Off the Ice: A Breakaway Novel

by Dover, L. P.

  Slowly, she let go of my hand. “How can I make you see that I’m not like that?” I asked, voice low.

  She looked up at me and smiled. “Just be yourself.”

  For the rest of the day, I worked on the truck while Meghan planted seeds in her garden. There were a lot of old parts on the truck that needed to be replaced. Once I ordered those up, I had no doubt I could get it running.

  Every once in a while, Meghan would look over at me, and I’d look at her. There was a connection between us, but I knew not to pursue it, and it was obvious she wasn’t going to either. I’d never had a female friend that didn’t have the “benefits” attached. Meghan was going to be my first. Once the day was done, I headed back to my ranch.

  Sitting on my back porch, I guzzled down a beer and propped my feet up on the railing. The sky had a pinkish glow from the sunset, and the air was brisk and cool. But in the distance, thunder rolled as a storm began to come in. I was starting to think I needed to spend every summer in Wyoming. The weather was significantly more tolerable than the oppressive North Carolina heat and humidity.

  My phone rang, and I looked down at it to see Callie’s name. “Hey,” I answered.

  “Hey, how’s it going out there?”

  “Pretty good. You’re going to love the ranch. There’s so much to do out here.” I walked around to my vacant barn. The smell of horses still hung in the air. It was one of the things on my list to get.

  “I can’t wait to see it. Once the baby’s born, I’ll be able to fly again.”

  A flash of lightning raced across the sky. I moved further into the barn and sat down on a bale of hay. “How’s everything going out there? You and the baby feeling okay?”

  “We’re doing great. Dallas and the guys are helping out with the junior hockey camp this week. I know the kids miss seeing you there.”

  That brought a smile to my face. I loved teaching young hockey players how to expand their craft. It was something I hoped to continue after I retired. There was no way I could give up hockey completely, even if I was old and gray.

  “What about Miranda?” I asked, not really wanting to know. I’d intentionally stayed away from TV and the internet.

  The line went silent for a few seconds, which wasn’t good. “Well … she’s hell bent on ruining your life, but you already knew that,” she explained. “Then again, you have a lot of people sticking up for you.”

  “What is she saying?”

  Callie huffed. “Basically, that you cheated on her. If it comes out that you did, you’ll be faced with a lawsuit from the production company. It was in your contract that you couldn’t engage in any activities with people of the opposite sex.”

  I was a fool for signing that fucking contract. At the time, Miranda was still a cunt, but I thought more with my dick than anything. She was wild as hell in the bedroom. “I didn’t cheat on her stupid ass,” I griped angrily.

  The thunder rumbled overhead, and the rain started. It mimicked my mood. “I know, but there are women coming out of the woodwork, saying you slept with them. It isn’t helping.”

  My insides shook with rage. I was angry at myself for being so stupid and doing the show when I knew it was rigged. “How many?”

  She sighed. “Five, so far. I bet a million dollars Miranda’s daddy is paying them off. Corey hired a private investigator to look into it.”

  “Good. Tell him I’ll pay anything to get this shit handled.” Corey handled a lot of my finances, including the money for damage control.

  “Oh, he knows,” she replied, laughing. “You’re paying a pretty penny for this investigator. He’s supposedly the best though. Just don’t do anything stupid in the meantime to draw more attention to you.”

  Thoughts of Meghan ran through my mind. “I’m not, but I did meet someone. You’d like her. Her name’s Meghan.”

  “Justin,” she scolded. “Getting involved with another woman right now is not good. What if she goes to the press?”

  The rain came down harder, and I smiled. “She won’t. We promised we’d keep everything a secret. She doesn’t want her life exposed to the media.”

  “What if someone sees you?”

  I chuckled. “Not going to happen. She’s keeping me busy at her ranch. It’ll probably take me all summer just to fix her fence.”

  Callie gasped. “You’re doing manual labor? Wow.”

  There was grease under my fingernails from working on the truck, but I didn’t care. “She needed help, and I wanted to give it to her. I’m telling you, Callie, this girl is something else. I’ve never met anyone like her.”

  “That’s definitely something, coming from you. What’s she like?”

  Leaning my head against the barn wall, I closed my eyes and pictured her. “She’s beautiful, for starters. She’s also an elementary school teacher who can make some killer biscuits. I ate breakfast with her this morning. But most important, she doesn’t treat me like I’m a celebrity. When she talks to me, it’s like she really wants to get to know who I am.”

  “She sounds good to me,” she murmured. “Just be careful. I know you say you’re just friends, but things tend to happen over time. Make sure you think about the repercussions of your actions. Meghan might not be prepared to handle what happens with being involved with a guy like you.”

  That was what bothered me more than anything. Because of who I was, I’d never be able to have a normal relationship. “I’ll figure it out,” was all I could say. The rain came down even harder as we said our goodbyes. Meghan and I were just friends. We didn’t have to worry about anything, if we kept it all a secret. At least, that was what I was going to tell myself.

  Chapter Nine

  Meghan

  Justin: Ready for me to come over?

  I’d just taken the last of the pancakes off the griddle.

  Me: Yep! Just fixed breakfast.

