Animal Attraction (San Francisco Dragons Book 2)

by Kate Willoughby

  Hearing her call him Galahad really brought him back to feeling like a real hero to her. It had been a heady rush to his ego, and his ego was already pretty inflated from his performance on the ice.

  “Yes, it was. If I hadn’t been such a dick and blocked you…”

  She shook her head. “I don’t really blame you for that. We’d all ganged up on you. At the time I was furious, but in hindsight, I can see you did it in self-defense. Neither of us is blameless and honestly, there’s no point in second-guessing. We were young and we made mistakes. Who knows what would have happened if you’d found out I was pregnant? Would you still have gone on to have a professional hockey career? Or would you have ended up in a job you hate to make ends meet for your family? Maybe we would have been miserable. The point is, this is where we are now.”

  Nodding, Spencer decided he liked this new rational and mature Taylor.

  “So back to my original question, do you and Zach have everything you need?”

  “Yes.”

  But she’d hesitated just a beat too long.

  “Taylor, tell me. Are you short on money? Do you need help?”

  She shook her head. “No. We’re fine. We do have everything we need. It’s just my shitty job situation. I’m stuck in this job that’s going nowhere and I’m so supremely frustrated. I have so many good ideas and they always get shot down. No one wants to try anything new and exciting.”

  “What field?”

  “Marketing.”

  His brows rose. “You’re kidding me. Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “Because the last time I talked to the Dragons marketing guy, he was swamped and in desperate need of someone.”

  “Do you think you could put in a good word for me?”

  “Sure,” Spencer said. “I can’t guarantee anything, obviously. He might have filled the position already or it might not be what you’re looking for, but I’ll talk to him. Email me your resume and I’ll see what I can do.

  “That would be…great, Spencer. Anything you can do will help.”

  “She looks good on paper,” Justin said when Spencer met to talk to him about Taylor. “Is she willing to relocate?”

  Spencer had discussed this with Taylor and she’d been enthusiastic on the subject.

  “Wait, you mean move to a place where winter doesn’t last five months? Where I will never have to scrape my windshield or shovel a walk or worry about slipping on ice and breaking my neck?”

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” Spencer said with a chuckle.

  To Justin, he said, “She is definitely willing to relocate and if you want to interview her, she just needs a couple of days’ notice.”

  “And this is your baby mama,” Justin said.

  “Yes, but obviously judge her on her own merits. She happened to mention being dissatisfied with her current position and I remembered you’d said you needed to hire someone. If it works out? Fantastic. If not…” He shrugged.

  30

  Maggie’s stomach felt like a washing machine of anxiety. Taylor and Zach had arrived in San Francisco for Taylor’s interview and Spencer had arranged for them all to have dinner together.

  In an effort to calm her nerves, she’d already done a little yoga—the first yoga she’d done in probably a year. She’d spritzed a little lavender essential oil into the air. She’d told herself over and over that her worry that Zach and Taylor would hate her was unfounded and silly. She also reminded herself that Spencer had told them nothing but good things about her. But none of that helped.

  First impressions were critical. She knew that from teaching. On the first day of school she aimed to come across as friendly and excited, but in control. She covered the rules of the classroom and the consequences for not following them almost immediately. And she dealt with rule-breakers immediately. There were always kids who tested the waters, even on the first day. But she couldn’t treat this first meeting of Taylor and Zach like that. She laughed a little at the very thought.

  Hello. I’m Miss Hudson and I’m very glad to meet you. Let’s get the rules straight right away so we all know where we stand.

  Yeah, that would go over really well. She’d be crowned Queen of Jerk Land.

  “They’re going to love you,” Spencer promised Maggie. “Just be yourself.”

  Maggie wrung her hands, unconvinced.

  At least she looked good tonight. She’d pulled out the cute little white jumper she’d bought on that shopping trip with Jade and when she put cowboy boots on her feet, she mentally thumbed her nose at Shay, that woman from the watch party who’d insinuated that wearing cowboy boots was a fashion felony.

