Breakthrough

by Sarah Stevens

  “Well this isn’t what I was expecting. Explain exactly how I am supposed to keep a distance from him if I’m here to do a job, that involves being near him and the entire team. I’ve done nothing wrong here besides walk to my car and he joined me. I didn’t ask him to walk with me and I sure as hell didn’t offer up a hug and his kiss on my cheek in the elevator. It’s him you have to warn to stay away from me.” I’m a little pissed and irritated at this point. “I have enough on my plate with my own shit and trying to keep my daughter.”

  “Mandy, I know. We talked to Parker too. Please keep everything professional, I hate to say it but for both of your legal cases, keep everything professional. Once we have custody settled and this red head situation is taken care of, the both of you can do what you want,” Henry adds to the conversation trying to defuse me.

  “I get it, okay. I just want to do my job and give Callie a good life. I never asked for any of this shit to happen and I sure as hell don’t want it. I’ll see you at the game tonight.” I turn and walk out of there fuming. I need the drive home to calm down before I see my little lady.

  However, when I arrive, I see a cop car in my driveway. Can this day get any worse?

  I rush up to the door and run smack dab into Officer Daniels. “Whoa, Mandy,” he says as he catches me by the arms before I go tumbling backwards down the stairs.

  “Sorry about that. What’s going on?”

  “Maggie called me a little while ago saying there was a note taped to the front door. It was addressed to you but with your situation with Connor she looked at it. It was a warning. ‘Stay away from him’ is what it said. It was only signed by ‘Red’,” he informed me.

  “Well, what a shitstorm. You might want to call Henry and talk to him about this. He is working on Parker Marshall’s stalker case and this might have something to do with it.” I give him Henry’s number then he leaves.

  Walking into the kitchen I find Angie, Grandma, and Callie sitting around the table. “Hey everyone,” I greet them then grab my baby girl up into my arms and give her a hug.

  “So, I ran in to Officer Daniels on the way in. I just had a conversation at the rink with Henry about a similar thing. I’ve been ordered to stay away from Parker by Henry and Coach and vice versa. We were photographed yesterday in the parking garage after practice. This Red girl has been causing him problems since before Christmas. I have a horrible feeling that Connor has something to do with this. I have a personal security detail while on the road for the three of us Angie, so you’re fully aware.”

  “I didn’t know Parker was having any problems. Who do they think it is?” Grandma asks.

  “This girl is good, knows how to avoid the security cameras, and no one has any idea. It’s kind of weird that Connor came into the picture and Parker has had problems ever since he was photographed with Callie after that one game.”

  “It sure is.”

  “Angie, are you still okay with being Callie’s nanny while all this is going on?” I ask.

  “I’ll be fine. The only time we won’t be with you is when you’re at the rink and then we’ll be in our room at the hotel. We’ve got this and have each other’s backs.”

  “Okay, I had to ask. We can see how things go and if you change your mind let me know.” I give Callie a kiss handing her over to Angie before I go get our bags ready. When I have our stuff by the door, I tell Angie to go home and relax for a little while because I’m going to be home for the next couple of hours. I have to leave early but Grandma and Angie are going to meet me at the game so we can go to the airport from the rink. I don’t like the idea of Grandma driving home that late by herself but there isn’t any other option.

  I spend the rest of the afternoon with Callie and Grandma then have an early dinner before I load the bags into my trunk and make the drive in.

  Upon arriving at the staff garage, I find multiple security guards, not just a gate attendant and they are checking badges with the list they have on these iPads. I guess they really did beef up security tonight. Meyers meets up with me in the hallway and we walk together to the trainer’s room. I start the whirlpools to make sure they are hot enough while Meyers is filling the tubs for ice baths. Once the hot whirlpools are filled and heating up, I start to get the buckets of ice. We timed it all perfectly because the players start to arrive. Meyers knows these guys, so he has the pre-game meds already to go and I gather the electrolyte drinks. This is the busiest part of my game day. Then Parker walks in, “Hey Marsh, what can I do for you?”

