by Steph
“Did you watch the pre-game show? Did they mention him? Did they—”
“I just got home, too. So, no, I didn’t see any of it. And I already ordered pizza so we don’t have to worry about dinner.”
Without taking her eyes off the TV, Aly hugged her sister. “Keep your eyes peeled. I know he’s going to play tonight. I just know it.”
“You know if he plays well, he might not come back, right?”
“I know that.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
No, she wasn’t. She just didn’t know how to fix it. Couldn’t fix it. “Maybe I’d be willing to find a way to make it work.”
Vivi didn’t say anything right away and Aly snuck a glance away from the TV.
“What?”
Her sister smiled. “It’s kind of nice to see you want something enough to mess with your schedule.”
Aly held Vivi’s gaze. “Am I really that rigid?”
Vivi grimaced. Then she nodded. “Yeah. Sometimes. You know I love you, sis, but sometimes I think you’re never going to bust out of your shell and have a real life. And you’re gonna miss so much.”
“And now Hatch takes the puck for the Colonials. The twenty-eight-year-old is making his NHL debut tonight…”
The rest was lost as she and Vivi squealed and locked hands, bouncing up and down on the couch.
Tears actually popped into her eyes as she watched Riley race down the ice with the puck before passing to another player and getting checked into the boards.
For the next two hours, as they watched the game and ate dinner between periods, Aly watched Riley’s every move. She held her breath every time he was on the ice and only breathed when he headed for the bench.
Even with her extremely limited knowledge of the game, she could tell he was doing well. He seemed to be on the ice often, CJ always with him. They played well together, and by the end of the night, although neither of them had scored, the announcers had mentioned Riley as a good addition to the third line.
She had no idea what that meant other than that he’d done well. He’d had an assist on one of the team’s goals, which helped because it’d been a tie game until then.
The Colonials had gone on to score again and won the game.
She and her sister had high-fived then Vivi had said she was heading out to meet up with friends.
And left Aly alone.
She reached for her phone without thinking, even though she knew there was no way he’d call or text now.
But she still sat there with her phone in her hand until she went to bed an hour later.
* * * * *
“We want you to take practice with the team tomorrow and Thursday, and we’ll make a determination about Friday then. You had a great game tonight, Riley. We’re all pleased with your play and looking forward to seeing what else you can do. See you tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Coach. I appreciate this opportunity.”
Coach Angstadt smiled and clapped him on the shoulder in his office. He’d called Riley in as soon as he’d been showered and dressed after the game.
Because of the cellphone-blackout in the locker room, Riley had been counting down the minutes until he could call Aly. And his parents, of course.
But first, he wanted to hear her voice. Couldn’t fucking wait to hear her voice.
“Just keep doing what you’re doing and I think you’ll be pleased with the results.”
Riley left with a nod and headed out of the office, not surprised to see CJ waiting in the hall, looking nervous as hell.
Riley grabbed his shoulder and gave him a little shake. “Breathe, CJ. You played a great game.”
That made the kid smile. “You, too, man. All right. You gonna wait for me?”
“Won’t leave without you.”
Another smile and the kid headed into the office and Riley headed back to the locker room.
He wanted to grab his coat and his bag and head out so he could call Aly, but Travis met him at his locker.
“You ready to get out of here?” Travis smacked him on the back as he pulled on his jacket. “Time to celebrate.”
Riley grinned at him and nodded. “Sounds good. I just need to make a call. Told CJ I’d wait for him, too.”
He had to raise his voice to be heard over the rest of the team. They’d been on a three-game losing streak before tonight and were psyched about the win.
“Well, hurry up. There’s alcohol to drink and women to hit on.”
Colin joined them, nudging Riley with his shoulder. “What’d Coach say? You staying?”
“At least until Thursday. I’m gonna take practice with the team then I guess he’ll make a decision.”
Riley was cautiously optimistic but wasn’t getting his hopes up
“You don’t have anything to worry about.” Travis clapped him on the back again. “Come on. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Sure. CJ should be out in a— wait, there he is.”
Colin twisted to look over his shoulder. “You two had a great night.”
CJ was grinning like a loon as he practically ran over to them. Apparently, he was staying, too. Good. The kid had played an amazing game.
“Coach said you’re staying, too. That’s awesome.”
Laughing, Riley put his arm around CJ’s shoulders and steered him toward the door.
“Yeah, it is. Come on, kid. Let’s go celebrate. I just gotta make a call first.”
CJ’s grin turned sly. “Gonna call Aly?”
Now he smacked the kid on the back of the head. “You’re just jealous. You gonna call your parents?”
“Shit.” CJ shook his head. “We better leave now.”
Riley was still laughing when he finally found a quiet spot in the hall to make his call.
She answered on the second ring.
“Riley?”
“Hey.”
“Hi. We saw the game. You looked great!”
Damn, it was good to hear her voice. “Thanks. We had a great game.”
“I’m so happy for you. Are you going out to celebrate?’
“CJ and I and a couple of the guys are heading to a bar.”
