On the Fly (Crimson Romance) (23 page)

New Server picked up the polished silver ice cream boat in both hands — small, feminine hands — and pulled it away. “Not so fast, Jacey.”

Dream Jacey grabbed the ice cream boat and tugged. It morphed at her touch, looking more like the Stanley Cup, and she held on tighter. “I didn’t even get to try it … ”

They swayed back and forth over the counter. Not-Carter jumped in for an attempted rescue, but New Server held him back with a third hand.

“That’s not fair!” Jacey cried.

New Server snarled. “You can’t have both.”

Jacey looked back and forth between Not-Carter and the gleaming Cup. Her name appeared etched on it next to her father’s. How could she choose? Her heart broke at the thought of losing either one.

“Jacey, let go. Jacey.” New Server shook harder, but the voice changed. Now it sounded like Madden.

“No … ” She held on but everything blurred, and the diner faded away, replaced by her bedroom. Instead of the Cup, she had two fistfuls of her brother’s T-shirt. She exhaled hard and let go, scrubbing her hands over her face. “Sorry … sorry. Really bad dream.”

“Damn, I guess.” But he didn’t relax. In fact, he looked like he was gathering the courage to tell her he’d broken her favorite doll.

Now that she had some distance from the dream diner, the most basic question swam to the surface. “Mad, what are you doing in my room?”

“I have to tell you something.”

Just as her pulse had started to slow, it jumped to locomotive speed in two seconds. “Oh, my God. I could go the rest of my life without hearing that again.”

He sat on the edge of the bed, head lowered in full sad-guilty-puppy mode.

“Please, please tell me you joined the circus. You’re running away to marry the bearded lady. I’d be cool with that. I wouldn’t mind having Ewoks for nephews and nieces — ”

“I went out with Linden last night.”

Her heart dropped into her stomach, and she couldn’t seem to swallow. Wherever this was going, it could only end with the complete dissolution of her life. Linden East had come to symbolize that.

Madden shook his head, looking down at his lap. “We went to a movie then out for coffee. I went to get our drinks. I only left my phone on the table for three minutes tops. It was so busy in there, I didn’t see, but she must have read through my texts. I … had sent Phlynn a message, trying to thank him for what he did.”

All of the pieces clicked together, and warmth rushed back into her face. “She knows. Would she … ”

Madden pulled out his smart phone. He already had a video cued up and pressed
play
with his thumb.

“Linden East, a reporter for the
Las Vegas Sun
, tweeted last night that NHL Sinners’ captain, Carter Phlynn, paid a very large debt for Madden Vaughn, the current assistant GM of the team. In her tweet, East says she thinks Phlynn may have been motivated by his feelings for Sinners’ owner, Jacqueline Vaughn. While this is just a rumor, it has the hockey world buzzing this morning. Next, a look at red carpet fashion trends.”

Madden pushed the pause button and froze the pretty entertainment show host mid turn. Jacey sat just as still, staring into space. She didn’t blink when her brother nudged her. When he waved a hand in front of her face, she closed her eyes. “That woman is the antichrist.”

“Isn’t there some kind of recourse we can take? This is — ”

“Completely legal. She didn’t make any false claims. It’s not libel because she just gave her opinion. She didn’t state it as fact. And I guarantee you she was very careful about that. She knew she didn’t have enough for a full news story, but she could get it out through social media with the same effect and her name attached. It’s diabolically perfect. I’d admire the hell out of her if I didn’t hate her with every atom in my body.”

“Jace, I’m
so
sorry.”

It wouldn’t help to tell him how stupid he’d been. And while it was his fault in a lot of ways, she couldn’t blame him. Not really. Caring for someone required trust. That was how it should be. Linden East had abused that trust. Game on.

• • •

Monday, February 27th

“What am I supposed to say?” Carter sounded like a kid trying to get his story straight for the principal.

Jacey closed the blinds in her office. The windows overlooked the parking lot where roughly a hundred people swarmed for the news conference. When she faced Carter, guilt swelled in her chest. For once, the rumors of their relationship weren’t her fault, but she still felt accountable. Too many years of claiming Madden as her responsibility. No time for that now. War face.

