Shootout (Northbrook Hockey Elite Book 6)

by Sophia Summers

  “This ought to be good. Die Hard or Terminator…”

  She laughed. “Pride and Prejudice it is.”

  “As you wish.”

  “Oooh, or Princess Bride.”

  “Yes! I’ll find it.”

  She smiled to herself. Perfect. Now to see what she thought of this hockey player. Was he like the others? Did she want to go down this road? Ice girl dates hockey player? Something about that didn’t sit well, but then, everything she’d seen about Trane seemed different than her normal understanding of hockey players.

  Either way, she just couldn’t settle down in Detroit. As long as she understood that, an evening with Trane seemed like a great idea.

  Chapter 5

  Trane waited on the couch, the opening music of The Princess Bride playing. Was he going to explore this direction? Something about Janae intrigued him. And honestly, he couldn’t bear going home alone to his thoughts and the darkness of his father’s sudden appearance. The man should not have this much control over his happiness. His therapist would tell him he’d never resolved things. But how could he? Plus, he hadn’t wanted to resolve anything. He preferred never thinking about or seeing his father ever again.

  But then he’d gone and shown up. And now…what? Was he forced to resolve things? He snorted. His therapist would be so happy. Coach Fenwick might be happy too. He should talk to him. He’d see him tomorrow in Chicago when he went to play the Flyers and worked with the Northbrook team again.

  Until then, he had the night to get through and a beautiful woman to help ease the concern. Hmm. A date with an ice girl. Something he’d always talked the guys out of. They saw the girls all the time. It just wouldn’t lead anywhere good.

  He looked in the direction of the kitchen, listening to the sounds of Janae getting his tea. Unless…it went somewhere more permanent. But he couldn’t do permanent. Not with any woman. Was Janae someone that might be more permanent? He had no way of knowing, but he was grateful for tonight.

  Janae walked in with two mugs. “Here you go. Push play or we’ll be here all night.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” He pointed the remote at the TV, took the tea from her, and placed it on the side table to cool. Tea. Janae was different in so many ways. Did she even know how different? Probably not.

  He looked around. Her bookshelf was full of books. Classics from the looks of them. Jane Austen, Charles Dickens. Others he’d never heard of but were probably classics too. He didn’t read much when he was younger. Or now. He’d made a New Year’s resolution to read more books.

  Then Janae came in with some popcorn in a bowl and a blanket. He rested his arm on the back of the couch, and, just like he hoped, she came to sit right beside him.

  “This is nice. Thank you.” Trane leaned back.

  “Mmm.” She sat close enough that the air charged between them.

  And for the first part of the movie, they didn’t say much. But then she shifted. He looked down, her upturned face close and looking up into his. Her eyes were wide, deep, and blue. Her cheeks were pink. And now he wanted to know all about her.

  “Tell me about where you came from, before here,” he said.

  “I was in New York.”

  “And you danced there?”

  “Yes. Dance company on Broadway. It was my dream.”

  He nodded. “That’s great.”

  “Yeah.” She shrugged. “Sometimes we get our dreams, and then sometimes we realize they are only temporary.” She looked away. “And then we come to Detroit.”

  He smiled. “And sometimes we’re happy you did?”

  “I think I will be too. It’s a resume builder. Maybe I can work my way into something bigger again?” She shrugged. “But that’s just me. Tell me about you. You’re really living your dream?”

  He looked away.

  “Have you always wanted to play hockey?”

  “It’s all I’ve ever known. It was my home, my family growing up, and now…” When his eyes connected with hers again, he wanted to tell her everything. It was like a great dam had opened inside, and the way she made him feel safe and…better about things, made him want to tell her everything. But he stopped himself. He bit his tongue to keep from vomiting out all his worst emotional baggage.

  Her eyes lit with understanding. “So you haven’t given it much thought.”

  “What?”

  “You know, about whether or not it’s your dream. You just kept going, and you were really good at it.”

