On Ice, A Hockey Romance

by Trisha Harley McCarthy

  I swore when I ran away from home that I would make my own way in the world and take what I could from anyone willing to give it to me. It worked, until now. Jed was unraveling before me, and my allegiance to him had dried up the moment he struck me. I had no choice other than to let Ki know what was going on, otherwise I risked not coming out of this alive.

  “Cat got your venomous tongue, Vivienne?” Jed slurred.

  I watched him through slatted eyes as he downed two glasses of scotch in succession. Alcohol was only going to fire up his false bravado and need to stay in control. I hoped Ki would arrive in time. I had fired off a text to him right after Jed lost control. I prayed he showed up before anything worse happened.

  “Jed, you’ve had too much drink. I’m not going to talk to you while you are drunk,” I said with more conviction in my voice than I had.

  “You think I’m drunk? You haven’t seen anything yet.”

  He downed another drink and saluted me with his crystal cut tumbler.

  “Jed, please. Nothing can be solved by drowning your sorrows in booze. You have too much to lose as it is. I’m begging you to stop drinking. I’ll make you some coffee just the way to you like,” I cajoled.

  “How quaint. Vivienne Connery aka Edith Ridgley would dirty her lily-white hands and lower herself to make coffee. Well, I don’t want coffee. What do you think of that, you conniving, little gold-digger? You don’t think I see through your plan to get your claws into me and my money?”

  He chucked the tumbler at me. The flying projectile grazed past me and smashed into pieces against the wall behind me. I touched my temple. My fingertips glistened with blood. My sense of self-preservation screamed for me to get the hell out of here before he killed me. I grabbed my bag and rummaged around for a tissue and my compact to see the damage to my forehead. Blood dripped from my face onto my new suit and his pristine white couch. Jed’s karma had arrived. A stained couch with my blood would forever be a reminder to him.

  “Jed, please…”

  Tears formed in my eyes. Suddenly, I felt weary. I didn’t want to play out this little drama anymore.

  “Please what, Vivienne?”

  Jed staggered over to me, weaving back and forth. His drunken state made his movements slow and ungainly. I rolled away from him as he lost his balance. His eyes went wide with surprise as he keeled over and landed face-first on the white carpet.

  “Jed?” My voice hardly reached over a whisper. He wasn’t moving.

  Panic set in. I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid to touch him or of what he might do next.

  “Mother, what happened?”

  A shadow fell over me. As I looked up, I saw Ki standing over me. His face was hard with concern. Despite the fright that ran through me, I also felt relief. My son still cared.

  “Jed got drunk. He hit me. And when he came for me again, he just… I don’t know… fell over. He must’ve passed out.” I clung to Ki’s sleeve. “I’m so glad you came. I thought he was going to kill me.”

  Ki took the tissue and dabbed my face, cleaning me up. Touching my boy again felt so comforting.

  “Ki, what’s going on?”

  The one voice I dreaded disrupted our precious moment. Damn her. Red always knew how to make an entrance.

  “Your dad passed out from what I gather.”

  “Should we call somebody?”

  I watched Red kneel beside Jed and check for a pulse. A concerned look crossed her face.

  “Ki, he’s not breathing.”

  Chapter 23

  Ki

  “It’s a girl!” I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

  The waiting room erupted with cheers as friends and family alike rose from their seats to congratulate me. I fell into one hug after another while Rut handed out cigars like an honorary uncle. My former teammates showered me with support and unconditional love to the point where these rugged hockey players were reduced to swooning oohs and aahs.

  The moment Chloe Charla was born, my body had flooded with emotion. Part terror of being a new father and part loving pride at the new addition to the Connery household. My daughter had the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. I wept when I held her for the first time. Zoe looked on with tears in her eyes as she watched me rock her gently. We’d had come such a long way to get to this point in our lives. I was now convinced miracles did happen.

  “Connery, how did you get so lucky to get not only a hot wife and but beautiful daughter? Did you make a pact with the devil or what?” Rut ribbed me.

