by Kat Mizera
He couldn’t help it; he chuckled. “Yeah. There is.”
“Then get your ass on a plane and come back to me.”
He sighed heavily, opening a new tab on his laptop and pulling up the travel site he used.
“What are you doing?!” she demanded when he hadn’t answered her.
“I’m online looking for a flight.”
“Oh.” Her voice was a soft whisper.
“You have to think about this, babe… I can be on a 6:30 flight tomorrow morning, but I don’t know what this is going to change. I can weather the media with you, I can defend you, I can protect you—but in the end, I can’t throw Culkin under the bus. Publicly, I’m still going to be the guy who said that horrible stuff about your brother. The media is going to have a field day with you for dating me—not me, but you. The terrible, selfish slut of a sister who doesn’t even care about her poor brother, who almost died. I’m telling you, that’s where it’s going to go if you stay with me.”
“The only opinion that matters to me is Jamie’s, and once I tell him about Roger Cucumber, or whatever the hell his name is—none of this will matter.”
“It will matter to me. I don’t want people saying that kind of thing about the woman I love.”
She caught her breath. “Did you just say you love me?”
“Aw, come on—all that romantic nonsense was a little too intense to be pillow talk, don’t you think?”
She sniffled. “I hope so.”
“Listen, I have a meeting with my coach, and if I’m coming back to Florida tomorrow, I have to go. Please lie low until I get there, okay?”
“I will.”
“Think about what I said, Maddie. You’re going to wind up getting hurt—again—if you choose me.”
“You don’t know me as well as I know you, I guess.”
He paused in confusion. “What does that mean? Maddie?”
She hesitated. “You’re really coming back, right? You promise?”
“I promise.”
“I’ll see you soon then.”
Chapter 10
He hung up wondering what she’d meant. He did know her, just as she knew him. He knew she wanted them to be together, but he also knew what that would mean for her. People would always wonder what kind of woman would date a man who’d said what everyone thought he had about her brother? He had to help her get through this, though. He owed her that much after getting her involved. The fact that she’d had a nightmare last night—after not having them for a while—proved she needed him. He just didn’t know if he would make it worse by standing at her side. He didn’t care what people thought of him, but he really didn’t want people to think badly of her because of him. The problem was that those two things were intertwined. He had to protect her, but loving her—wanting to be with her—meant clearing his name. The only way to do that meant he’d probably be out of a job at the end of the season. That left him with no way to support the woman he’d just promised he would take care of.
He owned condos in both L.A. and Ottawa, and if he sold them he’d have more than enough for them to buy a house somewhere less expensive than those places, like Florida. There would probably be enough left over for him to open a repair shop where he could work on cars all day, which was something he loved. It wasn’t hockey, but he’d always enjoyed taking apart an engine and diddling with tools. The scary part was not knowing how long it would be before he started making enough money to support them. It took time to build a clientele and to gain repeat customers. He didn’t even know where to start in that department, and he wasn’t going to begin a life with Maddie without any kind of financial security. She could, and probably would, get a job at a law firm wherever they settled and they’d be okay; he just wanted so much more for her. He hadn’t been as good with his money as he could have been, but he did own two pieces of real estate outright and had zero debt.
A million things were running through his mind as he headed towards the team offices. He was dreading looking his coach in the eye and apologizing for something he hadn’t done, but what choice did he have? No matter what he did he was going to end up looking bad. Either way, his career was going to be in shambles and the choice was really no longer about hockey because there were always choices, he realized, even if they weren’t good ones. Giving up the game he loved more than almost anything in the world meant he could have the one thing he couldn’t have unless he gave it up: Maddie. And he wanted her more than absolutely anything. He would be lucky to get three or four more years out of his body for hockey; he would have his beautiful sea nymph for the rest of his life.
He made a U-turn at the next intersection and called his agent, asking him to cancel his appointment with his coach and announcing he would be making a public statement about the incident either tonight or first thing tomorrow. Then he called Clay and explained what he needed. Next, he called the airlines and changed his flight from tomorrow morning to two hours from now. Finally, he made the most important call of all, and said a silent prayer that his luck didn’t run out.
Maddie was in the middle of the most glorious massage. Jamie had called and told her to splurge and put it on his credit card. She’d demurred but he’d insisted and she’d finally acquiesced, figuring an afternoon at a spa couldn’t hurt. Her feet were kind of beat up from running on the sand and a pedicure sounded heavenly. It had been ages since she’d treated herself to a manicure too, so she wouldn’t turn her nose up at one of those either. The massage hit the spot, especially since they’d worked out hard for the three days before everything imploded.
She lay on the table and closed her eyes, letting the stress of the last 24 hours drain away. After she’d hung up with Garrett, she’d called Jamie back and told him what she’d found out. Ironically, he hadn’t been all that surprised and when she’d said “Cucumber,” he’d known exactly who she was talking about. He had let out a string of expletives and when he was done asked her if she was sure she loved Garrett, if three days together was enough time to know what she wanted. She’d laughed and said she’d known almost immediately. Then her big brother had told her he loved her and that everything was going to be okay.
