Slap Shot

by Rhonda Laurel

  “Right. He did. So it wasn’t a coincidence.” Morgan nodded her head. She then turned to Charisma and in a much lower tone said, “And neither is Derek’s visit.”

  “Let me guess. Michelle told you about me and Derek.”

  “What about you and Derek?”

  “Exactly.” Charisma ran her hand through her hair. “You know it’s bad form to gossip about someone’s personal business.”

  Morgan raised an eyebrow. “That’s never stopped you before.”

  Charisma couldn’t hold in her giggle. “Sorry, I tried to play that one as straight as I could.”

  “You totally nailed it. Michelle and I are not gossips. We’re information brokers. That’s why we run a bookstore.”

  “I’ve been there a couple of times and the place looks great by the way. But, I don’t know, it’s not the same without you.”

  She was grateful when they arrived at their destination. Seth was pulling up behind their cart so she scooted forth and followed the sounds of loud voices to the backyard. The party was already in progress and most of the Blake clan was there. She’d met most of the people in Las Vegas, but there were a few new faces. She’d expected funny looks or maybe a whisper or two, but she noticed nothing of the sort.

  Teri-Lyn approached Charisma and put her arm around her. “Charisma, honey, I hear it’s your first visit to Texas. I do hope you can set aside some time and explore this great state of ours.”

  “I will if Jared and I have an opening on the schedule.”

  “No worries. I’m sure Jared will carve out some time for you to do some exploring,” Teri-Lyn replied.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Jared said. “There’s enough time for business and pleasure.”

  “Finally, he sees the light.” Teri-Lyn shook her head.

  Cal grinned. “Darlin’, if you want to see some sights, old Cal here can give you an authentic tour of Texas. We can visit museums, historical sites, and you can get to see a shoot-out if we stop by my cousin’s house to get the money he owes me. We can finish the tour at the Bright Star.”

  “That’s a nice offer, Cal, but I don’t think your girlfriend Jenna would appreciate you giving personal tours.” John Jacob spooned beans onto his plate.

  Teri-Lyn looked from Charisma to Derek. “I may have been born and raised here, but I think Derek knows more about Texas than I do. Derek, honey, how long are you going to be here? Maybe you could show Charisma around.”

  “My guess is about a week,” Morgan yelled from the grill.

  Charisma shot her cousin a deadly look, knowing she was getting just a little too much pleasure out of all of this. But she knew if anyone deserved to dish out a little payback, it was Morgan.

  “That sounds like a great idea,” Derek replied. “I’ve been telling Charisma about my fascination with the Lone Star State. It’s a treasure trove of cultural riches.”

  “Then it’s settled. Let’s eat.”

  Derek held out her chair for her and sat next to her. There would be no getting around the hockey player. The food was soon flowing and the conversation was lively. Morgan definitely knew something was up between her and Derek, but Charisma wasn’t sure about the rest of the family. She stole a glance at Derek, who was talking to Seth and J.J. Everyone seemed super-relaxed except her. Maybe that was because she was trying to figure out why Derek was there while trying to play it cool. She had zoned out so badly she didn’t hear Seth ask everyone to raise their glasses for a toast. Derek’s hand on hers brought her out of her stupor, but she was so frazzled she almost dropped her fork. He saved her from a messy demise and kept his hand covering hers as they resumed the toast.

  “Here’s to new beginnings and unexpected opportunities,” Seth said.

  “Hear, hear.”

  They clinked glasses around the table, but when she got to Derek, she hesitated for a moment. “Can we talk later? Maybe you can come by Morgan and Seth’s guesthouse?”

  He nodded. “Sure. I was going to play poker with the guys, but I can cancel.”

  “No, don’t. I have to get my bearings straight with the time zone change and all. It’s been a busy day.”

  “I know the feeling.”

  “Where are you staying?”

  “Just down the road with J.J. and Sam.” He grinned.

