Off the Ice: A Breakaway Novel

by Dover, L. P.

  “What would you say if I said I thought I could fix it?” he asked.

  That caught me by surprise. “Really?” I gasped, staring at him incredulously. Who would’ve thought he’d know how to fix cars?

  Justin nodded, and shut the hood. “I have a friend who does mechanic work on the side. I helped him several times.” He looked at me and winked. “He taught me a few tricks.”

  “I’d say go for it, then. Don’t know what kind of luck you’ll have getting it to run, but you’re more than welcome to try.”

  He walked over to me, grinning devilishly. “How about we make a deal?”

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I stared curiously at him. “What kind of deal?”

  Keeping his eyes on mine, he nodded toward the truck. “If I can get it to run, I’ll pay you to let me borrow it for the summer. Being that I don’t have any wheels right now.”

  “Why don’t you just rent a car?” I asked, wondering what he was going to say.

  Nonchalantly, he shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “I’d rather do this.” He held out his hand, waiting on me to seal the deal. If I agreed, that meant he’d be spending time at my ranch. Before I could shake his hand, he pulled back. “Oh, and another thing. I kind of overheard you on the phone earlier. If you want, I can help fix your fence.”

  It was too good to be true. I glanced around my yard to see if there were any hidden men with video cameras. The Justin I watched on Rich and Single was not the same Justin in front of me. He held out his hand again, and I shook it.

  “Deal.”

  His grin broadened. “Excellent. Do you want me to start now or wait until tomorrow morning?”

  I looked down at my phone. It was almost time. “Tomorrow morning sounds good. Right now, I have to get ready for my date.”

  His smile faltered, and he tipped his hat. “He’s a lucky guy. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  If he only knew. I watched him walk down my driveway and disappear across the road, my heart raced inexplicably. Rushing inside, I set up my iPad on the table just as the call came through. Ellie’s sweet, angelic face appeared on the screen, her hair still wet.

  “Right on time for our date,” I said happily.

  She squealed and bounced in her seat. “Mommy, you won’t believe what all I saw today at the aquarium.”

  Happiness filled me, and I couldn’t contain my smile. “Tell me all about it. I have all day.”

  Chapter Seven

  Meghan

  “I can’t believe he’s going to be at your house all day, every day,” Kimberly gushed. “When are you going to tell him you know who he is?”

  I finished scrambling up the eggs and slid them into a bowl. “I don’t know. Probably soon. I don’t like being sneaky like this. It feels deceitful. Then again, I don’t want to ruin his secret.”

  “Who says you have to? If you tell him the truth, you can promise to stay quiet. Simple as that.”

  “Good point.” Then maybe if the truth came out, he’d actually talk about his life. I was curious to know more about him. Right now, he kept it all to himself. Getting the inside scoop would be very interesting. I looked out the window, and there he was, walking up my driveway. “Kim, he’s here. I have to go.”

  “Have fun, sis,” she said in a sing-song voice. “I’m getting ready to walk with Ellie down to the beach.”

  “Tell my little Ellie-Bear I love her.”

  “I will. Talk to you later.” We hung up, and I watched Justin walk the rest of the way up to my cabin. He had on a darker pair of jeans and an open plaid shirt with a white T-shirt underneath. Very different attire than the designer labels he wore on television. If he wanted to fit in with the locals, he was on the right track.

  I opened up the kitchen door and waved him over. “Good morning.”

  His smile made my stomach flutter. “Morning. I hope it’s not too early.”

  “Not at all. I’ve already been to the store this morning and made breakfast.” And while I was at the store, I got to see all the tabloids about him and Miranda. I couldn’t help but buy a couple of them. I’d spent part of the morning reading the stories, even though I knew about ninety-nine percent of them were untrue. I watched the whole season of Rich and Single. Miranda was a catty bitch who talked shit about the other women behind their backs. I wouldn’t want her to be my friend … or enemy.

  Justin took in a deep breath. “I see that. I can smell the bacon from here.”

