The Sweetest Seduction, Breakaway Hearts

by Crista McHugh

  The random thought ambushed him out of nowhere and forced him to take a deep breath. This wasn’t about him. He walked up to the bar with slow, determined steps. “Can you please tell me where to find her?”

  Her dad threw the rag on the bar, his cheeks becoming florid. “I don’t have to tell you a goddamn thing!”

  “Sam!” Cindy said sharply from the doorway leading to the kitchen. She laid her hand over his as if it would restrain her massive husband. “Let’s hear what Ben has to say.”

  “This had better be good, then.” Sam Erikson crossed his arms across his chest. “If it’s not, then I’ll let you know exactly how I felt when I came home the other night to find my daughter crying on my front porch.”

  Shit. He’d made her cry.

  The lump of fear returned, but this time, he managed to push it down into his stomach. “I’m here to apologize to her—for everything.”

  Cindy’s face softened, but her father’s remained hard with disbelief. “I think it’s too late for that,” he replied, a hint of a growl still lingering in his voice.

  “That’s not for you to decide,” Cindy said in soothing tones. “Can’t you see he’s all torn up about their spat?”

  Her dad zeroed in on Ben’s black eye. “Looks like more than a spat to me.”

  “You know how hotheaded Hailey can be.” Cindy tugged on his arm until he uncrossed them. “Besides, it’s closing time. Why don’t we all sit down over a couple of beers and sort this out?”

  Sure, Cindy. Get the angry brute of her father drunk before I confess that I’m the one who knocked up his daughter. Great idea.

  But as Sam reached into the cooler for three bottles of Labatt, Cindy gave him a wink and a small smile. “Let me lock the front door, and we’ll all crowd into that corner booth you like so much, Ben.”

  Yeah, so when Hailey’s dad blackens the other eye, there will be no witnesses.

  But at this point, he couldn’t think of any better alternative. They knew where Hailey was, and the quicker he could convince them to tell him where he could find her, the quicker he could start making things right. He took his usual seat and waited for Hailey’s parents to slide into the opposite side.

  Sam passed him an open bottle. “So you think you can apologize to my baby and make it all good again, eh?”

  Cindy rubbed her husband’s arm. “Let the boy speak, Sam.”

  Ben inwardly winced at being called a boy, but if getting on their good side brought him one step closer to getting on Hailey’s good side, he’d tolerate it. “I never knew about Zach.”

  “Bullshit,” Sam grumbled before taking a long swig of beer.

  “No, really, I didn’t. Larry, the team’s PR guy, kept every one of Hailey’s letters from me. I never received a single one. If I had, I would’ve been by Zach’s side in a flash.”

  “Well, you’re a little late for that, now, aren’t you?” But beneath her father’s bitter words, Ben caught a flash of grief.

  “Yeah, I know that, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try to know about my son. Hailey left a scrapbook at my house, and I spent most of last night with my teammate, Patrick, to learn everything I could about Zach.” Ben’s voice cracked as he added, “He sounded like a great kid.”

  Sam leveled his gaze on Ben before taking another long swig. “He was.”

  Cindy looped her arm through her husband’s and laid her head on his shoulder. “I still miss that little rascal.”

  “And that’s one of the reasons I’m back. I wanted to apologize to Hailey for what I said when I found out. I want to ask her to give me another chance. But most importantly, I want to know more about my son from the one person who knew him best. Even if she doesn’t take me back, I hope she can at least help me learn more about him.”

  Cindy’s eyes watered, and she tilted her face up to Sam. “What do you say? Shall we tell him?”

  “Fine.” Sam emptied his bottle and stretched his long arms out in front of him, coming within inches of Ben’s chest. “Hailey’s in Calgary.”

  His pulse jumped. “Calgary?”

  A hint of a grin played on her father’s mouth. “Yesterday morning, she got a call from the head coach of the National Team. Seems he liked that video you put together enough to want to see her in action.”