  Good grief, he was staying on the ranch too. “Cool, we’ll talk later.”

  * * *

  Derek pressed the doorbell later that night, hoping Charisma would still be awake. It wasn’t that late, but he hadn’t expected the poker game with the guys to go that long. He thought it would give her some time to unpack and unwind before their talk. Now all he had to do was figure out what he was going to say. The decision to come to Texas was an impulsive move, even for him. He’d never chased after a woman so hard before, but here he was, stumbling his way through unfamiliar territory.

  Seth and Morgan didn’t bat an eyelash when he’d called and said he was moving up his trip and greeted him with open arms when he arrived. He knew they suspected something was up, but they were distracted by the kids and their daily chores. But a talk was coming later, he could see it in Seth’s eyes.

  He looked at his watch and pressed the button again. But no answer. He pulled out his cell phone and called, but it went to voicemail.

  She must have fallen asleep already. He was disappointed, but it had been a long day. He’d see her in the morning and apologize for the poker game running into overtime. He jumped back in Seth’s pickup and headed to J.J. and Sam’s guesthouse.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Charisma peeked out the door of the guesthouse, checking to see if the coast was clear.

  Jared had a short meeting with J.J. and afternoon plans with Autumn afterward, so he’d told her not to bother coming into the office today. She thought she’d get some extra sleep, but the sound of Morgan getting the kids ready to go to school from the driveway piqued her curiosity. She went outside to say hello and tell Morgan she’d be around due to the unexpected free time. Morgan replied that she had some things to do, but she’d be back later. She also threw in that Seth and Derek had plans, so Charisma figured it was probably safe to roam around the ranch without risking running into Derek. She felt like a scared little idiot for not answering the door the other night, but when she’d returned to the guesthouse, she had lost her nerve. If Derek touching her hand in a public place could make her feel all jittery, she shuddered to think what being alone with him would do to her. She’d wanted him the second she’d seen him and that was a problem. She spent most of the day relaxing on the guesthouse porch, sipping coffee and enjoying the beautiful weather.

  By the afternoon, she figured it was OK to venture out and get some sun. But first she wandered over to see if Morgan had returned. When no one answered her knock, she headed around the back, wondering if Morgan might be out there.

  “Charisma,” a voice said from behind her.

  She jumped and nearly screamed. “Morgan! You scared me.”

  “Forgive me for walking around my own yard,” Morgan mused. She was carrying a huge box in both hands.

  “I was just looking for—” Charisma glanced around for a good cover story, “—the garden.”

  Morgan pointed in the opposite direction. “The garden’s that way.”

  “Oh. That’s right.”

  “This is for you.” Morgan set a big box down on a nearby bench.

  “What is it?”

  “Remember when you asked me to buy one outrageous thing without regard to the cost? Well, here it is.”

  “And you want to give it to me? I can’t accept that.”

  “Sure you can. Especially after you find out what’s inside.”

  “I appreciate the gesture. But I have this thing now about accepting gifts.”

  Morgan furrowed her eyebrows. “What about it?”

  “Materialism. Valuing things over people,” Charisma replied.

  “You are killing me.” Morgan rolled her eyes. “For once I listened
to you and you refuse my generosity. Open the box.”

  Charisma lifted the lid to find a fancy equestrian riding ensemble, complete with a blazer, boots, hat, and riding crop. “This is awfully nice of you. Thanks.”

  “Well, this isn’t a totally extravagant purchase. If you’re going to ride, you need a pair of boots. And you if you get something cute and stylish to go with them, it’s called a win. So let’s go riding.”

  Charisma took a deep breath. “Wait. I have something to say. Actually I have a lot of things to say.”

  “I thought we had that talk in my kitchen after the whole bar brawl ordeal. You don’t have to be so damn nice and apologetic all the time. Frankly it’s a bit unsettling.”

  “You don’t have to be so damn gracious either,” Charisma fired back. “I can’t stand that you want to move past this.”

