The guys were still in a team meeting, so I loitered in the hallway, tidying up equipment, making myself useful as a new full-time member of the staff. The meeting room door opened, and the team flowed out. They were in better moods than they’d been in last night, even as I saw the hints of sadness in most of them.
This was the last time many of them would be together as a team. Some were heading out of town immediately, others lived in Seattle full-time, and a few were going on vacation. And of all those guys, it was anybody’s guess who’d be on the team next season.
Many of them acknowledged me as I surreptitiously watched for Axel. I fist-bumped, shook hands, even accepted hugs from them, beaming as each walked by.
“Will we see you next year?” Ice asked me.
“Yes, yes, you will.” I didn’t bother to contain my giddiness, and a slow smile spread across Ice’s face.
“Good deal.” He winked at me and moved on down the hall, stopping to talk with several veterans standing together.
“You’re in a good mood,” Jock said as he walked up to me.
“I got the job,” I blurted out, and before either of us really thought about it, we were hugging each other. When Jock gently pushed us apart and gazed down at me, I swore there were a few unshed tears in his eyes.
“You have no idea how happy I am and the kids will be to know you’re going to be around.”
“You have no idea either.”
“Dinner tonight?” When I hesitated, he added, “You can bring Axel.”
“We’ll be there.”
Jock grinned at me and joined Ice and the other veterans at the end of the hall.
Axel was one of the last to walk out of the meeting. He was with a few of his friends, including Steele. I waited by an empty towel cart and pretended to be fixing one of the wheels. He finally broke off from the group he’d been talking to. He strode toward me, a huge smile on his face.
“Hey, how about lunch?” He stopped before me, and I stood quickly. “Broken cart?”
I frowned for a moment, not understanding. “Uh, oh, yes. Broken cart.”
“So about lunch?”
“I’d love lunch.”
“Can you go now, or do you have to fix that cart first?” His mouth quirked upward. He saw right through my ploy.
“Smart-ass.”
“Yeah, but you like it.”
I wasn’t denying the obvious. I liked everything about him, from his smart-ass side to his nice-guy side. I wouldn’t change anything about him. He was perfect for me, and I was jarred by my admission.
He grabbed my hand, and we walked hand in hand out the door. As soon as we exited the building, I noticed Hulk Number One behind us.
“How long are they going to be following you?”
“They might be following you.”
“I hope not.”
He shrugged, and I studied him suspiciously. “Did you say something to someone?”
“I might have.”
“Axel, I asked you not to do that.”
He shrugged and gave me a sheepish smile. “I couldn’t help it. You’re in danger as much as I am.”
“So is Jock.”
“He’s being guarded too.”
I frowned as I realized I hadn’t noticed because I’d been so wrapped up in my relationship with Axel. In fact, I hadn’t been a very good aunt to the kids who dearly needed a woman in their lives right now. I had to do better now that the season was over and I’d be keeping normal hours.
“How long is this going to go on? We can’t live like this forever. There has to be an ending.” I was speaking out loud more than expecting an answer.
“No idea.” Axel shrugged but didn’t offer any false hope. I appreciated that about him. He was a no-bullshit guy much like I was a no-bullshit woman.
“Surely she’ll figure out my brother isn’t taking her back and nothing she does will change that.” I was the one offering false hope. Axel gave me the side-eye as if he didn’t believe for a second we’d get rid of her that easily. He squeezed my hand, and I squeezed back. I’d never known the simple holding of hands would feel this connected. Everything Axel and I did together connected us, even just a simple glance across the room. We were developing awareness of each other’s thoughts and feelings that usually happened between couples who’d been together far longer than us.
We entered the Place a few blocks down from the SHAC. I noted some new tables and chairs replaced the ones that’d graced this place since the fifties. The other visible damage must have been repaired since three Sockeyes had had a brawl in here, or the damage fit in with the worn patina of this bar, and I couldn’t tell what’d been there for years and what was new.
