by Kat Mizera
“You really are the best,” she said softly, meeting his eyes, wishing he would kiss her.
And as if by magic, he did. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her gently, though he kept it chaste since she’d just finished putting on lipstick. When they pulled apart, his eyes were glued to hers, a look in his she’d never seen before.
“I’d really like to—” he began, just as someone rang the bell.
“That can’t be them,” she cried in a panic, whirling around.
“Relax. It’s probably Cindy. Ryder wanted her to come an hour before your mom so we could get to know her a little first.”
“Oh, thank god.”
“Come on, I’ve got your back, Cass.” He kissed her once more and then took her hand. They were almost down the stairs as Ryder opened the door and Coco came tearing around the corner, barking like a maniac.
“Coco, heel!” Ryder yelled, just as the pretty blonde at the door caught sight of Coco and screamed. Whatever she’d had in her hand went flying, shattering into a million creamy pieces—was that dessert?—all over the foyer. Coco paid no attention to Ryder whatsoever, skidding through the whipped cream and fruity mess in delight, wiping out a side table and Cindy in one fell swoop.
“Coco!” Ryder growled out her name, grabbing for her collar.
“I’ve got her!” Logan sprinted over to help him, trying to control an overly excited Coco who was now all about the whipped cream.
“I’ll get paper towels,” Cassie yelled, running for the kitchen.
She grabbed the whole roll and ran back to the main room. Ryder had helped Cindy up, Coco was barking like an axe murderer had just attacked everyone, and Cindy was crying.
“I’m going to take her into the bathroom and put her in the tub,” Logan said to Ryder. He scooped up the filthy dog, who was wiggling and barking, as Cassie dropped down to collect the bulk of the mess.
“It’s okay, don’t cry,” Ryder was murmuring to Cindy. “I’m sorry she scared you. She’s just a puppy and doesn’t know her strength. Really, she wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
“She’s so big!” Cindy wailed, bursting into tears all over again.
Good grief, this was just what they needed tonight, Cassie thought, irritated. She had enough to worry about and now Cindy was being a drama queen. Ryder had led her into the kitchen or something, and Cassie finished cleaning up as best she could. She went to the garage and got a mop and bucket since the floor was sticky now, and she mopped the foyer before putting everything away and going to find Logan.
He’d just gotten Coco out of the tub and he was a mess, with whipped cream and what she’d found out were cherries, all over him, as well as now soaking wet.
“It’s too cold to leave her wet,” she told him. “I’m going to blow-dry her a little and then we’ll settle her by the fire. Why don’t you go clean up and change?”
He smiled. “Thanks, babe.”
Babe. He’d called her babe. He’d never used a term of endearment outside the bedroom before, and despite the insanity of the last thirty minutes, it warmed her from the inside out.
It was five minutes to six before the four of them gathered in the kitchen and Ryder finally introduced Cindy. She was a little embarrassed, and terrified of Coco, so they’d had to lock her in her crate.
“She’s a beast,” Cindy said, grimacing as she looked at Cassie. “How do you live with that animal?”
“She’s usually very sweet,” Cassie said. “She’s just a big baby, and she’s a lot better than she was.”
“If this is better, I definitely wouldn’t have survived her before. I don’t really like dogs. I have three cats. They’re much calmer.”
Cassie bit back a sarcastic retort because Ryder looked so startled.
Then the doorbell rang and she was glad to excuse herself. She didn’t know what Ryder saw in Cindy, but as far as first impressions went, it hadn’t been great. And now she had to deal with another one.
“Mom, hi!” She smiled at her mother as she opened the front door.
Her mother hugged her tightly and then tugged a ruggedly good-looking guy in by the hand. He handed Cassie a bouquet of flowers before shaking her hand.
“Franklin Montrose,” he said. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. I was beginning to wonder if Maya had invented a daughter.”
Holy shit. Frank was a hunk and a half. Tall, with broad shoulders, short dark hair, and sparkling blue eyes, he didn’t look a day over thirty-five, much less forty-two. He had a great smile, straight teeth, and cheekbones to die for. Who the hell was this guy and how had her mother found him? Not that she was looking—Logan was truly the hottest guy she’d ever known—but Frank wasn’t at all what she’d been expecting, and certainly nothing like other men her mom had dated.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” she said. “Please come in.” Cassie led them inside and Logan met them halfway across the room. “Mom, Frank, this is Logan Pelletier, one of my roommates. That’s Ryder Kingston and Cindy. Guys, Maya Reynolds and Franklin Montrose.” She didn’t know Cindy’s last name but her gut told her it didn’t matter; Ryder was never going to get serious with someone who didn’t like Coco.
They made introductions and Cassie ushered them into the dining room. She’d wanted to open a bottle of wine and chat for a while but dinner was ready and she was exhausted after Cindy’s spectacular entrance, so she started bringing out the food.
“What can I do?” Logan asked her.
“Make sure everyone has wine and keep them talking.”
“I’m on it.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Damn, he really had to stop doing that.
