Game Changer

by Melissa Cutler

  Then, the locker room did hush.

  “Come again?” Will said.

  Brandon handed him his glove back. “I have a new opportunity in Miami and I’m taking it. I’m sorry I waited so long to tell you guys, but I wanted to tell Duke first and . . .” He shook his head.

  Duke Conner was Bomb Squad’s coach and founder. A former marine, he’d started the team more than fifteen years earlier as a way to give back to the veteran community and fill a need he saw. He took wounded veterans who were having trouble adjusting to civilian life and mentored them, found them jobs, and helped them secure places to live. His only caveat: they had to join Bomb Squad. All the guys on the team understood how lucky they were to have been offered a second chance from Duke to turn their lives around.

  Liam stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Will, his arms folded across his chest. “We’re going to need some more details than that.”

  Of all the guys on the team, Liam and Will were two of the most mentally scarred players due to their careers in the army and marines, respectively, but they were also two of the most loyal guys Brandon knew. Perhaps even more so than to the other guys, Bomb Squad was family to Liam and Will, and Brandon had a feeling they were going to take the news of his departure the hardest.

  Straddling a bench between two rows of lockers, Brandon sat and took a deep breath, then outlined for the team his plan to appear on about Meet the Groom. He fully expected somberness to descend on the room, but instead he found himself waiting patiently for them all to finish laughing themselves silly. Apparently, the idea of Brandon being on a reality TV show that focused on finding true love was the most hysterical thing they’d ever heard. Will laughed the loudest, though Liam only managed a slight smile.

  Will slapped him on the back, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. “When you find out if love is the answer, let us know, okay?”

  “I don’t follow you,” Brandon said, taken aback by Will’s amusement.

  “That’s the show’s motto, er, whatever they call it. Haven’t you seen that pussy of an announcer on the show?” Will stood and affected a haughty pose, or as haughty a pose as one could strike while being six foot four, sporting a thick beard, and build like a brick shithouse. He used the customized hockey-stick-holding prosthesis on his right hand as a microphone and affected a terrible British accent. “Find out if love is the answer, tonight on Meet the Groom.”

  Brandon cringed. “They say that on the show?”

  “At the start of every episode.”

  It was Theo’s turn to laugh. “You’re going to be on the show, but you’ve never seen it?”

  Um. . . .

  Liam snickered. “I think the better question is why does Will know so much about a stupid dating show?”

  Another explosion of laughter rattled the room.

  “Oh, bite me,” Will called over the din. “Like you’ve never watched it. The girls they get on that show are hot.”

  “I will give you that,” Elijah said.

  Theo clapped Brandon’s shoulder. “How long does filming take? You’ll be back here before the fall hockey season starts, right?”

  No wonder they’d taken the news so well. He met Gabe’s gaze from across the room, sharing a cringe.

  “No, that’s the thing, guys.” Brandon swallowed. “I’m not coming back to Destiny Falls. I’m moving away . . . permanently.”

  The room went silent.

  Gabe nodded. They two of them were solid. Gabe had been with him in the apartment when Brandon had gotten the offer from Meet the Groom. They’d discussed it, and Gabe had given him his blessing.

  They two had originally met in Walter Reed seven years earlier in the amputee rehab wing. Watching Gabe learn how to live without both arms had been Brandon’s first a-ha moment of putting his own struggles into stark perspective. The two had become fast friends and workout buddies. When Brandon heard from his prosthetist about the program that Duke had started in Destiny Falls for veterans, both the ice hockey team and the civilian jobs he helped them find, he passed the information on to Gabe.

  He’d floated the offer to Gabe to move to Miami with him, but Gabe was happy in Destiny Falls, though he fully supported Brandon’s choice to leave. It was the most that anyone could ask of a friend.

  Will dropped to the bench next to Brandon. “You’re kidding about not coming back, right?”

  He looked Will in the eye. “No. It’s time for me to move on.”

  Scowling, Will stared at his skates. “You said you told Duke already? How did he take it?”