  “If you’re hungry, you can come in and eat. I made plenty.”

  He paused for a second then nodded. “I think I will.”

  I held the door open for him, and he walked in, gazing around curiously at my kitchen. I’d remodeled it a few years ago with updated appliances, but it was nothing compared to the one at his ranch. However, I was happy with my two-bedroom cabin. It was the perfect size for Ellie and me.

  Pulling out two plates, I handed one to Justin and nodded at the food. “Get what you want.” I filled my plate and sat down at the table. Justin did the same and sat across the table, staring curiously at me. “What?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “Are you always this nice to strangers?”

  I took a bite of my biscuit, grinning smugly. “I told you I’m good with a gun. Besides, it’s easier to be nice than mean. You haven’t given me a reason not to be.” It was sort of a lie. I wouldn’t have allowed just any person into my home. He was a different story. What made him even more interesting was that he was actually a nice guy. He wasn’t in front of a camera or putting on a show. He was in my kitchen, eating breakfast, and clearly enjoying it.

  “These biscuits are so damn good.” It took all I had in me not to laugh as he shoved the rest of the biscuit into his mouth and then grabbed another one.

  “Glad you approve. My aunt used to make them every Sunday at our family get-togethers. At least, until my grandmother died.”

  He nodded as if he understood. He’d talked about his sister and some of his teammates while he was on Rich and Single. “My family’s the same way. With my parents still in Minnesota, I don’t see them much. Luckily, I have my sister and one of my brothers in North Carolina. We get together for meals pretty regularly.” I liked that he was close to his family. At least, he wasn’t lying to me, only not elaborating.

  “I have a sister too,” I added. “She’s pretty much my best friend.” I finished the last of my food and washed my plate off before sticking it in the dishwasher. Justin watched me and did the same with his plate once he was done eating.

  He guzzled down a glass of orange juice and stretched his arms over his head. “All right, let’s see what I can do with this.”

  We walked outside, and he followed me to the garage. Trey had every single tool you could imagine. Judging by Justin’s reaction, he was impressed. He opened up the various roller cabinet drawers and shook his head. “Your husband had quite a collection,” he said.

  Leaning against the door frame, I glanced around the garage. It was Trey’s domain. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d stepped foot inside. “Trey loved fixing stuff. It’s what he enjoyed.”

  “You miss him a lot?” he asked, glancing at me over his shoulder.

  I nodded. “He was my high school sweetheart. We spent a lot of years together.”

  Sighing, he turned back to the tools. “I wouldn’t know what that’s like. All of my friends are getting married and starting families, and here I am … alone in Wyoming.”

  “You’re not alone, Justin. You have me, a janky truck, and a broken-down fence to keep you company.”

  A sly smile spread across his face as he turned around. “That I do. It’s just a shame you’re taken. I’m sure whoever you had your date with last night wouldn’t want you around another man.”

  The thought made me smile. If he only knew my date was with an eight-year-old princess. Ellie was young, but she knew who he was from catching glimpses of the show before going to bed. All she’d ever talked about was being a movi
e star. If she knew her mother was hanging out with one, she’d demand her grandparents fly her home immediately.

  I waved him off and winked. “I’m a liberated woman.”

  Chuckling, Justin grabbed a handful of tools. “Okay. If he comes over and sees me here, I’m going to say you kidnapped me.”

  I hooted at his reference to our earlier conversation in the car. “You do that.” I helped him carry the tools over to the truck. “Do you need anything else right now? Maybe a bottle of water?”

  He took off his plaid shirt and the white T-shirt off underneath, exposing his washboard abs. “Nope, I’m good for now.”

  Rolling my eyes, I turned on my heel. He knew what he was doing. “I see that.” That was the Justin I recognized from television. I took a step toward the house, but then a car door slammed out front. For a second, I froze, thinking I’d just imagined it, but that was when I heard Emmett’s voice.

  “Meg!”