“This is the scene of the crime.” It was a statement, not a question. I was referring to the barroom brawl that essentially doomed the Sockeyes’ season.
“Yeah, this is where our season was destroyed.” Axel met my gaze as we slid in a booth. He didn’t hide his anger from me. He had every right to be angry as did every member of this team. Those three guys had behaved irresponsibly, and everyone else paid for it. The remainder of the team had fought hard, but they couldn’t overcome losing those three guys. I wasn’t sure any team could.
I grabbed Axel’s hand when he put it on the table and leaned forward. “It’s time to look toward the future, not the past. What’s done is done. Have you heard from Kaden?”
“Nah. He’s gone off the grid, and I don’t really want to talk to him right now.”
“Can’t blame you.” I sat back and squared my shoulders, mentally prepping myself for my announcement. A moment of insecurity zipped through me, causing doubt as to how he’d take my good news. He’d be happy, wouldn’t he? I wouldn’t know until I told him. “I have some news.”
He arched a brow and waited for me to go on.
“I had my meeting with Roy.”
I had his full attention now. “And—” He sucked his lower lip between his teeth, something I’d seen him do before when he was nervous.
“And—” I hesitated, and his face fell, which was encouraging. He was afraid I hadn’t been offered the job. “I’m now a full-time employee of the Seattle Sockeyes.”
He put a hand on the back of my neck and leaned across the table, planting a wet, sloppy kiss on my lips.
He was happy. I was happy. Life was good. Axel and I were on track.
Nothing could possibly mess up this beautiful day.
Chapter 29—Exclusive
~~Axel~~
After lunch, Geneva had to go back to work, and I went home, for lack of anything else to do. I worked out in the condo gym, went for a run, and showered.
Geneva invited me to Jock’s for dinner, and I gladly accepted. The season was over, and I was able to devote energy to my personal life. I wanted Jock and me to be on amiable terms. We might never be friends, but I wanted the man to give me a chance. I liked Geneva. Okay, that was lame. I more than liked her. I adored her, worshipped her hot bod, and I wanted to spend all my free time with her. I wasn’t prone to falling in love. At least, I never had that I was aware of. It was hard to trust someone with my heart when my very own mother, the person above all others I should’ve been able to trust, walked out on me as a child. I guess shit like that left pretty deep scars. I’d never really considered myself scarred. I had a good family and support system in my brothers, father, and grandparents.
Yet my reluctance to label whatever the fuck I was feeling for Geneva drove home that I might be more damaged than I’d realized. Regardless, I wasn’t running from the strong feelings surfacing whenever I was in Geneva’s presence. I was working to embrace them and welcome them. I would talk with her about how I was feeling because a relationship without honesty was on a rocky foundation.
While I didn’t know where this relationship was going, things would be easier if Jock wasn’t voicing his disapproval. I’d focus some of my effort on building Jock’s trust while working on my own trust issues.
I showed up early for dinner, probably because Geneva was already there, and I wasn’t able to stay away from her one minute longer. Thankfully, Eunice shooed us out of the kitchen. It was a beautiful evening, sunny, with temps in the upper sixties. We took a walk around the neighborhood, sneaking out before Jock’s kids tagged along with us. It wasn’t that I didn’t want them around, but now that Geneva was staying in town and so was I, I wanted to have a serious talk with her—about us. I had to make sure we were on the same page. I was pretty sure we were, but we needed to have this talk.
Jock lived in a family neighborhood of older upscale homes, not hugely ostentatious but nice, with manicured lawns and good-sized backyards. Huge old trees lined the quiet street. It was the type of place I’d love to live, compared to the small Vancouver, BC house on a tiny lot I’d grown up in.
We walked along holding hands, comfortable in our silence. As we strolled, I was more and more certain of the seed of an idea that’d popped into my head earlier in the day. The community in which Jock lived had a small park. I guided Geneva to a park bench, and we sat down next to each other. Birds chirped in celebration of spring, flowers bloomed, and the scent of fir needles hung in the air. This was April in Seattle at its finest.
