Overtime: A Moo U Hockey Romance

by Kat Mizera

“Not once you’re in a graduate program.”

  “Will you lose credit for everything you’ve done so far?”

  “Not everything, I don’t think. All of my projects have had an element of biology to them since that’s what I love, but I don’t know how the course work will translate if I move over to biotech.”

  “The best person to help you sort through all that is Dr. Lancet.”

  “For sure.”

  He reached across the table and put his hands over mine. “Don’t worry so much. You’re brilliant and hard-working, with a good head on your shoulders. I think you know what you want, but you’ve been pulled in so many directions, for so long, you haven’t been able to focus on what you’ll need going forward.”

  “Sometimes it feels like I’m never going to get there, like I’m just spinning my wheels so I can make everyone else happy and my own needs are way down on the list.”

  “I think I take care of lots of your needs,” he said under his breath, his blue eyes darkening.

  I swallowed. I loved when he looked at me like he was going to throw me against the wall and rip my clothes off. Speaking of which, he hadn’t done anything like that yet, and I made a mental note to add it to the sexual bucket list I’d started.

  “Something is going on your special bucket list,” he said knowingly. I’d told him about the list, though I hadn’t let him see it yet.

  I grinned, wiggling my eyebrows. “Mayyyybe.”

  “Can’t you at least give me a hint?”

  I opened my mouth to answer just as his phone rang and I clearly saw the word “Dad” flashing on the screen. He made a face, hesitating.

  “Go on,” I told him. “When was the last time you talked to him?”

  “Not long enough.”

  “Get it over with or he’ll probably call back a dozen times.”

  “Shit.” He grabbed the phone and put it to his ear. “Hi, Dad.”

  17

  Patrick

  “It’s about time.” My father’s voice held that same hard-edge tone it always had when he called me. It was one of a dozen reasons I rarely answered when he did.

  “How’s it going?” I asked him, gazing across the table at Ellie and she just squeezed my hand since I was still holding one of hers with my free one.

  “What’s going on with the Sidewinders?” he asked automatically.

  “I don’t know. I don’t play for them yet.”

  “Don’t be a smartass.”

  “We have this same conversation every time you call. Nothing has changed. I’m still in college.”

  “Dammit, son, you’re on fire right now! You need to ride this momentum into the pros. This year! Maybe even now, if they get into the playoffs.”

  “Even if I decide to go pro early, it’s not going to be before the end of the semester,” I said quietly.

  “Listen to me,” he continued, “there’s no reason to wait. That degree isn’t going to do anything for you but—”

  “The degree isn’t going to do anything for me?” I demanded. “You mean the one you wished you’d gotten a thousand times after you got hurt?”

  There was silence on the other end and I knew he was gearing up to explode. He hated when I threw that in his face, so I did it whenever I wanted him to stop whatever he was doing to aggravate me. Like trying to force me to make a decision I wasn’t sure I was ready to make.

  “You’ve been using that lame-ass excuse your whole goddamn life,” Dad growled. “You think I’m a loser because I got hurt in my first season and didn’t make a lot of money? That what’s bugging you? You don’t want to be a loser like me if you get hurt?”

  “You’re not a loser,” I snapped. “But right now, you’re being an asshole and I’m tired of it. You don’t yell at Paxton, you yell at me. You don’t mind if he gets his degree, but you don’t want me to get mine. You’re—”

  “Because you’re better than he is!”

  “That’s not true.” It might have been true when we were younger, but not anymore. I was one of the best college players anywhere but Paxton was up there too. It was why we’d both been drafted in the first round. His skill was also a big part of the reason why Paxton was going to the pros now, instead of waiting another year; he was hot and on their radar. He didn’t want to take the chance someone hotter would catch their eye and he’d wind up down in the minors. The fact that he had enough credits to graduate factored into his decision as well, of course, but there was a little fear that I didn’t have because I’d never worried about my skill or my game.

  Dad was still talking, trying to explain about my god-given athleticism and wasted opportunities, but I’d tuned him out. I was staring into Ellie’s pretty face, which was etched with concern at the moment, her eyes never leaving mine, both of her hands clasped around my one.

  “It’s okay,” she mouthed. “I’m here.”

  “I know,” I mouthed back.

  We smiled at each other and I realized she’d become the calm in my storm. I hoped I’d become hers as well, but right now she was the entire reason I could tune out my dad and hang on to my temper. Her sweet face. Her firm grip on my hand. The bright blue eyes watching me worriedly.

  “Patrick, are you listening?”

  “I’m listening,” I said after a moment. “I just don’t know what to say. Not now and not the other five hundred times we’ve had some version of this conversation. I want to get my degree and since I’ve spent most of my time focused on hockey, instead of school, I don’t have the credits to graduate. It’s that simple.”

  “There’s about a million dollars that says it’s not simple at all.”

  “That’s really all it boils down to for you, isn’t it?” I asked. “You’re so focused on the money, you can’t see the big picture. Well, I do, and I’m not ready yet. I wish I could make you understand. Anyway, sorry, Dad, but I have to get to class.” I disconnected and hung my head, closing my eyes and breathing in and out slowly.