  “He took it okay, I think. I’ve been hinting at the possibility with him for a while, so I’m sure he expected it sooner or later.”

  “We all did, but geez, you’re leaving on Monday? That’s coming up fast.”

  “I know. I didn’t want to tell you all until I’d had a chance to talk to Duke and Gabe.” And Harper. But he didn’t need to invite comments about her from the guys. More than anything else they razzed him about—his modeling career, his appetite for women—his push-and-pull relationship with Harper topped the list.

  “Gabe, you cool with this move?” Theo asked.

  Gabe held up the fist of his prosthetic hand for Brandon to bump. “Still not used to the idea, but I get it. And I am reconsidering your offer to move down there and room with you. Someone’s got to console all those chicks you don’t choose as your bride. If they want a soldier who’s an amputee, I’d be happy to oblige them. The show might limit you to choosing one contestant, but there’s enough Gabe Martinez to go around.”

  Amid the snickers and laughs, Theo said, “You’d be cool with being a consolation prize? Dude, that’s low.”

  Gabe waved them off. “Like Will said, have you seen the girls they get on that show?”

  Liam poked Brandon’s ribs with his hockey stick. “What about Harper? You tell her yet?”

  So much for avoiding that topic. “Yeah. A couple nights ago.”

  Theo sucked air through his teeth, cringing. “Clearly, she didn’t murder you or anything. So that’s got to mean it went all right.”

  She had held him at gunpoint there for a few minutes, but that had been before he’d dropped his big news. “She took it well. Not great, but . . .” He shrugged.

  “That just means she’s still plotting your murder,” Liam said.

  “I know.”

  “Guess we’re not going to Locks after the game tonight,” Will muttered.

  “Actually, I was hoping we could. Harper’s having some problems at the bar.”

  Theo crossed her arms, frowning. “I’ve been living a football field away from Locks for more than ten years, and I’ve never seen anything nefarious going on over here.”

  That was a nice sentiment and all, and Brandon wished he could take Theo’s word for that, but he hadn’t exactly come running out of Cloud Nine to assess the situation when Harper had blasted off a shot with her .22. “Then what did you think that gunshot earlier this week was all about?”

  “What gunshot?”

  “Never mind. Anyway, she’s been having issues with some biker thugs who won’t take the hint to stay away, and she doesn’t want to call the police. Bad for business, she said, which I think is a crock, but whatever. She said she’s going to hire more bouncers, but meanwhile, I told her I’d see what I could do to get rid of the guys before I leave.”

  Brandon had been back to Locks the night before, loitering in his car in the parking lot and waiting for the biker thugs to show. When they had, finally, around eleven o’clock, Brandon had snapped some photographs of them on his phone. Four young guys all on shiny new bikes. Brandon couldn’t take him on by himself, but that’s where his Bomb Squad teammates came in.

  “That’s a steep order.”

  He scratched the back of his neck as it occurred to him for the first time how lame this next p
art was going to sound to his friends and how much more razzing he was inviting onto himself. “And, uh, we might have made a little friendly wager about it.”

  Everyone groaned except Theo, who let loose a bark of laughter. “I’m going to miss you and Harper, with your ridiculous bets.”

  “Here, Theo. Take a look at these punks. I got them on camera last night.” He scrolled through his phone.

  “Look like a bunch of clowns,” Theo said. “Zoom in on the cut that one’s wearing.”

  Brandon manipulated the screen on his phone, zooming in on the largest of the leather cuts.

  “That patch doesn’t look real to me,” Theo said. “No way these guys are part of the Grave Riders MC that controls Western New York.”

  Brandon looked again. “That simplifies things. So, you guys in? Locks after the game to kick some biker clowns’ asses?”

  Theo clapped him on the shoulder again. “Hell, yeah. We’re in.”

  “I’m always up for a brawl,” Will said.

  Satisfied, Brandon unzipped his bag to change for the game. He was halfway done when Duke burst into the room. “Clear your schedules for this weekend, boys. I’ve arranged the perfect team getaway.”

  The room stayed silent.