Holding Geneva’s hands, I angled my body so I could see her face better. She smiled at me in an unsure manner, and I was flattered she’d allowed me to see beyond her tough-girl outer shell.
“I’m glad you’re staying with the Sockeyes,” I said, starting with a relatively safe subject as a segue.
“So am I.” Our eyes locked, and I saw the joy there. Right now, life was so damn good, and I wanted to make it even better.
“I had my own discussion with Coach today.”
“You did?” Fear and concern clouded her brown eyes.
“Yeah. He’s happy with how I stepped in and played. I’ll be a Sockeye into the distant future. He says I’m part of their rebuilding plan. So is Steele.”
“Oh, Axel, I’m so happy for you.” She hugged me hard, and I hugged her back. My throat closed off, and I fought off the sudden sting of tears in my eyes. I had family who cared about me. My teammates cared about me. But I’d never had a special woman who truly cared about me as a person. Geneva did, or I liked to think she did, and I was about to lay my heart on the line and find out.
I drew back and held her at arm’s length. “You know, you’re one of the biggest reasons I’m happy to be staying in Seattle.”
“Thank you.” She beamed at me, brighter than the sun in the Seattle sky.
“Thank you,” I stressed. “I’ve always been a guy who avoided serious relationships. I was a player big-time. Always looking for my next score on and off the ice. All that’s changed now, Geneva.”
“Because of the trouble you got into with Bria?”
I frowned and narrowed my gaze, studying her. Did she really believe that’s what this was about?
“She was the start of it. Maybe my wake-up call. Maybe the catalyst that made me stop and examine how I was living my life. I realized my casual encounters might not be as casual as I’d always insisted they were. Sometimes you hurt people and don’t realize it. Or set off a chain of events when you thought all you had to do was walk away.”
She nodded, watching me carefully. Her guard was up. She didn’t know where I was going with this. I wasn’t sure I knew. I was speaking from the heart, and sometimes the head didn’t know what the heart was going to say.
“I was physically attracted to you at first. I mean, I saw you, and all I could think of was how much I’d love to get you naked.”
“Same here.”
“Really?”
“You knew that.” She snorted at me and playfully punched me in the arm. “We were electrically charged every time we were within feet of each other.”
“Yeah, we were and are.” My smile was slow and warm as I recalled those first days after I met her. “When the season ended, and I thought you might be leaving the area, I came to a realization.”
“And that is?” Her face froze in that now-familiar unemotional mask again. Did she really think I might break up with her?
“That I want you in my life. I want us to be a couple. To be officially exclusive—boyfriend and girlfriend. I want to be someone who’s there for you when you need me. A shoulder to cry on, a partner to laugh with. I want to see where this goes, Gen.”
Her mouth formed an O, and she swallowed. Her beautiful eyes clouded with unshed tears. She nodded her agreement. “I want that too. I’ve never had a healthy relationship with a man, so bear with me as I bumble through this.”
“I guess you could say the same of me when it comes to women.”
At that very moment, her phone beeped. She checked it quickly. “It’s Jock. Dinner’s ready.”
I stood and pulled her to her feet. “We can talk more later.”
“We can. We have all the time in the world.”
Our footsteps a little lighter, we hurried the few blocks to the house. Jock hated it when people were late to dinner, and I didn’t want any further on his bad side than I already was.
Chapter 30—Missing
~~Geneva~~
I was still reeling from what Axel had said earlier, but I was doing my best to appear normal as we took our seats at the dinner table. Everyone was already seated. Eunice had placed all the fixing for tacos on the table, along with Spanish rice and refried beans. Taco night at the Frontiers’. The kids loved taco nights, and I looked forward to them too. Eunice made killer Spanish rice, and who didn’t love tacos?
