Jace’s gut told him Violet was different. She had nothing in common with his ex-wife Simone. She had different priorities and passions. A completely different personality. And Jace always listened to his gut. It was the compass to his soul. But he couldn’t get past his own stubbornness. He had blindly leapt into love before and all he had to show for it was an empty bank account and a bulging folder in his file cabinet marked “Divorce.”
He already missed Violet and he couldn’t believe he’d left her standing on his doorstep with her mouth hanging open like that. The house echoed, his bed was too damn big, his shoulder and knee ached in tandem. He leaned back in his recliner and wondered what he used to do before Violet came along. Figuring he must have watched a lot of television, he turned the TV back on and sighed.
It was time to accept the fact that he’d gotten what he wanted. That wouldn’t be so bad except for the fact that his heart was telling him he wanted Violet and wouldn’t settle for anything less.
Chapter Sixteen
H-E-Double Hockey Sticks
NorCal Center crackled with excitement as the fans filed to their seats and waited for the greatest show on earth to start.
Jace sat in the locker room, taping up his sticks, only half listening to the chatter of his teammates. Usually he’d be the one bustin’ somebody’s balls or telling a dirty joke, but today he had too much on his mind.
Jace McQuaid was back and he had the chance to be better than ever. If he was able to play another season, then he’d play the game of hockey like it was meant to be played: hard, fast and with no fear.
His knee felt good for the time being and his shoulder felt decent. Maybe not one hundred percent, but good enough to play. And since when had he ever been one hundred percent? At one point or another in his career he’d been injured in one way or another for as long as he could remember.
“How’s the knee?” Coach Baker asked.
“It’s good,” Jace told a half lie. It wasn’t his knee he was worried about.
Coach eyed him suspiciously.
“I mean it, Coach. If you put me out there tonight, I’ll bring it home.” Jace pleaded with his eyes.
Coach paused. “All right. I’m putting you in with Lambert and JD.”
“Thanks, Coach. I swear I won’t let you down.”
“I know, McQuaid. That’s why you’re starting the period. I know how hungry you are for this win.”
Jace and the rest of his teammates took to the ice with a renewed burst of energy.
* * *
Violet turned down her mother’s invitation to watch the Razors game with her father and brothers. Instead, she opted to watch alone from home where no one could see her tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes and nose.
The hoopla for Jace’s return was well-deserved. He had made a name for himself as a skilled player and a fierce opponent and deserved the praise. Not only was he talented on the ice, but Violet knew the man beneath the red and white jersey was everything the media said and more. He was passionate and giving and she’d ruined any chance she had with him.
During the third period when the camera zoomed in on his face, Violet could see the intensity in his eyes. They were the eyes of a fighter. A warrior. Sweat covered his face and his mouth was set in grim determination. She knew he would stop at nothing less than victory.
He was a man who would give everything he had for the sport he loved. He would have probably given everything for Violet, too, but she’d taken that choice from him before they’d even met.
He was everything Violet wanted in a man.
And everything she couldn’t have.
* * *
After three periods, the game was still tied and the Red Valley Razors and the Pittsburgh Piranhas were headed into a five minute sudden death overtime. If the Razors won, they’d move on to the playoffs. If not, they had to wait until the end of summer for another shot at the Cup in a new season.
Jace, along with every other player wearing a red jersey, was determined to make history.
Coach Baker didn’t give Jace as much ice time as usual and was obviously trying to ease Jace back into the swing of things. But when he was on the ice, Jace made his time count.
There were two minutes left on the clock. Sebby was being bombarded at the net with shot after rapid-fire shot. The Piranhas were hungry and more than ready to put an end to the Razors’ season.
After battling in the corner, Cody cleared the puck out of harm’s way and passed it to Jace. Jace skated up the wing and lined up the shot.
He knew as soon as he pulled back his stick that the shot was going to be more than his shoulder could handle. He also knew that if this was going to be his last game anyway, he was going out with a bang. Or more like an agonizing rip. Because that’s what his shoulder did when he followed through with the shot. His muscle ripped to shreds and Jace yelped in pain.
It was a beautiful play though. The puck glided right by the Piranha’s defenseman, through the goaltenders legs and into the back of the net. Jace McQuaid had won the game with thirty seconds left in overtime.
The building erupted and the fans began chanting his name.
* * *
The prognosis was bleak. At the doctor’s office, more x-rays confirmed what Jace already feared. Surgery to repair his torn rotator cuff was scheduled for the following week and he’d be out of commission for at least four to six weeks. Hockey players had surgery all the time, but at Jace’s age, he didn’t know if he could get back into playing shape after surgery and rehabilitation by the time training camp rolled around in September.
After that thrilling bit of news, he’d met with his agent, but Jace had already made his decision. His body might have made it for him, but now his mind had finally caught up. He knew what he needed to do—what he had to do.
He might be forced to leave hockey, but hockey would never leave him. He’d always love this game. It had been good to him and yet it had also taken everything he had to give. Mentally and physically. His body was telling, no, screaming at him to quit. He couldn’t ignore it any longer. After dozens of broken bones, bruises, cuts, stitches and sprains, it was time.
