Game Misconduct (Five for Fighting #1)

by Amber Lynn

  Sighing, he finished undressing and headed for the showers. Holcomb showing up delayed the quick shower and drive home that Dylan had planned. The guys spent the ten minutes it took him to wash the sweat off providing their own ideas for what Holcomb wanted to talk about.

  The ideas showed Dylan just how juvenile twenty-year-olds could get when they were in a group and could feed off the bad notions of others. From washing Holcomb’s car to teaching him how to search for porn on the Internet, the ideas were scary.

  “You sure you don’t want to head to the bar and see what they can come up with after a few beers?”

  Nelson knew the answer to his question before he asked. The banter had only tired Dylan out. Having to deal with it and the women who were more than likely going to try to get his attention was more than he could handle.

  “If you think I’m missing anything, just record it on that phone you can’t live without and show it to me tomorrow. I’m heading straight home, fixing something quick to eat, and then going to bed alone.”

  “You’re such an old man. Make sure to soak your dentures and drink plenty of fiber tonight.” The joke was one Nelson repeated frequently. Dylan couldn’t wait for Nelson to settle down a little so he could turn the tables on him.

  “I’ll make sure you’re following me out of the parking lot. Since I’m so old, I’ll keep the speed limit in the very safe zone of under ten miles an hour.”

  “I think that’s my cue to leave. Give me a call after your meeting and I’ll bring you over a bag of prunes.”

  Nelson held out his fist and Dylan connected. If Dylan didn’t have to put his shoes on, he would’ve walked out with Nelson to try to pick his brain about what Holcomb really wanted. Instead, Nelson left with most of the other guys and Dylan hurried to head home. He had a plate of chicken enchiladas calling his name.

  Chapter Two

  “So, do you have to stick around here, or do you want to head over to Blue Diamond?”

  Casey watched as the last few fans trickled out of the arena before turning to her companion. Two guys remained in the section next to them, chatting about something, but the rest of the place was empty. It was only a matter of time before security showed up and asked the men to leave.

  Steph was an interesting friend to pick up at a hockey game, interesting because she had the biggest crush possible on the captain of the team. That left Casey with the unfortunate privilege of hearing every detail about Dylan Jones’ life, something she could care less about.

  She hoped most of the gossip being shared turned out to be false. It wasn’t good for the team if the captain had a sex dungeon with a revolving door ushering women in. Steph hadn’t provided that nugget, but the latest tabloid article about him had.

  What Dylan did in his personal life was his business, but the stories leaking out to the world as a whole had the ability to make people lose focus. Casey’s father would put a hit out on Dylan before he let his extracurricular activities bring the team down. Knowing her dad, he’d probably strangle the player with his bare hands.

  “I don’t have to stay around here, but there’s no way I’m going to be seen at Blue Diamond tonight. I come to the games to enjoy myself and I don’t want people to think I’m just here checking out the guys, or a guy in particular, by showing up where they all hang out.”

  Casey had made the mistake of going to the local bar to grab a quick bite after a game only once. The women who flaunted themselves, hoping to get one of the player’s attentions were too much for Casey to watch.

  Sure, some of the guys were good looking. Steph’s brother was considered by some to be a male model in hockey skates, but Casey couldn’t deal with the amount of attention most of the players got from the opposite sex. A single boyfriend with a wandering eye had taught her at the tender age of seventeen that there were men who had trouble with monogamy. That boyfriend ended up teaching her a lot more than that, but because of him, Casey didn’t date.

  “I’m sure no one will think you have a thing for Dylan after all that yelling you do each game. Was it really necessary to yell that he shouldn’t get drunk before the games? He’s been straight-edge sober for three years now.”

  There was a bit of determination in Steph’s hazel eyes. She hated when Casey tried to egg Dylan on. Casey figured with all the devotion the man got from every other female on the planet, someone had to keep his head from getting too big. Sometimes she took things a little far, and received death stares from anyone who could hear her, but that didn’t stop her.

  “I’m sure Dylan is a big boy, and I know for a fact he hears worse when they play on the road.”

  For away games, Casey’s voice tended to blend in with a full slew of insults. Most of the time, Casey’s were the kindest things being said.

  Steph pulled her long blond curls up into a ponytail and sighed. Casey knew she wanted to get over to Blue Diamond to see if Dylan showed up. He was the reason Steph crammed herself into the tight red dress she wore that accentuated the top of her chest.

  Casey didn’t bother dressing up for games, which was why she sat down with the normal people instead of camping out in the team’s suite. Blue jeans and a team jersey was what she’d worn all season, and since the team was doing well, she wasn’t going to change her routine.

  “But he shouldn’t have to hear it at home. So, do you want to walk out together? If the security people didn’t know who you were, I imagine they would’ve shooed us out by now.”

  “There are perks to being the owner’s daughter. I think I’ll run up and check on my dad real quick. He sent me a cryptic text during the game about leaving my afternoon open tomorrow. I’m meeting with two of our corporate sponsors, so I won’t have a lot of time for whatever bee’s in his bonnet.”

  “I’ll leave you to it then. I guess I’ll see you at the next game, unless you want to get together tomorrow night.”

