Ice Hard

by Tracy Goodwin

  “I thought you weren’t interested in the game.” Sally mocks me in a singsong voice.

  Standing in front of the TV, I watch Nick. He looks good. He’s fit, uninjured, and has been playing well. The entire team has. I’m happy for him and rooting for him.

  Another camera zooms in as the sportscaster asks, “Who’s got George’s attention?”

  It’s clear from the new camera angle that Nick is glaring at Pete. “We’ve got a rivalry between George of the Nighthawks and Harper of the Storm.” His glee at the prospect sends ice rushing through my veins.

  “Shit!”

  “You’re repeating yourself.” Sally has me dead to rights.

  I didn’t want them to be at odds over me again. “Sally, this is the last thing I wanted. When I saw Nick in Manhattan, I wanted him to get through the playoffs—through this match up without me to be used against him.”

  “Saving him again? Because that worked so well the first time.” My cousin mocks me again, and I deserve every ounce of criticism. She’s right.

  “Don’t lose your cool Nick. Don’t do it.” Please keep it in check. The camera zooms to Pete, who is trash-talking.

  Nick laughs, skating around Pete. “When I win, it’s going to be for her. Remember that.” He holds his stick out and skates back to the rest of his team who are lining up.

  “Look who’s here. Hey!” Sally snaps her fingers like she’s conjured something—scratch that, someone.

  “Beth.” How many times can I curse in the course of ten minutes? “Now isn’t a good time.”

  I return my attention to the TV, but my sister fails to take the hint. “I came to apologize for…well…”

  “Being a bitch?” I prompt her. For God’s sake, she can’t even apologize correctly and she’s tried. Several times, but she never nails it. Nope, she never means it.

  “Yeah.” She shrugs. “Being a bitch.”

  “It happened forever ago, Beth. Seriously, grow up. Take responsibility for your actions and act like an adult.”

  She plops on my sofa with an audible sigh. “I hear you’ve been making a lot of decisions lately. How are those adult decisions working out for you?”

  Though I want to tell her to bite me, I resist the urge and settle for “Don’t your kids need you?” A time-out’s been called and the game cuts to a commercial. I grab the remote and shut the TV off.

  “No!” Beth and Sally shout in unison.

  “I’m not watching Nick and Pete get into a death match or Nick blow his chance at a third cup just because Pete’s an asshole who knows how to get under his skin.”

  Beth clears her throat. “I really am sorry, Cami. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I was lashing out at you instead of Dad.”

  “You shouldn’t be lashing out at anyone, Beth. Dad deserves to be happy. Was it a shock? Yes. But we’re all adults.”

  “Thank you, honey. We appreciate your support.” My dad waltzes into my condo with Stella, who kisses me on the cheek.

  What the hell is this? Open house? “Dad, Stella. I didn’t expect to see you.” It dawns on me. “Oh. I get it. You made Beth apologize to me. Even though it was still half-assed.”

  “Nope,” Sally interjects, her tone dripping with her unique blend of sarcasm. “The half-assed part was entirely on Beth.”

  My sister rolls her eyes. “Gee, thanks.”

  I scan my living room. It’s neat and tidy, unlike my emotions which are in utter turmoil. My eyes rest on the blank TV screen. “You sold Nick the restaurant. Why, Dad?” Damn, I want to fast-forward to the end of the game. Why must it be live? I rethink turning off my television.

  “Because he made an offer, and he loves you. Why are you so distracted, Camille?” My dad looks concerned.

  Running my hands through my hair, I lie. “I’ve got a lot to do, Dad.”

  “Are you sure that’s it? Or could it be that you’re questioning your decision to make Nick wait so long?” His question grabs my attention, and I turn in time to catch my dad staring at me. His jaw is clenched, and there are bags under his eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, wondering about his health.

  He sits, patting the sofa beside him as Beth walks to the other side of the room. “Sit and speak with me. Please. I’m worried about you.”

  Never before has my dad been so concerned for me. Not through my miscarriage or my surgery. He’s always been stoic. “You’re worried about me?”

  “I have been for a long time. That’s why I wouldn’t sell you the restaurant. Because I wanted you to find happiness and didn’t think you could do that here.” He folds his hands on his lap.

  “Why not here? It’s my home. It’s—”

  “Where you take care of everyone else.” His admission catches me off guard. So does the guilt that he wears, his shoulders slumped, and his eyes sullen. “I think some call it tough love. Except you did nothing wrong. I was trying to protect you and I did many things wrong. I made you believe you’re not good enough in my eyes, when I think you’re perfect.”