  Duke was a fit sixty-five, with thick silver hair and skin weathered from a lifetime spent in the sun, first as a marine and then as a general contractor. “Well, aren’t you going to ask me where we’re going?”

  Will snapped together the strap of helmet below his chin. “Brandon just told us his news.”

  Duke’s face fell. “Oh, yes. He told me yesterday. I hate to see you go, Brandon, but that’s why this weekend getaway is perfect. One last hurrah together at my cabin on Lake Ontario.”

  Most of the guys had been there because he threw an annual party every Labor Day. He had a great three-bedroom place right on the lake. Brandon wasn’t sure how they’d find enough floor space for the entire team to sleep there, but they’d probably be able to make it work.

  “I love the idea, but I can’t take two days off from Cloud Nine during peak tourist season,” Theo said. Cloud Nine was the name of the Erie Canal houseboat rental company he owned with his fiancé, Allison, and which sat a greenbelt away from Lock, Stock & Barrel, making him and Allison one of Harper’s closest neighbors.

  “You can spare one night,” Duke said.

  Theo chewed his lower lip. “Let me talk to Allison. She’d be invited, right?”

  Duke wrung his hands. “I was thinking we could send the wives off for a spa weekend or something, and it could just be all of us at the cabin on Saturday and Sunday, for old time’s sake before Brandon leaves.”

  Liam slammed his locker door. “I don’t go anywhere without my wife.”

  None of the guys challenged that pronouncement or teased him about the romantic needs of being a newlywed, as they often did with the guys on the team who got married. As a result of severe PTSD from his time in the army, Liam McAllister hadn’t coped well with civilian life until he’d gotten with Marlena. The two were joined at the hip, which would’ve been torture if it’d happened to Brandon, but the arrangement worked for Liam and Marlena. Brandon had never seen Liam so relaxed and free of anger and anxiety.

  “Well, that’s different,” Duke said. “Of course Marlena’s welcome. She’s the team yoga instructor and masseuse.”

  Nice save, Duke.

  Will swaggered forward, an anarchic look in his eye. “In that case, what about Harper? She’s our scorekeeper.” He always did enjoy stirring the pot.

  Someone sucked in a pained breath.

  Too bad for Will and the others hoping for a bonus train wreck situation between Brandon and Harper, because there was no way Harper would agree to bunking with the hockey team at Duke’s place for a slumber party. As it was, Brandon was killing himself to get her out of her brick fortress to go to Miami, and she was only going kicking and screaming.

  Duke, oblivious to the loaded situation between Brandon and Harper, said, “Well, sure. I mean, if Marlena’s there, then Harper would give her another woman to talk to.”

  The guys stole glances at Brandon, hoping for a reaction, but all he did was smile and pull Duke in for a one-arm hug. “Thank you, Duke. A party sounds great. I’d love the chance to spend one last epic weekend with you all before I go.”

  Duke slapped his back. “Can’t believe you’re leaving. I’ve been coaching this team for a long time and, over the years, players have come and gone. I know you’ve only been here for five years, but it’s been—” The strain in his voice choked off the last of his sentence. Duke released Brandon and looked away, clearing his throat.

  The guys were quiet, their eyes averted, giving Duke time to collect himself. Brandon then squeezed Duke’s shoulder. “I’m going to miss you, too, man. So much. I’ll never forget all you’ve done for me.”

  Duke swiped his hand through the air. “Get on out there and warm up. I’ll be along in a sec.”

  The team took the hint. They gathered their gear and stomped on their skates through the hall, then through the team bench and onto the ice rink. The place still smelled like cookies, damn it, but the aroma wasn’t nearly as strong on the ice as it had been near the entrance.

  There was a smattering of cheers as they took the ice. It was still more than an hour until game time, but some folks liked to arrive early to and get their choice of seats and watch the players warm up.

  Harper was there already. She avoided looking directly at Brandon as she set up the scorekeeper’s table. A few bleachers away, a young woman Brandon had never seen before cheered loudly, pumping her fists in the air and bouncing in rhythm with her cheers, her long-sleeve crop top and short shorts providing lots of excellent jiggling in all the right places.

