“Wow, the time sure passed quickly, didn’t it?” Grant asked. “I hear we’ve raised quite a bit of money here tonight, and I bet the guys here on the stage behind me want to know who bid on them.” After the cheers quieted down, he continued. “First up is Jonathan Ackerman, and the lucky winner of a date with the young Generals center is...” Grant paused dramatically as he looked at the list in his hand. “Beth Wilcox. Congratulations, Beth. Come up to the stage when we’re all done tonight, and you can meet Jon and make plans for your date.” He turned to Jessica. “Do you want to announce the next winner?”
“I sure will,” Jessica said. “Our next lucky winner gets a date with the Generals winger and alternate captain, Ryder Carrigan. And she is...” As cheesy as it was, Jessica did the dramatic pause, too, as if this were a Hollywood awards show, before glancing down at the winner’s list.
Then she froze.
“Jessica, are you okay?” Grant asked. “Maybe I should announce the winner.” He looked at the paper in his hand and let out a chuckle. “Okay, that explains why my co-host is a little flustered. It seems that the winner of a date with Ryder is our very own Jessica Rowan.”
Chapter Three
The crowd whooped and hollered, leaving Jessica mortified. There was only one person who could be responsible for this, and Jessica would deal with her soon enough. First, though, she had a job to do, and a little face to save. “Hey, I can’t let everyone else here have all the fun, can I? This is a great group of bachelors, and such a worthy cause.”
“That it is,” Grant agreed. “Okay, let’s keep going. Next up is Casey Deanult. In his short time in San Antonio, the Generals center has developed quite a reputation as a ladies man. Can he be tamed? One lucky lady gets the opportunity, and her name is Alicia Warner.”
Whew. The embarrassment passed. Jessica owed Grant a major thank you for not dwelling on her surprise appearance on the winners’ list and quickly moving on to the next announcement. She was equally grateful that the audience seemed to have a short attention span. They wanted to hear the names of all of the winners, not focus only on one, and Jessica was happy to oblige them.
It was over soon enough, and the winners were told they should find their bachelor to work out the arrangements of their date. Jessica was interested in finding someone, too, and it wasn’t Ryder Carrigan. Fortunately, she didn’t have to look very hard.
Char stood off to the right of the stage, sporting an amused smirk.
“I could kill you,” Jessica hissed as she approached.
“You could, yes, but you’d get arrested.”
“My brother’s a lawyer,” Jessica answered. “I’m sure he could get me off on some sort of justification defense”
Char’s smile faded slightly, but she didn’t apologize. “Come on, Jess. What happened to your sense of humor?”
“Nothing,” she said through clenched teeth. “I just don’t find this stunt particularly amusing. What were you thinking, Char?”
Her friend shrugged nonchalantly. “I was thinking I had money to spend, but I couldn’t bid for myself. So I thought I’d treat my best friend to an evening out with a nice, handsome man,” Char explained. “One you said yourself you were interested in.”
“What? I said nothing of the sort,” Jessica protested. Talk about twisting words. “I only said that if I were to pick one of the guys, it would probably be Ryder. That’s it. I never said I was interested in dating him.” She shook her head. Char was unbelievable.
“Semantics,” Char offered with a roll of her eyes. “It was all in fun, but fine... if that’s really the way you feel about it, then cancel the date,” she said. “You’ve got your chance right now, because here comes Ryder.”
“What?” Jessica turned around, and sure enough, he was headed in her direction,
“Ms. Rowan.” He extended a hand.
He had manners, for sure, and she shook his hand. “You can call me Jessica.”
“Sure, okay.” He nodded. “So, I guess you had the highest bid. I have to admit, I was pretty surprised to hear your name announced.”
Not half as surprised as I was. “Yeah, about that... I didn’t actually bid on you,” Jessica said. She jerked a thumb over her shoulder in Char’s direction. “My friend here thought it would be fun to bid for me.” Best to make it clear right away that this was all Char’s doing, and not Jessica’s own wish.