  Justin: Hell yeah! Be there in a sec.

  Me: Just come on in.

  It was crazy how easy it was to talk to him. Even with the simple texts, it was like we’d known each other for years. He offered to work on the truck and my fence for free, but I didn’t feel right about it, even if he was worth millions. That was why I planned on working with him. If he wasn’t going to let me pay him, I’d help him.

  The morning was perfect, the smell of last night’s rain still in the air. I’d dried off the patio table and set our plate of pancakes and syrup in the middle with two large glasses of orange juice. It wasn’t long before I heard the front door open and Justin calling my name.

  “Meghan?”

  “Out here,” I shouted. I could see him through the window, and I waved. He had on his cowboy hat again, wearing jeans and boots with a different plaid shirt from the day before.

  When he stepped onto the porch, I got a good look at his clothes, trying my best not to tease him … only I couldn’t help it. “Did you buy a whole new wardrobe just so you’d fit in out here? Never once have I seen a picture of you wearing anything like that.”

  Pretending to be offended, he slapped a hand over his chest. “Seriously? I wear this shit all the time. Do I look stupid?”

  Snickering, I beckoned him over to the table. “Actually, it suits you, but I figured I’d give you a little grief.”

  He tapped his hat. “I’m enjoying the new look. Might have to wear this kind of stuff when I go back home.” His eyes lit up when he noticed our food. “I could get used to this. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you when I go back to Charlotte.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Please. With all the ladies waiting for you back home, I’m sure someone will be dying to cook you breakfast.”

  He shook his head. “Not like you.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I teased, grabbing the syrup. I poured it all over my pancakes and dug in. “Breakfast is my favorite meal.” Lifting up my plate, I breathed it all in. “Homemade buttermilk pancakes.”

  I passed the syrup to Justin, and he winked. “Steak is my favorite. I can ki
ll it on the grill with meats, but other than that, I’m not good around the kitchen.”

  The pancakes pretty much melted in my mouth. “Seems like we complement each other then,” I said, mouth full. “I’m good at everything else besides the grill.” Justin tried his best not to smile and failed. Then it hit me what I had done—I’d just talked to him with my mouth full of food. Clearing my throat, I washed my pancakes down with my juice. “Okay, in my defense, I do work with kids all day. I really do have manners.”

  He snickered and waved me off. “Hey, I’m not saying anything. It’s nice to be around a woman who loves to eat.” I watched him take a bite of his food and smiled when he moaned in delight. “I don’t know what’s better, your biscuits or pancakes.”

  That made me laugh. “Just say they’re equal, and I’ll be happy. To be honest, I don’t know which one I like better either.”

  His eyes widened. “Oh, I ordered the parts for the truck. They’ll be here in a couple of days. Once they come in, I should have it up and running that day.”

  “Wow, that’s awesome. Now you’ll have a car to drive around while you’re in town.” He nodded and continued eating. “Speaking of being in town, when do you have to go back to Charlotte?”

  He shrugged. “Early August some time. That’s when practices start back up.” That was about the time I was headed back to Nags Head to spend the rest of the summer with my family.

  “Good. Then we have plenty of time to work on the fence.”

  “We?” he asked, regarding me curiously.

  Nodding, I finished the last bite of my pancakes. “Yep. I’m going to help you since you won’t take my money.”

  By the smile on his face, I knew he wouldn’t object. I was looking forward to spending more time with him. Once he was done with his food, he helped me clean up the table. There were different paint swatches on the kitchen counter, and he held them up.

  “What are these for?”

  I rinsed off our plates. “For the barn. Which color do you like?”

  “None. Why not go with a classic barn red? It’s what makes a barn, a barn.”

  The thought made me laugh. My barn was a faded olive at the moment, and I’d planned on keeping it around the same color. Justin glanced out the back kitchen window and held up the swatches. “You need to go with red. None of these ugly ass green colors,” he said, tossing them on the table. He held out his arms. “I’ll help you paint it.”

  Grabbing his arm, I pulled him out the back door, loving the feel of his muscles tensing beneath my touch. “Seriously. You’re already doing too much for me as it is. I don’t want you spending all your free time here.”

  “Why not? It’s my choice.”

  Pursing my lips, I glared up at him playfully. “I bet. You just don’t want to be alone, and since I’m the only one who knows your secret, you have nobody else.”

  He smirked. “Damn, you figured me out.”

  I punched his arm. “Go get my fence done, smartass.”

  We both laughed, and he followed beside me down to my haggard fence. The fence posts and boards had already been delivered a couple weeks ago, and I had a tub of concrete ready to be mixed. I even had the drills all charged up to help the nailing process go more quickly, but I brought out the hammers and nails instead. It took all I had to contain my smile as Justin studied the old fence.

  “All right, let’s get started. This shouldn’t be too hard.” He pointed at the section connected to the barn. “We’ll start there and work our way down. Tearing it down should be easy. I can do that myself.”

  I flourished my hand toward the fence. “Have at it.”

  He went to work, tearing it down, while I sat in the grass and watched him. He didn’t seem to mind, at least not by the sly grins he gave me. “I gave you a break yesterday from asking any questions pertaining to your personal life, but …” I paused, and he froze. His back was to me, so I couldn’t see his face.