  Brandon swiveled around to skate backward and caught Gabe’s attention. “Who’s the puck bunny?”

  Gabe didn’t take his eyes off her as he answered. “I don’t know, but she’s definitely got talent.”

  Will slid to a stop in front of them without warning, nearly causing a whole-team pileup. He smacked Gabe’s helmet with his stick. “Knock it off, you guys. Before Duke hears you. Don’t you recognize her? Jesus!” He shook his head, disgusted, his eyes on the ice.

  “Never seen her before,” Brandon said, looking her over again. He’d definitely remember a girl like that. “Who—”

  But Brandon’s question was cut off when Duke’s voice reverberated across the ice. “Kayla Ray! Well, I’ll be damned. Sweetie, what a fantastic surprise! Hey, everyone, this is my granddaughter, Kayla. Kayla, say hi to my team.”

  Seemingly oblivious to the horrified gasps and cringes from the team, Kayla Ray bounced again, this time waving at the team. “Hi, boys!”

  On her next bounce, her top pulled up, revealing the underside of what looked like a bright pink bra.

  “Oh, shit,” Gabe said, wrenching his face away.

  Oh, shit was right because Brandon had seen enough of Kayla Ray’s type to know she was nothing but trouble. Big time.

  Chapter Four

  Brandon decided to follow Gabe’s lead and refocused his attention on the dark rectangle of the hallway entrance behind the team bench. “Yeah, I’m just going to look over here for a few minutes. Let me know when she’s gone.”

  “That’s more like it,” Will grumbled. “Show Duke some respect.” Will stood taller, as though protecting Duke’s kin was his personal responsibility. Which he probably did feel, since he didn’t have any family of his own and Duke had more or less adopted him when he’d moved to Destiny Falls. Will rented out the converted garage behind Duke’s house, worked for him in his general contracting business, and sometimes went to church with him and his wife, Donna.

  “She must not live around here because I’ve never seen her before,” Gabe said.

  “She hasn’t been around rece
ntly because most of the time Duke goes to Raleigh to spend Christmas with his daughter, but a couple years back, his daughter and her family came up for the holidays instead. Kayla was in high school then, and, uh”—Will chanced a look over his shoulder—“it looks like her fashion choices haven’t changed much since then.”

  “Dude, that sucks,” Gabe said with a groan.

  “Tell me about it. I looked at a lot of walls that Christmas.”

  Theo cursed in French, as a Quebecois like him was prone to do. “Back up. She was only in high school a couple years ago? I’ve only got eyes for Allison, but I still feel like a dirty old man for even noticing that awful bouncing thing she’s doing.”

  “Same here,” Gabe said. “I wasn’t trying to look, I swear. I respect Duke too much to have these images stuck in my head. I need a cold shower before he kills me.”

  Liam burst out with a hard laugh and pushed off into a glide, accelerating around them, his stick in his hands. “Give it up, losers. We have a game to win. Stop thinking about who’s bouncing on the sidelines and start warming up something other than your dicks.”

  Nobody moved to follow him.

  Brandon checked to see if the coast was clear for them to turn around, but the first things he saw was Harper’s tits nestled in one of his favorite low-cut tops as she set up the scorekeeper’s table. The second thing he saw was the whites of Kayla’s thighs and the creases of her ass cheeks peeking out from the short shorts she wore as she bent across the table to shake Harper’s hand.

  He whipped his face back to look at the wall. “This’d better be a fast family reunion. I don’t think I can handle much more of this.”

  Duke slipped through the door from the ice to the stands, jogging around the rink to where Kayla stood next to the scorekeeper’s table. “Hey, knuckleheads, stop being rude and come meet my granddaughter.”

  Theo cursed again. Will made a weird strangling sound.

  “Damn,” Gabe said.

  All Brandon could think to say was, “Ditto.” Big time.

  The team glided across the ice as though they were traveling through custard. They formed a semicircle on the ice in front of the scorekeeper’s table, their gazes on their skates and sticks.