  “I can’t help it if I am too smooth with the ladies. Maybe when you quit the caveman act you might be lucky in love and end up a family man.”

  “Not a chance,” Flynn chimed in with his usual bullshit banter.

  “Let’s make a bet,” Taylor added his two cents.

  Rut glared. “Not gonna happen, you crazy sons of—”

  “Language, Rutkowski,” Jesse admonished him before he could utter any further cuss words.

  Rut turned red with embarrassment while the rest of the room chuckled at his predicament.

  “When can I see her?” Joe interrupted the festivities.

  “In a while, Joe. Zoe is exhausted from the twenty-three hours of labor. I promise you’ll get top priority grandpa.” I winked.

  Joe blushed all the way to the roots of his scalp. I smiled at his newfound title and freedom and pulled him into a bear hug. After it had come to light that Jed was the brains behind Zoe’s kidnapping, Joe was released from prison. He’d lost weight and his hair looked slightly grayer but other than that he seemed to readjust to his return to the Otters without any preamble. He wore his prerequisite teal blue Otters polo and khakis. Things were beginning to return to normal at the office apart from Zoe replacing Jed as the full-fledged owner of the organization. Fate finally smiled upon all of us. Joe and I worked in tandem, managing the various team responsibilities. I had no idea how he had ever managed on his own as general manager. It made sense to split up the job. Where I handled the executive branch, Joe spearheaded management. The reorganization worked perfectly and served the needs of the team.

  “Hey Ki.” Jesse gave me a shy smile. “I wanted to tell you and Zoe congratulations on the new bundle.”

  “Thanks, Jess. I really appreciate that. I have no idea what I am supposed to do now that I am responsible for Chloe.”

  “You’ll figure it all at as you go along. Plus, you’ll both have Flynn and me to step in when you need a break from being new parents. I’ve been hinting around with Flynn that I want to start a family. He’s concerned about the cancer returning and I can’t blame him. That is always in the back of our minds. But anything worthwhile in life is risky. My new mantra is ‘no regrets’. I don’t want to live in fear the rest of my life. I want to embrace life not run from it. You and Zoe are living examples of how you didn’t give up.”

  “Give him a hug,” Flynn urged.

  I embraced Jesse in a brotherly fashion and quickly released her. I didn’t want to give fodder to any lurking press. Zoe’s pregnancy had been concealed as she was so tiny. She managed to hide her belly beneath loose clothing. The last thing any of us wanted was Chloe being featured in the tabloids and any filthy speculation those jackals liked to report on. I was pleased Zoe and Jesse had begun mending their relationship. It felt good to have our friends in our little, protective circle again.

  “Flynn, can’t hold onto to your woman?” Rut teased Flynn.

  “At least I have one and don’t have to pay them like you do,” Flynn ribbed him.

  “Same asshole, different day,” Rut countered.

  Jesse elbowed Rut in the ribs. He grunted in pain and collected what was left of his dignity and went back to his seat to sulk.

  The guys laughed at our star goalie being brought down to size by a pint-sized girl. He was going to have to live down his humiliation for a while. Despite his gruff exterior, Rut had a heart.

  Flynn smirked like the asshole he was. Rut was spot on about my b
est friend. He was an asshole on occasion. But that was part of his charm. Or so he believed. Those who knew Flynn understood he had a heart of gold and would give you the shirt off his back. He was just cocky to compensate for his insecurities.

  “Flynn, stop gloating,” Jesse hissed at him.

  I laughed at the indignant look on his face. “Can’t control your woman?” I taunted Flynn.

  “You too, Ki? I expect that shit from Rut, not my best friend.” Flynn flushed.

  He always blushed like a schoolgirl with her first crush. The rest of the team was going to give him shit once they got wind that Jesse handled Rut better than Flynn. The way Rut spread gossip, the locker-room would be buzzing before practice tomorrow. I swore sometimes I was managing a girl’s hockey team instead of bunch of big, burly, tough guys. I shook my head. Just another day at the Otters Organization.

