Edge (11 page)

“Uh, did you need a new stick?” he asked.

Oh, right. Last night I
was
an intimidating asshole.

“Thanks, but I’ve got extras. I haven’t broken a stick like that in years. It was just a really shitty game.”

“I’m sure you’re anxious to get back to your team,” he said, brushing his hand over one of the hanging game jerseys to get rid of some lint.

“Nah, it’s not so bad here.” I pressed one of my feet onto a bench, stretching into a lunge. My body was itching to go. I needed to go lift light weights before the pre-game skate.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” Mikey asked.

“Yeah, when Dell gets here can you tell her I need to see her? I’m going to the weight room.”

“Yes, sir.” He was in his 20’s, but he was so lanky and awkward he seemed like a kid to me. A good kid.

“Thanks, man. Hey, you want to get a beer after the game tonight?”

He looked side to side to see if I was talking to someone else. “Me?” His voice cracked and I couldn’t help smiling.

“Yeah, you.”

“Sure,” he said quickly. “Yes, I’d like to.”

“Cool. I promise not to break any sticks tonight.”

I headed for the weight room, glad it was empty. I didn’t like talking when I was lifting, even when it was light weights.

With my headphones in, I got lost in my pregame playlist. I’d been at it more than 45 minutes when Niko came in and nodded in greeting.

“Hey, is Dell here yet?” I asked, sitting up on a bench and wiping a sheen of sweat from my forehead.

“Didn’t see her.” Niko put in his headphones and we both worked in silence. Scroggins came in a few minutes later and I asked him about Dell, too.

“Don’t know, man,” he said. “Maybe she’s in her office.”

I grabbed a towel, wiped my face off and headed that way. The training room that doubled as her office was empty and the lights weren’t even on yet. I went out to the hallway and paced a couple times. Where the hell was she? The locker room was filling up, and she was always one of the first here.

Though I needed to get my skates on, I wanted to talk to her first. I leaned against the wall outside her office to wait.

“Hudson.” Tanner walked past without even glancing my way, meaning I was supposed to follow him into his office. I pushed off the wall with a stab of aggravation.

Once I got into his large, sparsely furnished office, I stood in front of his desk, hands folded in front of me. I’d learned to respect my coaches from an old school one in high school who made us skate laps to make up for flopping into a chair in his office without permission or asking him what he wanted.

“Have a seat,” Tanner said, settling into his dark wheeled chair. I sat down and waited. He organized a few papers on his desk before speaking.

“You had a bad game last night.”

I nodded. Was I getting bad news from the coach of the minor league team I was rehabbing with? The thought made my stomach pitch with nausea. Fucking John London. I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for that asshole’s cheap hit.

“I just wanted to ask if there’s anything you need. Be straight with me. There’s probably not much I can teach you about hockey at this point, but I’m here if you need to talk. Rehab can be stressful.”

“Thanks. I thought the rough patch was behind me, but maybe not.”

Tanner rubbed his chin and studied me. “Maybe you just had a bad night. You’ve got other stresses.”

I furrowed my brow in question.

“Your father,” he said. I sighed deeply and looked at my lap. How in the fuck did Tanner know about that?

“You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of, Luke. I’ve heard your dad’s overbearing at times and I know you’re under pressure.”

“Just a little,” I muttered, shaking my head.

“I imagine it’s lonely at your level. You come here and you’re surrounded by guys who want what you’ve got.”

“What I
had
,” I corrected.

“You’ve still got it. Most of the pressure on you is coming from yourself. Just let up. You have to be aware how much of this game is mental. If you slip up, don’t let your control slide away. I watched it happen last night. One mistake and you never regained your focus.”

I nodded, his words hitting home. Mental strength was every bit as important – if not more so – than physical strength in this game.

“I’m in a better place today,” I said. “I kind of boiled over last night and I’m ready to work hard tonight.”

Tanner nodded. “Good. Go get your knee wrapped before we skate.”

I rose, grateful I’d been given an excuse to wait for Dell. She had to be here by now. Guys needed worked on. I didn’t, but I’d get my knee wrapped just for the chance to talk to her for a few minutes.