  “Just hitting the whirlpool to loosen up before I get stretched out. You have a small line forming out there though, some of the guys need some taping up and to be stretched too.” He sounds so monotone talking to me. I nod my head and move to see who needs some attention. The ice baths have and always will be kind awkward for me, I’ve seen more half naked men than I can count. I have a third line forward that needs some wrist taping followed by a couple of ankles. Chris showed up and started in on evaluations of some of the players ailments while Meyers and I were either taping or doing some ultrasound treatments on backs and shoulders.

  Six o’clock rolls around and Chris leads some of the players in a group stretch or some of them are in a circle playing a mixture of soccer and hackey sack to keep their muscles warmed up before they all suit up for pregame on ice warm ups. Here I stand though, with Parker still needing to be stretched, and he needs his groin taped. Well fuck.

  I try and keep it professional like I was instructed but he looks good laying on my table half naked and in need of my hands all over his hip and groin area. “Hey Parker, guess you’re stuck with me tonight.”

  “I much prefer your hands then Meyers or Chris’,” he says, smiling at me.

  I try not to smile back and get to work. But damn this man is making it hard for me to be professional. The way he’s looking at me and the sounds he’s making as I stretch him, using my full body weight and on the table with him. What have I gotten myself into? As I push his thigh up towards his chest, I lose my balance and end up lying on his chest in between his legs, looking him right in the eyes with our lips a whisper apart. I quickly right myself and plant my feet on the floor but not before he starts laughing.

  “You make it hard to stay professional. Not that I’m complaining, but let’s not get us both in more trouble than we’ve got,” he says as he sits up looking at me with lust in his eyes and a bulge starting in between his legs. He’s full of shit, he doesn’t want to be professional, he wants to kiss me. I put on my stone face and clear my head of any thoughts and get back to my job with a little more stretching, feet on the floor and then taping him up.

  “You’re all set for the game, good luck,” I say, then turn around and start cleaning up my station as I hear Coach call the guys to suit up and line up for on ice warmups in ten minutes.

  I take a calming breath and center myself before I freak out knowing that this can only end up one way, me in his bed because he’s caught me in the heartstrings. I’ve been fighting it so much since I met him, but he really is a good guy and as much as that kiss bothered me, the reality is we weren’t together, and he was honest with me about it the first opportunity I gave him to talk to me. All I know is I’m in trouble.

  Chris, Meyers, and I gather the supplies we need and get the last-minute things out to the bench while the guys warm up. After warmups Coach holds a meeting in the locker room that we all attend with all the staff before they line up for the player announcements as they take the ice. Chris positions himself at one end of the bench so he had a clear view of the ice and any possible injuries, while Meyers and I take our spot off to the side of the bench in the walkway that leads back to the locker room and trainers room.

  Opening ceremonies are now complete, and I see Grandma and Angie sitting in our seats slightly past the blue line with Callie dressed in her earmuffs and Notes jersey with Parker’s name on her back. As Parker takes his spot in the net, he passes by them and taps the glass with his gl
oved hand. At this point that probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but I appreciate him giving her the attention.

  The first two periods are going great, the crowd is loud and representing what hockey fans are all about, and we are up on the board with a score of four against two. Parker is visibly frustrated since he let those goals go by him. The third has just started and one of the opposing team players goes sliding into Parker and the net blades first. I see Parkers helmet go flying then the whistle is blown, and I see red all over the ice.

  “Fuck,” Chris moves fast over the boards and sliding across the ice until he reaches Parker who is holding his face. Chis puts a towel on his wound and Cam and Ski are there to help Parker up and off the ice. Meyers and I move fast to prep a table and gather anything and everything you need for a blade cut. I grab out the suture kit laying it all out on a tray, ready to stitch Parker up. I’ve never seen a goalie take a skate, go figure my first game it happens.