She paused for a second. Or maybe he just imagined it. “I’m really happy for you, Riley. So…are you staying in Philly?”
“Yeah, at least until Thursday. Coach said they’d decide whether or not to keep me or send me down.”
“I have no doubt they’re going to keep you.”
Well, hell. She didn’t have to sound so damn happy about it. Which was stupid to even think about.
“Thanks. I’m happy with the way I played.”
“You should be.”
“If I’m still here Friday, do you want to come to the game?”
Another quick pause. “I… Can I let you know that morning? I’d really love to come but—”
“Yeah, no problem. I guess I’ll wait to hear from you.”
“Oh, wait. Do you—oh, I forgot. You’re going out.”
“Yeah. And I still need to give my parents a call.”
Another pause.
“I’m so glad you called, Riley. I don’t want to keep you from your parents. I just… I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Sure. Night.”
He hung up before she could respond and the second the call disconnected, he wanted to throw his phone against the wall.
Goddammit.
That was not how he’d wanted that conversation to go.
He felt like he’d just blown playoff game seven with a turnover in the defensive end. His heart pounding, he took a couple of deep breaths. Getting pissed wasn’t going to help. Besides, if he stayed in Philly, he might never see her again.
Which would totally suck.
Shit.
And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it now. Now, it was time to celebrate finally achieving his goal.
Tomorrow, he needed to make sure he held on to his spot on this team.
And maybe to st
art getting over this damn crush he had on a girl who obviously didn’t care enough about him.
* * * * *
“You look like shit.”
Aly gave her sister a death glare as she headed for the coffeepot. “Gee, thanks. And what are you doing up this early, anyway?”
Vivi shrugged. “Haven’t been to bed yet. And I wanted to know if he called last night.”
Pouring herself coffee, Aly didn’t answer until she’d taken her first sip.
“Yes, he called.”
And she’d been an ass.
“That’s it? He called.” Vivi sighed. “What’d he say?”
“That he’ll be staying in Philly at least until Friday.”
“Ah.”
Yeah, ah. That kind of summed up her feelings this morning.
She’d told herself last night that she was happy for him. And she was. She really was. But she was also practical and she knew that if he stayed with the Colonials, their relationship was doomed.
What relationship? You spent two nights together. What the hell did you expect? A proposal?
Of course not.
“Aly? You’re thinking way too hard this early. You’re making my brain hurt.”
“You’re right. It’s too early for this.”
Vivi tipped her head to look at her. “Why do I get the feeling we’re not talking about the same thing?”
Because they weren’t and her sister was no fool. “I need to break it off. Tell him it was nice while it lasted and cut ties.”
“Uh-huh.”
Aly shot her sister another glare. “And what does that mean?”
“Doesn’t mean a thing.” Vivi shrugged, pissing off Aly even more. “I think you’re totally right.”
Of course, she was right.
Then why is it so hard to breathe?
“It would never work out.” Aly took another sip of coffee and watched her sister nod.
“Uh-huh.”
“I just need to let this go.”
Her sister nodded sagely. “Yep.”
“You’re totally mocking me, aren’t you?”
Vivi shrugged but her lips twitched. “Maybe a little.” Then she rolled her eyes. “Jesus, Aly. A blind person could see how much you like the guy. So you won’t be able to jump his bones every night. If he likes you as much as he seems to, he won’t be a prick and cheat on you. He’ll wait for you and you can send disgustingly sweet texts every day, and when he’s on a road trip, you can send him tit pics.”
About to open her mouth and protest, she snapped it shut when Vivi started to laugh.
“Okay, maybe no titty pictures. But, Aly…live a little. Life doesn’t only happen in this little bubble of our house and the hospital. Hell, even Mom and Dad figured that out. And now, I’m going to bed. I have used up all my brain power and need to recharge.”
With a wry grin, Vivi headed out of the kitchen.
And Aly sipped her coffee, wondering how to break a two-decade habit of being a stick in the mud.
* * * * *
“Hatch, come in and close the door and take a seat.”
Stone-faced, Riley followed Coach’s orders Thursday morning and slipped into the chair in front of the desk. Still angry with himself for a shitty practice this morning, he figured he was headed back to Reading and the Redtails.
The guys would probably be glad to see him. At least he had that to look forward to.
“Tough morning. You struggled to hit the net, had some trouble making passes.”
“Yes, sir.” His jaw locked against the need to make excuses. He didn’t have any. He’d sucked. Maybe self-sabotage. Maybe nothing more than a bad morning. He only knew one thing. He—
“Well, hopefully you’ll play better tonight.” Coach smiled. “We’re adding you and CJ to the third line. We like what you add to the team. Your grit and determination and his speed, combined with your ability to work together, are exactly what we need right now.”
Coach went on to say more and Riley heard and responded to everything, but half of his brain was doing somersaults in victory.
He’d made it. He’d fucking made it.
“Get yourself fed and rested and back here ready to play tonight. And send CJ in if he’s out there.”