  I felt movement behind me and then Ellie wrapped her arms around me from the back. She rested her chin on my shoulder and pressed the side of her face against mine. “We’ve got this,” she whispered. “You have me and I have you. We’re going to be okay because we have each other. You’ll see.”

  “I can honestly say you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” I said, leaning into her warmth.

  We sat like that for a little while, despite the weird looks we got since we were in the middle of the dining hall. I didn’t care, though, and Ellie held on to me as if she was holding me up instead of the other way around.

  “So…I’m guessing you don’t feel like studying,” she said as we cleaned up and headed out.

  “Actually, I feel like giving you your first hockey lesson.”

  She arched her brows. “At night?”

  “Sure. Come on.” I took her hand and we walked across campus to the hockey house. I walked in and was glad to see Lex on the couch, watching a movie.

  “Hey.” He looked up in surprise. “What’s up?”

  “You have a couple of sticks and a puck we could borrow?”

  “You don’t have a stick?” he asked, laughing. “There are about four hundred in the garage. Help yourself.”

  “Thanks.” I went in that direction and found two sticks I thought would work. Ellie was right-handed so I found a couple of right-handed sticks for us. Pucks were scattered all over the place and I picked up a few before leading Ellie out back.

  The guys had a makeshift rink set up, without the ice. There were red and blue lines spray-painted on the ground and two goalie nets, only partially covered by snow at the moment. There obviously wasn’t anywhere near the room needed for a real setup, but a lot of drunken floor hockey had been played here the last few years.

  “Your first lesson will be stickhandling,” I told Ellie, who was watching me in amusement. “Now, this is how you hold a stick properly.” I stood behind her, putting the stick in her hand and bending her body into the
right position. “It’s actually easier on skates because of balance, but you get the idea… That’s right, just like that. Now, when you shoot—” I covered her arms and hands with mine, rotating both our bodies as we wound up the shot. I swung our arms, flicked my wrist and sent the puck sailing into the dead grass about ten feet away.

  “Can we do it again?” She was concentrating on every little thing I did.

  “Sure.”

  We shot a few more times with me guiding her arms and hands. She watched intently and then went to collect all the pucks.

  “I think I get it,” she said. “Can I try now?”

  “Absolutely.” I stood a few feet behind her, watching her get herself in position. Then she wound up and sent the first puck flying up, over the fence, and out of the yard. She turned, biting back a laugh.

  “Too much?”

  “Actually, that was perfect.” I put another puck down in front of her. “If we were in a real arena. Here in the backyard, let’s try something a little shorter.”

  We had a blast as I taught her how to shoot and stickhandle. Doing it on the grass was different than on ice, of course, but there were no ice rinks open to the public right now anyway. Besides, she didn’t care. She just wanted to learn something new. She got off on trying different things, which was making life really fun in the bedroom, but it was a lot more than that.

  She was a hundred-and-ten-pound bundle of sexy fun and every damn day was a new adventure. I was completely addicted to Ellie McGinn and there wasn’t anything I could do about it.

  I played my ass off that weekend. We’d been up against a huge rival, Boston College, and we kicked ass and took names. They were a great team but no match for our energy Friday night and I racked up two goals and an assist. Paxton scored too, so we were in a good mood as we headed out to meet Ellie and Naomi.

  “You and Ellie have been inseparable these last few weeks,” Paxton said to me as we walked.

  “She’s amazing,” I said, nodding.

  “Well, damn. Now I owe Naomi ten bucks,” he muttered.

  “You guys bet on whether or not I was going to dump her?” I demanded.

  He shook his head. “Not exactly. She said this was the real deal; I said it would burn itself out in two weeks.”

  “I don’t know what it is,” I admitted, “but it’s definitely not burning itself out. Ellie’s…” My voice trailed off because I couldn’t think of the right word to describe her.

  “Special?”

  “Yeah. Smart, sweet, and sexy. The freakin’ trifecta of special.”

  “You’re right about that. Make sure you don’t fuck it up.”

  “She makes it easy to be with her. Even with her parents messing with her head and how hard she works, she’s so relaxed and casual about everything. I think about her all day long.” I cut a glance at him. “I’m falling hard, aren’t I?”

  He shrugged, lifting his hands, palms up. “Who am I to say?”

  I elbowed him. “You’re a big help.”

  “I fell hard not that long ago, and I definitely see some of the same signs.”

  “And you’re happy?” I asked him. “I mean, I know you love her, but you’re genuinely happy and like living together? You’re comfortable with the idea of taking her to Seattle? No doubts? Nothing?”

  “Nope. She’s amazing and we’re good together. Why?”

  “Ellie and I are way too new for that kind of conversation, but man, I can’t imagine leaving her now that I’ve found her.”

  “So stay another year. College is paid for, the Sidewinders aren’t going anywhere… Stay and fall in love and do what makes you happy. Don’t let Dad manipulate you out of the future you want. If Ellie is that important, you’re either going to take her with you, or stay around another year to figure it out. And anyway, it’s only February. You have time for all that.”

  “It feels serious,” I blurted out. “And it scares the shit out of me.”