***
Ryder was surprised, but pleasantly so, to learn the news anchor won the bidding war for a date with him. Not so much because he liked to stay under the radar—though he did—but because he didn’t think the event’s co-host would participate in the bidding. He couldn’t deny he was pleased, though. She may have misconstrued his words a little, but she was a beautiful woman, and carried herself with a certain class and professionalism. It would be nice to get to know her better.
He found her after the auction ended chatting with the director of the team’s charity foundation, who’d put together the whole event. As soon as he approached, though, things went in a different direction than Ryder expected. He thought Jessica would be pleased to see him, and they’d make arrangements to go for dinner. He even had a few upscale restaurants in mind. Before he could suggest them, Jessica informed him she hadn’t been the one to bid on him, leaving Ryder at a temporary loss for words.
“Oh, um, well...” He searched for a way to make a graceful exit. Sure, he was a little disappointed, but he wasn’t going to dwell on it. And Ryder certainly wasn’t going to let her know he was disappointed. He was a professional athlete. He made five million dollars a year. He didn’t need a damn bachelor auction to find a date. “So you’re saying you want to cancel, then? Just give the money to the charity and call it a night?” Ryder could live with that, even if it wasn’t his first choice.
“I didn’t say that,” Jessica answered. “Only that I wasn’t the one who made the bid.”
“That would be me.” The other woman gave Ryder a smile. “Charlene Simmons. I run the charity foundation.”
“Yes, of course. Thanks for putting this together.”
“Thanks for participating.”
It’s not like I had much choice. Ryder shrugged. “It’s part of the job, and I don’t really mind,” he said. “So you’re the one who actually bid money to go on a date with me?”
Charlene nodded. “Yes, but I did it on Jess’s behalf. I’m not allowed to participate, and I have no stake in this, other than raising money. I’ll leave it up to the two of you how you want to handle it. I won’t be heartbroken either way, because the money went to the cause.”
So Jessica’s friend was essentially trying to play matchmaker. That’s what it sounded like to Ryder. He didn’t mind, exactly, but Jessica didn’t seem at all enthused, and he saw little point in wasting time on a date she wanted no part of. “Okay, then...” he turned back to Jessica. “Your call. What do you want to do?” Maybe he was putting her on the spot, but he did need an answer. He expected it to be a no, and then it would all be over. And maybe that was for the best.
“I think we should put my friend’s money to good use,” Jessica said after a minute. “So what did you have in mind? Dinner? A movie?”
“Either’s fine. Or...” Ryder paused. Jessica surprised him by actually agreeing to the date, and now he wanted to do something different, unexpected. Definitely not the fallback dinner and a movie. Besides, was anything good playing? Probably not, and it was hard to get to know somebody in a movie. No, he needed something better. “Do you like jazz?”
“Hmm?”
“Jazz music. The jazz festival is this weekend in Travis Park,” Ryder said. “I thought maybe we could do that. It’s my last free weekend before we leave for training camp in El Paso.”
“Oh, sure. That sounds fun,” Jessica said. “I do like jazz, and I have the weekend off. Should I meet you there?”
After a second, Ryder nodded. Sure, he could pick her up. But this was an arranged date, after all. Meeting the
re would probably be best. That way nobody was bound to anything. “Sure. Maybe Saturday around one, at the festival entrance?”
“That works.” Jessica smiled, and the twinkle returned to her brown eyes. “One o’clock Saturday. It’s a date.”
“Yes. I guess it is. I’ll see you then,” Ryder said. He knew he’d look forward to it. The question was, would Jessica? It made things a little awkward knowing she hadn’t been the one to bid, but hey... she’d agreed to the date, even when he’d offered her the chance to back out. That had to count for something.
***
“What the heck did I just do?” Jessica mused out loud after Ryder left to rejoin some of his teammates.
“Um, agreed to a date with a sexy hockey player,” Char said, once again sporting the all-too-familiar smirk.
“The question was intended rhetorically,” Jessica muttered. “And do you have to look so damn pleased with yourself?”