  They stood in the vestibule of a Japanese restaurant near the hotel. It was the kind of place that featured teppan dining, where the chef came to each table and cooked on a flat top grill right in front of the diners, who sat facing the chef in a wide U. There were a lot of culinary theatrics involving knife tricks and sometimes fire, which Spencer hoped would entertain Zach.

  “There they are,” Spencer announced pointing.

  Running up to Spencer, Zach asked, “Can we go ice skating?”

  “Not tonight, buddy. But it’s on the agenda for tomorrow.”

  “I’m so happy to meet you,” Taylor said to Maggie. She moved forward for a hug, which Maggie gave a little hesitantly.

  Taylor was tall with gorgeous flowing blond hair. Her blue eyes were perfectly made up and she had the kind of full lips Maggie would kill for. Her jeans fit her very well and the tight T-shirt she wore revealed her boobs were bigger than Maggie’s. Not that that mattered. Much.

  “Spencer’s told me so much about you,” Taylor said. Her teeth were perfect too.

  “And vice versa,” Maggie said. “Hi, Zach. I’m Maggie.” She held her hand out to him and he looked at it for a moment and then shook it.

  “Is everyone hungry?” Spencer asked, a grin on his face. “Our table’s ready. Have you been to a place like this before, guys? If not, you’re in for a treat.”

  When Spencer pulled out a chair, both Maggie and Taylor moved to take the seat. Maggie faltered, embarrassed and not sure why, but Spencer saved the day by saying, “Zach, buddy, be a gentleman pull the chair out for your mom. There you go. Some women get prickly about stuff like that, but I do it anyway. It’s good manners.”

  Maggie smiled up at Spencer who winked at her.

  They made small talk until the waiter took their order. When Zach got fidgety, instead of handing him her phone, Taylor pulled a book out of her large purse and handed it to her son. Maggie was impressed.

  “So, tomorrow’s the big day,” Maggie said.

  Taylor winced. “Yes. I’m so nervous. Justin—the guy who’s interviewing me told me to come with ideas to increase the team’s female fan base. So I thought I’d float what I have past you guys.”

  Maggie said, “Shoot.”

  Taylor rested her fingers on the edge of the table. “Okay. I shopped their online store and saw little that looked appealing or feminine. I think they should add some bling to the collection, and go beyond just the regular sportswear, which is T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, jackets. What about a nice infinity scarf with the logo on it? Or Pandora-type charms? Pretty phone cases and wallets. Nail polish with colors like Crossbar Crimson or Dragon’s Gold. Because what I’m aiming for is merchandise that allows a woman to show support of her team but in an understated, elegant way.”

  “Yes,” Maggie said. “I’ve shopped for a Dragon infinity scarf before, but to be honest, they’re all ugly, as if the person who designed it thought slapping the logo on red fabric was good enough. There’s one scarf out there for sale that is so busy I get a headache looking at it.”

  “What’s your other idea?” Spencer asked.

  “I think they need to add a female to their broadcasting team. And I’d like to see them develop a special effect on Snapchat that inserts a player’s face into the photo so it looks as if he’s kissing the cheek of the person i
n the picture. But those are just my warm up ideas. What I really want to do is kind of crazy.”

  Maggie leaned forward, intensely curious.

  “I’d like to spend some real time and effort on a Ladies Night every month. You know that song by Kool and the Gang? That would be the signature song. In fact, we’d curate all the music that night to be gender appropriate. ‘Girls Just Want To Have Fun.’ ‘Run the World.’ ‘Respect.’ Make the Dragon Arena extremely female friendly once a month, especially on Valentine’s Day. I want all of San Francisco’s single women to think of going to a Dragons game on February fourteenth.”

  “That doesn’t sound so crazy,” Maggie said. “That sounds like a ton of fun.”

  “No, you haven’t heard the crazy part yet.”

  Taylor leaned forward and told them and Spencer immediately recoiled, shaking his head and Maggie had to suppress a squeal of excitement.

