  If she’d thought the first two periods were rough, the third was a revelation in brutality. The Raptors threw everything they had at Sam. High sticks, elbows to the gut, knees to the face, hooking, shoulder checks, tripping.

  And Sam took it all. Not that he was an angel. It was hockey after all. But he kept his cool and didn’t let them push him into giving away even one penalty.

  With five minutes to go, the Raptors scored and brought the game even at three-three.

  Then Sam struck. Sam at his most lyrical and dangerous, intercepted a pass and drove it up ice.

  The crowd screamed to its feet.

  He faked one offenceman and then another. Then he slipped right through the defense, making it one on one with the goalie. Sam put on a burst of speed that set the crowd to raving.

  Dawson skated parallel with him on the far side of the goal. Sam lined up his shot, and then passed the puck to Dawson at the last minute. Raptors defense surged at Dawson, who sent a lightning fast puck back to Sam.

  Sam tucked it into the top shelf.

  The lamp lit. The siren blasted and the Canadian Tire Center went bat shit fucking crazy. Elizabeth along with them.

  Hats rained down on the ice.

  She hugged stranger after stranger. Tears streamed down her face and made her vision blurry.

  Sam had done it and done it in style.

  Chapter 28

  Chris and Maddy dropped her off outside Sam’s apartment in the ByWard Market. Along with his text asking her to stay in town tonight, he’d texted her the door code, so she let herself in.

  A large loft space with exposed ducts and brick walls, the place might have been modern and cool, if it didn’t currently have all the appeal of a warehouse.

  “Hello,” she called, just to hear her voice echo.

  One leather sofa squatted more or less in the middle of the cavernous space in front of an enormous television. Even bigger than the one he’d given Danica.

  At the far end of the loft, a mattress and base set pressed against a wall. On the floor beside his bed, sat a cell phone charger and a book.

  To the right of the door, a huge, modern kitchen occupied the space facing the living area. Top of the range appliances, granite countertops, polished concrete floors, which were warm under her feet so must be heated, made her want to whip up something amazing.

  One cup sat on the draining board. An inspection of the cupboards revealed not much more.

  In a utility area separated by a wall from the kitchen was Sam’s hockey gear. All of it tossed into the room in a malodorous jumble that made her shut the door.

  This was not a home.

  Sam texted her he would be a while. There was a post-game debrief, and then he had a bit of conditioning work scheduled.

  Not knowing what else to do, Elizabeth flicked on the television. Replays of tonight’s game, with Marc Gracie holding forth filled the silence.

  Next she found clean sheets and made the bed.

  Sam’s bathroom made her want to girl-squeal. A large claw-foot tub sat in a window box behind one-way glass. You could lie in there and watch the city while you had your bath. A massive shower bristling with stainless steel hardware made her picture Sam in there.

  Naked.

  And also absent.

  Outside the apartment, the city bustled with Friday night partiers. When she found nothing in the fridge, she ventured out.

  A nearby shopping center provided her with a big Whole Foods. Elizabeth got enough groceries for a meal and a couple of extra
s for Sam’s fridge. Next she found a liquor commission and stocked up on wine and a six-pack for Sam.

  French and English voices rose on all sides of her as Elizabeth hurried through the sinus-numbing cold to Sam’s apartment.

  She let herself into the apartment and almost tripped over a bag and a coat.

  “There you are.” Sam strode across the loft toward her. Still in his suit, tie tugged halfway down his chest, he looked grumpy and rumpled. “I thought you weren’t here.”

  “No.” Elizabeth indicated her bags. “I went out for a few things.”

  He took the bags from her and dumped them on the kitchen counter. His mood was a total downer after an incredible night.

  Sam turned and grabbed her around the waist. “I’m grumpy because I got home, and you weren’t here. I thought you might not have come.”

  “Sam.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Where else would I want to be?” Cupping his beautiful face in her palms, she made him look at her. “You were un-fucking-believable tonight.”

  He flushed and looked a bit coy. “Yeah?”

  “You know you were.” She called his bullshit. “But your apartment is empty, so I went out for a few things.”

  “Okay.” He grinned.

  Their night was back on track. “Okay. Now you owe me a glass of wine.”

  “Coming right up.” He didn’t release her but slanted his mouth over hers instead.

  His kiss liquefied her bones and she clung tighter to him, wrapping her legs around his waist.

  Cupping her ass in his palms, he deepened the kiss and groaned. “I missed you, Lizzie.”

  “Show me.”

  Sam whimpered and pressed his forehead to hers. He slid her down his body. “I would love nothing more, babe. But I hurt in every moving part.”

  She couldn’t resist the tease. “Every moving part?”

  “Every. Single. One.” He let her slide down his body and gave her a lascivious wink. “How about I pop a couple of pain killers while you drink that wine.”

  “Wow, Sam.” She put some sass in her walk as she went into the kitchen. “I thought you were years away from having to pop a couple of pills.”

  “Ha ha.” Sam winced his way out of his jacket and dropped it on the kitchen counter.