  Casey didn’t mean to visually show how much she abhorred that idea by shaking her head, but the reddish hair along the side of her face moved as her head did. Hanging out during games was one thing. She knew from the way their conversations had gone that Steph and her weren’t on the same life paths.

  Casey was career-oriented, trying to prove to everyone that she wasn’t riding on her father’s coattails as the Vice President of Marketing for the team. Steph had lived in Oshawa, Ontario until her brother had brought Dylan home with him one weekend. Two weeks after she met Dylan, she was crashing at her brother’s condo, just to be closer to her crush.

  A crush who barely gave her the time of day as far as Casey had observed.

  “I’m going with my dad to a charity ball. Since it’s the charity we helped create, it’s kind of important that I show up. I’m surprised Nelson didn’t tell you about it. The players usually aren’t in town, but since they are this year, they all got invites.”

  “Seriously? An actual ball, ball? I went to a couple school dances, but I’ve never been to a ball. I wonder if that’s why Nels didn’t tell me about it. He thinks I’ll embarrass him.” For a split second Steph pondered her words before she continued. “Well, if he’s going, I want to go.”

  “I haven’t seen the latest RSVP list, so maybe he decided not to come. Ask him about it, and if you can talk him into going, I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

  Casey was satisfied that her immediate dismay at thinking about spending time with Steph was absolved. If Steph showed up, there were going to be tons of people to keep her attention, and Casey always kept busy rubbing elbows with the donors.

  “What cause are we celebrating?”

  Most people really didn’t care about the details. They just wanted to be seen, so Casey liked that her companion made an effort to find out more information.

  “Breast cancer. My mother died from it when I was three, so we celebrate her life every year with a ball.”

  Casey saw the instant pity she usually saw in the eyes of someone who just heard about her mom. It had been over twenty y
ears since her mother passed away, and Casey didn’t have a lot of memories that stirred up the emotions someone who had recently lost a loved one went through.

  “I’m so sorry to hear about your mom. I figured since your dad wasn’t married that there’d been a divorce. Since everyone says your dad bought the team with his wife’s money, I just assumed it was a divorce settlement.”

  “That would be the day. Gary Holcomb doesn’t fail at anything, and a divorce would serve as a failure in his mind. I was just a baby when she died, so the charity is really for my dad.”

  Casey didn’t touch the divorce settlement claim. She’d heard it, but anyone who did even a bit of research would’ve figured out the truth.

  “Well, I’ll try to talk Nels into letting me go with him. Of course that means while you’re busy rubbing shoulders with corporate sponsors, I’ll be out dress shopping. Is there any specific color I should be looking for? Breast cancer events are usually pink, right?”

  “There isn’t a specific dress code. People dress up because it’s a ball, but if I wasn’t trying to raise money, I’d be in a pair of jeans and a tank top.” The tank top probably wasn't likely, but Casey preferred comfort over being stuffed in a dress with her oxygen supply cut off.

  “It will be fun to see you in something other than jeans. I better head over to the bar to keep an eye on Nels. I doubt he talked Dylan into stopping by, so someone has to make sure he stays out of trouble.”

  Steph gathered her purse and blew Casey a kiss as she made her way up the stairs to the exit. It always annoyed Casey that she didn’t take the various food and beverage containers she’d accumulated during the game to the trash can in the hallway. Most of the fans left a mess for the crew that worked their way through the stands after everyone left.

  It was once in a blue moon when Casey ate any food at the arena, but she always made sure to clean up after herself. That was why she bent down and grabbed the pretzel container and two empty beer cans that Steph had left behind. Casey feared the shape Nelson’s condo was in.

  After doing her part to keep the arena clean, Casey made her way down the empty hallways over to the executive offices. She’d walked the lonely corridors many times after games. In the arena proper, the floor was boring white institutional tile, making Casey’s steps quick to get away from it. Striped gray carpet squares led the path to her father’s office, but seeing the man she was looking for walking towards her, paused her forward progress.

  “Just the man I was looking for. I’m surprised you’re heading out so soon.”

  “We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow, so I want to make sure to get plenty of sleep. I hope you aren’t going to pull an all-nighter, princess.”

  Holcomb made his way to his daughter and leaned in to give her a kiss on her cheek. Casey was sure no one else from the front office was around, because he never showed affection at work if others could see it. To everyone else, he was the big man in charge who showed no emotion.

  “No all-nighter tonight. I’ve got to look good for the pictures tomorrow. I confirmed that the paper is going to send a photographer. I’m sure we won’t make the front page, but they might have a cute gallery online.”

  “I’m sure you’ll look beautiful no matter what. Did you need something from your office, or are you just making sure I get home at a decent hour?”

  Casey hooked her arm in her dad’s and tugged him back towards the way she’d come from.

  “I wanted to ask you about the text I got during the second period. Is there a reason why we can’t cover whatever you need to talk about on the way to your car?” Casey’s schedule was tight and she wanted to do what she could to get out of an actual meeting.

  “I think you’re a little confused about who’s walking who out, princess. I assume you’re parked in your designated spot, so I think we’ll head straight there.”