  His confession causes me to sway, and I join him on my sofa. “Where is this coming from?”

  “You’re doing the same thing to Nick. Still trying to protect him.” Though my dad is speaking, this is entirely my stepmom’s doing. She’s helped my dad get in touch with his emotions.

  She’s helped me, too. “I know. I made another mistake. I realized it before you arrived.” Yep, I make mistakes.

  Sally turns on the TV where excited fans are cheering the Nighthawks’ victory. They’ve shut out the San Diego Storm and are on their way to the Stanley Cup finals. The defeated players are congratulating the victorious Nighthawks players on the ice.

  After grabbing the remote, Beth pumps up the volume.

  “You heard it here live—former Nighthawks player Mighty Mike Gallagher just apologized to Nighthawks Captain Christian Chase after being traded by the Nighthawks. Had Gallagher stayed with them, he’d be in the Stanley Cup finals.” The sportscaster is smooth, glossing over the controversy surrounding Mike Gallagher’s interaction with the press and gossip sites.

  They transition to a reporter beside the rink, interviewing Nick. A man and a woman stand next to the reporter. The man is hugging Nick as the reporter interrupts them. “Nick, how do you feel about your win tonight?”

  Nick’s helmet is off, and his hair is six shades of messy, yet he’s still the sexiest man alive. His smile is off the charts and could probably light the entire arena. “I’m thrilled for the Nighthawks. This is our first season as an expansion team and we’re in the Stanley Cup finals. The team is like family. I’m so proud of everyone in the organization, especially my teammates, but I couldn’t have done it without these two standing beside you—my mom and dad.”

  Nick’s dad…they reconciled?

  “My mom started me on my hockey journey and my dad supported me ever since he and my mom met. He’s my stepdad, but so much more in my heart.” Nick looks directly into the camera and it’s as if he’s talking directly to me. “Family—true family, doesn’t always come with blood ties. Families, at least mine, are made with love. It’s not a sacrifice if you love someone, and I do. Now’s the time. Thanks for the interview.”

  The reporter looks a little stunned, but quickly recovers in time to pass it back to the sportscaster duo as Sally mutes the TV.

  My breath hitches in my throat. “He was talking to me.”

  The room is thick with silence, with the exception of my ears, which are ringing. Holy shit. Nick was publicly sending me a message—declaring his love for me in a way only I would recognize. “He just sent a me a message through network television.”

  Sally laughs. “That’s what happens when you take time to find yourself or whatever the hell you’ve been doing.”

  “What’s next, Cami?” my dad asks.
r />   Nick sang Neil Diamond and spoke to me on national TV. “Something. I’m not sure what yet, but this calls for something epic.”

  Something epic it is.

  I’m out of time.

  Chapter 24

  Camille

  I arrive at Nick’s place just after sunrise, after an impromptu trip to three Walmart Supercenters for the right items and buying batteries by the dozen. I didn’t have to go old-school for this. I wanted to. I wanted to give Nick epic, and that’s what he’s getting.

  Thankfully, I remember the code to his community and park in front of his house. Making sure the CD is in place, I carry the boombox to his bedroom window. Technically, his bedroom is on the second story and I’m on the ground, but I’m not a superhero able to climb tall buildings and it’s the thought that counts.

  After pressing play, I skip to the song on the CD that I need. Neil Diamond’s “Home Again.” The lyrics fit how I feel about him, though I feel so much more for him. I love this man and pushed him away, and he stood by me even while keeping his distance. He never gave up on me, or on us.

  The music starts playing and I hold the boombox above my head, singing at the top of my lungs. Nick doesn’t come to the window. I keep singing, but still no Nick. I’m about to give up and ring the doorbell when I hear his voice to my right.

  “New taste in music?” He’s walking from his back patio with a grin on his face.

  “Yeah. I was wrong. About a lot.” I shout above the music as Nick gets closer, eliminating the distance between us with each step until he lifts the boombox and sets it on the grass.

  “Damn right you were.” That cocky grin builds, his eyes holding mine, refusing to release me as he traces my lips with his thumb. “I’m glad you came to your senses.”

  I’m drawn to him, pulled deeper by his azure eyes and the fragile lines that surround them. Brimming with love, devotion, and an undying belief in me. “I love you and I’m sorry.”

  Threading his fingers through my long waves, he tugs me toward him. Just when I think he’s going to kiss me, he nips my neck. “Welcome home.”