When I got back to her office, it was still dark. I went to the locker room and pulled my skates from my locker, shoving them to the floor.

“Where the hell is Dell?” I grumbled to no one in particular.

“Haven’t seen her, but I need my shoulder rubbed,” Scroggins said. I rubbed a hand over my face and got my phone out of my locker to text her. I waited for a response, but hadn’t heard back when I headed out for our skate.

I’d finished my second lap when I saw her walking toward the locker room, bundled into a dark coat. Her head was down and she never looked over.

When she finally came out to the bench, I skated her way. She sat water bottles on the wall and turned to go back to the locker room.

“Hey,” I said, sliding to a quick stop. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” She still wouldn’t look at me. “I’ve got a lot to do to get ready for the game.”

With that, she left. I stared at her retreating back, wondering what was up. She had to be upset about something, because I knew she couldn’t be mad at me. I’d have to catch her in private after our skate and talk to her.

I was about to push off and resume skating when I caught a glimpse of a tall figure passing in the tunnel. A closer look confirmed that it was Todd Landis, wearing a poorly-fitted suit and a shit-eating grin. I wanted to jump over the wall and follow him. He was going to the locker room – probably to hit on Dell. Smug fucker.

But I had to pretend she was just a trainer to me. I started my next lap, nervous energy propelling me. I’d planned to come here, play a couple games, return to my team and never look back. But the longer I stayed, the more difficult that seemed. I needed to focus, play hard and move on. Lapses in concentration right now could cost me my career.

Dell

I was expecting the guy leaning past the doorframe of my office to be a player needing worked on, but it was Todd Landis.

“Hey, doc,” I said, looking up from the counter I was wiping down. “Do you need to see one of the guys?”

He stepped in with a smile. “Actually, I came to see you.”

A runner, Todd was very trim. Trimmer than I liked. He was always clean shaven and never had a hair out of place. It was a contrast from the sweaty, profane men I spent my days with.

But ours was a working relationship, and it was good. I knew I could call him day or night with any medical issues with the guys, big or small. He was a hockey fan who truly enjoyed working for the team.

I smiled and turned his way. “What can I do for you?”

“I need to ask a favor. Are you going to the fundraiser tomorrow night?”

“No, that’s just something the guys dress up and do. Unless someone gets crazy and sprains a finger shaking hands, I won’t be needed.”

This was my second year with the team, but I remembered the annual gala from last year. Sports fans and others who liked socializing more than me paid big money to hob knob with the players from our team and the local minor league baseball team for the night.

“I’ve got two tickets,” Landis said, leaning against my exam table. “I was taking one of my nurses, Jenny. Her husband is deployed overseas and she’s handling the kids and the home front. Figured she’d enjoy a night out. But now she’s got the stomach flu. Is there any way you’d be able to fill in for her?”

“Me?” I gaped at him in surprise.

“Yeah, it’s short notice.” He rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish expression. “You’ve probably got plans.”

On a Saturday night when we didn’t have a game? No. Not unless Sadie, some ice cream and our DVR counted.

“I guess I could,” I said, shrugging.

His face lit up. “Really? Great. Thanks, Dell.” He approached me and brought it in for a hug. I squeezed him back awkwardly.

“Dell?” a puzzled voice said from the doorway. “Can you rub my shoulder?”

It was Scroggins, probably wondering why the team doctor and I were hugging.

“Sure, come in,” I said. Lance McCoy, another player, was right behind him.

“I need you to look at my ankle,” he said. “You’re late today.”

“I know,” I said with a sigh. “Traffic was a mess.”

The truth was I hadn’t wanted to run into Luke. My anger over him flirting with me and then spending the night with someone else was still simmering. I couldn’t risk a fiery comment that would betray my feelings for him in front of anyone from the team.

“I’m not busy,” Landis said to McCoy. “I can look at your ankle.”

I shot him a grateful glance. I needed the help, and as long as he was in the training room with me, Luke probably wouldn’t try to come in and talk to me. I knew from his expression when I’d been short with him that he was wondering what was up.

Scrogs pulled his shirt off and I set to work on his shoulder. This was exactly what I needed – to lose myself in pre-game preparations. And for once, I had help. This day had started lousy, but it was looking up already.