  He’d already torn down one portion of the fence, so I got up and helped him stick in the new fence posts. Grabbing the bucket of freshly mixed concrete, he poured some around them and down into the holes. “What do you want to know?”

  “Why did you choose Miranda?” I asked, voice low. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and a look of utter horror passed across his face. I got the impression that he was ashamed.

  With a heavy sigh, he stepped back and lowered his gaze. “You asked for honesty, right? And since we’re friends, I don’t have to worry about you judging me?”

  When his head lifted, I could see the seriousness on his face. “I promise,” I replied wholeheartedly.

  Holding the hammer in his hands, his knuckles turned white from squeezing it so hard. “She was good in bed. That’s why she made it so far in the show.”

  I kind of had a feeling that was one of the reasons, but I’ll be damned, it kind of stung to hear him say it. “I really thought the girl you got rid of in week four would’ve been your choice. I liked her.” She was smart and funny, just not over-the-top sexy like most of the other women.

  Justin nodded and focused back on the fence. I helped him lift one of the boards to the post, and he nailed them together. “I would’ve chosen her, but the producers didn’t think she was exciting enough.”

  “More like she didn’t cause drama,” I interrupted. “She was a genuinely nice girl.” It was obvious she didn’t make for exciting TV.

  We nailed the last two boards to the posts and that finished up the first section. “She was a very nice girl,” he agreed, meeting my gaze. “She almost reminds me of you.” That made me smile. While watching the show, I’d thought the same thing. “But unfortunately, I had to let her go. Turns out, Miranda’s father had paid off the producers. At the time, I didn’t mind, because we were having such a good time together.” His jaw clenched and anger flashed in those green eyes of his. “After the show ended—and I was stuck in a yearlong engagement—I realized how bad I fucked up. My family and friends hated her just as much as I did.” He moved over to the next section of the fence and knocked it down with a sullen kick.

  “I’m sorry. It all sounds so complicated.” I couldn’t imagine having a life like that. It was like something you’d see in the movies.

  He scoffed. “You have no idea. Now she’s saying I breached our contract by sleeping with five other women. It’s all over the tabloids.”

  “Oh my God,” I gasped. “You didn’t, did you?”

  His eyes blazed. “Do you think I did?”

  “You can’t blame me for asking, Justin. I only know what I saw of you on television. And frankly, it’s not a lot to go on. Just like you don’t know me well.”

  That made his expression soften. “I’m trying to remedy that.”

  My cheeks burned, and I hoped like hell he didn’t notice. “What are you going to do?”

  This time, he held the post in place while I poured the concrete. “My brother, Corey, is my agent. He hired a private investigator to get to the bottom of it. As soon as I have the proof I need, I’m going after Miranda and her father.”

  “Sounds like a huge mess. You’re going to have a lot to deal with when you go home.”

  Sighing, he picked up another board. “You have no idea.”

  By the end of the afternoon, we were almost finished with six sections of the fence. If we hadn’t talked the entire time, we probably could’ve gotten a lot more done. Covered in sweat, we sat down on the grass, and I tossed him a bottle of water out of the cooler I’d put together after lunch. Storm clouds rolled in overhead, but I didn’t want to end the day just yet.

  “Hopefully, you got enough of me talking about Miranda today,” Justin said, opening up his water.

  I guzzled my drink and gasped for air. “More than enough. I don’t think I want to hear any more about her.”

  Justin chuckled. “Sounds good to me. I’d rather talk more about you and your life.”

  I shrugged. “Not much to tell.”

  His gaze av
erted to my phone. “That’s not true. I bet you have a ton of pictures that prove otherwise.”

  Scrolling through my picture gallery, I took a deep breath and handed him my phone. “Fine. Tell me what kind of stories you see.”

  He took my phone, eyes twinkling as he looked through them. Ever since smart phones became a thing, I’d had all of my pictures transferred to each new phone I’d gotten. That way, I could always have the ones of Trey I’d taken all those years ago.

  Justin showed me a photo of Trey and me. “You have a lot to tell, Meghan.” It was of us on our wedding day, dancing to our song. “You’re very beautiful.”

  Leaning over his arm, I glanced down at my phone. “Thank you. He was my first love. All he ever wanted to do was help people. It terrified me when he decided to join the military.” With a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes. “Even so, I never thought he’d be taken away so soon.”

  Justin put his arm around my shoulders and squeezed. It shocked me how amazing and comforting it felt. “Does Ellie ever ask about him?” he asked.

  A smile lit up my face. “All the time.”

  He squeezed my shoulder one more time and let go. “Have you dated anyone since your husband?”

  “Not really,” I answered with a shrug. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than ready to move on. I just haven’t found the right person.” He scrolled to a picture of Ellie riding her bike for the first time. “Also, it’s a little more complicated when you’re a single mother. Some guys don’t want everything that comes with that.”

  Justin smiled at Ellie and chuckled when the next picture popped up, one of her as a toddler after she’d just gotten into my makeup bag. There was lipstick all over her face. “I wish I could meet her. She seems like she’d be fun to be around.”