That’s part of what made hockey such an exclusive club. Because you couldn’t do it forever. New batches of draftees filed in every season to replace the battered and the broken like Jace.
It was time to give the spotlight to someone else. It was time to let it go.
Somehow, he’d find an identity outside of being a hockey player. He may be forgotten eventually, but one thing would remain. His name was etched on the Gordie Prince Cup and it would remain there forever. He’d been a champion once. He’d hoisted the most coveted trophy in all of sports over his head. He’d kissed it while millions of people watched and thousands of flashbulbs went off, capturing the glorious moment in time. These were the memories that would sustain him when he no longer wore the jersey. These were the thoughts he would hang on to. He’d been someone once. No one could take that away from him.
Chapter Seventeen
Sayonara
Jace McQuaid sat on the stage with a microphone in his face and a roomful of reporters and teammates looking back at him. The concept of a press conference wasn’t foreign to Jace McQuaid. He’d been to plenty of them over the years. The concept of everyone gathered in one place to listen to him make an announcement was.
He glanced across the room at the people gathered to wish him farewell. His teammates sat clustered throughout the room. They were mostly guys from the Razors and a few from his former teams. The media was also there, loaded down with cameras and microphones.
He looked back at all familiar faces of the men he’d played with, for. Men he’d gone into battle with on the ice. Men he’d traveled thousands of grueling miles with, listened to their stories, heard their groans of pain when they were injured. He knew their families, their secrets, their greatest fears. He’d been invited into their homes, sat at their tables, welcomed as a member of their families.<
br />
Cody Lambert sat in the front row, dressed for the occasion in a button-down shirt and slacks. His wife Laina would be at home with their children, waiting eagerly for him to come home. Jace knew the captain’s twin boys would follow in their father’s footsteps and go on to be great hockey players.
Beside Cody sat JD Mason, the tall defenseman. JD was dressed in a suit—they didn’t call him Hollywood for nothing—and he looked as uncomfortable as Jace felt. JD had announced his retirement, too, before later returning to the sport after receiving a second chance at life. Unfortunately, Jace knew this retirement speech would be his last.
Next to JD sat Sebby, Jace’s closest friend. Jace knew all the rituals Seb did before each game and knew his superstitions and quirks. The smug Russian was dressed for the golf course in a polo and slacks. Knowing the goalie, he probably had a tee time scheduled for later that morning.
Jace’s throat tightened at the thought of not playing hockey with these men anymore. Walking away from the sport was what he had to do, but damn it was hard.
When he first started playing, he never imagined the end of his career. He never looked that far ahead, only played each game as it came, the way he was supposed to, never imagining the end-game.
Jace continued scanning the room and saw his family seated in the front row. His parents had flown in for the occasion and it was good to see them despite the grim circumstances. His brother Donovan, the future of the sport, slouched in his chair next to their parents, looking awestruck by the big names in the room.
The two brothers wouldn’t get to play on a team together or against each other. Time hadn’t worked out that way. Jace might not have any sons of his own, but he had faith in Donovan to carry on the McQuaid legacy.
Seated next to Donovan, was Jace and Donovan’s mother, Gloria. She sat with her back straight, hands folded neatly in her lap. She met her son’s gaze and smiled warmly. Her eyes crinkled around the edges and she blinked like she was holding back tears. She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue and Jace looked over at his father sitting next to her. Mac McQuaid sat with his hands resting on his knees. When he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down like the emotions of the day’s events were getting the best of him, too. His father looked up at Jace and their eyes met. Mac’s lips were stretched in a thin line and he nodded. Jace nodded back.
Jace focused on his hands, fisted on the table in front of him. Was he really going through with this? Was he really ending his life as he knew it? Part of him wanted to assure everyone that it was a hoax and tell them he’d see them next season. Ha, ha, Jace McQuaid, always the practical joker. But this wasn’t a joke. His knee ached and his shoulder throbbed and he knew he’d made the right decision. It wasn’t the easiest decision, but he knew it was the right one.
Emotion welled up in his throat and burned behind his eyes. Dammit. He’d sworn he wouldn’t do this. He couldn’t lose it in front of everyone. In the past, Jace had seen plenty of guys retire and watched them tear up as they gave their retirement announcement, but he’d never imagined that it would be him someday.
“It’s time, Jace,” the PR director whispered to him.
So it was.
Jace looked across the room and into his father’s eyes. He looked over at his mother next. There was so much love there. And pride. He knew he was doing the right thing when he looked at them and saw their encouraging smiles.
“I want to thank everyone for coming,” Jace said into the microphone, his voice booming out into the packed room.
He tried to hold back the emotion, but it came through in his voice anyway.
* * *
Violet went from the living room in her parents’ house to the kitchen and paced from the stove and back again in a daze. Where had she gone wrong?
On one hand, she had a man who genuinely cared about her, who she loved spending time with and couldn’t imagine him not in her life. And on the other hand, she had a man who treated her like an afterthought, basically ignored her, and his arousal by her rivaled a trip to the dentist.
