Thawing Ava (16 page)

Davis gave her one of his patented big grins that said he was amused by their circumstances. “Because, dear sister, it’s exhilarating. Can’t you feel your blood pumping? You’re sitting in crystal clear, clean air. This is life, girl.
Life
!”

Ava gritted her teeth and rubbed her hands together. “No. It’s insane. Is all that health food and rampant sex softening your brain? If I die of pneumonia, Brice will kill you.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She really didn’t want to turn Davis into Brice’s biggest cheerleader. That man wouldn’t stop until they were engaged and she was pregnant by the end of the month.

Davis’s simple grin turned into a shit-eater smile. “We figured you two would hit it off. Good thing his game’s improved, or Dad would have had a fit.”

She raised an eyebrow in question. “You figured?” A sinking feeling filled her stomach. Had she been set up by her family? Did they think she needed a distraction from Perry that badly? She had no desire for this babysitting situation to turn into some sort of pity matchmaking. Rather than say something caustic that could turn this meeting into a bloodbath, she took a sip of her rapidly cooling coffee. The bitterness of the java kept her awake; the aftertaste of cool, sweet peppermint and the creamy, buttery white chocolate helped to give her energy.

Davis dipped his head. “Hey, we hoped. Besides I was tired of giving him every little detail of your life. He wasn’t exactly too happy to hear you were engaged. In fact, he was downright sullen. That was the worst week of his man whoring and game play.” Davis shook his head and pushed up his black-rimmed glasses.

“What are you saying?” She had an idea but wanted to hear it from her brother. He’d been around Brice longer than she had, knew him better.

“That guy wanted to jump your bones from day one. When you didn’t call or stop by the frat house, he figured you weren’t interested. Didn’t stop him from wanting you, though. It didn’t help that his family couldn’t be bothered to check in on him or even not go out of town and take him in during breaks and vacations.” Davis rolled his eyes. “Anyway, he— Wait a minute,” Davis tapped his chin. “You did call, didn’t you?”

With care, despite her shaking hands, she managed to place her mug on the tabletop, then threw her arms up in the air. “Oh, now you remember, you forgetful dipshit. That boyfriend of yours must’ve sucked out your brains through your penis that ski break. You’re usually less forgetful.” That last part was a lie, but she figured she’d butter him up a bit.

A red flush bloomed on Davis’s cheeks. “Sorry, I just, well, he was hot, and his body was killer. That man could tie a cherry stem with his tongue, Ava. His. Tongue. So to answer your question, yes, he could make me forget my name and did quite a few times. Mea culpa, Sis.”

Ava grumbled about worthless brothers but decided to let that slide for now. “You owe me, and you’ll make it up to me later with a few new cookbooks or something, deal?”

Davis shrugged. “Why not? Besides, you’re with Brice now, right? Judging by that glow you two have going on, I’d say you got some last night. Dirty girl. Don’t give me details. Like Dad, I still think you’re a virgin who doesn’t know what fisting is.”

“
Davis
!” Heat suffused her cheeks, and she was thankful they were alone and freezing outside.

“Yeah, I’ll pretend you didn’t react like that, filthy woman. Anyway, good job on keeping the ‘Lady Killer’ on the straight and narrow, keeping him home. He’s been doing really good. Alexi thinks he’s even better than he was when he first joined the team.” Davis sipped his own tea and made a face. “Okay, time to go in. Enough freezing our asses off. I have a question for you, and I want to be surrounded by people when I ask it.”

She stood up and grabbed her dishes. “Oh, okay. You didn’t tell me why we were out here to begin with.”

“Because I wanted to see how sorry you were for our fight over Perry the nonpervert.” Davis grinned and ran around her.

If her hands hadn’t been filled, she would’ve tried to swat him on the back of his head. “Dork. And yes, you were right about him, happy?” she asked as he took a seat near a window.

“No, I’d have been better if you hadn’t gotten engaged. What the fuck were you thinking? I thought, sure, date the drab milquetoast guy, but don’t marry him, and then you went and agreed to do it! I thought you were the smarter of the two of us.” Davis shook his head and waved down the waiter to order two more coffees and menus.

Ava sighed and slumped into her chair as she began to heat up. “Honestly, I didn’t want to be alone, but also I wasn’t sure who would want me. That’s it. Stupid reason.” The confession was uttered so softly she prayed he hadn’t heard her above the noise of the other customers.