“Actually, yes.” Char chuckled. “Because tonight has gone better than I could have expected. All of the bachelors were bid on, the Foundation raised a boatload of money, and you’re about to go on a date with Ryder.”
“An arranged date,” Jessica said. “One that neither one of us is actually interested in.”
“Bullshit,” Char said. “Didn’t you see the look on his face when he found out you weren’t the one that bid? The guy was seriously bummed, Jess.”
She thought about that, had to admit her friend was right. Ryder had looked disappointed when he learned it was actually Char who’d done the bidding. It was one of the reasons why Jessica had decided to accept the date, even when he graciously gave her the chance to bow out. “It was probably just a blow to his ego.”
Char rolled her eyes. “I don’t believe that, and neither do you. I think Ryder is very much looking forward to Saturday,” she declared. “And more importantly, so are you.”
“If you say so.” Jessica didn’t intend to give Char the satisfaction of knowing she was right. “At least I like jazz, so hopefully it will be a tolerable afternoon. If not, I still might kill you.”
“In that case, I’m not too worried,” Char said with a laugh. “Come on, let me buy you drink. Maybe you’ll lighten up a little bit.”
Chapter Four
Being fairly new to San Antonio, Ryder had never been to the jazz festival, but he’d heard good things about it. Hopefully the positive word of mouth boded well for the afternoon with Jessica. Assuming she showed up. Part of him wondered if she might stand him up. After all, she had been roped into the date by her friend.
Ryder got to the park entrance a few minutes before one and waited outside for her, pleased that he could do so anonymously. There was something to be said for playing for an expansion team in a non-traditional hockey city. In his cargo shorts, golf shirt, and Wayfarer shades, Ryder blended in and wasn’t likely to be recognized. No, his date, who graced the six and ten o’clock newscasts five nights a week, was probably the more famous one, or at least more recognizable.
As he pondered that, Ryder saw Jessica approaching. She wore denim Capri length pants and a pink shirt, and her blond hair fell loosely past her shoulders. No doubt about it, her looks hadn’t hindered her chances of getting a job in television, even if it was shallow to think that. Ryder waved her over. “Hi, Jessica.”
“Hi.” She greeted him with a sunny smile. “Pretty nice day, huh?”
“Not too bad.” The Texas heat still took some getting used to, especially compared to the mild climate in British Columbia, but the humidity was low and all indications were it would be a pleasant afternoon, at least in terms of the weather. “Shall we go inside?”
“Sure. I’ve been looking forward to this.”
“You have?” That was nice to hear, considering how the date came about.
“Yeah, one of the bands was featured on our newscast last night, so I’m anxious to hear them.”
They approached the festival entrance, and Ryder realized admission was free. “I hope you don’t think I’m a cheapskate,” he joked
“Nah.” Jessica chuckled. “But you can buy lunch to dispel any doubt.”
“Consider it done,” he said, appreciating that she had a sense of humor. “You’ve already paid enough for the chance to spend a day with me. Or rather, your friend did.”
“Money well spent,” Jessica said, though the statement left room for doubt whether it was because of him or the charitable cause the auction had benefitted.
“Do you want to get food right away?” Ryder asked. “What time does the band you want to hear play?”
“Not until three. Lunch sounds good.”
They made their way over to the food vendors and checked out the options before settling on tacos. Ryder bought them each a beer and they found a shady area to sit and eat. He wished he’d thought to bring a couple of chairs, or at least a blanket, but Jessica didn’t seem to mind sitting in the grass.
“You may have to help me up, though,” she joked.
“That’s assuming I can get up myself,” Ryder countered. “My body took some wear and tear over the season.” Then he’d spent part of the summer coaching at the Young Generals hockey camp. As a result, training camp started in a few days and he felt as if he hadn’t had much break at all.
“Are you anxious for the new season to start?”
