That wasn’t even the case right now. I knew Madeline was interested. We’d had enough moments that I was confident she felt the same spark. I saw the way she looked at me. She wanted me as bad as I wanted her. But why had she turned me down?
She was free of Clark, but maybe she hadn’t moved on. I thought she already had. It’s not like they had the most functional relationship. They were hardly ever together. She was living a separate life from him for months, so I thought she would be ready. I was wrong.
I would wait, like I said I would. If all she needed was time, I could give that to her.
“Stop pacing.”
I looked at the couch where Reese and Chloe were facing away from me watching TV.
“It’s not like I’m blocking your view.”
I might have been a bit on edge. Chloe had picked up on it when she got home with Reese. They made dinner and invited me to join them, but I was too riled up.
The sound of their show disappeared, and when I looked up, Chloe was staring me down. “You’re ruining our night. Come sit down and tell us what’s going on.”
I felt a little bad. During the season, it was rare for them to have a night together where they could relax.
I moved to the living room and sat in the armchair.
“What’s going on?”
I looked from my sister to Reese. He didn’t look as annoyed as I was expecting.
“I tried to talk to Madeline.”
Chloe nodded, but remained silent.
“I asked her out. She said no.”
Reese laughed until I scowled at him. “Sorry. It’s just…Was that the first time you heard that word?”
I ignored him. Telling him would lead to relentless taunting.
“The point is, how do I convince her to out with me?”
Chloe pursed her lips and seemed to be taking me seriously, finally. “You can’t just go in full force with her. She’s in a transition period. Plus she isn’t your normal type. You know that and I’m sure she does too.”
Reese was nodding. “You need to take baby steps.”
I narrowed my eyes. That wasn’t something I’d done before.
“How?”
He shrugged. “Try spending time with her in nonthreatening situations.”
“You think I’m threatening?”
He shook his head. “That’s not what I’m talking about. She probably isn’t ready to date, so hanging out with a group of people would be more comfortable for her.” I nodded. That made sense. “I know we don’t have much time at home right now, but maybe next week when we’re back we can get a group together and go to The Pie.”
Ugh. We were traveling to Toronto for the next several days. I wasn’t looking forward to it, but it was perfect timing. Madeline needed space and I was going to be out of the country.
“That’s a good idea.”
He smiled. “I know.”
“And no dating random girls.” Chloe felt the need to state the obvious.
I shot her a look. “I haven’t been out with anyone in months, if you haven’t noticed.” The season had been busy, so meeting women wasn’t a priority. And it didn’t hold the same appeal it once did.
As more and more of the guys on the team settled down, I realized that was the life I wanted. It didn’t surprise me Chloe hadn’t picked up on it. She was lost in Reese-world.
She looked to Reese and he nodded. Really? She needed him to confirm?
“That’s good, Erik.”
Chapter Nineteen
Madeline
I was a selfish person. Mom dreaded the traveling days when Dad was gone, but I was looking forward to it. Not because Dad would be out of town, but Erik.
He’d given me space. Hadn’t contacted me once. But knowing he was close was getting to me. Dad never mentioned him, but I knew my parents were waiting for me to get my act together and call him. For the next four days, I didn’t have to worry about him. It was a much welcome break.
Chloe invited me to a girls’ night out with the Pride, and I couldn’t wait. I just had to get through one more client and I was free.
The tall basketball player walked through the front doors and waved when he saw me. I’d worked with Chris for the past six weeks on his shoulder. By now he knew the routine.
“Hi, Ms. Madeline.”
I smiled at his southern greeting. He was such a gentleman. “Hi, Chris. Are you ready?” He nodded and followed me to a table where I strapped on the electrodes for muscle stimulation.
“How’s your week going?” He didn’t flinch once while the machine worked. It didn’t hurt, but it could feel uncomfortable at times.
“So far, so good. I’ve got a big girls’ night out tonight.”
His smile grew. “Don’t get too crazy. I hear hockey wives are rough.”
I laughed. “Cause their husbands are?”
He nodded. “They’re a different breed.”
“The players definitely are, but the women are great.”
I’d told Chris about who my dad was during our second or third session. He asked about my childhood and when I told him how often we moved he guessed one of my parents was in the military. He was shocked when I told him the truth.
He liked to hassle me about the sport. Even gave me tickets to his game so I could watch what he called a real sport. I didn’t agree with him about that, but I wasn’t going to tell the six-foot-eight giant I though hockey was more intense.
“That’s why we need to get you with one of my guys.”
I shook my head. “That’s the last thing I need.”
He eyed me. “You got someone else?”
“Nope. I’m single.” It felt good to say that.
“Perfect. I’ll give you Jordan’s number.”
“No, not going to happen.” I tried not to focus on the fact I was one simple “please” away from having Jordan Dasher’s phone number, the star of the team. If I was intimidated by Erik’s reputation, Jordan’s had me running in the opposite direction.
“You’ll see the light someday.”