“I could smack you upside the head,” Davis growled. “Why would you think that? You’re gorgeous, Sis, intelligent and confident. What guy wouldn’t want you?”

Ava shrugged. “The guy who didn’t return my phone call? Not that I’m saying that played into it, but you do have to admit living in the land of the seminaked people doesn’t help a size 14 like me when it comes to thongs and itty-bitty bikini tops. Plus, after Christmas I saw him with all those cheerleader types. How could I compete with that? Was I supposed to stop eating and get unnaturally thin?”

“Has Brice fucked your brains out? I’m getting tired of rolling my eyes so hard they’re going to get stuck. Ava, honey, please don’t let a meathead who wants a size nonzero and doesn’t know the difference between sugar and sugar substitute really ruin your confidence. You’re better than that.”

Shame filled her. She peeked over the top of her menu to see him looking directly at her, dark brown eyes filled with unwavering support.

“I love you, Sis, I do, but really? I think you say that as an excuse. In reality you were just scared to try and look for someone, especially when you thought you found him in Brice. He clearly doesn’t have a problem with your size, and besides you two didn’t talk to each other. So what’s the problem? Is it the ’Lady Killer’ moniker?” Davis broke eye contact and looked down at his menu.

She felt a sense of relief for the reprieve but couldn’t deny his words. “I guess so. I liked him a lot, D. I thought we hit it off, and to feel like he’d rejected me… I saw him around campus, never went up to him, but he was always surrounded by the skinny set. How can I compete with that if that’s what I think a guy wants?” She didn’t address Brice’s bed notches. She wasn’t sure how to.

Davis put down his menu. “You could have asked, Ava. You were always shy around guys you thought were out of reach. You deserve love, Sis. Look at Mom and Dad. They can’t keep their hands off each other after all these years.” He shuddered and pulled a face.

Ava followed suit. “Maybe I thought I couldn’t find something like that. How many happy married friends do you have? Dad looks at Mom like he’s gazing at the sun, in awe and a bit afraid. Like she’s not real. I think maybe I began to think of Mom and Dad’s love story like a fairy tale, not real. How can we find something like that? How did you?”

Davis nodded. “I get that, honey, but you have to try at least. Look at me. I found Egan.” His face lit up when he mentioned his fiancé. “Body like a god, intelligent as a whip, owns his own business, has excellent credit, and can fuck like the Energizer Bunny, and he likes hockey! Hands-down perfect. As for our friends, that’s their life, not yours. You have to find your own happy ending, literally and figuratively.” He winked. “Although looks like you have.”

“Not giving details, you perv. Anyway, so Brice really is focused again? Am I really helping? It’s only been six days, and the game is on Sunday.” She didn’t want to be a burden or to have them sugarcoat things for her. She really wanted to help him, focus him. There would be no “Lady Killer” in the papers as long as she was around, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to be playing like shit anymore. If that meant she tied him to the bed in order to make sure he slept, she would.

“Yup, like he’s gotten a new wind. He’s faster, more aggressive on the ice, making smarter decisions. Also, more giving, not as selfish with passing. He’s watching more game footage and takes criticism better. I think he wants to impress you, show you he’s the damn good hockey player that everyone says he is.” Davis picked up his coffee cup and took a sip.

Ava thought over his words. “I don’t want him to do this to impress me. I want him to do it to impress himself, the team. He’s got to do it for himself, not anyone else, most of all. I guess we have to have another talk.”

Davis nodded his head. “Understandable. But I doubt it’s just you in play too. Don’t worry. We’ll truly see if there’s an away game and you can’t make it.” Mischief danced in his eyes.

Ava held up a finger. “No. I’m not going to trick him into thinking I’m sick just so you can see if your hypothesis is right.”

Davis chuckled. “Just throwing it out there. So how do you like the updated Witch Fields so far? I have Sunday off; maybe I can show you around after the game? You and Brice can have dinner with Egan and me.”

Ava grinned. “I’d love it. Brice and I can do dinner. This place seems to have changed so much. I hardly recognize some of it, and the new stores that have gone up are huge. It’s been a major adjustment. But I haven’t gotten lost yet.”