  “She got a tryout?” His heart thumped inside his chest as though he’d been the one offered the chance to make the Olympic team.

  “They even offered to fly her over there. She left this morning and is supposed to report to the training facilities first thing in the morning.”

  Which meant he might still catch her there if he was able to get on the next flight. “Do you know where she’s staying?”

  “Does it matter? That girl would sleep on the ice if we let her,” Cindy said with a laugh. “But her tryout starts at ten.”

  Ben jumped out of the booth and pulled out his phone. With any luck, he could charter a flight and be there in a few hours. “Thank you both.”

  “Hold on a minute, sugar.” Cindy caught up to him before he reached the door. “I locked up, remember? Don’t want you running into that door and have poor Hailey thinking her daddy gave you a thorough beatin’.”

  He bent down to place a kiss on the petite woman’s cheek, not caring if the act would further test Sam’s patience. “Thanks again.”

  The phone started ringing as he stepped out onto the street. When the agent answered, he said, “I need to get to Calgary as soon as possible.”

  He wasn’t going to miss watching Hailey wow them for the world.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hailey tightened her grip on her gear bag and stared at the entrance of the Markin MacPhail Centre. This was it, the home and training facilities for the National Team, and she was going to have her one shot at calling this place home until Sochi. It was the day she’d been looking forward to since she’d made her promise to Zach.

  And yet, she was ready to hurl. Her breakfast sloshed in her stomach, and her palms sweated in the humid morning air.

  The only reason she was here was because of Ben.

  It gnawed on her conscience to admit that, but it was the truth. She’d played in relative obscurity for years in Cascade, hoping for the day when someone outside town would take notice of her skills. But it wasn’t until Ben had made that video and had gotten it into the right hands that she’d received the call.

  She rubbed her hand over the outline of her phone in her pocket. He’d called last night, but she hadn’t answered. She’d been too focused on psyching herself up for the tryouts to want to talk to him. Now, she wished she had picked up the phone, if only to tell him where she was.

  And maybe even thank him.

  She’d driven by his cabin yesterday morning on her way to the airport, but it had been empty. Would he ever return?

  “Hailey!”

  She rubbed her ear, wondering if she’d imagined hearing Ben call her name. But when she heard it again, she turned around to find him running toward her. His hair stuck out in a dozen different directions, and thick stubble covered his cheeks, but he was there in the flesh.

  She dropped her bag as he came closer. “What are you doing here?”

  He slowed down, his chest heaving and his words coming out one at a time. “I came to find you.”

  Her mouth went dry. “Why?”

  “Because, I—” His sentence ended sharply, and he stared at her as though they were lying in his bed again. “Damn it, Hailey, I’m sorry.”

  Then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her until she was as breathless as he was.

  She made a weak attempt to push him away when the kiss ended. “That still doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

  “I didn’t want to lose another moment.” He cupped her face in his hands, his slate-blue eyes pleading with her. “I’m sorry, Hailey. I’m sorry I said those things to you the other night. I’m sorry Larry sent you that letter without my knowledge. I’m sorry I never accepted Patrick’s invita
tions to join him during his visits to the children’s hospital. I’m sorry I never had a chance to know our son. And I’m sorry for all the things I’ve done to cause you pain over the years.”

  Her vision blurred when he called Zach “our son,” and a swelling of emotions choked her throat. “Ben, I—”

  He shushed her with another kiss. “I’m here to beg you to give me another chance, to tell me about our son, and maybe even consider a future with me.”

  “It’s not that simple.” Her heart wavered back and forth. As much as she wanted to take him back, she wasn’t sure she could take the chance this time. The ache inside her chest was rawer than ever. She tried to pry his arms down, but he held firm. “Ben, please.”

  “No, not until you either agree to give me another chance or tell me to fuck off.”

  She laughed in spite of herself and leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder and digging her fingers into his rumpled shirt. “Damn it, Ben, why did you have to do this now?”

