He told Taylor how he loved the energy rolling off the crowd as they all stood to get a better look. He loved the way it amped up the team. How one player, especially one who didn’t score much, could change the flow of the game.
Why wasn’t he fighting?
She didn’t know when she’d get the chance to ask him. The team was flying home late tonight, but she had to spend tomorrow studying if she was going to the ball on Saturday.
A ball. Just the term made her laugh. It was a charity event for the foundation run by the Jackets. Their schedule got too hectic to have it after Thanksgiving, so it was going to be the weekend before. She wasn’t planning on going, but her mom got her tickets and made her promise to come. Abigail and Colin, in their tension filled state, were coming with her.
The next evening, she was studying when Abigail jumped on her bed, scattering papers onto the floor.
“What the hell?” Taylor yelled.
“Sorry, but seriously we need some girl talk.”
“I have an exam on Monday.” She got off her bed and crouched down to pick up the papers.
“I know, but tomorrow we’re going to a ball.” She spread her arms wide and threw her head back. Taylor couldn’t help but laugh.
“Ha! I knew I could make you smile, oh serious one.”
“Ever think I’m laughing at you, not with you?” Taylor quirked an eyebrow.
“Does it matter?” she asked. “The point is you’re laughing.”
“Touché.” Taylor sat across from her on the bed and pulled in her legs.
“Have you talked to Josh today?”
“No,” she sighed. “I don’t know, Abi.”
Abigail leveled her with a glare. “Never call me that again.” Then all the tension in her face disappeared, and she nodded. “Go on.”
Taylor was used to Abigail’s quirks by now, so she didn’t stop to ask questions. “I didn’t tell you this, but we kissed. Again.”
“Oooo yay.” Abigail leaned closer. “I’m listening.”
“It was like the kiss of all kisses. Serious earth-shattering stuff.”
“I’m liking what I’m hearing.”
“But that’s the problem. That’s it. I haven’t talked to him since that night.”
“Well, that’s no good.” Abigail leaned back on her elbows, her eyes searching for something in Taylor’s face. “I don’t know if it’s okay to ask you this or not.”
“Just do it.” Taylor sighed, somehow knowing the question was the same one she’d been asking herself.
“Are you ready for anything more to happen?”
Taylor didn’t speak at first. The question flipped over in her mind, an answer eluding her.
“I still think about Danny every day, if that’s what you mean. Everything reminds me of him. It used to make me sad, like I would mourn him forever. Lately, he’s been making me smile, like his memories are a good thing, rather than something that just haunt me.”
Taylor reached for her sketchbook and flipped it open. “I’ve been drawing him.”
Abigail looked through the drawings with wide eyes. “Tay, these are amazing.”
“I don’t want to forget him.”
“Moving on doesn’t mean you have to forget him.” Abigail ran her fingers over a picture of Danny with his goofy grin. “I think he’ll always be a part of you, but Tay, he isn’t coming back.”
“I know that.”
“Do you?” She looked up, locking her eyes on Taylor’s. “Because it’s been a year and a half, and it seems to me like you’re just waiting. It’s a long life, and he’d want you to live it.”
Taylor looked back down at the book as Abigail flipped to the next page. This one wasn’t Danny. She’d drawn Josh standing by the river, his hair blowing into his face. His lips were turned up in a smirk as he stared at something. She imagined that something was her. Abigail stopped turning pages and held out the open book for Taylor to take.
“Are you in love with Josh?”
“How am I supposed to know that? I like him. A lot. I don’t even know if I’m ready for that.”
“You are.” She shrugged.
“How do you know?”
“It’s in your eyes. I’ve seen you change over the last two months. Girl, when I met you, you were a mess. I didn’t think we’d ever be friends. You aren’t that girl anymore.” She paused, tilting her head to the side. “You need to tell him.”
“I can’t do that!” Taylor’s face blanched as she shrank away.
“Yes you can. He’s never going to make a move because he thinks you’re this little grieving girl. We’ll show him different. Tomorrow - at the charity ball.”
Taylor shook her head vigorously while Abigail nodded with a satisfied grin on her face.
After a while, Taylor slumped back against her pillows with an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. Tomorrow.”
Google could be an evil thing, but Taylor couldn’t seem to resist it. She was surprised it had taken her this long to type in those two words - Josh Walker.
She was just curious. Knowing him, there wouldn’t be much. He wasn’t as much the public figure as someone like Mack. The first few pages were from various hockey sites, showing his stats along with a picture that was taken of him right after he was drafted. Taylor laughed at the cuteness of the eighteen-year-old kid version of him. He was only a year younger than she was now, but he’d changed.
The boyishness was still in his face, but he’d grown taller and much broader. He now had the muscles of a seasoned athlete, not a kid playing at being one.
Taylor knew she should stop there. It would’ve been better if she had. Instead, she moved her finger across the touch pad to bring the cursor over the images button and tapped twice.
Pictures covered the screen. Most were of Josh at various stages of his hockey career, but then there were others. His family was a prominent one in Connecticut, and the images chronicled their charity events and galas. Josh was in many of these, a date always by his side, even in the younger pictures.