  I turned around so fast, I almost tripped over my own feet. “Shit!” I hissed. Justin quickly gathered up the tools and hid them behind the truck. I ran over to him and pushed him into the barn. “Hide and don’t say a word.”

  “Who is it?” he asked.

  Instead of answering, I rushed out the barn to my back-porch swing. Sweat dripped down my face, and I swiftly wiped it off just as Emmett turned the corner. “Hey,” I called out, trying not to sound breathless.

  He walked up the steps, carrying a plate of muffins, dressed in his ranger uniform. “Samantha wanted me to bring these to you. She was going to bring them herself, but she got called into the hospital early.”

  I stood and he handed me the plate. “They look amazing. I’ll be sure to call her later.”

  Emmett searched around the yard. “I could’ve sworn you were talking to someone out here. Thought maybe you’d already found someone to fix the fence.”

  “I was talking to my sister on the phone. And you’re right, I did find someone to fix the fence. He’ll be working on it soon.” I set the muffins down on my patio table.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, he reached out and grabbed me in a one-armed hug. “That makes me happy. I’d talked to George earlier, and he told me his men were booked. I was just about to work on the damn thing myself.”

  He let me go, and I pursed my lips. “I told you I could handle this on my own. I got it covered. Besides, you’re always busy with work.”

  With a heavy sigh, he nodded. “I know. Don’t be mad at me.”

  “I could never be mad at you, Emmett. Especially for wanting good things for me.”

  He squeezed my arm and nodded toward the front of the house. “I have to get to work. Don’t forget to call Samantha. She’s been missing you, especially now that Cody’s gone.”

  “I will. Promise.” Once Emmett was out of sight, I caught a glimpse of Justin in the barn, leaning against the entrance and watching me curiously. Holding my chest, I walked down to him when I heard Emmett drive away. “That was close.”

  Justin fiddled with the wrench in his hand. “Was that the guy you’re seeing?” he asked, sounding all serious. It made no sense. Why would he even care? The guy dated models and movie stars … not someone like me. Even if he was interested in me, it would never work.

  “No,” I answered, gauging his reaction. He appeared to be relieved, but that couldn’t be right. My heart jumped with the prospect of him being interested in me, but my brain told me to stay as far away from him as I could. Unfortunately, I didn’t want to. “He’s Trey’s brother, Emmett,” I explained. “His son was the one who was supposed to fix my fence this summer, but he got the opportunity to study abroad in Spain.”

  His smile widened. “Spain’s a beautiful country. I went there a couple years ago.”

  “You’re quite the traveler, aren’t you?”

  He shrugged and focused on the truck’s engine, his hands already dirty from the muck under the hood. “You could say that. I like seeing the world.”

  “Sounds nice. I wish I could.”

  Justin’s green eyes focused on me. “You can.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not like you, Justin. Our worlds are completely different.” Maybe it was my tone or the way I stared at him, but something clicked.

  Stepping away from the truck, he slowly blew out a breath. “What are you implying?”

  Playing games with him was not what I wanted. I didn’t like pretending I didn’t know who he was. “I think you know.” I took a step toward him, fiddling with my fingers like I always did when I was nervous. It was hard not to be when he never took his eyes off of me. His stare was intense, full of life. That had to be one of the things women loved about him. I looked up at him and sighed. “I know who you are, Justin Davis. I knew the second I bumped into you at the airport.”

  Chapter Eight

  Justin

  Jaw clenching, I closed my eyes. That was not what I wanted to hear. “I should’ve known this was too good to be true.” I opened my eyes, not knowing what to expect when I looked at Meghan. What I saw was understanding, maybe even compassion. She took another step toward me, rubbing her hands nervously. I didn’t want her to be nervous around me. “Have you told anyone?”

  She bit her lip. “Only my sister, but she knows not to say anything. When I met you at the airport, I had a feeling you were trying to hide. After everything that happened with Miranda, I didn’t want to bring attention to you.”

  I scoffed. “I’d imagine most women right now would be pissed at me.”