Davis leaned forward, placed his elbows and forearms on the table, and looked at her. “Do you really want to do food? You have a marketing degree that’s going to waste. I don’t want to shit on your dream, but I need someone like you in the office. We’re rebuilding our PR team from the bottom up, and I really need fresh eyes. Well? Will you think about it?”

Her head spun. She had a few job opportunities already in the works.
Do I really want to work that closely with my brother and father? How would Brice feel about this?

“It can be temporary if you want. Just try out the position, see if you like it.” His eyes glinted with mirth.

She grabbed a napkin and balled it up and threw it at him. “Dork. What do you need from me exactly? I’m not sure how I can help. It’s been ages since I’ve done any kind of marketing.”

He snatched the napkin out of the air and grinned. “Fresh ideas. New takes on things. We need to reach nonhockey fans. People that only watch when it’s the Olympics and we’re winning or the Cup and it’s their city.”

She shook her head. “Why would you want them? If they don’t like it, they don’t like it.”

Davis shook his head. “We’re talking locals here, not an international thing. The former owners fucked up with the money. The team does its best, goes out and talks to people, does appearances, interviews, but we need the town to give a fuck.” Disgust filled his tone.

Ava let his offer sink in. Taking a job with her father and Davis would allow her to keep close to them. After being in town for a few days she realized how much she’d missed being near her family. And besides the offer wasn’t forever, so she still had options. “Okay, it’s a temporary position. I need to think on it. This does change my plans, and I still don’t know how things will end up with Brice. Let me talk to Dad and Brice. See what they have to say. I know Dad will be thrilled, and I’m sure Brice will be happy, but I don’t want to make him feel like I’m everywhere, watching him. But this does give me more options than I had when I came into town.”

Davis nodded and launched into all the gossip about the Talons until her head spun and worry tightened her stomach. She hoped things wouldn’t turn violent between the two teams. For the rest of the early afternoon she and Davis talked and caught up on family gossip until it was time to fetch Brice from practice.

* * * *

Brice packed the last of his things. Worry gnawed at his gut. He wanted to stay behind and work on skill drills or maybe watch more footage. Alexi wanted him to turn in early and get as much sleep as possible. They had to be up bright and early for practice as well as game-day press. Stop thinking, he ordered himself, but his brain wasn’t having that. Instead, it went through all the strategies Coach Nelson had given them, every note and suggestion he’d gotten. Doubt crept into his mind. None of what he’d just learned made any sense. Nor could he remember the advice Alexi had just given him. His head was so muddled he was going out of his mind. He wanted to escape, to run away. Nervous energy jittered along his legs and arms. Thirst rolled over his taste buds. He’d been avoiding alcohol all week. He could taste the yeast in the beer, the bitterness and sweetness, the deep rich flavor that hit him like a punch to the face.

As he walked down the hall, the need for a beer and to be surrounded by people increased.

Ava. I need Ava.

The thought slammed into him as he shoved through the arena doors into the player and employee parking lot. Anger roiled inside of him as he remembered Alexi’s words to him:
“Don’t lose your temper. Don’t end up in the box. Let Marsh handle any shit going down.”
The Talons would push him and try to get under his skin. He didn’t need them for head games; his own brain was filled with doubts and insecurities, thank you very much. He didn’t even want to think about Ava being there to watch him. If he went down in a blazing pile of all-out shit-balls horrible, then so be it, but to have his woman there? No!

He spotted his SUV immediately and went to it, avoiding all the groups talking and some of the wives and girlfriends completely. He felt like punching something and slugging down as much beer as humanly possible. He got into the truck and slammed the door. He barely noticed Ava sitting in the driver’s seat. His mind was so cocked up with crap that he could barely function. Once he was buckled in and slumped into his seat, they took off. As the vehicle wove through late-afternoon traffic, he found himself noticing all the bars that were downtown. He used to know each of them intimately; now he felt as if they were long-lost friends he’d stopped talking to years ago.

“Don’t. Not now. I will strap you down to your own bed if I have to. You’re not going out tonight,” she growled.

He glanced over at her. She glowed and looked less stressed. Regret tugged at his heart, and tears formed in the corners of his eyes. He jerked his head away before she could see that he was about cry like a baby.
Do I really want to burden her with my shit?
As much as he didn’t want to and would have preferred talking to one of his teammates or Davis, she was here. Everyone else would be spending their time relaxing and trying to clear their heads. He clenched his jaw; the words were there, but he refused to let them out.