One girl was in a lot of these, but she looked older than him. Her long auburn hair shone as it draped across her slender shoulders. Then there was a blond. A leggy, gorgeous blond. And the list went on. Each girl wore a dress that looked more expensive than the last.
Taylor crossed her arms over her chest as Abigail came in.
“You haven’t even started getting ready, darlin’?” she asked.
“I don’t know if I can do this.” Taylor sighed.
“Of course you can.” She glanced at the computer in front of her roommate. “What have you been in here doing?”
Taylor turned the screen for her to see.
“Oh, Hon.” Sitting down next to her, she wrapped an arm around Taylor’s shoulders. “This isn’t really what you’re upset about, is it?”
“Kind of.”
“You know what?” Abigail clapped her hands together. “I’m going to do your hair. Then we’re going to put on our fabulous dresses. Tonight we get to be the princesses.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Taylor laughed.
“I know. I’m awesome.”
Taylor’s phone chimed with a text message from Josh.
Will I see you at the ball?
She smiled as she ran her fingers over the keys.
You bet.
His reply came within seconds.
I want to dance with you all night.
She didn’t know how to respond to that, and before she got the chance, he’d sent another message.
I would have invited you to go with me, but the first part of the night is team stuff and I thought you’d have more fun if you went with your friends.
That explained what had been bugging her.
At least we’ll both be there. She sent back.
I’ll find you.
Cross the wide end over the small. Up into the loop. Down to the left. Around the back of the small end. Up to the center.
Josh could ti
e a tie in his sleep. He’d learned when he was five, a family rite of passage. A tie was a sign of a man. That’s what his father always told him. He’d grown up attending events where appearance was everything.
In his adult life, he wore a suit even more. To and from every game. The day he learned how to put on a tie was also the day he’d been measured for his first tailor-made suit.
He wasn’t an extravagant man. Even with his NHL salary, he didn’t drive an expensive sports car. He didn’t spend thousands of dollars at restaurants or on vacations. Josh preferred the simple - except when it came to his suits. Those were his big-ticket items. A preference his family ingrained in him at a young age.
For the ball, he’d chosen his Emporio Armani - black jacket, black shirt, and deep red tie. The fabric flexed comfortably as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking in the mirror. His hair was held in place by a stiff gel.
Hearing giggling from the living room, he walked out to find Mack sitting on the couch in his bold white suit, with a girl on either side of him.
“Josher!” Mack said upon seeing him. “Come meet your date.”
Josh choked on that. “My what?”
“You didn’t think we were going to this thing sans the company of some of God’s loveliest creatures, did you?”
Irritation welled in Josh, but he pushed it down. He didn’t want to hurt the feelings of either of these girls. One of the girls walked closer, her floor length silver gown swishing with the sway of her hips. “I’ve been really excited to meet you,” she said.
Josh let his anger go as he looked her in the eyes. Her voice was sweet and full of star struck awe. He didn’t consider himself a star, but he had some fans. “What’s your name?” he asked, taking in the rest of her appearance. Long dark hair was tied up into a high, sleek pony that grazed the bare skin of her back when it swayed.
Slightly angular eyes regarded him and a slow smile spread across her dark red lips.
“I’m Melinda. You can call me Mel.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Mel.” He tried to return her smile, but there was only one girl he wanted on his arm. He just hadn’t asked, and he suddenly wished he had. Part of him hadn’t wanted to pressure her into a date, because that’s what it would have been.
It’d been almost a week since they’d seen each other, but she’d been on his mind constantly. Text messages just weren’t enough when it came to her. The team played four games out west, but now that he was back, he wished everything could take a back seat to the sweet, slightly broken girl he’d never meant to fall for.
He was meant to be a friend. Help her in her move to Columbus. Sarah asked it of him and he’d do anything for her - even babysit her grieving best friend.
“This is Sadie.” Mack gestured to the girl who was now sitting in his lap in a tiny red dress.
“Hey.” Josh shuffled his feet, slightly uncomfortable by their display. He wasn’t a prude. He’d been with his fair share of women, but he was never so cavalier about it. And it’d been a couple months since he even wanted to go out with Mack and take advantage of his status as a professional athlete.
There was a loud crack, and Josh moved to the window to watch as the storm clouds built and warred with each other for dominance.
“They’re a little much, aren’t they?” Mel came up beside him and he knew she wasn’t talking about the clouds.
“I’m used to it.” Josh shrugged.
She laughed, the low sound pleasant and inviting. Josh smiled at her.
“I just wanted to let you know ahead of time, I’m not going to sleep with you tonight.”
“What?” he sputtered.
“I’m not a - what do you call them - puck bunny?”
“Thank God for that.”
“It’s just, Sadie dragged me along and I thought the ball could be fun, but that’s it.”
Josh regained his composure and chuckled, finally seeing the humor in the situation. He liked her bluntness. “Alright, but listen, there’s kind of this girl I’m falling for, so I’m hoping to find her as soon as the team stuff ends.”