She had one day to kill before she saw Garrett and they headed to Toronto where an inevitable disaster was awaiting them. With Garrett at her side, she’d be okay, but she hated it for him. She didn’t care what anyone said about her. She was nobody; 15 minutes from now they’d forget all about her and would move on to a bigger, juicier scandal. Garrett’s career was on the line, though, and after Jamie had explained how difficult his teammates could make things for him if they felt he’d betrayed one of them, she realized he was in a no-win situation. Somehow, she had to make him see that the tattoo on her backside was more than just ink—it was her mantra and it was how she’d gotten through the summer. She’d gotten it with Jamie the day he’d gone to start the first tattoo that would cover up the scars on his back from what those animals had done to him. It was her only tattoo, but it had been important to her to get it at the same time he got his. He had the same one in the same place, as did their brother Dwight and their parents, though their parents had them placed on their shoulders. It was something they lived by as a family now, and if she had anything to say about it, Garrett was going to be one of them.
“Nèi zài de lì liàng,” she whispered to herself as the masseuse kneaded the tension out of her. She’d have to dig deep for hers and she would do whatever it took for Garrett to find his as well.
Garrett arrived back at the resort at 3:30 and practically flew through the lobby and into the executive office of Barefoot Brides, the on-site all-inclusive destination wedding planning service. An attractive blonde looked up with a smile and got to her feet. “Mr. Hawkins? I’m Willow Hershey.”
“Nice to meet you.” He shook her hand. “Thanks for everything you’ve done—is there anything else I need to do?”
She smiled. “You have to propose.”
He took a deep breath. “Ye
ah. That.”
“She’s back at the house. I’ll have someone drive you out there in a golf cart.” She reached for the phone but glanced back at him. “Good luck.”
“I’ll need it,” he muttered.
“Assuming she says yes, you’ll need to text me immediately. We have a limo standing by to take you to the county clerk’s office, but it’s Friday so you’ll need to hurry.”
He nodded. “Roger that.”
Maddie was back in the chair by the window, wondering how she was going to get through the rest of the day when a soft knock on the door startled her. She got up to answer it, fully expecting to see another resort employee. Instead, Garrett was standing there with a huge bouquet of white roses and a lopsided smile on his face. He was wearing pressed dark gray slacks and a dark teal button-down shirt that brought out the steel color of his eyes, looking about as handsome as she’d ever seen him and she was momentarily glad she’d spent all day at the spa. Then she was in his arms, eyes closed, breathing in the faint scent of his aftershave.
“You came!” she whispered, her face buried in his chest.
“I promised, didn’t I?” he asked softly.
She didn’t move, clinging to him so tightly he had to gently pry her arms free. “Can I come in?” he asked.
“Yes.” She cradled the flowers and took a whiff, smiling. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”
“Not as beautiful as the woman looking at me.”
She flushed. “Well, I spent the day at the spa.”
“You were beautiful without it, but you look extra nice now.” He sat on the couch and held out his arms to her.
She practically dropped the flowers on the counter and ran to him, nestling back in his arms as though he’d never left.
“We don’t have a lot of time.” He glanced at his phone.
She met his gaze in confusion. “For what? I don’t want to go anywhere, Garrett. Not until we leave for the airport. I think—”
He stopped her with his mouth, his lips claiming hers as sweetly and lovingly as he knew how. He paused to rub his nose against hers, one hand cupping her cheek as he met her eyes. His lips hovered just millimeters from hers and their eyes locked the way they always did when they were this close.
“Less than a week ago I met a spitfire of a woman who was trying to chase gangbangers away from her rental car. I saved her life that morning, but five days later I’m sitting here with her in my arms trying to find the words to ask her the most important question I’ve ever asked anyone.” He pushed a lock of curled hair behind her ear and ran his thumb across her cheekbone. “I realize this is the craziest thing ever…and people are going to say we’ve lost our minds, but I don’t care.”
“Garrett?” She was looking at him strangely, her eyes big and wide, like they always were when she was scared or confused.
“We don’t have time for me to turn this into a fancy, romantic ordeal—I don’t even have a ring—but you have about five minutes to decide if you want to give forever a try. With a greasy mechanic who plays a little hockey.”
“What?”
He wouldn’t have thought it possible, but her eyes were even wider now, staring at him in complete shock.
“I inadvertently dragged you into the shitstorm of my life but now that I have you, I’ll do anything to keep you. I can’t imagine going back to Ottawa without you at my side. I refuse to let you go back to Toronto without me. I’m asking you to take a huge risk and marry me. Today. We have to get to the courthouse before they close. There’s no waiting period for people who aren’t Florida residents, but they’re not open on the weekend.”
She was gaping at him now. “Just like that?”
