by Mia Luxe
“Are you the man you were before you met Sierra? Are you going to be counted out before you even hit the ice? Or are you going to be a goddamn killer on the fucking ice? Are you going to take this game in your fucking hands and win it? You have to decide whether you’re going to be the man who deserves to lose Sierra, or the man that deserves to get her back!”
The guttural yell comes out from the back of my throat, a pure expression of rage and power as Ford’s words fill me with strength. I turn, marching into the locker room.
Coach Hendricks stop talking mid-sentence, his eyes bugging out as I tower over him.
I’m facing the men on my team. Jason and Ford flank me, and Coach Hendricks steps back, unsure. The team looks up at us with confusion.
“Who are we?” I yell the words out at my team, and there’s no answer. Just unsure glances.
“Who are we?” I repeat. “When other teams look at us, they see a fucking joke. They see a bunch of losers who shouldn’t be in the NHL. But you know what I see? I see the team that’s going to win the fucking Stanley Cup this year. I see champions!”
Ford steps forward. “The last two games we fucking crushed our opposition. No one was looking at us like we were losers then. We’ve been counted out all season. We’ve been laughed at, mocked, ignored… Fuck that! When we hit the ice, we hit the ice as winners. We’re going to go back out there and crush these fuckers. We’re going to take this game. Make the play! Win the game!”
There are nods throughout our team. Dickson meets my eyes without animosity. He grins, and I see in his gaze that he can feel the same fire burning inside him that I feel bursting out of my body.
Jason clenches his fists. He never was one for public speaking, but he steps forward: “Who are we?”
“The Ravens!” Yells back Dickson, and the rest of the team nods, standing up and cracking their knuckles.
“Who are we?” I scream out, bursting with energy.
“The Ravens!” Yell back the entire team.
“And what are we going to do?” Ford bellows, his lips pulled back to show his teeth.
“Win!” The room of men scream back in unison, and we all storm back out into the hallway, leaving Coach Hendricks with his jaw open, unsure what he just witnessed.
5
Sierra
The New York Ravens leave the ice for the first intermission down a goal, and my heart pounds. There’s cold sweat under my armpits. I might be cozy at home watching the game, but I feel like I’m right there on the ice with them, under the eyes of the crowd.
“They’ll get the goal back, honey,” says my mom, looking up absentmindedly from the couch where she’s typing away on her laptop. My mom kept up my father’s copywriting business after he passed. The life insurance policy paid out well, but she loved the work.
I try to think happy thoughts, but I’m uncomfortable watching the Ravens blowing their chance to make playoffs.Every play counts.
I shift in my seat. “I don’t know. They don’t have that fire… The fire that won them the last games. They need me.”
Guilt washes over me. I left them. I left New York, and I didn’t look back.
And now they’re not going to make the Stanley Cup playoffs… Because of me.
I’m so selfish. I got so scared I left, and now the O Line is going to lose. Oh, Cheese. I don’t really think I’m the reason they started to play so well, do I? I can’t buy into their superstition, can I?
When the Ravens take the ice for the second period, I think the same thing over, and over.
You can do it. You can do it. You can do it.
My eyes are fixed on the screen, wide as I watch the three men my heart aches to see again lining up and preparing to do battle.
It’s a massacre. The Ravens come back hard, winning the game 5-1. I yell in victory as the final seconds count down, but as soon as the buzzer sounds, all joy leaves me.
I should be happy for them – but there are only chills in my stomach.
“What’s wrong, dear? Your team won – you should be happy!”
I gulp. “Nothing. It’s nothing. I’m going to my room.”
“Dear, tell me.”
I bite my lip. “Those three… They were with me because they thought I was special. They thought being near me made them win. They thought they needed me to win. Now they’ll know it was just a coincidence. I know I said I never wanted to see them again – but I guess I’m only realizing now that it’s not my choice. They won’t want to see me again. Not now.”
I walk to my room in a trance, past the closed door of my father’s study. I still haven’t gone in to my father’s old workplace – and now, my mind reeling from the realization that the O Line no longer needs me, I know I can’t face the emotion.
I’ve already learned he was a professor. What other secrets lie in that room? One thing’s for sure: I can’t handle them right now.
My mind reels, and I sit on my bed.
If they win tomorrow, they’re going to playoffs. They’ll have interviews, endorsements, and even more women throwing themselves at them.
They’ll forget all about me.
6
Sierra
I look outside for any indication that the paparazzi has penetrated the hedge wall of the house.
There’s still no one with cameras following me to my mother’s house. Thankfully, I’m apparently not a big deal. I was interesting for a moment – but now the world has moved on.
Just like Jason, Caden, and Ford.
When’s the next article going to come out? When will get to see the tabloid with a picture of Jason, Caden or Ford with their arm wrapped around some other woman? A hot model, or actress?
The Ravens won their last game of the season this morning. The O Line played a scrappy, hard-fought game to win. It wasn’t pretty, but they made it to playoffs – without needing me.
I sigh. Maybe it’s time to go back to New York. I’ve weathered the storm. There’s no way two guys with cameras are going to stay there watching for me now. Not now the O Line has forgotten all about me. All of this will blow away.