  He grinned, hearing her say he was good at being the goalie did things to him. “Maybe.”

  “Is there anything else you’d rather be doing?”

  “How would I even know? This is a pretty good gig though, right?”

  “Yeah. It really is.”

  They watched more of the movie, and Trane let his hand drop and rest on her shoulder. Her skin was so soft. He scooted down so that her head could rest on his shoulder if she wanted. After a few minutes, she did rest it there. And he sat very still so she would be comfortable. Then he dipped his head and rested his cheek on top of hers, but not for long, just enough to say, I like this. She linked her fingers with his.

  And Trane thought this whole evening the nicest he’d spent in a long time. Was this why all the guys in the Pit were settling down with women? He could get used to this. She brought such a calming balm.

  Perhaps one day he could try to make something work. Perhaps his father’s curse had not spread to him. It had been years since he’d lost his temper, years since he’d wanted to slam a hockey player against the glass. And that was just part of the game. He couldn’t imagine hurting someone off the rink, not for any reason.

  Except his father. He tried to tamp the thought down before it spread, but his body tensed, and of course Janae seemed to notice. “You all right?”

  When he didn’t answer, she sat up. “Is this too much? I can sit over there?”

  “No.” He waved his hand. “I like you right here. Hey, I’m sorry. I’ve just had some disturbing news today. I saw something that really triggered me, you know?”

  “Yeah, you said.” She ran a finger down the back of his hand that still held her other. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  He looked away, trying to measure his breathing. Then he made a decision. He did want to talk about it. And for some reason, this poor unsuspecting ice lady was going to bear the brunt of some of his mess of a life. But he couldn’t stop the tide of words begging to leave his mouth.

  “My dad was not what you’d call a good guy.”

  She nodded. “Oh yeah, I get this kind of stuff. My mom. She was quite a piece.”

  “I was basically saved by my coach, my coach from my high school elite hockey days. He talked me through a lot of dark times back then.”

  “I’m so glad you had him.”

  “He’s as much my family as anyone I know. He and the Northbrook guys.”

  “When I started playing pro, I left my dad’s house, and I haven’t talked to him or seen him since.”

  Janae paused the movie.

  “He was at the game today.”

  “Did you see him?” Janae asked.

  “I heard him. He had this one whistle he’d do when he came home.”

  Janae gasped.

  “He was sitting behind me at the game.”

  “Your missed goal?”

  “Yep. He whistled right before. I could hardly think straight. I would have missed all the pucks shot at me if the defenders had let any slip by.”

  She breathed out slowly. “Wow. That’s just…he hasn’t reached out or anything at all? That was it?”

  He nodded. “It happened once before. I know I’m an adult, and he has no power in my life anymore…but it shook me.”

  Janae snuggled back into him. “Wow. That’s…I keep saying wow, but…what kind of person does that?”

  Trane appreciated that Janae didn’t try to be his therapist. She just sat close. And it was nice.

  “I don’t know if I s
hould track him down and confront him, or just ignore him again.”

  “He came the one time before?”

  “Yes.”

  “And he doesn’t wait to talk to you after the game?” Her small frown warmed him in ways he wasn’t expecting. It was nice to have someone else care.

  “Not that I’ve seen, but I’ve also been hoping not to see him.”

  “Do you think if you talked to him, asked him what he wanted, that his surprise appearances would have less of an effect on you?”

  He considered her idea. “Maybe. But I’m not sure that it would be worth it.” He didn’t dare say what he feared. That he would hit his father. Hit him like he’d been hit. He was afraid that the carefully controlled manner that he had worked all these years to cultivate, would be lost, and all his past hurt would surface as anger.

  Even if his father deserved such a response, Trane didn’t want to be the one to give it to him, at the risk of his own well-being.

  She didn’t respond.

  Did she guess his inner time bomb? Was she worried to be with him?