“Yes,” Ryder answered without hesitation. “We didn’t like the way the last one ended.” Sure, the team qualified for the playoffs, which was impressive for an expansion team, but the first round loss left them all hungry for more. Especially Ryder, who coveted his name on the Stanley Cup more than anything. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m happy to be done with the community stuff and be able to get back on the ice. That’s where I’m comfortable. I don’t much care for the spotlight.”
Jessica nodded as she took a bite of lunch. “Yeah, I got that impression the other night. You didn’t look as if you really wanted to be at that auction.”
“You noticed, huh?” Ryder took a drink of beer and stretched his legs out. “No, not real bad,” he admitted. “But it worked out okay. I get to spend the afternoon with you.”
***
Jessica felt the warmth rise to her cheeks. “Oh, well...” She wasn’t sure what to say, which was silly. She’d gotten compliments from men before, plenty of them. Some were welcome, others not. None of them had been superstar athletes, though. Jessica suspected Ryder might argue with the whole superstar designation, and that made him even more attractive. “It’s worked out pretty well for me, too.”
“Yeah?” Ryder raised an eyebrow. “It didn’t exactly look like you thought so the other night,” he said. “You seemed pretty upset with your friend.”
“I was,” Jessica admitted. In hindsight, her reaction had probably been a little harsh. There were far worse ways to spend a Saturday afternoon than attending a jazz festival with an NHL player who was very easy on the eyes and also seemed to be a genuinely nice guy. “I don’t like being blindsided or embarrassed, and I was both when I saw my name on that card and was expected to read it out loud.”
“You’ve been a good sport about it,” Ryder said. “We didn’t have to do this. The money we raised was what mattered.”
“Definitely,” Jessica said. “But it seemed silly to back out.” She finished her taco and washed it down with a swallow of beer. “I’m enjoying getting to know you.” She wanted to make sure he understood that.
“Me too,” Ryder said. “So how’d you end up hosting the auction? Something about the cause being important to your boss?”
Jessica nodded. “Yes, our station manager lost his seventeen-year-old son to suicide last year,” she explained. “TJ was gay, and subjected to bullying, as a result. I guess it got to be too much for him.” Jessica closed her eyes, trying to reconcile the bright, happy eleven-year-old TJ Madsen she’d met when she first began working at channel twelve with the despondent teen who’d believed all hope was lost.
“Wo
w.” Ryder exhaled. “That’s heartbreaking. People can be so cruel.” He shook his head. “I guess I was fortunate. I was a boy growing up in Canada, and my folks put me in skates pretty much as soon as I could walk. And even though I’ll never be a big name NHL star, I’m blessed to have the ability to play a game I love and make money doing it. Even if I don’t like the celebrity part of my job, being able to do things to help others, like this event and some of the others I’ve been involved in, both here and when I played for the Rangers, make me feel like maybe my job is sort of important,” he said. “I mean, it’s mainly entertainment, but we can do some good things, too, and maybe even make a difference.”
“You can, absolutely,” Jessica said. Even if she was somewhat jaded in her world view—she blamed reporting the news, which wasn’t usually positive—she had to appreciate his words. Ryder got it. He understood. And it made her like him even more. “You’ve already done a lot for this community.”
“Your friend, our foundation director, she’s responsible for that,” Ryder said.
“No doubt. Char’s tireless in what she does.”
“So you’re not too mad at her, then, for setting this up?”
“Nah.” Jessica shook her head. “So far, it’s working out pretty well.”
“Just ‘pretty well?’” Ryder asked. “I don’t know whether I should be offended by your low expectations or challenged to do better.”
Jessica cocked her head to the side as she contemplated that. He was cute, no doubt about it, and said all the right things. And seemed sincere as he said them. She should probably be more impressed. “Challenged,” she said after a slight hesitation. “When in doubt, always take the challenge.”
“Okay, then,” Ryder said with a laugh. “Challenge accepted.” He pulled himself up off the ground before extending a hand to help Jessica up. “Let’s walk around a bit before the band starts.”
Chasing the Prize (Men of the Ice Book 5) Page 2