“Deny it. All East has are the text messages she read on Madden’s phone. She can’t prove what she said without revealing how she found out. And she won’t do that. It’s not professional, and she won’t risk losing the reputation she’s trying to build. No one else can tie it back to you. The loan shark only knows he got paid, not where it came from. You went through a company, right? You had a courier deliver it.”

Carter’s temple throbbed. His face reddened. Just when it looked like he was about to pop the vein in his neck, he laughed. A loud guffaw that shook his big frame from shoulders to hips. Well, now she’d done it. Less than a year, and she’d already driven him crazy. It must be a new record.

“Carter?”

“Not Carter. Phlynn here, remember? That’s how this trouble started.”

Not Carter.
Not-Carter.
A flashback of the dream hit her so hard, she sat on the edge of her desk.

You can’t have both.

She’d call it a prophecy, but it was probably just her subconscious pointing out what the rest of the world found painfully obvious.

He squatted to her eye level, his hands resting on the desk with her in between. “Jace? I was kidding.”

She looked into his green-gold eyes and bit her lower lip to keep from crying.

I love you.

Where had that come from? Shock set in at the thought, but she couldn’t deny it. She also couldn’t say it. They didn’t have time for that conversation. He had to go save face in front of the nation. “I know. Now go lie your ass off. This one’s all you for a change.” A grin fought its way to the surface.

He mirrored it and gave her a quick kiss on the mouth then the forehead before he left. She still felt the warmth and tingle of his lips as the door closed behind him. Cowardly, but she was glad to avoid the lights, cameras, and action. Just thinking about it made her stomach hurt. Still, she couldn’t resist watching.

Jacey pushed off her desk and made a space in the vertical blinds. It wasn’t long before Carter’s appearance caused the reporters to jostle together, vying for the best spot. At this distance, she could only see the top of his head and the outline of his shoulders, but chances were good he showed no emotion. He was used to interviews. In the few she’d caught on the sports news channel, he always looked relaxed, even happy to comment. Then again, it was one thing to talk about how well you played in a game and an entirely different thing to defend yourself against career crucifixion.

Ringing from her desk phone made her jump. It couldn’t be a media member calling her down to join the fun. Right? Heart in her throat, she picked it up.

“This is Jacqueline Vaughn.”

“Ms. Vaughn, this is Commissioner Black. Quite a circus in the past twenty-four hours.”

“Yes, sir. I guarantee it’s all been a big misunderstanding.” Were those swimming black dots really there? Her knees wobbled, so she eased into her high-backed, leather chair and focused on not throwing up. She hadn’t made an official list of things she never wanted to do once she took control of the team, but receiving a call from the NHL principal’s office had to be at the top.

“I’d like to arrange a meeting to sort it all out. We’ll be discussing some league-wide issues. While we just had a Board of Governors’ meeting in December, I think the matters are pressing enough to schedule an impromptu powwow to clear the air.”

Her face flooded with heat.
An emergency board meeting. Just for me.
“Sir, do you really think that’s necessary? I know there’s been a lot of talk about Carter Phlynn and me, but it’s all rumor.”

“Nevertheless, it’s affected the entire league, and it’s important the board address it and deal with it accordingly.”

“With all due respect, how has it affected anyone but Mr. Phlynn and myself?”

His ten-second pause made her pop a heartburn tablet from the top drawer in her desk.

“I liked your father a good deal. He loved the game, and he had a great mind for the business. When you decided to retain ownership as well as the GM position, I had my doubts.”

“Sir — ”

“You’ve got an impressive degree, but it takes years of experience and a firm understanding of the politics to survive and thrive in this field.”

“Yes, sir, but — ”

“You’re aware it raised brows when you named Ms. Windham head coach. I questioned it myself, but she has a hockey legacy, and she’s proven her competency this season seeing as your team already has a playoff spot.”

Now he was just telling her things she already knew. Her jaw tightened, and she forced herself to release a silent breath instead of the frustrated sigh building in her chest. In her brief experience wading through the muck of the Old Boys’ Club, it had been impossible to remain thin-skinned, but her patience waned. “Yes, sir.”