  “The players will never go for it,” Spencer said.

  “That may be true, but Justin told me to think out of the box.”

  “Well, I’m no marketing expert,” Spencer said, “but everything you’ve said, except for that last idea, sounds terrific.”

  “Agreed,” said Maggie. “It’s about time they treated women like we matter to them and aren’t second class citizens just by virtue of our gender.”

  “Thank you,” Taylor said, fanning herself. “I’m suddenly a lot less nervous about the interview now.”

  The miso soup and salads arrived. Zach wanted to know what the green stuff was and when Spencer told him in was seaweed, he refused to eat it but liked the salad.

  “So, what do you think of San Francisco? Have you been here before?” Maggie asked, stirring her soup.

  “No, we haven’t.”

  “San Francisco has so many great sights to see,” Spencer said.

  “I just want to go ice skating,” Zach said.

  Spencer turned to Zach. “Dude, don’t call it ice skating. Just call it skating.”

  “Why?”

  “Because. It’s…not manly.”

  Maggie laughed softly.

  “Already with the manly lessons,” Taylor remarked wryly.

  “You can’t start too early,” Spencer said.

  Laughing, Taylor rolled her eyes then turned to Maggie. “I’m hoping I can count on you to keep an eye on them tomorrow,” she said. “I absolutely believe Spencer means well, but he’s admitted he doesn’t have much experience with kids, and you’re a teacher…”

  Maggie chuckled at Spencer’s mock expression of outrage.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll keep them out of trouble.”

  “We’re not going to get into any trouble,” Spencer said. “We’re just going to go skating, grab some lunch and get tattoos. Just your average, ordinary—”

  Both women gasped.

  “I want a truck tattoo,” Zach declared.

  “Spencer’s not being serious,” Taylor said to him with a fierce frown. “You’re not getting tattoos.”

  31

  As they began the day by getting Zach some skates of his own, Spencer was slightly embarrassed about how proud he felt just seeing Zach wearing hockey skates. Sure, his ankles bowed, but hopefully that would disappear in time. Almost all beginners needed to work on their ankle strength.

  Maggie rented a pair and they all hit the ice together.

  “Hey, you’re not half bad,” he called out to Maggie, who was making her way hesitantly forward.

  She laughed. “Just be patient. I’m one hundred percent certain I’ll be on my butt sometime within the next half hour.”

  Zach was clinging to the rail again so Spencer coaxed him away from the boards and repeated the lesson from before. It didn’t take long for him to regain his confidence.

  “I’m going to go around by myself now, Spencer,” Zach declared.

  “That’s what I’m talking about. Good boy!” Spencer said.

  “You’re going to watch me, right?” Zach asked.

  “Every second.”

  The boy went off. He was definitely the slow car on the highway. Everyone else passed him by, but he seemed determined.

  “Not bad, huh?” he asked Maggie as he skated over to her.

  “A chip off the old block,” she said. “He’s a nice little boy.”

  Spencer grinned. “He is. I’ll admit I was a little worried. Taylor was a real little… Well, let’s just say, neither of us acted like grown-ups back then, so I wasn’t sure…”

  She smiled at him. “You thought he might be a spoiled, mean little brat.”

  Spencer looked relieved. “Yes. But he’s not.”

  “No. I like him,” she said again. “Taylor’s done a good job so far.”

  “Now I just have to make sure I don’t screw him up.”

  “Spencer, you won’t screw him up. From what I’ve seen so far, you’re doing fine.”

  But later, at the burger place where they had lunch, Spencer did screw up.

  “Just order me that bacon cheeseburger and a diet soda,” Maggie said. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

  And everything seemed fine until the food came.

  “Oh boy,” Zach said, digging in.

  “Is that all he’s having?” Maggie asked. “Fries and a milkshake?”

  “That’s what he wanted,” Spencer said, with a pained smile.

  Maggie raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything more.

  She didn’t say anything when they bought chocolate bars and kettle corn at Ghirardelli Square or the fried clams on Fisherman’s Wharf. He was especially grateful she didn’t say anything when Zach barfed on the corner of Beach Street and Hyde.