“Then this is the perfect date because I planned on ditching you anyway.”
Josh laughed at her candor.
“Good, now that we’ve got that cleared up,” she said. “We should probably go unless we want to get caught in the rain.”
“Yeah,” Josh agreed. “Can’t have Mack melting before we get there.”
They made it before the rain started, and Josh and Mack were immediately dragged away from their dates to do some team stuff. There were some pictures, and then some mingling with the foundation’s biggest donors.
The ballroom was massive, with smaller rooms off one end for those who wanted a little more quiet. The foundation pulled out all the stops to make the night amazing. It was a winter theme, as that was coming very soon. Ice sculptures guarded the entrance, and the entire space was bathed in a soft blue light. The arena chefs were responsible for the food, and they went all-out. Everyone was happy.
“Boys.” Coach Scott came up behind them and put a hand on each of their shoulders. “It’s good to see you outside of the rink for once.” He eyed the drink in each of their hands. “Mackenzie, if you get sloppy tonight, so help me God. Walker, he’s your responsibility.”
“Sure thing, Coach.” Josh smirked at Mack as their coach disappeared into the crowd.
“I’m a grown man,” Mack grumbled.
“I’d watch it if I were you. You’ve been on thin ice with Coach all season.”
“Whatever.” Mack took a long drink and led them over to stand with Olle, Carter, and Zak.
“Saw you two come in with some fine specimens,” Zak said.
Josh cringed. Viktor Zakharov had now been in the country long enough to pick up on the way some Americans spoke. He tried to emulate Mack when talking about women, but it sounded super-weird with his thick Russian baritone. Until he started hanging around with Mack, he was a quiet bear of a man. Now, they’d created a monster.
“Mine isn’t really a date,” Josh admitted. “We were kind of forced on each other.”
“Then you wouldn’t mind if I took a shot at her?” Zak’s eyes were hopeful, and Josh couldn’t help but nod his head in agreement. He couldn’t wait to see Mel’s reaction to his Russian Mackisms.
“Hey, Josh.” Mack elbowed him. “You know they were coming?”
His eyes snapped up to where Mack was looking, his jaw hanging open. Taylor hadn’t seen him yet as she made a beeline to her father with Abigail and some guy following close behind. Her dark green dress hung to her knees, revealing perfectly toned calves. It hugged her hips, making their sway almost hypnotic. His eyes moved up her frame to where the dress dipped low, revealing just enough skin to tease, but not enough to satisfy.
She looked beautiful with her short hair curled perfectly and her makeup hiding every flaw - not like he thought she had any. She’d ditched her glasses for the night too, but Josh was surprised he missed them.
“Who are those lovely creatures?” Zak asked.
“Hands off, Zak.” Mack shoved him irritably. “The one in green is Coach’s daughter. And the one in pink is mine.”
“That guy might have something to say about that,” Josh cut in as he saw an arm snake around Abigail’s waist.
Mack stormed off and someone else took his place. “Who’s that?”
He jumped when he heard Mel’s voice. “The most beautiful girl here.”
“I’ll try not to take offense at that.” She laughed, pushing him forward. “Go to her.”
The music pumped through the ballroom, but Josh stopped listening to the words when Taylor’s eyes locked with his. He started towards her, but she turned and fled.
A hand swatted him on the shoulder so he looked down in surprise. “Go after her, you idiot,” Mel yelled above the music.
And go after her he did.
She was just as perfect as the girls Taylor saw online. Long legs that peek
ed out from the slit running up her beautifully elegant dress. Sleek hair that swayed as she walked and thin arms that shoved Josh playfully.
Taylor saw them come in together earlier, and a knot formed in her stomach. Now, witnessing them talking and laughing, she felt like she was going to hurl. Clutching her stomach, she practically ran back to where Abigail was standing.
“Colin went to get another drink,” Abigail informed her. That wasn’t such a bad thing. Taylor had been feeling like a third wheel since they left their dorm.
“Hey there.” They both turned to find Mack leering at them. “You both look sexy as hell.”
Mack stepped closer to Abigail and bent to whisper something in her ear. To Taylor’s surprise, Abigail laughed, slightly breathless. He played with one of her blond curls until they heard someone walk up behind them.
“Seriously, Abigail?” Colin growled.
Abigail jumped away from Mack, putting a hand on Colin’s arm. “It’s fine, Grant was just saying hi.”
“Grant?” Colin said, his eyes narrowing. “This is the guy?”
Abigail’s silence gave him the answer he needed.
“What’s going on?” Taylor jumped as Josh’s voice vibrated in her ear, his breath tickling her neck.
“Turf war,” Taylor said tersely, feeling his closeness box her in.
“Why can’t you just stay away from her?” Colin was saying. “She told you she wants nothing more to do with you.”
“If she’d said that, I think I’d remember.”
Colin turned on Abigail. “You said you were going to tell him.” His voice was low, but they’d attracted a few onlookers. “Did you fucking lie?”
“No,” Abigail pleaded. “Colin, I just…”
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