As Coach stood, he held out his hand. Riley jumped to his feet and shook, his face actually hurt from smiling.
“Yes, sir. And thank you.”
He walked out into the hall, still grinning, and caught sight of CJ, slumped against the wall waiting. The kid shoved away from the wall, eyes wide like a deer in the headlights.
Riley nodded toward the coach’s office. “You’re up.” He reached for CJ’s shoulder. “Breathe. Seriously. Try not to pass out.”
“What’d he say?”
“We’ll talk when you get out, okay? I’ll wait for you.”
CJ looked ridiculously relieved. “Okay, yeah. Sounds good.”
Then he disappeared behind the door and Riley started to grin again. He needed to call his parents. His dad had mentioned flying in for a game. He didn’t think they’d be able to get in by tonight, but they had another game Saturday night and one Tuesday. Maybe they’d be able to get here for one of those.
And what about Aly?
Should he call? Text? Hell, did she even want to hear from him? Or had she already written him off? They’d exchanged a few texts over the past two days but he’d been busy so there hadn’t been many.
Fuck, maybe he needed to face facts. She just wasn’t that into him. Maybe she never had been. Or maybe she’d only wanted him when it’d been convenient.
Either way, she fucked with his head, and he didn’t need that right now.
So he pulled out his phone and called his parents.
And tried not to think about a certain blonde.
Chapter Eight
Aly paused Friday afternoon, teeth lodged in her upper lip, thumbs poised over her phone.
Bliss’s text enticed like the promise of a strong margarita at Third and Spruce after work.
Come over to our place tonight to watch the Colonials game. Lori and Cary will be here and a few other guys from the team. We can’t wait to watch Riley and CJ again!!!
She so wanted to go. The desire was a gnawing ache in her gut.
She’d been moping most of the afternoon, figuring she’d be home watching the game by herself tonight because Vivi had to work.
For the past day, she’d thought about contacting Bliss but had talked herself out of it. The Redtails probably had a game or, if they didn’t, why would they even think to invite her along with them? She really didn’t know anyone on the team.
But Bliss hadn’t forgotten her. And she wanted to go.
But…Riley hadn’t called or texted.
Not since yesterday morning. And even though she’d picked up the phone a thousand times to contact him, she hadn’t. She hadn’t known what to say. That wasn’t right either.
She’d known exactly what she should’ve said.
“I miss you. I’m so happy for you. I can’t wait to see you.”
But she also knew this was the biggest break of his career and she wanted him to succeed so she didn’t want to distract him.
If you’d even be a distraction.
Maybe he’d moved on. Maybe he’d spent the last two nights picking up women.
But she knew that wasn’t right, either. She knew there was no way Riley would screw up this chance.
Fuck it.
I would love to! Thanks for asking. What can I bring?
Glancing at the clock, she sighed when she realized she still had two hours before she could leave. And another two before the game started.
Damn, how much did that suck?
About as much as waking up this morning and wishing he was lying next to her, smiling that grin of his. The one she’d seen Monday morning. The one that made her toes curl. And the one that usually made opposing players want to punch him.
God, she was so stupid. She wan
ted Riley any way she could get him.
And you probably lost him for good.
No. Just…no.
She’d figure something out, even if she had to go to Philly and bang on the glass at the next home game to get his attention.
But for that, she was gonna need help.
Good thing she knew a few guys who would know exactly what to do.
* * * * *
“Riley, my friend. How are you?”
“Jake.” Riley grinned, his mood immediately lifted as he held his phone to his ear. “Hey, man. How’s it going?”
“That is a question I will be asking you. You looked good last night. You and CJ. Tonight you will be even better.”
Last night’s game had been a hard-fought battle for sixty long minutes. The Colonials had been on top of the game the entire night until the final minutes when the Hawks had scored twice, winning the game.
“Thanks, man. So you got to watch?”
“Yes, most of the team was at Shane’s place last night to watch. Some people who weren’t with the team, too.”
If he’d been a dog, Riley’s ears would’ve pointed. “Oh yeah? Like who?”
“Like Allison. Very pretty. Confused as to what she saw in you but seems like a smart lady otherwise.”
Sitting in his car in the arena’s underground parking lot, Riley shook his head, ignoring the sharp pain in his chest at the mention of her name. He’d arrived early for tonight’s game, but once he entered the arena, he’d have to turn his phone off. The team banned cell phone use once the guys got to the arena before a game and until they were on their way home afterward.
“And fuck you twice, my Russian friend. Don’t you have a game tonight that you need to be getting ready for?”
Jake laughed. “That is all you have to say? I am disappointed. What happened to Chickie? Seems your new team might need a guy like you tonight. Get people fired up. And your geography skills remain sadly lacking. Okay, I only want to call and give you hard time. And tell you good luck tonight.”
By the time Jake had shut up, Riley was grinning.
“Hey, Jake. Thanks. I appreciate the love.”
“I have much love to spread today so is no problem. Just remember the little people you came up with, yes? Talk to you soon.”