“I called Jamie this morning and told him everything. I told him I’d do whatever he wanted me to do in order to have his blessing. If he wanted me to out Culkin, I would, even knowing it will probably end my career. If he wanted me to publicly profess my sincerest apologies for losing my temper and saying something homophobic, to save my career so I’d have the money to take care of you, I’d do that too. I left it totally up to him.”
“What did he say?” she whispered, searching his face.
“He said it was up to you. He said he believed me and we never had to talk about it again as long as I promised to love you and protect you from the backlash.”
“I don’t care about backlash,” she whispered, a tear leaking out. “I only want you to be okay.”
“Don’t cry.” He gently kissed her again. “I’m going to be fine, just tell me what you want me to do.”
She didn’t even hesitate. “I want the world to know the kind of man you are—I don’t want that jerk to get away with what he said. I don’t care about money. You can be a mechanic and I’ll be a secretary; we’ll be okay. Wasn’t it you who told me we needed teachers and secretaries and mechanics—or something like that?”
“Is that a yes?”
She could only nod. “How can I say no?”
“You marked me, baby—what else can either of us do?”
She pressed her lips to his, letting them linger for just a second before slowly sliding off his lap, her eyes never leaving his. “You look awesome, but I can’t get married in khakis and a tank top.”
He laughed and got to his feet. “We have to be out the door in three minutes if we’re going to make it before the office closes.”
“Garrett, I know you already said it, but this is crazy!”
“Do you love me?”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” she muttered. “But yes, I do.”
“Go change, baby. We can talk on the way there. You have the whole drive to change your mind.”
Exactly 62 minutes later they walked out of the courthouse as husband and wife. Garrett hung on to her hand tightly, grateful that the chauffeur and limousine were waiting right in front, because she seemed more nervous now than before they’d done it. They slid into the back seat and Garrett pulled her close to him, his lips pressed against her temple.
“Are you okay?”
“Maybe a little shell-shocked,” she admitted.
“Me too, but I’m going to make you happy, Maddie. I’ll call my lawyer and have him contact the Players’ Association so I can make an official statement about what really happened on the ice that night.”
“What’s going to happen between you and your teammates?” she asked softly. “How awful is it going to be?”
“Honestly? I don’t know.” He looked away. “It can’t get too ugly because Coach will put a stop to it, but you can bet we won’t be invited to many barbeques.”
She shrugged. “That’s okay. We have each other and we’ll have my family, which is pretty awesome.”
He smiled. “I’m looking forward to that part, but it’s going to be a long season.”
She bit her lip. “Would you rather not do this? I hate the idea of Cucumber getting away with it, but if it’s going to be hard on you, then don’t.”
“Nah. I’m not afraid of being an outcast. There will still be guys—like your brother-in-law and a few others around the league who’ll respect me for it. I’m more concerned about what our plan will be when the season, and my paychecks, are over.”
She frowned. “I can get a job in Ottawa.”
“We have options,” he said gently. “I’m making over four million this year, so if we’re careful, we could put a good amount away since I don’t have any debt.”
“But I do,” she whispered. “About three thousand on a credit card and my car isn’t paid for.”
He chuckled. “Baby, I can pay off your credit card with what’s in my checking account right now. That’s nothing. And we’ll keep making monthly payments on your car until we figure out what’s next.”
“Okay.”
“Depending on what happens with the team, we have a while before we have to make decisions. There’s still the off-chance that the team will keep me and get rid of Culkin… After what happened to Jamie, since he was
on the team at the time of the attack, they don’t want anything to do with homophobia so I might get another contract.”
“And if not?”
“If I don’t get any bites, I can tell my agent I’m willing to sign a one-year contract with anyone that’ll give me a chance for the league minimum. There’s a better than 50% chance someone will jump on that. Before this incident, I was worth nearly ten times that.”
“What’s the league minimum?” she asked.
“A respectable 575,000.”
Her mouth fell open. “Garrett! That’s a lot of money! I make 40. Thousand. 4-0. Like less than a tenth of that. That kind of money would be fantastic!”
He squeezed her hand. “If none of those pan out, I can sell my place in L.A. for a lot more than I thought. At least 750,000. That would buy us a nice house and leave enough for me to open a repair shop of my own. If business is slow, you might have to work for a year to keep us afloat but—”
Overwhelmed with details, she pressed her lips to his. “Didn’t we just get married?”
“Yeah.”
“Could we not talk about any of that crap yet?”
“What do you want to talk about?” he asked, pulling her onto his lap with a smirk.
“I was thinking about that romantic nonsense that goes on at night… You said it didn’t fly in the light of day, but I’m about to prove you wrong.”
“We’re in a limo…” he protested, though the erection growing against her backside didn’t seem at all concerned about their location.
She reached over and pressed the intercom button. “Driver?”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Can you please drive until we as you to stop?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He smiled.
“And can you close the divider please?”
“Yes, ma’am!”
The partition closed and Maddie reached down to pull off her dress. It was the same one she’d worn on their last night together because she didn’t have anything else, but with the way Garrett was looking at her, he didn’t care about the dress.