I laughed while removing the electrodes. “Sure, Chris.”
We finished the rest of his session without him trying to set me up with any other teammates. As flattered as I was that he thought any of them would be interested in me, that was one road I did not want to go down.
“Have a good weekend, Ms. Madeline.”
“You too!” I waved before he walked out and went to my office to grab my purse. I had an hour before I was meeting the girls and I wanted to change and get cleaned up.
Mom wasn’t home when I arrived, so I hurried and fixed my hair and makeup before putting on jeans and a sweater. I checked the time, realizing I was going to be late.
Chloe offered to pick me up, but I knew it would be out of her way. She was nice to always include me in things even though I didn’t think I technically qualified to be a member of the Pride. That was for the wives and girlfriends of the players. She told me family of the players and coaches were more than welcome. I stopped feeling awkward when she told me she was included before she and Reese were dating.
As much as I appreciated their friendship, I felt a little out of place. Growing up, I was surrounded by boys. I hadn’t ever had a solid group of girlfriends until now.
I parked and entered the Mexican restaurant, looking around for the women. The hostess smiled at me. “How many in your party?”
“Oh, I’m meeting friends here.”
She nodded. “The girls’ night?”
“Yeah.” I was relieved she knew what I was talking about.
“They have the back room.” She turned and directed me to them.
“Thanks.”
I walked between the booths and tables of other customers until I spotted Emma and Chloe.
“You’re here!” Chloe announced, and several women cheered.
“Hi, everyone.” I took an open seat between Sophia and Emma.
“We were just talking about you.”
Well, that couldn’t be good. “Oh?”
Sophia rubbed my shoulder. “Don’t worry. We were just playing matchmaker.”
Well, that was worse than what I was thinking. I kind of wished they were discussing my lack of style or bad haircut. That would be easier to swallow.
“I’m not—”
“We know you’re just newly single, but we just love you and want you to find the right guy.”
I forced a smile while trying to formulate an excuse. Evidently, just getting out of a long-term relationship wasn’t enough.
Emma turned to me. “We’ve been talking.” Oh good. “And we realized we might have been a bit harsh before.”
I looked around the table and everyone was looking at me.
“Erik isn’t the bad guy we made him out to be.”
I sat and waited for someone to continue. Where was this coming from? I looked to Chloe, who looked extra guilty.
“I appreciate you telling me that. But I’m just not in the right place to be dating.”
Chloe nodded. “We get that, really we do. And I know that we’ve only known each other for a few months, but I think you may be using your break up as an excuse.”
First my mom and now Chloe? I looked around the table again and realized they all felt that way.
“We know things with your ex weren’t great, even before you broke up. We never saw him and you didn’t light up when you spoke about him.”
I sat back, silent. I couldn’t defend myself. I’d already realized this on my own.
“I’m just saying that your relationship may have officially ended only a week ago, but you were emotionally removed from it long before that.” Chloe watched me, probably waiting for a reaction, so I nodded. “I don’t want you to miss out on something great because you don’t want to risk getting hurt. None of us do.”
Why did it feel like this dinner was turning into an intervention?
“Erik is really a great guy. I know he has a reputation for being a playboy, but that was mostly contrived by the team’s PR department. It was good publicity.”
I let that sink in. Had they purposely blown things out of proportion to get more attention on the Fury? It wouldn’t surprise me. It was something most teams did.
“Erik hasn’t gone out with anyone since the beginning of the season.”
That was the first surprising thing I’d heard all night. “Really?”
Chloe nodded. “He told me he dated around because he never found a girl he was interested in seeing twice.” She smiled. “Until he met you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “He didn’t really say that.”
She nodded. “No, it’s true. He really likes you, but he respects that you’re dealing with a lot right now.”
Emma spoke up. “It’s true. He’s talked to me and Olli about it.”
“About me?”
She nodded. “About you, about the life he wants.” She glanced at Chloe before looking back at me. “He wants to settle down. He wants what we have.”
I hadn’t expected that. He seemed like the guy that would be living fast and hard for as long as he could. Hearing that he wanted to settle down, possibly get married, shook my perception of him.
Chloe leaned forward. “Erik is one of the most passionate people I know. He goes for everything he wants with all of his heart. I don’t want to let stories of his past scare you away.”
I nodded and let everything sink in. Maybe I had judged him too harshly. Every moment I’d had with him felt real. He was patient and kind. He knew when to get me to talk and when to just sit with me. He knew how to cheer me up, how to make me laugh, how to comfort me when I was upset.
He really was more than a playboy. Part of me didn’t want to admit that they were right, along with my mom, but that would mean sacrificing more time that we could spend getting to know each other.
“If I promise to talk to him when the team gets back, can we talk about something else?”
The entire table laughed, and Chloe nodded. “Of course.”
Once the attention was off me and my dating life, I was able to relax. We ordered, and I was shocked by how good the food was.
“Have you met Phil, the owner?” Sophia asked once we were done eating.
“No, this is my first time here.”