I now understood what the saying looking at the world through rose-colored glasses meant. I had mine on right now. Everything was bathed in this warm pink light, and I wallowed in the sensation.
“Where’s Teagan?” Jock looked at the people sitting around the table, and his gaze fell on Teagan’s empty seat.
“She told Anna and Alice she was going to her friend Marnie’s to study for a test. She’ll eat dinner there, and they’ll bring her home. Isn’t that right, girls?” Esme said.
Both girls stared down at their plates and nodded without looking up.
“Girls? Isn’t that right?” Esme pushed them for a response, but they didn’t respond.
Something wasn’t right. Jock narrowed his gaze, so I wasn’t far off on my assessment of the situation.
“Is there something you aren’t telling us? Anna? Alice?” Jock said sternly.
All eyes at the table swiveled to the twins. They were staring at their plates and squirming.
“No. She’s with Marnie,” Anna insisted.
“So, if I call Marnie’s house, she’ll be there?” Jock asked, his expression skeptical.
“Maybe. They might be at the library,” Alice said.
“Okay, let’s eat. I’ll deal with her later,” Jock grumbled. We were all assuming the same thing. Teagan had snuck out to meet with this boy she had a crush on.
Anna looked ready to cry. “She made us promise not to tell,” she blurted out, tears streaming down her face. Alice started crying too.
“Tell what?” Jock was getting exasperated and losing patience quickly. I knew he was not happy with Teagan. She’d been a handful lately, and he struggled with the teenager.
Everyone else at the table was dead silent. We realized the seriousness of this matter and that something was very wrong.
“She’s gone,” Alice blurted out and burst into tears.
“What do you mean, she’s gone?”
“She went with Mom.”
“What the fuck?” Jock rose to his feet and pounded on the table. The twins cringed, and everyone else stared at him wide-eyed. Jock blinked a few times and drew a deep breath, visibly calming himself. “Why don’t you start from the beginning? How long ago was this?”
“When Esme and Eunice left to go to the store, and you had a team meeting. Teagan grabbed a bag and told us she’d be gone for a while. I begged her not to go. Mom didn’t come here to pick her up. Te
agan walked down to the end of the block. We thought that was weird. She didn’t come in to say hi to the rest of us.” Anna’s eyes started to fill with tears, and Jock stood immediately and wrapped his arms around the twins.
Esme and Eunice often went to the store together and left Teagan in charge. It was one of their few outings without the kids, and they looked forward to it. Jock would never fault them for that.
“It’s okay, girls, we’ll get Teagan back home. I want you guys to go play in your rooms, okay?”
The four remaining children frowned, not wanting to leave out of worry for their sister.
“Everything’s fine. We got this,” Jock insisted.
“We’ll entertain them. Grab your plates. We’ll have a picnic upstairs in the playroom.” Esme stood and Eunice followed her. “Come on, kids, we’re going to play a board game.” The kids trailed after the older women. With one last soulful look in our direction, Anna hurried to join her siblings.
“Do you really think she went with her mother, or did she sneak off somewhere?” I wondered out loud.
Jock scowled at me, as if I’d read his mind and stated what he’d been concerned about. “I don’t know which one would be worse.” He picked up his phone and dialed Teagan. No answer. Then he tried Bria.
“Bria, is Teagan with you?” Jock surprised me and put the phone on speaker so Axel and I could hear. He probably wanted witnesses to the conversation.
“I have no idea whatsh you’re talking about. You can’t keep track of our daughter? Fine father you are.” Despite Bria’s obvious state of drunkenness, Jock bristled at the accusation.
“She’s not with you? This is serious. I need to know if you’ve seen her.”
“Nope. Don’t bother me again.” The phone went dead.
“Fuck,” Jock swore and raked his hand through his hair, leaving it standing on end. Any other time, I’d have laughed, but this wasn’t the time. I glanced at Axel. He was keeping his mouth shut, but he reached for my hand under the table and squeezed it.
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