Life will go back to the way it was. People might ask questions for a while, but soon the tabloids and my Sports Sunday interview are going to fade away like they never happened.
That’s what I wanted, right?
I cringe, looking at my phone. I have a bunch of missed calls from The Herald and The Time Out. Russel followed up his calls with a simple text message.
You’re fired.
It doesn’t even upset me. I know I should be mad that I need to find another job, but it just feels dull compared to the hurt of losing the three men of the O Line.
I know it was my decision to leave – but I wish I lived in a world in which people didn’t care about the lives of pro athletes. A world where, if the three of them did all want me, no one would judge.
As if they would still want me – now that they can win without me.
The key turns in the lock, and my mom comes back from shopping with two big bags. I grab them, helping her unload hamburger buns, lettuce, and ground beef along with bags of chips.
“Are you planning a barbeque, Mom? I know I sound like a wet mop, but… I don’t know if I want to see people.”
She favors me with a big smile. “You’ve been so sad and alone these past couple of days. Maybe having some old friends around will help.”
I shake my head. “I just want quiet. I think I should go back to New York soon.”
There’s a knock at the door.
It’s only two in the afternoon. Who could that be?
“Could you get that, dear?”
“Sure. Are you expecting anyone?”
I walk to the door, but she doesn’t answer. I open it, and my jaw drops.
Caden, Jason, and Ford stand in front of me – all three of them, right there in the flesh.
This isn’t real.
There’s a single moment when I have the urge to slam the door in their thre
e handsome faces – but then I take a step back with a nervous smile.
There are butterflies in my stomach, but everything feels brighter and more alive now that the three of them are here.
“Miss us?” Caden asks the question with that cocky grin that used to annoy me. Now I realize how much I missed it.
“How did you find me?”
There’s a giggle from behind me. I turn, and my mom has the widest smile I’ve ever seen on her face.
“Oh, don’t look so glum, Sierra! You’ve been moping around. I had to meet the three guys who so obviously stole your heart.”
“Mom!”
She invited them without even asking me?
“Well, don’t keep them waiting on the porch! Boys, come on in!”
I step back as the three men walk in. The hallway is barely big enough to fit them as they take off their boots and coats. We make our way into the kitchen and I don’t know what to think. I’ve never introduced a boyfriend to my mom before...
Now I’m introducing three of them!
I’m flustered. Part of me wants to stay strong and resolute – to push them away and tell them to leave.
But it was so much easier to think about moving forward when the three men were far away. Now that they’re here, in the flesh, it’s impossible to imagine life without them.
Mom asks: “Is one of you good with a barbeque?”
Jason nods. “I’ve been known to hold my own.”
“Good. Then you’ll be in charge of cooking the burgers. Caden, you’ll do the sides, and Ford? Well, you’ll keep those two in line. How does that sound?”
Ford chuckles. “You’re a sharp woman, Mrs. Madison.”
“Oh please, call me Ana.”
I stand mute. It’s like a movie is playing out in front of my eyes. My mom makes tea as the three of them sit down at the table. Ford gives me an apologetic shrug.
I get my courage. “You three just came here? Without asking me first?”
Ford shrugs. “Ana called us. Said you wanted to see us.”
My mom gets a guilty expression on her face. “Well, technically you did want to see them. And I needed to meet them! If any boy is going to date my daughter, I’m going to make sure they’re good enough for you. That goes triple for you three!”
I gulp. It’s going to be painful, but I have to say something.
“I… Jason. Caden. Ford. I came out here because of that article. It got printed. I saw it online. Maybe this one will blow over – but there will be more, especially as you three go into playoffs. I want you three to succeed – but the more success that comes to you, the more media attention there’ll be. Unless you have a solution, I don’t think it’s a good idea for any of you to be here.”
The words come from my brain, not my heart. It’s the safe, simple way: For them all to leave, and for me to go back to moping in my room.
Caden leans back. “I bet you’ve been watching outside like a hawk. Anyone show up with a camera?”
I shake my head.
Jason puts down his teacup, giving my mom a smile and a nod to show how much he enjoyed the tea. He looks at me. “Then you’re safe here. No one saw us come down. We even rented an Escalade in case someone knows what cars we drive. Look, Sierra – I hate the media as much as you do, but…”
A surge of anger comes up in me, and I raise my hand to cut him off.
“Oh, you do, do you? Then why are you three trying to get an endorsement deal? Ford told me all about it. For all your talk about hating the spotlight, you’re sure trying to chase it!”
My mom puts the sugar on the table, then leaves the room, realizing we want some privacy.
I’m alone with Jason, Caden and Ford again – and I’m standing with my arms crossed, letting my anger boil up.
Jason shakes his head vigorously. “You think I wanted that? It’s our only chance.”
I furrow my brow, unable to put it together.
Ford takes a sip of his tea and grimaces, then pushes his cup away.
“Sierra! Marissa Tang promised us a huge endorsement deal. I’m not going to pretend I don’t want money – but it’s about more than just me. If we get a big contract, we could save the orphanage from Martingale Development – or at least open a new one.”