Wait, how had she managed to screw this up, again?
Pondering her options, she opened the fridge, absently scanned the contents and slammed the door closed.
Luckily her mom was at her Garden Club meeting, so Violet wouldn’t have to answer her endless questions while she had a small breakdown in the kitchen.
“Eyelet, get in here,” Brayden yelled from the living room.
Numbly, she walked in to where her brothers were lounging in front of the TV. “What?” she grumbled. Her life was crumbling like on of Miss Lillian’s homemade cookies and her brothers sat like zombies glued to the TV.
“McQuaid is announcing his retirement,” Brayden answered, turning up the volume.
“I can’t believe it,” Tanner said with a shake of his head.
Violet couldn’t believe it either. Sure, she knew he was injured, but retirement. It sounded so ominous. So final.
She teetered on the arm of the couch, afraid to sit down. On the TV, Jace was seated in front of a microphone with bright lights streaming down on him.
The room grew quiet and Jace began to speak. It wasn’t easy watching a player announce their retirement from hockey and it was ten times worse because she knew Jace. She knew how he felt about the game. She knew that if his body could stay half as sharp as his mind, he wouldn’t be forced to walk away from it.
Her brothers shifted uncomfortably on the couch and Brayden cleared his throat. They’d seen dozens of these speeches throughout the years and they never got any easier to watch. The players weren’t any less emotional and the announcement wasn’t any easier to swallow.
Violet swiped at the tears on her cheeks and hoped her brothers didn’t notice. Not only was Jace forced to walk away from the only life he knew, but he had to do it publicly in front of the whole world. She wanted to go to him and comfort him. Instead, she cried for him.
When Jace was finished, he answered what seemed like a million questions from the media. His voice was strained and raspy and he sounded so tired.
After it was over, Violet slipped outside to get some air before her brothers could notice she was crying. Outside on the patio, she sucked in a breath and could feel her heart breaking for Jace. What was he going to do now? What was she going to do? Why did things have to end the way they did?
Violet could hear her dad working in the garage. When she had composed herself as best as she could, she went around to the side door. The door was ajar and she could see him inside, his head dipped under the hood of the Firebird.
She went inside and was comforted by the familiar sights and smells of her dad’s domain.
“Hi, Daddy.”
Dale straightened, took a rag from his back pocket and wiped his hands. He smiled when he saw Violet and then frowned when he noticed her pained expression. “What’s wrong punkin’?”
“It’s been a rough couple of days,” she choked out. Then she let the words tumble out before she could second-guess herself. “I’ve made a huge mistake. If I…what if I told you I didn’t love Phillip?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You can’t control who you fall in love with, Violet.”
“But he saved your life.”
Dale frowned again. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you have to marry him. You’re free to marry anyone you want.”
“Oh, Daddy!” She flung her arms around him. If only she could have simplified it like that herself. “I’ve felt so awful about it. That day at the hospital, I promised him I’d marry him, but everything’s different now. I met someone else and he showed me everything I’ve been missing, but I know you and Mom adore Phillip and I don’t want you to be let down and…”
She paused to take a breath and her father stopped her with a question. “Is this what’s had you so weighed down lately?”
“Yeah. We didn’t get engaged for the right reasons, Daddy.”
“There’s only one reason.”
“I know. I
know that now.”
“Honey, I don’t know a lot about people, but I know a lot about cars and it seems to me that their parts are a lot like people. You’ve got to connect the right ones together or else the thing won’t work.”
Violet hugged him tighter and sniffled into his shirt. The man didn’t have a flare for words like Shakespeare, but he always found a way to say exactly what she needed to hear. “You always know just what to say.”
“Well, honey, I work on car bodies and you work on human bodies. So, who is this mystery guy?”
He’s on TV right now saying goodbye to everything he loves and the only life he’s ever known.
“I’ll bring him over sometime so you can meet him,” she said simply, her voice muffled by tiny sobs.
If he ever decides to speak to me again.
“Sounds like a plan.”
“I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you, too, punkin’.”
* * *
The next morning, after an exhausting night of playing “How Big of an Idiot Am I?” Violet woke up on the couch to the sound of the shower running. A glance at the time on her phone told her it was six a.m. After leaving her parents’ last night, she hadn’t even made it to the bed. She’d just collapsed on the couch and cried herself to sleep.
Digging the crust out of her eyes, she headed down the hall. Phillip was toweling off in the bathroom when she padded into the bedroom.
“Hi,” she said, trying to hide the surprise in her voice. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken a shower with her there. To what did she owe this honor? Why was he here and not at his precious apartment downtown?
“Good morning,” he said politely. He modestly wrapped the towel around his slim waist before going into the closet to get dressed.
She followed him, pretending to pick out which polo shirt to wear to work. “Are you hungry?” she asked. “I thought we could go out for breakfast or something.”
Maybe food could fill the gaping hole in her middle.
Razors Ice 04 - Hot Ice Page 21