  “Because it’s like I told you, I’ve already wasted nine years, and I’m not going to let you slip away from me again.” He tightened his arms around her, his heart thumping steadily through his chest. “I love you.”

  Her breath caught, and the world seemed to stop moving. She lifted her head. “What was that?”

  He ran his thumb along her bottom lip and grinned. “You heard me correctly, Hailey. I love you.”

  As much as she wanted to tell him she felt the same way, experience held the words back. “Do you really mean that? Or are you just saying that to get me back in your bed?”

  He winced and took a step back. “I didn’t expect that.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a grunt of frustration. “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that I’ve been burned twice, and I’m not sure I can stand to go through it again.”

  “And I wish I could promise that I’d never hurt you again, but I know that this isn’t some fairy tale where everyone is guaranteed a happily ever after. This is real life, and every couple has their ups and downs.” He took her hand in his. “But there’s no one I’d rather ride the ups and downs with than you.”

  The last of her resistance crumbled, and she laced her fingers through his. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Zach right away.”

  “I understand why you didn’t.”

  “And I know you never intended to hurt me.”

  “And I hope I never will again.”

  It was as close to a promise as he was going to give her, and she was actually glad he didn’t promise never to cause her any more pain. They were both older and wiser now, and they both knew better than to have any unrealistic expectations. But it was enough to melt her heart, draw her back into his arms, and give her the courage to say, “I love you, too.”

  This time when he kissed her, it was slow and easy and seemed to draw out every emotion from her heart—good and bad. But as time went by, the good moved to the forefront and drowned out the bad until she longer saw it. Ben loved her and wanted a future with her, and just like him, she couldn’t imagine facing the ups and downs life threw her way with anyone else but him.

  A tremble of desire started at the base of her spine and vibrated through her until her lips quivered against his. She ended the kiss. “Sorry, but if we keep this up, I’m going to end up naked next to you and miss my tryout.”

  Ben pressed his forehead against hers and grinned. “I won’t allow that. You’ve earned this golden opportunity, and I want you to go out there and prove to them you’re every inch an Olympian.”

  “Agreed. I made a promise to our son, and I mean to keep it. But afterward…”

  “We can hit the showers, and you can tell me all about your day.”

  “That sounds nice, actually.”

  “Let’s take it one day at a time.” Ben beamed down at her. “Now go out there and wow them.”

  He gave her one final kiss before letting her go and pulling out his phone. “Call me when you’re done.”

  “I will.” She turned back to the entrance to the training facility, no longer intimidated by it. Ben had called it her golden opportunity, and she wouldn’t leave until she had that gold medal around her neck. She hoisted her gear bag over her shoulder and strode through the front door like she belonged there.

  A man and two women were standing in the lobby, watching something on a tablet. As soon as the man saw her, he came over and held out his hand. “You must be Hailey.”

  “I am.” She shook his hand. “Are you Dan?”

  “I am. Welcome to the home of Hockey Canada.” He led her to a place where she could see the international-sized rink with the official logo in the center face-off circle. “What do you think?”

  She studied the rink and drew in a deep breath, inhaling the smell of fresh ice. “I think the ice is calling to me.”

  “Then get your gear on, and let’s see what you’ve got.” He nodded to one of the women, who took her down to the dressing rooms.

  The other women on the team were leaving as she arrived. Her heart skipped a beat as she passed players she longed to emulate. Maybe, if she was lucky, she’d be able to call them teammates. She sat down on one of the benches and visualized her tryout once again as she slipped on her pads. She was going to wow them, just like Ben said she would.

  And just like Zach had known she would.

  She laced up her skates and took one more deep breath before stepping out onto the ice.