Understanding hits me. All my anger instantly melts away.
I chose this. I chose to follow my heart and let the three men into my life. They pushed hard to find a crack, but I’m the one who ultimately made the decision to let them in.
“I… I get it now,” my shoulders slump. “But that doesn’t change anything. I still don’t want to be on the cover of magazines – And now my face is. I know it’s just some sleazy tabloid that most people don’t read, but what if you three get bigger? What if you become these huge stars, and…”
Caden stands, walking towards me, his body lithe and huge. He stands in front of me and brushes my hair away from my eyes.
“God, I’ve missed you. Sierra, we’ll be careful. I promise you – by the end of this weekend, I’ll have thought of something. For starters, we won’t see you in New York – not where people watch. We can keep this quiet.”
When he touches me, I melt. I want his words to be true. I want him to think of some way forward.
Jason and Ford stand, and when the three men loom above me I feel their certainty.
“Once we get this all sorted… The endorsement deals, our playoff run, and – God willing – we win the Stanley Cup and save the orphanage… Then we can stop hiding in the shadows. But until then, we can still see you. Dammit, I need to see you, Sierra.” Jason’s words are sure, and fill me with a tiny surge of confidence. He steps forward, his powerful body standing over me and I bite my lips at the desire building in me. My nipples peak, and I realize how badly I’ve been craving these three men’s touch.
But… They don’t need me to win.
I take a step back. “Why? Why do you still want me? You won without me.”
Ford chuckles, his piercing green eyes devouring me. “You don’t really believe that, do you? We won by the skin of our teeth. And, even if we didn’t need you to win, it doesn’t matter. I want you. We want you. We’ve got a weekend before coach wants us back for intensive practices – and we want to spend it with you… If you’ll have us.”
A weekend with these three studs.
My pussy clenches, begging to be filled by the three men. I pause, drawing a breath in, and I can smell the faint hint of them. It’s a strong, masculine scent. I know I should push them away – and maybe I could, if we’d just been talking on the phone…
But with the three men so close to me…
“You can stay.”
Caden laughs out loud, and I’m reminded how boyish he is compared to the other two. “Great!”
Ford smiles. “Well, that’s settled then. I’ve got to get some coffee in me – I’m not a tea guy.”
I wriggle past him to grind coffee, and as I do so my mom comes back into the room, sensing that the crisis is over. “So, you three made up?”
Jason gets a smile that makes me shiver, and when he looks at me the message is clear despite his silence. We’re going to make up tonight.
“Yes, we did. Do you have any tools?”
My mom looks at him with confusion. “Tools?”
“Yeah. I saw a shed around back, during the drive in.”
“Well… I don’t really know. I haven’t set foot in there since my husband passed away, to be honest with you. Whatever do you need them for?”
Jason shrugs. “Noticed your gutters are full of leaves. If you’ve got a ladder, I’d like to clean them out.”
I open the second drawer, and the old rusty key to the old shed is still there.
“Oh, no! You’re a guest! I couldn’t let you go up there.”
I throw him the key, and he snags it. “It won’t be any trouble at all.”
He leaves the kitchen, whistling.
The orphanage is lucky to have a man like
Jason helping them.
I pour Ford a mug of coffee, and he takes it with a guilty look. “I’m sure that tea was wonderful, but I’m more of a coffee guy.”
My mom laughs. “Not a problem. There’s beer in the fridge if you prefer.”
Caden grins. “That’s my kind of drink.”
I can see Ford’s shoulder tense as he fights the urge to box Caden over the head. My mom looks at him with a suspicious glance. He’s too handsome for his own good, really. Ford and Jason are stunning, but they have a quiet, reserved strength and power to them.
Caden just looks like trouble.
“You’re the troublemaker, are you?
“I’ve been known to…” He starts to talk, but Ford wraps his big arm around his shoulder. “He’s been known to cause a little trouble, but nothing I can’t keep in line.”
A flash of worry crosses my mom’s eyes. It hits me that this isn’t a normal situation, even if she claims to be completely cool with it. She has to be having second thoughts about who she just invited into her house.
“Good. Because if you cause any trouble for my little girl, there won’t be anything left for Ford to keep in line,” she says, fire in her eyes as she steps forward. Despite having a hundred pounds of muscle and a foot of height on my mom, Caden actually takes a step back, his eyes wide.
“Mom!”
“I’m just having some fun,” she says, and gives me a wink. “Now, I’ve got a wonderful spa weekend planned. Ford, will you drive me to my friend’s house?”
I’m shocked. “You’re… You’re going?”
Just me in the house? Alone with these three?
She smiles at me. “Of course. You three probably have some catching up to do. And congratulations on making the playoffs! I trust your judgement, Sierra. If you trust these three men, then I feel safe leaving you here with them.”
I nod. “I do trust them. It’s the tabloids that I don’t trust. Are you sure you don’t want to stay for dinner?”
She shakes her head. “No, no. I don’t want to get in the way. Plus, I’m sure Ford and I will have plenty to talk about on the drive,” she says, giving him a pointed look.