  She stopped. The words had just burst out and now they were there hanging in the air. She wanted forgiveness, but she didn’t think she’d really get it. For the first time she was admitting to herself that Morgan’s civil treatment of her felt like a noose around her neck.

  “Excuse me. I thought that’s what you wanted.”

  “I stole your boyfriend. I flirted with your husband.”

  “I know. I was there. I wasn’t Jason’s type, really. He needed someone a little less uptight. He spent most of our dates trying to convince me to sleep with him, but I didn’t. It didn’t sting any less with the crap you pulled, but that ick factor of us sharing a man isn’t there. I guess that helped with getting over it.”

  Charisma sank down on the bench. “I’ve felt awful for a long time about that. Still do.”

  “And I knew what you were up to at the Slap Shot that night with Seth. And if I hadn’t just given birth to Jake, I would have come after you looking for a fight. But by that time I was just exhausted from your antics and I had a choice. Continue my battles with you or focus on my marriage and child. I guess that’s when I started growing up in every sense of the word.”

  “I guess Jason settled for second best. Just like Lamont.”

  “No, Jason saw an opportunity to live out some kind of fantasy of being with cousins. Lamont hated Seth so much that he wanted his life. Both of them saw your dislike for me and decided to capitalize on it.”

  “And I didn’t exactly keep my feelings for you a secret.”

  “I believe you have so much more to offer. Grandma said that, and you know everything Grandma says is true.”

  Charisma laughed at that one.

  “Come on,” Morgan said. “A ride to the north ridge always clears my head.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “I have to make a pit stop first. I have to pick up the boys from the ice skating rink.”

  “The rink? Are we going into town?”

  “No, there’s a rink on the premises. When Derek talked about how much Connor liked to play, Seth had one built. They’re at the rink getting in a practice session with Derek.”

  “Uh.”

  “You can’t avoid the man forever.”

  “Apparently not,” she said nervously. Maybe if she started running now she could make it all the way back to Philadelphia by next week.

  They hopped in the truck and drove a couple miles down the main road until Morgan turned off toward a big, brown building with the sign that read The Goalpost Skating Rink. Once inside, she wasn’t surprised to discover it was a professional rink. It had a snack bar, equipment room, and spectator benches. The rink itself was huge and had the designated hockey lines and goal posts. Charisma and Morgan had arrived just in time to see the kids listening attentively as Derek instructed them on controlling their sticks so they could keep a good grasp on the puck.

  “This is amazing,” Charisma said.

  “Seth said if the boys were really interested in the sport, they would learn the way the professionals did.”

  “I can only imagine what he’s going to do when Mackenzie sparks an interest in something,” Charisma mused.

  “Whatever it will be, you’ll probably be able to hear me ranting about it from Philadelphia. But who knows. Maybe she’ll want to learn to ice skate. That would put this rink to doubly good use.”

  “He means well. This family doesn’t do anything half-assed.”

  “No, they do not.” Morgan smiled. “Isabelle and I were thinking of hosting the next family reunion down here.”

  “Are you sure you want to do that? They won’t want to leave.” She laughed. “And it will definitely stick in Dana and Beverly’s craw that I’ve been here and they haven’t.”

  It looked like practice was winding down and the boys appeared a little sad until Derek made it fun.

  “OK, guys. Last play of the day. All of you against me. I want everyone to try to get their puck into the goal, and I’ll see if I can block.” Derek glanced Morgan and Charisma’s way and winked.

  By the time all the kids hustled to the goalpost, Derek pretended to attempt to block their shots, but he really didn’t. The boys all celebrated their victory, while he took a bow of defeat.

  “Good going, boys!” Morgan clapped as they came closer to her.

  “You guys look like you’re ready for the junior Stanley Cup.” Charisma smiled.

  “I’ve faced some tough competition in my day, but none tougher than the Blake boys,” Derek said.