Luke

I turned my face from side to side in the mirror for a final appraisal. Dark gold stubble coated my cheeks, and I wondered if I should’ve shaved for this shindig.

Fuck it. I already had my tux on, and it wasn’t like I had a long grizzly beard or anything.

Someone from the front office of my Chicago team had delivered my tux and shoes from home, saving me from a nasty rental. On my off days, I was a shorts and old t-shirt guy, but when I dressed up, I liked fine, well-tailored clothes. It was the one and only thing I was a snob about.

V gaped at me when I walked into the living room.

“Jesus, man, I’m straight and I kind of want to fuck you right now,” he said. “You’re all GQ and shit.”

I shook my head with aggravation and approached him. “What the hell is with the blue vest? It looks like cheap wallpaper.”

He shrugged. “My date wanted me to match her dress.”

“You gonna give her a corsage and fuck her in the back seat of your car after?”

“I didn’t get a corsage, and … yeah, sure.”

I clapped him on the shoulder. “At least tell me you’ve got clean socks and drawers on, bro.”

He nodded. “The rental place gave me socks, they should be clean.”

I shuddered at the thought of wearing socks a bunch of other guys had worn, washed or not.

“Hey, Alana wants to know if you’ll meet up with us and one of her friends after for a drink,” V said.

I’d gotten my game back the night before and scored. I’d texted Dell and was hoping to leave this event as soon as possible and meet up with her for dinner to celebrate. Or maybe just to see her.

“Uh, I’m leaving my options open,” I said. “I’ll see you there, man.”

I checked my phone as I headed to my car. No return message from Dell. It’d been a couple hours. The same aggravation I’d felt yesterday when she didn’t show up at the rink on time surged through me again.

Sports talk radio distracted me on the drive to the hotel the event was being held at, but when I stepped out of my car for a valet, checked my phone and there was still no text, my muscles tensed.

I typed out another message.

Me: Hey, did u get my text?

I put my phone in my pocket, knowing I’d feel it vibrate when she responded. I resented being turned into a fretful woman by her. I was at an event with dressed up women who all had a drink in hand. I should’ve been checking them out instead of wringing my hands over where Dell was.

A waiter passed and I grabbed a glass of champagne, downing it. Shit, that stuff was sweet.

Niko approached with a nod. He was clean shaven and looked like some cougar’s night of fun just waiting to happen.

“The fuck?” I said. “Did you take a shower? You don’t smell like sweaty balls for once.”

He shrugged. “You’re probably mistaking the smell of sex. I actually get laid from time to time, man.”

“Let’s get a drink,” I said, moving toward the bar.

The place was loaded with women in tight dresses and tall heels. A lot of them were here with other women. This event was probably a hot ticket for hooking up with an athlete.

We’d almost made it to the bar when a woman stopped me, pressing a palm to my chest.

“Luke Hudson,” she crooned. “I’m a fan.”

“Thanks.”

“Lila Hathoway.” She held a hand out and I shook it, appraising her in a second. The way she held my eyes and smiled knowingly told me she was a sure thing. She had long blonde hair and tits that spilled out of her red dress.

“Nice to meet you,” I said.

“Going to the bar?”

“I was.”

“I’ll take an apple martini.”

There’d been a time when a woman so bold would’ve made me hard on the spot. I loved a woman who knew what she wanted. But as I turned away from the 30-something seductress, the thought of having my chest clawed as she rode me didn’t sound that great.

Niko gave me a look that said he’d seen the same thing I had.

“Well played, asshole,” he said in a low tone. “She looks like an adventurous one.”

I’d looked at her, anyway, which was progress. This room was full of women I could snap my skid with. I pulled my phone out to check it. Nothing. Apparently Dell wasn’t interested in me anymore.

After I ordered a beer and the martini, I scanned the room. My disappointment over Dell surprised me. I wasn’t looking to start anything serious anyway.

A tall brunette with long legs caught my eye. And she was with a cute little blonde. No, she reminded me too much of Ryke’s wife, Kate. Even though Kate was pretty, it felt weird.