22
Leave it to Ryder to fall for a chick who didn’t like dogs. There was a noticeable chill between him and Cindy, but Maya and Frank kept up enough conversation for everyone. Maya was a little loud, but so far, she hadn’t done anything over-the-top or insulting, and Cassie was a lot more relaxed than she’d been earlier. Frank was an interesting guy who told great stories about his career as a firefighter. He was, indeed, a huge fan of the Blizzard and hockey in general, but he was polite about it.
“To be honest, I kind of thought Maya was jerking my chain when she said her daughter lived with two guys from the Blizzard.” He turned a sheepish gaze to her. “Sorry, hon.”
She gave him a flirty little giggle. “Told you.”
“Cass plays hockey too,” Logan said. “Have you ever seen her play?”
Frank shook his head. “No. Maya made it sound like she was done?”
“I am,” Cassie said. “I played for the Tudor College team but I’m graduating in May and the season’s over. But I play on Saturdays with a group of women who are really good, so at least I still have that.”
“We call her Badass Cass,” Ryder said, grinning. “She’s amazing on the ice.”
“I never understood it,” Maya murmured. “Why a young woman would want to play something so rough…but Cassidy’s always had a mind of her own.”
“Seems to me she got that from her mom,” Frank said, sliding his arm along the back of Maya’s chair. She turned to grin at him and Logan thought they were adorable.
He couldn’t quite tell what Cassie thought of them, but at least she was smiling and relaxed, unlike Ryder and Cindy. They were barely speaking, though Ryder was too much of a gentleman to be overt about it.
“So Frank and I officially moved in together,” Maya announced out of nowhere.
“This seems kind of soon, doesn’t it?” Cassie looked from her mother to Frank.
“Well, I live in a big three-bedroom house all by myself, and she was cramped in that studio apartment… Seemed like a waste of money for her to be there and me to be in my house alone.”
“She knows I don’t have a great track record with men,” Maya said quietly. “So she worries about my choices. I thought maybe you could reassure her.”
“We’re crazy about each other,” Frank said to Cassie. �
�I know it’s all happened fast, but you only live once and even though we’ve both been burned before, we’re ready to try again.”
“I’m happy for you,” Cassie said. “Truly. I just don’t want my mom to get hurt again.”
“Not everyone is your dad,” Maya said to her. “That’s something I’ve had to learn, so I hope you’ll learn it sooner.” She cast a pointed look in Logan’s direction and for the first time since he and Cassie slept together, he thought about Cassie’s past.
She’d been divorced twice and worked as a stripper to make enough money to survive and go to school. Her father had left when she was young, and he didn’t think she had much of a relationship with him. She’d been clear that she wasn’t planning to get married again for a long time, and while he’d taken that in stride before, now it was a bit more poignant. There was pain in her past, which was why she was being cautious with her heart and with him, and it made him a little ashamed of how cavalierly he’d treated their arrangement.
He had no truly bad romantic experiences in his life beyond normal teenage stuff. As an adult, he’d never been in love, and played the field without a second thought to what those women might be thinking and feeling. Sure, a good portion of the women he hooked up with were after exactly what he was: a good time and even better sex. But not all of them. In retrospect, there had been more than one whose eyes had followed him as he got dressed afterward, their voices sad as he left them.
Had he broken any of their hearts? He’d never lied to or led any of them on, but as he noted how protective Cassie was of her mother, and vice versa, he realized he had to be a lot more cognizant of how he treated her. He still hadn’t even taken her out on a date, and while he wasn’t sure what was happening between them, his resolve to stay single was slowly melting away.
If he was going to give a relationship a try, it would definitely be with Cassie. But before he could do that, he had to spend more time with her outside the bedroom, be more than a sex partner to her. He wasn’t good at talking about things, but he’d go out of his way to show her he was interested. And maybe that would be enough for both of them to change their minds if it felt right.
“I’m not feeling great,” Cindy said about twenty minutes after they finished eating. “I think I’m going to go home. Thank you for a lovely meal, Cassie. Nice to meet you, Logan. Maya. Frank.” Ryder walked her to the door and he was back a few minutes later.
“That’s the end of that,” he said, heading for the back room where Coco was in her crate.
“What was that about?” Maya asked curiously.
“You’re not afraid of dogs, are you?” Logan asked her.
“Goodness, no.” She looked up as Coco came racing into the room. This time when Ryder called for her to sit, she immediately dropped to her haunches, panting with excitement as she barked at Maya and Frank.
“Well, hello, beautiful.” Frank got down on his knees to pet her and they were immediately friends.
“She’s gorgeous,” Maya said, looking up at Ryder. “Is Cindy afraid of dogs?”
“Apparently, she’s only a cat person.”
“Oh. Well, she’s missing out.”
Logan didn’t even realize he’d put his arm around Cassie’s shoulders until Maya glanced up and smirked, giving her daughter a wink.
Shit. What had he done? He hoped this wouldn’t turn into something her mom wanted to make a big deal out of, but she didn’t say anything and Cassie didn’t seem at all put off by his casual show of affection.
That night in bed, though, he brought it up because he really did want to be more aware of not just his actions, but how they impacted her.
“I didn’t give your mom something to give you shit about, did I?” he asked after they’d had sex.
