by Kat Mizera
“I know, and maybe if I met a great guy like Miikka, who loved me the way he loves you, I’d consider it, too, but I’m in a different situation than you.”
“I get it, but the offer is there. Okay?”
“You’re the best. Thank you.”
“You want to come to the game with me tomorrow night?”
Cassie hesitated. She’d almost definitely see Logan if she did, but she couldn’t avoid him forever. They shared a lot of mutual friends, and the Blizzard WAGs made up the bulk of her social circle, so it was probably time to get it over with. She was still annoyed, but what was done was done, and staying mad at him served no purpose.
“I haven’t been to a game in a while,” she admitted after a moment. “So yes, I’d love to go with you.”
“Okay, how about you pick me up and then I’ll just go home with Miikka?”
“Sure.”
They figured out the details and then hung up.
It was probably a bad idea, but Cassie wasn’t going to miss out on doing things she enjoyed because Logan was an overprotective jerk.
The game was great, and Cassie had almost forgotten how much she loved hockey. She played five days a week, but as the team’s season crept closer to the end, and with it her playing days, she’d begun to lose interest. It hurt to admit it, even to herself, but there was nothing left to put her heart into and as she watched the guys on the Blizzard celebrate after their win, she almost yearned for something similar.
“You okay?” Charli asked her as they walked toward the family lounge.
“I’m wallowing,” she admitted. “I’ll never have a hockey experience like the guys have, and for a minute there, I wished I was one of them. Just for a minute, though.”
Charli chuckled. “I don’t have any dreams that include hockey or anything athletic, but I do envy the bond they have. I have girlfriends, and now I have Miikka, which is truly all I need, but the kinship he has with his teammates is fascinating. You don’t have anything like that with the women you play with?”
Cassie shook her head. “Not really. I’m close to Deirdre and a few of the others, but not like the guys on the Blizzard. We have a different vibe on our team. This is like high school, almost, you know? Community college, barely any competition, and most of the girls are just there for exercise and maybe something to put on a résumé. It’s not like the pros. And I mean, I knew that going in, so it’s okay. It just hits me once in a while, how I’ll never enjoy what they have.”
“But you have me,” Charli said, linking her arm through Cassie’s. “And while I’m not a hockey player, I’m definitely a good friend.”
“You are.” Cassie grinned at her. “You’re an amazing friend.”
“And I’ll be at your game Friday night.”
“Like I said, you’re amazing.”
They joined some of the others waiting for the guys to come out.
“When are you going to start playing hockey with us again?” Hailey Hatcher asked her after they’d said hello. Several of the WAGs, along with a handful of mutual friends, played a friendly women’s hockey game at the Blizzard’s arena every Saturday morning. Cassie joined them when she could, but between her own games and dancing at the club until three or four in the morning, it was hard to get to seven or eight o’clock games, and that was usually the only time they could get the ice since the team had first dibs.
“Soon,” Cassie said. “I lost my job at the club, so right now I don’t have much going on and until I find a new job, I have lots of time on Saturdays.”
“Oh, I’m sorry you lost your job,” Hailey said sympathetically. “But it’ll be great to have you out there with us. Sara can’t play anymore, and Dani just came back from maternity leave, but Tara’s gone for good, so we lost most of our high-level players.”
“I’ve missed playing with you guys, so I’ll do my best to get there.”
They chatted for a few minutes until the guys started arriving, and Cassie did her best to act casual. Now that she was about to see him again, it was hard to fight that odd feeling of excitement she always felt when she saw him. He was still her favorite player on the team, and one of the best-looking, no matter how much she tried to tell herself it didn’t matter. He was also funny, generous, and protective, something she liked in a man. Except when it cost her a job.
Logan came in with Ryder and Jude, and his eyes locked with hers the moment he spotted her. Then he changed direction and came over to her. “Hey.”
“Hi.” She didn’t know how to behave because while part of her was still annoyed, another part of her missed his friendship. She didn’t have enough friends to write any of them off for something that had been done with the best intentions, regardless of how it turned out.
“I’ve been trying to call you.”
“I know. I needed some time.”
“I’m really sorry, Cass. I mean, genuinely, truly sorry.”
“It’s okay. It was probably time for me to get out of there, despite the financial bind it puts me in.”
“Let me help with that.”
“You know I can’t take money from you.”
“Just enough to tide you over until you find a new job and get settled.”
She shook her head. “Come on, Logan. You know that’s a no.”
He sighed, his blue eyes fixed on hers. “I wish you’d let me do something.”
“If I ever need a favor, you’ll be the first guy I call.”
“Friends?” He held out his hand.
Cassie chuckled as she shook it. “Friends.”
“Wanna go get something to eat with us?”
“Sure.” She wouldn’t take money from him, but she’d definitely let him buy her a burger.
10
Logan and Cassie stayed at the bar they’d wound up at long after everyone else left. He’d always liked her, but only recently had started getting to know her, and the more he knew, the more he liked. She was smart, funny, and of course, sexy as hell. Not that he was looking. Well, he looked a little—he was only human—but he was far more focused on who she was as a person. A friend.