  Then she sighed, the tiniest puff of air on his arm. “I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry you have to deal with this.”

  “Me, too.” Suddenly feeling silly for sharing something so personal with a complete stranger, he sat forward. “Well. I fly out tomorrow.”

  “Oh right.” She stood up. “You ready to get going then?”

  “Yeah, I should.”

  They walked to the door. Trane wasn’t sure how to say goodbye to her. He never shared anything with anyone. And he wasn’t sure why he’d said all that to Janae. And once someone bore their soul, what did they say afterward? He turned, bracing himself for the awkward moment when Janae refused to meet his eyes. But instead of a woman trying to rush him out the door, he saw bright, caring eyes and a warmth that disarmed him in every way.

  She stepped nearer. “Thanks for coming up.”

  He nodded. “Thanks for having me.” He reached out, pulled her sweater up onto her shoulder and tucked a hair behind her ear. He studied her face, the tip of her nose, and the little chin below a full mouth. “Tonight’s been dramatic enough. I never talk like that. Ever. So I won’t go into a long monologue about how much it meant to me. I’ll just step out, close the door, and I won’t even complain if you ignore my calls for a while.”

  She laughed and tugged on his shirt, pulling him close.

  Before he even knew what was happening, they were hugging and rocking in place like old friends. And again, his worries left him, replaced by a hopeful beating of his heart. She smelled of mint, and her softness beneath his hands made him want to hold her forever, but he stepped away after a respectable time. “Can I see you again?” The words left without his permission, but he didn’t want to take them back. He held his breath.

  But her face didn’t show the slightest hesitation when she said, “Yes, I’d like that.”

  “Great. I’ll see you when I get back.”

  Chapter 6

  Janae showed up for practice the next day and was all smiles from her evening with Trane. The arena had a welcoming feel to it. The painted cement walls of the players’ and girls’ hallways looked cleaner and the lighting brighter. Today was going to be productive. Her steps picked up and she adjusted the duffle on her shoulder.

  After working with the ice girls once, she knew they had some serious potential. Her mind had been spinning about where she could take them, the things they could accomplish together.

  For starters, she wanted to get the ice girls through the dance. She wanted it performance worthy for the next home game. They had to perform something. Todd had them on the schedule. They’d perform even a partial number if they had to, but she wanted them to be able to dance at least the complete song. And that was within reach. She headed to their team room.

  But when she walked through the door, the girls were already there, and they all went silent.

  “What?”

  Every face looked away except Tiff.

  Janae stared her down. “What?”

  “Lily saw you leave with Diesel.”

  “Who?”

  “Trane Jones.”

  “Oh, yeah, he and Declan Rivera. We had dinner.”

  Lily crossed her arms. “And how’d you pull that off?” Her lips were thick and pouty, her nose wrinkled, and her forehead creased. It was an interesting picture, an adult woman with a middle school stance.

  Janae looked around the room. “What are you talking about? He asked, and I said yes. Seems like a good guy. Declan was great too, by the way.”

  “We hear Declan is taken, and our Trane didn’t used to be.” Lily eyed her, one eyebrow raising.

  “Is that what this is about? Some of you had your sights set on Trane?” Everyone watched Janae with a mixture of expressions, but most were mildly hostile.

  “All of us. But he let us know he’s off-limits. He’s the one who discourages dating between players and ice girls.” Her expression was definitely accusatory.

  “Ah.” Janae’s nod was long and slow. “So…” Janae hated situations like this with territorial women claiming men as theirs. She hated the catty reactions—all of it.

  “So, we’re just wondering what’s up?” Lily spread her hands out as if she spoke for the team. Janae wondered just how much she did. She doubted everyone was as emotionally invested in this conversation as Lily, but she could be wrong.

  Janae shrugged. “Nothing really. We had dinner, talked, and went home. I think we’re friends.” She wanted to diffuse whatever this conversation was meant to be so that they could hurry and get to some practicing.