  “I think it’s supposed to. I can’t speak for anyone else, of course, but it’s pretty scary when it’s the real thing with the right woman.”

  “Even at our age? I mean, she’s only nineteen.”

  “I don’t think that matters. Age is just a number.”

  “I know. And thinking about being without her in the fall makes me want to puke.”

  “Holy fuck, you’re in love.” He stared at me for a second before starting to walk again. “Been a long time coming. Better not tell Dad, though.”

  “Believe me, he’s the last person I’d tell.”

  18

  Ellie

  I met with Dr. Lancet that week, dropping by during his office hours. I’d stopped by another time but he hadn’t been there and now I fidgeted outside his door nervously. Finally, I lifted my hand and knocked.

  “Elizabeth.” He smiled at me. “Come on, come in!”

  “Thank you.” I walked in and set my backpack down. “Do you have a few minutes?”

  “For you?” His eyes twinkled. “Always.”

  I sank into the chair by his desk, but now that I was here, I wasn’t sure what to say.

  “Whatever it is, just spit it out. You look like a young woman with a lot on your mind.”

  “I…” I blew out a breath. “I hate coding all day.”

  He smiled. “I figured you would.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Would you have listened?”

  “Probably not.”

  “And that’s why I didn’t say anything.” He leaned forward. “Tell me what’s on your mind. Do you want to drop out of the program?”

  “There are so many issues at this point, it’s hard to know where to start.” I looked away, almost embarrassed.

  He didn’t say anything, waiting for me, and I finally found the words. “Science has always been my thing, but the idea of medical school makes me a little twitchy. I don’t want to be that kind of doctor. I want to be a scientist. I want to study everything at this point; I can’t even narrow down what field of biology I love the most, because I truly love it all. But my mother won’t let up about med school, so I went the other way completely, just to piss her off. And now I’m in a program I hate, doing the parts of coding I dislike, and moving further away from anything that remotely makes me happy.”

  “Ellie, it’s always been biotech,” he said gently. “You know it and I know it.”

  “How do you know it when I don’t even know it?”

  “The same way I knew you’d hate computer science.” He smiled faintly. “I’ve been around the block a few times, mentored a few students in my day.”

  I sighed.

  “You don’t have to take my word for it, but what are you going to do?”

  “My mother is cutting me off,” I admitted. “She took my car and I think the only reason she keeps paying for my phone is because she can track me that way.”

  “You and your mother are both as stubborn as they come.” He shook his head.

  Tears stung my eyelids even though I was trying to be mature and responsible about all of this. I’d been so busy with Patrick, I hadn’t allowed myself time to think about what it would mean to be on my own as soon as this summer, and talking about it now, made it real.

  “What can I do?” he asked. “Do you want me to talk to my colleagues in the biology department? See if we can move you over? It’ll be a bit like starting over, but you’re only nineteen, and with your work ethic, you’ll probably breeze through any program you get into.”

  “I’d like to find out what my options are,” I admitted. “There’s someone important in my life right now, so before I do anything, I want to run them by him first, but I need options.”

  “Of course. Let me make some calls, talk to some colleagues and see what there is to see. Stop by next week and maybe I’ll have news by then.”

  I smiled. “You’ve made my whole day. Thank you.”

  “Any time.” He paused, narrowing his eyes a little. “I know she’s
been hard on you, but maybe reach out to your mother. She loves you, Ellie, and doesn’t want you to make the same mistakes she made.” He knew my mother well since she’d taught here for a long time before retiring to write books. However, I wasn’t sure what he was alluding to.

  I arched my brows. “Mistakes?”

  He busied himself with papers on his desk. “I’ve another meeting, I’m afraid. We’ll talk next week.”

  “Thanks again.” I picked up my backpack and walked out, wondering what he’d meant about my mom, but not curious enough to actually call her. Taking the car had hurt and every time I thought about it, I wanted to cry. My father had left me a message a few days ago, but I’d ignored it. I was probably being childish, but so were they, and I was a lot closer to being a child than they were.

  Patrick and I were walking back to my dorm that night after classes when I spotted a familiar figure standing in front of the building. I slowed down and groaned under my breath.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, following my gaze.

  “It’s my dad,” I said.

  “You want me to leave?” he asked.

  “No. I don’t have anything to hide. Come on.” We went the rest of the way at our regular pace and I watched my father’s face as he realized I was holding hands with a big, sexy hunk of a guy.

  “Ellie.” He had his hands in his pockets as we approached.

  “Hi, Dad.”

  “Who’s your friend?” He met Patrick’s gaze directly.

  “Patrick Graham, sir.” Patrick held out his hand and they shook.

  “You’re on the hockey team.”

  “Yes, sir. Team captain.”

  I couldn’t be sure but I thought my father’s lips were twitching, though he tried hard to hide it. What the hell was that about? Did he find it funny that I had a boyfriend or that he was a hockey player?

  “What are you doing here?” I asked abruptly.

  He dangled familiar keys in front of me. “I’ve brought you back your car.”

  I didn’t reach for them. “You can keep it if the trade-off is me going to medical school.”