  Parker is laid on the table and Chris is examining the wound to make sure we got this, and he doesn’t need to go to the hospital.

  “Mandy,” I hear him say but I’m in a little bit of shock then I hear it again, “Mandy!”

  “Yeah, Chris?” I question.

  “Bring the kit. We’ve got this covered, no hospital for this one. Damn facial wounds always bleed like a bitch. You want to sew him up?”

  “Wait, what? You want me to do it?”

  “Yeah, you got this. Take it slow, I’ve got the lidocaine already to go.”

  “Parker you okay with me doing this?” I question, feeling almost like a deer in headlights.

  “You got me, babe. I trust you. Go for it,” he says with confidence I don’t feel.

  “If this scars badly don’t blame me, you gave me permission.” I laugh trying to lighten my nerves. “Okay, let’s do this.” Meyers realizes we have the situation under control and goes back to the bench, taking Chris’ spot while he oversees my work on the star goalie.

  With the lidocaine settled into the wound, I start stitching up Parker, who got a nice blade slice right across his jawbone, if it was any deeper, he would have been on his way to the hospital. Once I have the first stitch complete my nerves lessen and within minutes, I have ten stitches complete and a sewn-up goalie.

  “Good clean job Mandy, I’m proud of you,” he praises me.

  “Thank you.”

  “I’m heading back out to the bench. You get that covered up with some ointment and bandage then take a breather. You did good for your first stitches.” Then Chris walks away back through the tunnel.

  “Wait, did he say first stitches? No wonder you were rattled,” Parker says as he starts to sit up to look at me.

  “Well yeah, when you’re a glorified masseuse at your last job you don’t get to work emergency injuries that often. I told you yesterday, I felt like this was a good move for me. Tonight, proved it was. Now let me get this cleaned up and covered so you can go back out to the bench.” He’s looking right into my eyes when I turn around to stick a bandage on his face. I see pride mixed with lust in his eyes. In the next breath his large hand is on the back of my head and he’s pulling me to his lips and kissing me. I indulge for a moment before pulling away.

  “Parker, what are you doing?”

  “What I should have been doing all along, Mandy. I know we have a lot of screwed up things going on but God damn it I want to be with you. You’ve had me wound tight since I first saw you that night at the memorial game for Hutton. I haven’t been with anyone since then and I don’t plan on being with anyone but you. You’re stuck with me.”

  “Damn you Parker, I can’t. I can’t risk your career, and I’m not sure I’m ready to risk my heart yet.” I give him a quick peck on the lips before I turn and walk away from him beelining it to the bathroom to catch my breath. I hate feeling like I’m leading the guy on, but fuck he catches me off guard, and I can’t resist him.

  After splashing some water on my face and catching my breath I go back out in time to hear the goal horn blow, hoping like hell that was us and not the backup goalie letting one by. Parker is nowhere to be found, so I make my way to the bench area keeping out of view of everyone the best I can and spot him, sitting in the backup goalie seat on the bench. I look up to the scoreboard to see who gained a goal and thankfully it was us and four minutes on the clock. All seems well and I retreat back to the trainer’s room to clean up all the mess and supplies that were left behind after stitching up Parker.

  I’m lost in my thoughts when I hear the game end and the crowd go wild, like the roof is about to fly off. Thankful for the win, I start to get the whirlpools and ice baths ready for the post game treatments and wait for a sweaty post game team to enter my space.

  “What’s going on Mandy?” Chris questions as he sees me in a melancholy mood.

  “Nothing, I have some things on my mind. Mainly trying not to make the same mistake twice.”

  “Are you talking about you and Parker?”

  “Yeah, see the last time I got involved with a player on my team, I got screwed in the end. Not to mention I don’t have too good of an example for how an NHL player, a different breed than baseball players, treat women. Well I didn’t until I met Parker before I moved here. I’m a single mom because of the last time.”