  A nurse appeared and made her way over to me. “Mr. Connery, your wife wants to see you.”

  I headed to her room, and I swore I heard Flynn declare, “Can’t control your woman, Ki?”

  I muttered ‘asshole’ under my breath and went straight to Zoe’s birthing suite. When I opened the door, I found her resting peacefully like the angel she was. I tiptoed in and sat in the rocker beside the bed. I covered her hand with mine and gave it a light squeeze. Zoe’s eyes opened. She gave me a sweet smile. My heart constricted with so much love I thought my chest might burst open. I’d never seen her glow with happiness as she was now—a moment that would be forever etched in my mind.

  “Ki.” Her soft voice was music to my ears. Fatherhood was turning me into a sentimental guy.

  “Yes, angel?”

  Only a few hours ago, she was struggling to give birth to Chloe. The sheer terror I had experienced on her behalf would stay with me the rest of my life. Zoe had endured so much the last few months, I wanted to spare her all I could. Unfortunately, I couldn’t prevent the pain of childbirth. The woman amazed me daily with her inner strength and grace under pressure. She had gifted me with our child. I felt like a million bucks.

  “How did they take the news it was a girl and not a future Otters’ player?”

  “Didn’t you hear the celebration from here? Rut was practically handing out cigars before I even stepped into the waiting room. Just about the entire Otters roster is here, including Joe, who wants to see his daughter and grandchild.”

  “Life is so funny. Here I thought it would be Jed as grandfather, but I’m relieved Joe turned out to be my biological father. There’s no telling what influence Jed would’ve had over Chloe.”

  A fierce protectiveness came over me. I was never going to allow Jed’s taint to touch either Zoe or Chloe. The way things turned out was for the best, except for Vivienne. My mother was unrelenting as always, demanding to see her grandchild. Knowing how she felt about my wife, however, that was never going to happen. You’d think that everything she’d been through might have changed her, but a leopard never changed its spots.

  “You have nothing to worry about anymore, angel. Jed is gone. And as for Vivienne, she will never have access to Chloe as long as I have breath in my body.”

  “Your mother is a very determined woman, Ki. I wouldn’t put anything past her. I don’t trust the bitch. I’m sorry, I know she’s your mother and all. I just can’t help it.”

  “You have nothing to apologize for, Zo. I am well aware of my mother’s schemes. Vivienne has been warned emphatically that she is no longer welcome in our lives.”

  “I feel something is off with her. Call it woman’s intuition or whatever, I have an eerie feeling about her.”

  “I give you my solemn promise I will never allow her near you or our baby.”

  Zoe squeezed my hand reassuringly. The thing was, I believed my wife when she told she had a bad feeling about Vivienne. I had made a promise and I’d be damned if I didn’t keep it.

  Zoe

  I smiled when Joe—my dad—entered my suite. He had the widest smile plastered on his face. Prison life had made him thinner and grayer, but he was a resilient man. And a forgiving one too. To my own surprise, he harbored no resentment towards Jed, whereas I had a million bad things to say about him. Of course, the miraculous bundle nursing in my arms eclipsed the past. Joe looked at Chloe adoringly. I now understood how you could love something greater than yourself. She already had Ki wrapped around her tiny finger, and I was pretty sure Joe was headed in that direction too.

  “She’s beautiful.” Joe’s eyes glistened with tears. He kissed my forehead then nestled into a seat beside the bed.

  “I think she already knows it.” A giggle escaped me before I met his eye. I realized I needed to address the elephant in the room. “Joe, I’m so sorry about what happened to you. If I had known, I would have stopped Jed.”

  Joe shook his head. “None of us knew what that man was capable of. At least, Jed is now paying for his sins.”

  Joe’s statement left me without any emotion. Maybe I should feel bad, but I didn’t. If that made me a bad person then so be it. Jed Simmons didn’t deserve any of my sympathy or tears. With all the pain he brought upon everyone, he could rot in hell for all I cared.