  “I’m the worst dad ever,” Spencer confessed to Maggie much later.

  They’d just dropped Zach off at the hotel an hour earlier. Taylor excitedly reported that the interview had gone very well and she was grateful to them for watching him, even though he’d gotten sick on Spencer’s watch. Taylor hadn’t chided him either, but she hadn’t needed to. Spencer was already beating himself up.

  “You are not,” Maggie said. “You’re just inexperienced. Most dads get to ease into the situation with an infant who has very few needs and who can’t ask for things they should probably not eat all in one afternoon.”

  “I just didn’t want to disappoint him. I wanted him to have a good time with me. That’s all.”

  They were sitting on the sofa in the family room and she hugged him to her chest. Still feeling guilty, he reveled in the comfort and the softness of her breasts.

  “Of course you did. It’s only natural that you want him to like you, but trust me on this. He wants you to set the limits. Children crave stability and boundaries. That’s why he did what he did today. He wanted to see where your limits were and unfortunately, you didn’t really have any.”

  He laughed halfheartedly.

  “All you have to do is establish the limits and stick to them. It’s that simple and that hard at the same time. It’ll involve using the word ‘no’ pretty liberally.”

  Spencer sighed. “But all he has to do is give me that pleading look and I’ll cave.”

  “You can’t cave. You’ll have to drum up some of that famous NHL player determination and stick to your guns. He won’t hate you. Well, he might hate you momentarily, but in the long run, he’ll respect you.”

  “You’re a wise woman, Maggie Hudson. I’ll do my best.”

  When Taylor got the job, Spencer was beside himself.

  “You know what that means, right?” Spencer asked Maggie. “They’re going to move out here and I’ll get to see Zach eight hundred percent more than I was going to if they lived in Minnesota.”

  Maggie hugged him. “I’m happy for you, Spencer.”

  And she was, but with reservations—reservations that had nothing to do with Spencer and everything to do with her own insecurities. Huge changes were on the horizon and she found herself selfishly wishing sometimes that he’d never run into Taylor at that Walgreens.
That way he and Maggie could have gone on as just the two of them.

  And that line of thinking made her feel small. Against all odds, Spencer was getting the chance to see his son grow up, something she of all people should understand. And yet envy would surface every once in a while like a song she didn’t like on a playlist.

  “They want her to start right away,” Spencer said, “so I told her she and Zach could stay with me. I have the room and this way I’ll get to see Zach every day. And get this. We have a five-game two-week home stand too.”

  “It’s just temporary, right?” Maggie asked.

  “Of course. Of course,” he said. “I just… I’m excited at the opportunity to spend so much time with Zach. I have a lot of catching up to do, you know?”

  Again, Maggie put on a happy face for Spencer’s sake, but privately, she complained to Jade. She couldn’t hold it in anymore.

  “Maggie, you need to go lingerie shopping again.”

  “Why?”

  “Why? Because this woman is moving in on your territory. She has his son. That’s huge. But you’re the one sleeping with him. That’s your secret weapon, girl.”

  “I’m not using sex as a weapon,” Maggie declared.

  “You can bet she’ll be using that little boy to her advantage,” Jade said, arms crossed. “Just wait and see.”

  “She doesn’t have designs on Spencer,” Maggie said, even though she wasn’t so sure of that.

  “Doesn’t she?” Jade asked. “I would if I were her. Spencer is an amazing guy. She’d be an idiot not to want him back.”

  “They have a bad history,” Maggie pointed out.

  “But from what you’ve told me, they’re getting along fine now. I’m telling you to watch out for her.”

  “Besides, it’s going to be weird with them in the house. What if they hear us?”

  Jade scoffed. “Better they should hear you. Well, her, at least. This is war. You need to defend your claim on the man and his home.” Jade held up her hand. “I know you’re not living there, but you almost are and if she hears you having sex, she’ll know on a molecular level that he’s your man.”