  “Come on. Your grandpa wants you down at the stables. He has a surprise for you.” Morgan hustled them off the ice to the nearby bench to take off their gear while she gathered up the equipment.

  Derek stopped her. “Morgan, I can put everything away.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “It’s not a problem. I haven’t been on the ice since the season ended, I think I’ll hang around for a while. Charisma would you like to join me?”

  “We were going to go—”

  “It’s no rush,” Morgan interrupted. “We can go horseback riding another time. Charisma used to compete in ice-skating. She even won a few competitions. We used to call her the Ice Queen for many reasons. But mainly because of the skating.”

  Charisma shot Morgan a look. She did not want to be alone with Derek.

  “Boys, say thank you to your Uncle Derek for the lesson.” Morgan began herding the kids to the door.

  “Thank you!”

  “Are we going to practice tomorrow?” Jake asked.

  “You bet. Matt and Jack will be joining us tomorrow. So you better get a good night’s sleep because we’ll have a lot of work to do.”

  The boys filed out, happy with his answer. Morgan followed but not before adding, “You two take as much time as you want.”

  Derek rubbed his hands together and turned to Charisma. “You ready to show me your moves, Ice Queen? Or have you spent too many years away to remember anything?”

  “If you’re trying to bait me, it won’t work.”

  “There’s no shame in admitting you lost a step. Or let me guess. You weren’t really into skating as much as prancing about in those cute outfits.”

  Charisma glared at him. “I’ll go get some skates from the equipment room.”

  She took her time finding a pair of skates and putting them on, while Derek moved around collecting the hockey sticks and pucks. It had been ages since she’d worn a pair of ice skates. She had competed when she was a child and she’d loved it. Too bad her mother sucked the fun out of it when she realized her daughter had real potential. So she’d purposely derailed her chances and took an intentional tumble during a big competition. Once her shining light dimmed, her mother moved her on to the next thing.

  Now here she was and there was no point in putting off a return to the ice. She just hoped Morgan had enough ice at her house to use as a compress for her sore bottom if she took a tumble.

  “What took you so long?” Derek folded his arms over his chest as he did a slow backward figure eight.

  “I’m just taking my time.” She stepped out onto the ice and gripped the wall for support. “I couldn�
��t bare it if you had to catch me.”

  “Afraid of falling?” He flashed a devilish smile.

  “You have no idea.”

  “Tell you what. If you do lose your footing and take a tumble, we’ll go down together.” Derek took her hand and pulled her flush against him.

  He had no idea how hard it was to keep her thoughts in check. He, in all his handsome sexiness, could have melted the very ice he so smoothly glided over. It was a delicate thing, putting her trust in his hands, but Derek’s firm grip made her feel safe and steady and soon they found an easy rhythm. The old instincts were coming back.

  “You want to tell me why you decided to come to Texas?” She broke away and began her paces. Yeah, it was all coming back to her. She loved skating for fun, despite her mother’s attempt to make her compete professionally.

  “I wanted to tell you the other night, but you wouldn’t answer the door.” He caught up with her.

  “The jetlag was worse than I thought. I crashed as soon as I got back.” She moved out of his way, mainly to avoid him seeing the lie in her eyes. She continued her stride, this time taking wider laps. She added momentum to her glide and finished with a double Axel jump. She did a few more moves and finished with a scratch spin.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Show off. You haven’t forgotten a thing.”

  “Nope.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

  “How about we try something more challenging?” He went over and grabbed two sticks.

  “I don’t know about this. I’m at a really big disadvantage. You do this for a living.” She bit her lip as she reluctantly took the stick from him.

  “You could say I’m at a disadvantage. I followed you halfway across the country.” He dropped a puck in front of her.

  Not knowing how to respond, she glided away. “Don’t we need to get suited up with padding? You look pretty well protected when you play.”

  “And deprive you of this hot body?” He grinned. “Just hit the puck as hard as you can and try to drive it past the goal post.” Derek took his position and waited.

  “I’d rather not.”