She looked surprised. “I can’t believe your parents haven’t brought you here already. Phil used to play for the Fury. He opened this place after he retired. It’s one of our favorite places to go.”
It was a bit shocking that he decided to stay here. I would have thought players would leave Salt Lake for somewhere warm when they were done. It gave me a little bit of hope that settling down in one place was a real possibility.
As we were leaving, I hugged each of them and thanked them for including me.
Chloe linked her arm through mine and walked out with me. “I’m sorry that we ambushed you earlier. I was talking to them about Erik and how different he’s been lately. Most of them noticed it too, especially Emma. She mentioned how perfect you two would be and one thing led to another…”
She trailed off, but I knew what she meant. “That tends to happen when a bunch of women get together.”
She laughed with me and nodded. “It’s so true. Anyway, I promise to drop the topic. I’ve said what I could, but I’ll leave you to make your own decisions. I won’t bring it up again.”
“Thanks, I know you guys did it out of love for him—”
“And you.”
That was sweet. I really did appreciate how welcoming they’d been. “You guys gave me a lot to think about.”
She nodded, a smile creeping at the corner of her lips.
“We’re having a viewing party for tomorrow’s game at my place tomorrow, if you want to come.”
“Thanks, that sounds fun, but my mom already asked me to watch it with her. We’re doing a whole mother-daughter spa night while it’s on.”
She grinned, but I could tell it wasn’t completely genuine. It took me a few seconds to realized how terrible I was. I wanted to run or have the ground swallow me up. Chloe had lost her mom and I’d just rubbed it in her face. Could I be a worse friend?
“Oh, Chloe. I’m so sorry.”
She waved me off. “No, don’t apologize. You’re lucky you and your mom are so close.”
“How about next time there’s an away game you come over? She would love to have another girl over to spoil.”
She nodded. “That sounds really fun. Thanks.”
“Good. Thanks again for inviting me out tonight.”
She pulled me in for a hug before stepping back. “I’m glad you came.”
“Me too.” I waved as I got into my car and she walked away. It had been a strange night, but despite the embarrassment at the beginning, I had fun. It was nice to have friends to spend time with. Even when they were shoving their agendas down my throat. It had to mean something that they were repeating what Mom said. Right?
Chapter Twenty
Erik
We lost one of the games on our trip but won two, so it wasn’t too bad. The guys were exhausted, and I couldn’t wait to get home. I’d kept my distance. I hadn’t reached out to Madeline once. Sure, it was only a few days, but I wanted to talk to her. I wanted her to know I was thinking of her.
I was reverting to my teen years.
When I walked through the front door, I was surprised to see Chloe waiting for me. I expected her to already be with Reese.
“Hey, how was it?”
I shrugged and dropped my bags. “It was a long week.”
She nodded and sat on the sofa, watching me. She looked like she was waiting for something.
It wasn’t our birthday. What was going on?
“Did you have a good week?” I was anxious for her response. What had I missed?
“It was fine.” She blinked, and I waited. If she wanted me to guess, it wasn’t going to happen. I couldn’t read her mind and I’d dug myself into plenty of holes
playing this game.
“I went out with the girls one night.”
“Sounds fun.” Why was she telling me that? I didn’t really care. It didn’t have anything to do with me.
Wait.
“Who was there?”
Her smile never wavered. “Most of the Pride.”
I nodded. She was going to make me pull it out of her. “Madeline?”
“Why do you ask?” Her smile morphed into a smirk. The little brat.
I rolled my eyes and started to walk away. I was too tired to play her games.
“She was there.” I stopped and turned back to her. “We talked about you.”
“Of course you did.” I couldn’t show her I was dying to know what was said. I had to play it cool. Chloe would see my weakness and exploit it.
It was like a sister superpower.
“We just mentioned that although you may have had a certain reputation in the past, it doesn’t define you. I may have mentioned that you haven’t gone out with anyone since the beginning of the season.”
I would not react. Must not show weakness.
“Okay.”
Her smile grew. Dang it. She was onto me.
“We seemed to have softened her a bit toward you.”
Good. That was just what I wanted. They probably bombarded her. I felt the need to apologize to her even though I wasn’t there. I knew Chloe could be a bit much. She was intimidating when she wanted to be, and bossy the rest of the time. Once she got an idea in her head it was a done deal. There was nothing in this world that could stop her. Normally, I didn’t mind. I was usually the benefactor, but now I was on the flip side.
It was uncomfortable. A bit alarming.
“Perfect. Thanks, Chloe.” I walked away before she gave me more to worry about.
Deep, deep down I know she thought she was doing me a favor, but in reality, she probably undid any progress I’d made with Madeline.
I sat on my bed and debated. Should I call her? Go find her? I couldn’t go to her work again. That wasn’t received very well. Maybe Chloe knew where she lived. That would mean asking. Enduring what I had to go through in the living room all over again was not appealing. At all.
Match Penalty (Utah Fury Hockey Book 2) Page 12