“I don’t think so.” She was nestled against his chest. “She’s in a happy little haze of love so she probably won’t think about what I’m doing for a while. He seems like a great guy, doesn’t he? I kept trying to find fault with him, but I really liked him.”
“I liked him too. I didn’t see any red flags.”
“I know. And Mom only had two glasses of wine, which is different for her.”
“Maybe she drank because she was unhappy, rather than because she’s an alcoholic.”
“Maybe.” Cassie didn’t sound convinced but he didn’t want to argue the point. Especially not when she was all soft and warm in his arms, snuggled up for the night. She slept with him most nights now, one of many things they needed to talk about, but that felt like asking for trouble, so he was content to let things continue the way they were. They were happy, at least he thought so, and there was no reason to bring up things that could ultimately ruin what they had.
“So, are you going to talk to Coach Azure tomorrow?” he asked. She’d been waffling about the coaching job, but he had her convinced to at least talk to Coach A one more time before changing her mind about it.
“Yeah, I’m meeting him after class.”
“What time do you work tomorrow?” he asked.
“From five until they cut me. I finally have a Friday night dinner shift and if they let me close, I could make some serious bank.”
“I hate that you keep missing all the games.”
“I can come on Sunday.”
“Good. Remind me to get you a ticket.”
“I will.”
“Good night, babe.”
“Good night, Logan. And thanks again for tonight.”
“It was nice meeting them. I had a good time, despite the Cindy debacle.”
She snickered. “That was pretty epic. I don’t know why Coco acts that way sometimes. She was an absolute angel with Mom and Frank.”
“Maybe Coco knew before the rest of us that Cindy wasn’t right for him.”
“You could have a point.”
“But aside from all that, your mom is a trip and Frank seems like a good guy.”
“Until the first fight when she shows up at midnight wanting to sleep on our couch.”
“She’s your mom. If that happens, we’ll deal with it.”
“How come you’re being so patient with her?”
“Because you’re important to me and she’s your mom. Duh.”
Cassie didn’t say anything, but she snuggled deeper into his side, twining her legs with his. It seemed to him she didn’t have words for all these weird feelings either.
23
Cassie felt a wave of nostalgia as she walked into the Tudor College Arena. It wasn’t big like the one where the Blizzard played, or fancy, but it had been her hockey home for the last few years, and she liked being there. She’d been both dreading and looking forward to her talk with Coach Azure today, but Logan had given her a lot to think about of late. He thought she would be a great coach, and while they were sleeping together, this was one of those things where he could have just kept his mouth shut if he didn’t think so. She hadn’t asked, so he’d gone out of his way to tell her what he thought.
“Hey, Cassie.” Coach looked up from his desk. “Come on in.”
“Hey, Coach.”
“So I have fantastic news.”
“Okay.”
“It looks like the coaching job would make you a member of the school administration, and as a state employee, you’ll qualify for the tuition reduction.”
“Oh, wow. That’s amazing.”
“What do you think? Do we start the paperwork?”
She hesitated. “Coach, I have some concerns. Not about the situation, but the job itself.”
“Thinking twice about working for me, eh?” He chuckled at his own joke.
She shook her head. “No, don’t be ridiculous. I’m thinking twice about myself. As a coach. I’ve played since I was a kid, and I love the game, but the truth is, I couldn’t motivate these girls as their captain—how will I do it as their coach?”
He sighed, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Let’s be honest—this is a thankless job. The only reason I do it is because it�
��s a nice financial bonus to my teaching. I couldn’t do this if I wasn’t a professor here. Don’t get me wrong, I love hockey and coaching. I didn’t make it to the pros, but I played through college, and then took on a coaching role at the first college I taught at. Now that I’m a little older, this is a slower pace, less pressure, so it works out well. But the hockey part of it is thankless because these girls mostly have nowhere to go. Probably less than five percent go on to play higher level hockey at four-year universities, and this is nothing but exercise for them.
“Neither of us is going to reach them in the traditional sense. We can help them find a love of the game, hone their skills and get into shape, but they’re not going to be competitive. Not the way it should be. Because there’s no prize, no golden ring at the end of the line. When the season is over, we don’t compete in a Frozen Four championship or travel to big tournaments. We stay right here in our lane, so that’s all it can ever be. The pay is shit, the commitment is pretty brutal, and the only reason we do it is for love of the game. Period.”
Cassie was thoughtful. “So what you’re saying is, the end result doesn’t really matter—in this instance, it’s about the journey.”
“Exactly. For you, it’s going to be about mental and emotional growth while simultaneously being around a sport you love and getting paid for it. There are so few opportunities for women in hockey, especially at the coaching level, so this is your bonus. The other perk, assuming it works out and you’re still having fun, is that I’m going to retire from coaching in the next five years. My job would pass to you. Have you ever considered teaching?”
“You mean, majoring in education or getting an advanced degree and teaching within that major?”
“Either or.”
“I…no. I guess I haven’t. I’ve had a single-minded focus on getting my bachelor’s in business and then potentially getting an MBA once I’ve got a job. Maybe even one where they’ll pay for it.”