Luckily, she’d forgiven him, and they could go back to the way they’d been before the strip club debacle. So he was in a great mood when he got home. Unfortunately, he wasn’t prepared for the disaster awaiting him. The living room looked like a bomb had exploded in it. Couch cushions had been completely chewed up, leaving cotton-like filling all over the place. There was a shattered lamp on the floor and the throw from the back of the couch was shredded, too.
The worst thing was his gorgeous—and ridiculously expensive—leather couch. It had been chewed or clawed on one side, and from what he could see, it would probably have to be tossed.
He was still staring at the mess in the living room, trying to decide what to say or do, when Ryder came in through the kitchen, holding Coco on a leash.
“I’ll replace everything,” he said with a sigh. “I’m sorry, man.”
“Jesus, Coco, what’s going on with you?” Logan asked, kneeling down in front of the dog. She nudged him with her nose, almost as if trying to say she was sorry.
“I have to hire a specialty trainer, one-on-one, to break her of this destructive habit. I guess I didn’t latch her crate all the way, and she got out.” Ryder looked upset and Logan shook his head.
“It’s fine, man. You didn’t do it on purpose, and she can’t help it.” He rubbed the dog’s head. “But you need to be a good girl, Coco.”
“I have an idea,” Ryder said, sinking down on the floor and pulling Coco into his lap. “Hear me out before you say no.”
“We are not getting another dog,” Logan said firmly, sinking down beside him and trying to keep a straight face.
“No.” Ryder chuckled. “Definitely not. But I was thinking of getting a roommate. Someone who can live here in exchange for taking care of Coco when I’m traveling, and checking in on her on the days I’m gone from three in the afternoon until midnight.”
Logan’s eyes widened as he looked at his friend. “Cassie.”
Ryder nodded. “She needs money but won’t take currency from us, so how much does it save her to live here rent- and utility-free?”
Logan was staring at him. “I don’t know, man. You think it’s a good idea to have a gorgeous woman live with us?”
Ryder hesitated. “Yes and no. I mean, she’s sexy, but I don’t have a thing for her, so for me, it would be business as usual. I’m not the kind of man who’s going to ogle her if she comes out of her room in a T-shirt with no bra or something. We’d have to set boundaries, of course, but having someone here full-time to help with Coco is a win-win. But again, I don’t have a thing for her.” He met Logan’s gaze directly.
“What? Me?” Logan shook his head. “I don’t have a thing for her! We’re friends.”
“Come on, man, you can bullshit everyone else, but this is me. I see how you look at her. At the club, you were mesmerized, and don’t tell me it’s because she was naked. I like naked women, too, but I didn’t look at her like you did.”
Logan wasn’t sure, but his face felt a little hot, and an uncomfortable feeling shot through him. Did he have a thing for her? No. It wasn’t possible. He didn’t have “things” for anyone beyond the occasional casual date and sex. That was his M.O., and he was firm in his decision to stay single until he was truly ready for something serious.
“She’s different,” he admitted after a moment. “So yeah, I like her a lot, but there’s nothing to it. I am in no way, shape, or form prepared to be in a grown-up relationship, the kind you’d have with someone special, so there’s nothing between us and there isn’t going to be. You can take that to the bank.”
Ryder squinted a little, the look on his face one of disbelief, but then he nodded. “If you think it’s a bad idea, tell me now. Otherwise, I’m calling her tomorrow and asking her to meet us for lunch or dinner, depending on her schedule. Because we can’t keep doing this. It’s my fault for thinking I could take care of a puppy with our work and travel schedule, but I don’t want to give her up. She’s a great dog and deserves more attention than I give her. So it’s either try this thing with Cassie, or I rehome her.”
Logan looked down at the normally sweet dog, who was now half-asleep in Ryder’s lap, and his heart melted a little. It would be horrible to have to rehome her, and though it wasn’t his responsibility, he loved Coco, too.
“All right, let’s do it. I don’t know that she’ll say yes, but we can give it a whirl.”
“She’ll say yes.” Ryder seemed confident. “Leave it to me.”
Cassie had hockey practice in the afternoon, so she couldn’t meet up with them until dinnertime. They were waiting for her at their favorite burger joint, and Logan glanced at his watch. He’d met a woman at the rink after practice today and they were hooking up around ten. Hopefully, he’d buy her a few drinks and then get lucky, because he desperately had to get his head out of Cassie’s pants and into anyone else’s. If Cassie agreed to move in with them, he had to put her so far into the friend zone, she would never find her way out.
“Hey!” She came in looking windblown and harried but was smiling as she sank onto the chair across from them.
“Hey. Hungry?” Ryder handed her a menu.
One brow arched up slightly as she eyed him, but she pushed the menu away. “I already know what I want. A big-ass barbeque burger.”
“Ditto.” Logan grinned at her.
They ordered, and then Cassie leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “Okay, so what’s up? What was with all the secrecy when you asked me to meet you?”
Ryder and Logan glanced at each other and then back at her. “We had a thought,” Ryder said quietly.