  “I love how you totally avoided the part about what you wanted to talk about. I take that to mean you aren’t going to get it over with.”

  Holcomb hit the button for the elevator and smiled. “You know me too well. I checked your calendar, so I know you’re free around two-thirty. Do you think you have a few minutes you can spend with your dad?”

  “Can you tell me if the conversation is going to be about business or not. If you’re going to ask me about results from any of the various projects I’ve got going on, I may need to rework things. I have most of the information fresh in my head, but I’ll want to make sure I have updated numbers.”

  Pulling numbers would take more time Casey didn’t have, but if the boss wanted them, she’d have to make time. She started making mental lists to figure out the most efficient way to get him whatever he wanted.

  “It’s not anything you’ll need to research. I just want to have a little chat, and I know we’ll both be busy with the ball. I expect you’re going to leave early to get ready.”

  Leaving early most days meant any time before eight, so chances were good his words were true. The ball started at seven, and Casey had planned to spend most of the morning making sure the massive list of things that needed to be done for the ball were taken care of. Scheduling appointments in the afternoon had been foolish, but working things in wasn’t always easy.

  “If things go as planned, I’ll be out of here by five. It will only take me about twenty minutes to get ready, so I’ll have at least an hour to verify all my directions were followed.”

  Holcomb laughed as they stepped out of the elevator and made their way over to the underground parking. Casey saw only three cars, her dad’s dark blue coupe, her black sedan and another black sedan of a different model. As they stood there, they watched the other vehicle pull out and head towards the exit.

  Casey wasn’t surprised that Dylan Jones was the last player to leave. As much as she teased him, he had a great work ethic. He didn’t seem to see the two of them standing there, because he made no attempts to acknowledge them, and Casey thought seeing her father would’ve garnered at least a wave.

  “What do you think of our franchise player?” Holcomb asked the question as he held open Casey’s car door.

  Casey stood between the frame of the car and the door and looked at her father. A slight glint in his eyes told her the question was a loaded one.

  “What’s there for me to think about him? He’s a great hockey player, which makes my life easier, but I haven’t actually met him. From what I hear, there are things in his personal life that could become distractions to the team if they blow up.”

  Casey added a little shrug at the end to let her dad know she wasn’t one of the love-struck fools who sat at home and pined for Dylan. She was fairly certain he knew that, but making sure wasn’t a bad idea.

  “I didn’t take you for someone who read the gossip magazines. You don’t actually believe the things they say about him, do you?”

  “What does it matter?” Holcomb looked like he was going to answer what Casey thought was a rhetorical question, so she held up a hand to stop him. “No, I don’t believe the things I read about him. As far as my reading the magazines to begin with, consider it part of my job to make sure our franchise player doesn’t make a spectacle out of himself.”

  Holcomb nodded. “Good. I suppose it’s important for you to know those things if they affect the team.”

  “I know I haven’t been at the job a full year yet, but I like to think I have a good handle on things.”

  Casey hoped the conversation wasn’t going to stretch on much longer. As much as she loved her dad, she really just wanted to get home and unwind.

  “You’re definitely different than the last person to hold your title. Phil wouldn’t have sat down in the crowds to save himself, and I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t admonish certain players for every little mistake they made on the ice. Or bring up their drinking habits. Or insult their mothers. Did you really have to say the one about his mother mating with a sloth? That was just bizarre.”

  Casey’s cheeks turned a
light shade of pink at her father’s words. It seemed everyone thought she went a little bit too far with her comments.

  “How in the world do you hear what I yell? You sit half an arena away.”

  “Just because I’m getting older, doesn’t mean I’ve lost my hearing. You scream louder than my drill sergeant in boot camp.”

  If there was ever any question about whether Dylan heard her words, all doubts evaporated. The way he sometimes looked in her general direction, Casey already knew that he heard quite a few of the things she’d said.

  “A trait I’m sure I picked up from you. I like to think of my taunts as motivation.” Casey didn’t think her father needed to know she wanted to deflate Dylan’s ego a little.

  “They’re brave is what they are. One of those fans sitting around you may have a little too much to drink one night and take offense.” The worry around Holcomb’s eyes was something Casey had to deal with on a daily basis.

  “I sit next to his biggest fan, so that’s a threat every night. Don’t worry. I sized her up and I can take her.”

  After Steph drank a few beers, she was lucky to be able to stand on her own two feet. Casey was fairly certain fighting would turn into a joke.

  “Just be careful. The world is a scary place and you’re all I have.”

  “Don’t worry. It’s going to take a lot more than an angry mob of Dylan Jones fans to take me away from you. Are you all set for tomorrow night?”

  Casey wanted to steer the talk away from her dying as quickly as possible. On the eve of the anniversary of her mother’s death, she wanted the conversation to be a little more cheerful.

  “All you let me do is put on a suit. Some years you don’t even let me tie my own tie, so it doesn’t take much for me to be ready.”

  “You’ve got so much else going on that you shouldn’t need to do anything more than that. This year you’ll have to tie your own tie, since I’ll be at the banquet hall making sure all the finishing touches are done. Things have always gone pretty smoothly, but with the new person running things, I want to make sure everything is in order.”