  “Zoe, I can see the wheels turning in your head. Don’t give him another thought. Instead, look at this baby and just be her mom. I know you’ll be great at it. You have everything in the world to look forward too, including me. I am so proud to be your father and I know Charla is looking down right now, watching over us. She was the finest woman I’ve ever known. I am not ashamed of our love. She was the love of my life even though she married Jed. The bottom line is, we were blessed with you. Look at how gorgeous, smart, and sensitive a woman you’ve become. I know your mom is proud of you, just like I am. I couldn’t ask for a better daughter and granddaughter. I am truly a blessed man.”

  He squeezed my hand reassuring me. Another kind of love seeped into my heart. A love for a genuine father. Joe was the salt of the earth and the best dad any girl could have. I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for him standing on the sidelines while Jed resumed his title. It must have killed him, watching the slow breakdown of my dysfunctional relationship with my former father and my increasing depression sending me over the edge when Ki and I parted. I thought my world was over. Joe made sure I was taken care of while Jed used it as a media opportunity to portray himself as the doting father. Just thinking of that time made my heart constrict. Joe was right. My life now revolved around Ki and Chloe—and now Joe. I realized how blessed I was, like he said.

  “I knew you weren’t capable of any of the things they charged you with. I trusted my instincts and they served me well.”

  Joe chuckled, “You always loved being right, young lady. Thank you for having so much confidence in me.”

  “You had another ally too. Flynn’s faith in you never wavered. Ki needed more time. You know how stubborn he can be,” I grinned.

  “I’m thankful people didn’t give up on me. What you didn’t know is Jed found out I hired a forensic accountant to go over his finances. The accountant found the link between one of Jed’s offshore accounts and a payment to one of the kidnappers. He knew it was only a matter of time before the authorities came calling for him.”

  My eyes widened as something sprang to mind. “That must have been the anonymous email I received and turned over to the FBI as evidence. But, why did it have your name on the account? Mind you, even with your name on that account I still was skeptical about your involvement.”

  “I guess I trusted Jed too much. He opened an account with my name and used my electronic signature and that account to pay one of those thugs to kidnap you. His way to place the blame on me and divert attention away from himself. When I found out, I hired Ralston Security to keep an eye on you. If Jed was that desperate, I wasn’t sure what he would do to you, especially since Vivienne tipped him off about your mom’s will and the controlling shares you inherited.” Joe’s face turned sour. He sighed, giving a shake of the head. “Vivienne
is an ungrateful woman. Your mother gave her a substantial sum despite their estrangement. I think she always regretted their parting, which can’t be said for Vivienne.”

  I hugged Chloe a little closer. Having Jed behind bars was a great relief, however, knowing Vivienne was still out there, plotting and scheming, worried me. Despite Ki’s assurance, I remained ill at ease. I doubted Vivienne could manipulate him anymore at this point. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t go behind his back. The notion of a restraining order popped into my mind, but I brushed it off. I wanted to focus on the here and now for once.

  “I still can’t fathom the lengths the man who raised me would go to in order to obtain controlling interest of the Otters.”

  “You can’t tell what’s going on in another person’s mind, Zoe. When I informed the FBI of the evidence implicating Jed, they took me into protective custody and made it look like an arrest to throw Jed off the scent. Agent Bond didn’t want to take any chances since I was a material witness. I thought you needed to know the entire truth. There have been too many secrets.”

  “I had no idea, Joe. I’m so sorry you had to endure all of that, including Ki’s judgement of you. I know he was only protecting me. You’re right. There have been too many secrets. I know Ki has had a change of heart about you. I hope you can forgive him.”

  Joe winked. “There is nothing to forgive. Ki is a great guy. He is more practical and no nonsense. Though when it comes to you, I see the love shining in his eyes. He is a lucky man to have you for a wife. You both bring out the best in each other even though you two have more than your fair share of challenges. The one constant is your love. It brought you back together. It’s a rare thing to have such a true love, just like I had with your mom. Speaking of Charla, I have something for you.