“And it might be really good for all of us,” Logan added.
She frowned. “Okay.”
“I’m having a really hard time with Coco,” Ryder said. “And if I don’t come up with a solution, I’m going to have to rehome her because it’s not fair to either of us. She can’t be alone all the time, and I can’t be with her. Boarding her for two weeks at a time, every month, isn’t fair, either.” He paused. “What if you moved in with us in exchange for taking care of her?”
Cassie’s brows knit together in confusion. “You want me to…move in?”
“We have four bedrooms, and two of them are empty. You could have the one with the attached bath so you’d have plenty of privacy. We’re on the road a lot, so half the time you’d have the house to yourself. We don’t want any money for rent or utilities; you’d just need to be in charge of Coco when I’m on the road.”
“But—” she began.
“Wait.” Logan cut her off. “Before you protest, let us lay it out.”
“When I’m home, I might need a little help letting her out on game days, but beyond that, she’s my responsibility. I’m also starting her with a behavior specialist for one-on-one training because she’s still pretty wild and I think it’s my fault for not being around enough.”
“Your only expense at the house would be food,” Logan said. “And honestly, we’d be happy to cover that too for the most part. We buy in bulk anyway, since we’re always strapped for time.”
“Okay, wait. This is kind of a lot to take in.” Cassie looked from one to the other.
“I know it sounds crazy,” Ryder said quietly. “But the offer is legit. I desperately need help with Coco, and we both feel bad that we played a part in getting you fired. It costs us nothing for you to live with us beyond some extra utilities, but I’d pay way more than that for full-time boarding, and it’ll help you pay for school.”
“I…” Cassie looked shell-shocked. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“Say yes,” Logan said, nodding. “It’ll be great, and truly, with our schedules, we’ll hardly see each other.”
“But I still have to work,” she said slowly. “So between waiting tables and classes, I won’t be home with Coco all that much.”
“A lot more than me,” Ryder said. “What time do your classes end?”
“Right now, I’m done by two every day. But I have practice from three to five.”
“You said your hockey season was almost done, though, right?”
“Yeah. We only have another few weeks. By early March, we’re done.”
“So when we’re out of town, you can swing by the house and let her out, play with her a little, and then go do what you have to do. You’d have to take her out and play with her some more when you get home, but if you’re working at a regular restaurant, you probably wouldn’t be that late. And when I’m not on the road, it’ll all depend on who gets home first—you or me. Honestly, I think this can work. You need the help, and I’d be pretty bummed if I had to rehome her.”
“I’m not interested in being a maid,” she said slowly. “I’m not going to be the platonic housewife.”
“Absolutely not,” Logan said. “We have a cleaning service that comes once a week, and if you’ll pick up and drop off dry cleaning when we’re busy, I’ll pay for yours, too.”
She laughed. “You guys have way too much disposable income.”
“Yeah, kinda.” Logan gave her a lopsided smile. “Please say yes? If you don’t, Ryder might cry.”
“I might.” Ryder stuck out his lower lip, which was oddly comical on a big, muscular hockey player. “I really don’t want to give up Coco. If you won’t do it for yourself, would you do it for her?”
“You guys drive a hard bargain,” she murmured, toying with her beer. “What happens if it doesn’t work out?”
“We’ll pay a deposit on a new place for you,” Ryder said automatically.
“I have some furniture and stuff…” She chewed her lip. “I guess I could sell it because most of it is old, secondhand pieces.”
“Whatever you want to do. There’s a bed in the guest room, but you can bring your own if you’d rather.”
“Nah. Mine is an old double that’s super unc
omfortable. Whatever you have is probably better.”
“Then you’ll do it?” Ryder’s eyes twinkled.
“I have to talk to my roommate and make sure she can find someone else to move in, because I can’t leave her in a lurch.”
“We’ll pay your half of the rent for a couple of months until she finds someone,” Ryder said.
“You really are desperate, huh?”
“Coco’s my baby,” he said quietly. “All kidding aside, I love her to death. I should never have gotten a puppy at this stage in my life, but she’s going to be a great dog with a little work. You’d be doing both of us a favor.”
Cassie sighed and looked from one to the other. “A few ground rules.”
“Name them.”
“I don’t care what you do in your personal lives, but no sex in public spaces, like the living room or kitchen counter or anything. I have no desire to watch you guys getting it on.”
“We don’t bring women to the house,” Logan said. “No way do we want them to know where we live. Hookups are at hotels or their place.”
“Everyone wears clothes in the house.” She eyed Logan. “I know firsthand how you love to run around naked and that can’t be a thing if I’m living there.”
“No.” Logan shook his head. “Promise. Clothes on. Well, at least shorts or pants. I tend to walk around without a shirt, but that’s not a deal-breaker, is it?”
Cassie looked like she was going to protest, but she shook her head and smiled. “Nah, shirtless is fine.”
“So is it a deal?” Ryder asked, practically bouncing with excitement.
“You guys have to help me move.”
“Done.”
“I have some pots and pans I’d like to bring.”