  “Are you kidding?” she gasped incredulously. “Your ex is a thundercunt. My sister and I didn’t like her one bit.” I smiled, and she held up her hand. “I’m not saying that dumping her on live television was the way to go, but I can say it needed to be done.” It was a relief to hear her say that. Hopefully, the aftermath when I got back home wouldn’t be so bad.

  “What made you want to come clean now?” I asked.

  A small smile spread across her face, and she looked off at the mountains. She was so fucking beautiful. “Believe me, it was kind of thrilling having you here and pretending you were just a normal guy. I haven’t been comfortable around men much, not since my husband died.” Her blue eyes met mine. “What I didn’t like was you holding back. If you’re going to be around me, I don’t want you to feel like you have to lie.” With a heavy sigh, she moved closer. “You’re not the only one who wants to keep your whereabouts a secret.”

  I nodded in understanding. “Your boyfriend, right? Is that one of the reasons why you didn’t want Emmett to see me?”

  She burst out laughing. “Not at all. If anything, Emmett wants to see me with someone. He’s making me come to a party at his house in a couple of weeks so I can meet some of the guys he works with.”

  A sharp pain exploded inside of me, and it took a few seconds to realize what it was … jealousy. I didn’t want her meeting other men. Hell, I hated the fact that she was already taken. “What about your boyfriend?” I asked. “If not for him, why would you care about keeping my secrets?”

  She stared at me for a long second and then pulled out her phone. “My date last night was with someone special. I have another one tonight, and every night for the next few weeks.” She held onto her phone for a few more seconds before showing it to me. There was a picture of her with a young girl with golden amber eyes and wavy brown hair. I could see the resemblance between them. “The reason I’m keeping you being here a secret is because I don’t want my daughter dragged into the media shitstorm you have brewing right now. It’s not fair to her. Not to mention, I don’t want my business being out there for the world to see, even if we are just friends. You, of all people, know how the media can skew things.”

  “I understand,” I said. “And I don’t blame you.” She was the first woman I’d been around who didn’t want to be in the public eye with me. It was for the best, anyway. She had her daughter to think about. I smiled at the picture. “She looks like you.”

  Meghan’s smile
brightened. “She’s everything to me. Right now, she’s spending the rest of summer in Nags Head with my family while I get the ranch in order. I promised her we’d video chat every day.” She pocketed her phone. “That’s who my date was with.”

  “So you’re not seeing anyone right now that I should be worried about stopping by?” I asked.

  She chuckled. “No. If you want to still work on the truck and the fence, I’d be extremely grateful. Having you around has definitely made this summer more exciting.”

  “I can agree with you on that.” The whole purpose of coming to Wyoming was so I could be alone and enjoy the time away from the media. But I didn’t want to be alone if Meghan and I could spend time together without having to worry. I’d never been able to enjoy my time anywhere without the media following me around. Meghan was the first genuine person I’d come across in a long time, even if she did know who I was and didn’t tell me.

  Meghan held out her hand. “Let’s make a deal. We both keep our friendship a secret, and we both promise to be open and honest with each other. Because frankly, I have a lot of questions I want to ask to you.”

  I shook her hand but didn’t let go. “You might not like the answers.”

  She snorted. “I can handle it. I watched you kiss a gazillion girls on Rich and Single, and pummel guys on the ice. Your whole life was on a show for the world to see.”

  I didn’t like that she saw me like that. All she saw was a guy who put up a front just to make the show more appealing. There was more to me than she knew. “That’s not how I really am, Meghan. You don’t honestly think that, do you?”

  “I don’t know what to think,” she said, shrugging. “I’ve never met someone like you before. Although, I will say I’m guilty of assuming. It’s hard not to see your type as arrogant and devoid of any understanding of how the rest of the world lives.”

  It was like a slap in the face, but I was guilty of it. I’d never cared much about how other people lived. I’d only worried about my own life and how I could get ahead. Being in her home and hearing about her life made me aware that I could never have anything like that.