  “Mandy, I know I don’t know you well or hardly at all, but I can tell you have a good head on your shoulders. I do however know Parker, and he has made some major changes recently. I never see him on the road at the hotel bars anymore, he doesn’t go to them here either after the games. Before he met you, I hate to say it, but he had bunnies all over him all the time. Now he tries to avoid them at all cost, only signing autographs for the kids before looking at any woman. He refuses to sign anything on any woman whether it be a shirt or skin. I know what you both have going on, so I’ll warn you to be careful with whatever you choose to do, but you might consider giving the guy a chance,” he says seriously.

  “I’ll think about it. He has a lot to lose if things get out that aren’t true.”

  “I know he does. I was briefed on the situation before you started yesterday. Like I said be careful and watch your back. You never know who is watching—in or out of the organization,” he warns.

  “Chris what are you not telling me?”

  Getting close to my ear he whispers, “There is a reason you’re here and slotted to be my assistant. It most definitely isn’t because of who your grandpa was.” Pulling back, he adds, “But it does help, he was a great man. I’ve been with the organization for a long time now. I started as an assistant trainer ten years ago. I remember when Hutton would bring you down here when you were in high school. Girl, you had these young guys heads spinning.”

  Finally, the heaviness of the conversation has lifted, and I laugh. “I’ve always been a hockey girl but never a puck bunny.”

  “I didn’t think you would be. I’m glad you’re here on my team but again, you and I are a team. Watch your back otherwise.” He then turns to go check the bags he has loaded up for the road trip when Meyers walks in.

  “Good job tonight with Parker. What took you so long to get him back out there?” he questions me.

  “Nothing other than making sure he had a nice clean wound and it was covered correctly. He needed a few to come down off the adrenaline rush so he sat on the table a few moments while I cleaned up. Then I was back to work prepping all the tubs for post-game treatments.”

  “Okay, do you have everything ready for the trip?”

  “Chris went to go verify we had all the supplies we need. I was just about to grab some more ice before the guys come in.” I turn and walk away to the cart I use for all the ice buckets I need to fill and leave him standing there. That was weird.

  27

  Parker

  Well fuck this isn’t how I wanted the night to go. It was hard enough behaving around Mandy when she had me on the table stretching and taping me up, then I had to go and get a fuckin skate to the face.
Goalies hardly ever get a skate because we’re so heavily padded and our helmets are so full coverage. I must have had a loose strap that made the damn thing go flying off my head when that idiot slid into my net.

  I knew having Mandy on staff was going to kill me but when she stitched me up with such precision and care, I was a goner. I could see the fear in her eyes when she was first tasked with the job, however I had all the confidence in the world she’d be amazing. I wasn’t wrong. It’s nice to have someone who cares about the players back here. After I kissed her, she freaked out, like she normally does, but I can tell she’s softening to the idea. I let her have her space and I went back out to the bench. We won the game, thankfully our backup knows his shit almost as much as me. He’s a young guy and one day will be the number one on the team, hopefully not until I retire.

  It’s going to be a long night ahead of us because we have to hop a flight to Las Vegas for tomorrow night’s game. I take a quick shower, put my suit back on and make my way through the media circus so I can get to my car and to the airport for our waiting flight.

  So many questions about my injury and how rare it is for a goalie to get a blade to the face and I’m lucky it wasn’t my throat. Well damn right I was lucky. If it had been my throat, I have no idea if I would be walking here right now or dead in the hospital. I answer all the questions, then find my way to the car. I don’t see Mandy the rest of the night until it’s time to gather at the airport. When I get there, I see her standing with Cam, Ski, Seb another girl and a sleeping Callie with her head on Mandy’s shoulder.

  “Hey guys,” I great them all.

  “Hey, what took you so long?” Cam asks.

  “Media having all sorts of questions about the skate to the face. I’m good now that Mandy stitched me up.”

  “Man, you had my heart in my throat. That was some scary shit—oops sorry Mandy—scary stuff,” Seb says as he gives me a sideways half hug.