  But in all honesty, Janae didn’t really know what was up between her and Trane. They had a connection…a trust. That was the best way to explain things, she guessed. And she couldn’t let it get much further. So this problem with Lily seemed like a waste of valuable time.

  Janae searched their faces. Most seemed partially satisfied with her answer. “Well, it doesn’t matter for now,” Janae said. “We have work to do today. I want this routine finished by the next home game. Do you think we can do it?” Her gaze traveled over the room. Fear, excitement, rising to a challenge, and rebellion all stared back. “We can do this.”

  A deep voice said, “It’s not really a question of if. I’ve got you on the program, ready or not.” The owner, Todd, stood behind Janae. And the girls nodded and looked away. Then he backed up to the doorway and waved them all out. “Let’s hit the ice, girls. We have a routine to learn!”

  The girls all filed out, and Janae paused in front of Todd. “Thank you.” She whispered.

  “No problem.” He winked. “Just give me an amazing show.”

  “No pressure.”

  She exited out onto the ice. The girls stood in formation. She waved, and the warm up music started. “Follow my lead.” She reached her hands up to the ceiling and breathed. And thought of Trane.

  His face in her mind during warm up shocked her as much as made her smile. He wouldn’t be back for another week at least, and she was already looking forward to watching him skate out onto the ice.

  Someone shouted. “Let’s turn that off.”

  Her warm up music stopped.

  A new woman stood at the side of the ice when they went out to the middle. “Who’s that?”

  Tiff skated at her side. “That’s our trainer. Get ready to be wrecked.”

  Janae still didn’t understand their schedule. Tiff was right. She should read her email. Janae had thought she’d have full reign with their time today to start working on choreography. Apparently not.

  The woman blew a whistle. “Okay ladies. We’ve been soft on you this past week with recovery drills. But today we’re back at it. Let’s warm up first. Give me twenty down and backs.”

  The girls skated from one end of the rink to the other. Janae liked the feeling, the exertion in her legs. Then the trainer sent them down again, for another twenty.

  Once she’d ba
rely touched the wall for the fortieth time, the trainer shouted, “First four finishes can take a break. The rest of you are still going. Give me twenty more.”

  What was this? Boot camp? They were ice girls, not cross fit trainers. She blew her whistle for them to start, and Janae was shocked at the speed of the women. She finished almost last.

  This pattern repeated until Janae had skated over one hundred laps. There were just a few of them left so the trainer let them rest.

  Janae’s thighs shook as she climbed off the ice to get her water. This was one way to work off her chile rellanos.

  After their break, the woman worked their arms, their hips, and their abs. She didn’t leave any muscle untouched, or at least it seemed that way to Janae. Then when she told the girls to get some water, she turned to look right at Janae for the first time. “Janae Terry?”

  “Yes.”

  She waved her over.

  Their trainer was older. Janae could see evidence of another fifteen years on her face. But kindly. Where Janae had expected to see a harsh demeanor, the woman just looked businesslike. “I turned off your music.”

  Janae nodded. “Yeah. I guess I didn’t know we’d be working out today.”

  “We work out every day.”

  “I know that now.”

  “You planning on dancing with these girls today?”

  “Hoping to. But after that workout, I don’t know if I can even move.” She laughed. But it was a real concern.

  “They’ll be fine. And you’ll get used to it soon enough.”

  “I hope so. It was a great workout.”

  “I know what I’m doing.” She held out her hand. “I’m Mel.”

  “Janae.”

  After they shook hands, Mel side-eyed her. “You trying to get a dance routine out of these girls?”

  “Not just trying. They’re doing great. I’m hoping to get the first run-through finished today.”

  “Good luck.” Mel didn’t seem to think she could do it.

  “They’ll be ready.”

  Mel shouldered her bag and nodded.

  When Janae called them back out to the ice, they had far less energy than she would have liked, far less interest, and honestly, they all looked like they wanted to go home.