  Chapter Eighteen

  February 7, 2014

  Hailey’s heart wanted to burst out of her chest as she stepped into Fisht Olympic Stadium. Her breath froze in front of her mouth in a white cloud, forming a stark contrast to the sea of red jackets around her. This was the day she’d been waiting for her whole life, but after dreaming about it for so long, she needed to pinch herself to make sure it was real.

  “Rookies,” Patrick groaned from behind her as he playfully nudged her. “Keep moving, Hailey. You’re holding up the rest of the team.”

  A grin erupted on her face, and she stumbled forward, waving her Maple Leaf flag with pride. The parade of nations was well underway by now, Canada having been sorted into the Ks due to the Russian spelling. Her entire body buzzed with excitement. Today, she could finally say she was an Olympian.

  She leaned over to Patrick. “I can’t believe I’m really here.”

  “I can. Ben showed us that footage of you playing before you made the team, and I know the media has declared you to be their new darling.”

  She laughed. Once she’d made the team, she’d blocked out everything but Ben and hockey. It wasn’t until a reporter had finally tracked her down after an exhibition game and asked for an interview that it had finally hit her she was someone they’d noticed. She agreed to the brief interview, choosing to follow Ben’s example of flying under the radar, but when the reporter had learned about her promise to Zach, the story had gone viral.

  Now she had letters coming in daily from mothers who’d lost a child to illness, from fans who wished her the best, and from children who’d made her their idol. It was almost overwhelming, but she tried her best to keep up with all the letters and e-mails while still focusing on the game.

  By the time they’d settled into their places for the rest of the opening ceremonies, the United States team was getting ready to enter. Hailey strained for a glimpse of Ben in the blur of red, white, and blue, but didn’t see him. He’d initially expressed some doubts about playing for Team USA again, but once she’d challenged him, he rose to the occasion again. “Do you see him?” she asked Patrick.

  “Oh, yeah, just let me use my Superman vision for a second. Come on, Hailey. I know you two lovebirds can barely stand to be apart, but I think you can handle the next few hours without him. Besides, didn’t he say he’d call you when the torch came in?”

  “He did.” She rubbed her hands together and let that thought warm her from the inside. Ben had promised to come with her to Sochi, but it
was even better knowing he was here as an athlete, too.

  Once the parade of nations was over and they’d all recited the Olympic Oath, Hailey pulled out the cell phone all the Olympic athletes had been given and waited for Ben’s call. He’d said he wanted to see her face when the cauldron was being lit, and she was more than happy to oblige.

  The Olympic torch entered the stadium, and her phone buzzed. Hailey slipped off her mitten to accept the call, and an instant later, Ben’s face appeared on the screen.

  “Hey, beautiful. Are you ready for this?”

  “I’ve been ready.”

  “Good, because it’s coming around to you.”

  The athlete carrying the torch raced past her, and her skin tingled. This was real. She was here, and she’d always remember this moment.

  Patrick leaned over to get inside her frame. “Hey, Kelly, I may love you during the regular season, but when I have this uniform on, all bets are off. You guys are going down.”

  “Bring it,” Ben said with a cocky grin. “I’m looking forward to blocking your pucks.”

  Hailey pushed Patrick out of the way. “Boys, I thought the Olympics were supposed to be about international good will and friendly competition.”

  “I am being friendly,” Patrick pouted.

  “Yeah, you should hear what he says on the ice,” Ben added.

  “Shut up, you two. They’re about to light it.”

  Hailey held her breath as the torch drew near the cauldron. A second later, what had started as a tiny flame turned into a roaring bonfire. Her chest swelled with pride, and she forgot about the bitter cold of the Russian winter. But she would never forget this moment.

  “There aren’t words to describe it, are there?” Ben asked.

  She shook her head.

  “Well, maybe you can give me an answer to this question. Will you marry me?”

  Her jaw dropped, and she stared down at Ben’s face on the screen, wondering if she’d heard him correctly. “What was that?”

  “I know this is a little unconventional, but think of the story we can pass down to our children. I even got Patrick in on it.”