“Your team judgments have been sound, so I personally don’t believe you’d get involved with one of your players. Whether or not it’s true doesn’t matter. The fact people believe it’s true
does
.”

“How can I control what people believe?”

“Well, let’s be honest. Even if things aren’t as they appear in the papers, you’ve put yourself in the position to invite speculation from time to time. When a player makes the league look bad, we suspend him and fine him.”

Thank God he couldn’t see a blush two thousand miles away. Her face was on fire. One hand tightened on the phone until the plastic creaked, and the other hand fisted in her lap, but she managed to keep her tone even. “Are you likening me to a reckless, fame-seeking player? Is this meeting to decide my fine?”

“No, no. This meeting will be a forum for the Governors — yourself included — to decide future protocol on these issues. The truth is, Ms. Vaughn, it’s been a struggle to warm our country to hockey. It’s always been a Canadian sport. Americans are more football focused. In my term, I’ve made it a priority to grow the American audience by expanding into the south and hyping up our star players so they become household names like Lebron James or Tom Brady. Carter Phlynn has been one of those names — in fact,
the
name in recent years. That old saying, any press is good press? It’s not true. If people lose respect for the players and the figureheads of the league, they stop watching the game.”

Jacey’s fingers went slack, and that slimy, nauseating guilt crept back to replace her anger. “Then the meeting will be … ”

“In Las Vegas. April 5th. No publicity. Any new rules will be made public eventually, of course, but not until everything’s settled.”

“Yes, sir.”

“This isn’t a reprimand. It’s more like we’re entering a new frontier and need to adjust accordingly. Take care. I’ll see you in April.”

Click.

Jacey dropped the phone and leaned her elbows on the desk, holding her face in her hands. Great. Her relationship with Carter wasn’t just an embarrassment to her father’s legacy. She was taking down the entire NHL.

Thursday, April 5th

“Are you going to throw up or pass out?” Carter’s stance resembled a tennis player hovering mid court, waiting to see which way a serve would go.

“I’m not sure.” Jacey closed her eyes and leaned against the cool, concrete basement wall. Deep in the belly of the arena, she should feel safe from prying eyes or listening ears. Safe didn’t exist anymore.

“I just want to know if I need to dodge or catch.” His playful half smile did little to slow her pulse.

In twenty minutes, she was due in front of the NHL firing squad, her so-called peers. The past month, a ball of anxiety had grown and grown in her stomach waiting for this day. She and Carter had managed to stay out of the news, but it wasn’t much comfort.

“Hey.” He cupped her cheek in his rough palm and tipped her head up.

She took a bolstering breath then opened her eyes. The basement’s recessed amber light softened his features.

“I know this has been weighing on you. But it’s bullshit, what Black said. You and I aren’t single-handedly ruining the NHL.”

She hesitated, pursed her lips.

He blew out a sigh and stepped back. “We’ve had this conversation at least ten times since you got that phone call.”

“I know, but I’m the one receiving an official reprimand in front of the Who’s Who of Hockey. I don’t think you and I are taking down the whole sport, but … Black did have a point.”

Carter groaned, and she caught his hand to keep his attention.

“No, listen. You’re the poster boy of the NHL. What you do off-ice matters. More than most players. And me? I started out as the new face of feminism. I’m the first sole female owner in sixty years. In my inaugural season, I appointed the only female head coach. Ever. Dating the captain of my team doesn’t exactly make me a great example for all the young girls out there who want to follow in my footsteps.”

“Jacey, you’ve
already
proven you can handle owning and managing a team. We’re going to the playoffs, and we have a good chance. That’s all any owner can hope for. We didn’t plan this.” He lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles. “It just happened. You can’t help who you love, and you shouldn’t be blamed for it. I don’t regret this. Do you?”

How did it sound so rational when he said it? A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and she shook her head. “No. I feel like I should, but I don’t. I can’t use that defense in front of the board, though.”

“Well, at least you don’t have to worry about my paying Madden’s debt figuring into their assault anymore.”