  Two words, small yet significant. Breaking down every barrier I’ve created over the years with the force of a meteor. I cup his beard in my hands, the pricking sensation sending me into a spin. Nick is home. He’s my home. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get here.”

  “You made it. That’s what counts. Besides, the view was worth it.” His teeth nibble my earlobe and my body hums for him, that feeling I will never tire of.

  I suck in a breath. “Sunrise?”

  Trailing kisses across my cheek, his lips hover at mine. “No. You. That’s the only view that counts.”

  He claims my mouth with his, and I kiss him with the all the love and devotion I’ve been concealing. When he strokes my tongue with his, that’s when I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that he is my home, my shore, my forever.

  “Come inside,” he whispers.

  “Your parents.” I’ve been so caught up with Nick. “What will they think of me?”

  “That you’re perfect. You’ll meet them later.”

  My eyes search his. “They aren’t here?”

  “Camille, what part of ‘I’ve been waiting for you’ did you miss?” His baritone is decadent, like the gentle yet possessive way his hands claim my flesh beneath my shirt. “We’ve got a few hours, and I’m going to use them wisely. How about you?”

  “I’m yours.”

  We walk to his back door as Nick mutters, “Prove it.” And I do.

  Stripping naked in his living room, as he watches with a hunger like no other. His cerulean gaze brands me as his, as does his every touch. His passion is met with mine, each building into something more. With every lick, every kiss, every squeeze, and every thrust. Just when we’re close to the heights of euphoria, he whispers, “Are you home for good?”

  “Now and always.” It’s my breathless vow, and it’s all Nick needs before we reach that climax together.

  “Only you, Camille.” Nick sucks my lower lip.

  As I tighten even harder around his shaft, I manage, “Only you.”

  Our hallowed vows to each other. Our promise of a future. And what a future it will be.

  Chapter 25

  Nick

  “Here we are. Back where it all began—”

  “Don’t go there,” Chris warns, albeit jokingly.

  Thor joins our small group at the bar. “I’m with Nick on this. A hell of a lot began here at the End Zone…Chris met Serena, Nick met Cami—”

  “Lucky got shot down by that beautiful woman.” The Vampire laughs. “Hey, Lucky, have you learned any new pickup lines?”

  “That’s not fair.” Lucky gulps a swig of his beer, leaving a foam moustache behind. The kid drinks beer from a glass.

  The Demon pats Lucky on the shoulder. “You’ll learn, Luckster. Besides, you’ve won your first Stanley now. You’re a catch.”

  “If you don’t use any more pickup lines from Google.” The Vamp must have the last word.

  Ever the calming influence, the Mountain raises his bottle of beer. “To the Nighthawks. For winning the Stanley Cup in our first season!”

  We all raise our drink of choice and toast our victory. This is a private party for the team and coaches, one of many to be held in the upcoming weeks. This is one of our more intimate gatherings. It’s the one I like best. Friends and family.

  Chris claps me on the shoulder. “Do you realize that not only did you win the girl, but you won the cup—”

  “We won the cup,” I say, correcting Chris and taking a swig of bourbon. “Also, technically, we both won the women of our dreams.”

  “But only you are the proud owner of a new restaurant.” Chris smiles, looking at his pregnant wife sitting a table with the Mountain’s wife. “It’s safe to say that we accomplished a lot more than we intended.”

  How true. In a little less than a year, Chris is married with a baby on the way. And I got so much more than I ever wanted and even more than I ever thought I deserved with Camille. Never, when I moved to New York, did I think my life would change so drastically, but it did.

  “Guys, I have a confession.” Thor leans against the bar. “I enjoyed beating the Storm way too much. And Mike’s apology was—”

  “Bullshit.” The Vampire coughs.

  “I was going to say that his apology was fulfilling, but I enjoyed kicking Mighty Mouse’s ass even more.” Thor turns to the Vamp. “You say bullshit, I say awesome.”

  Chris walks to Serena, and soon our little crowd has gone our separate ways. I stand beside Thor.

  “Did you take my advice? Did you call her?” Her being his lost love, the one that got away. We discussed it on the way to my house, when Cami was waiting with that “Slave 4 U” song blaring. And after she went upstairs, I encouraged Thor to go for it.

  Based upon his frown, it didn’t go well.

  “How bad?” I ask.

  “She’s moved on.” Theo—he’s now Theo, the Thor persona gone—taps the bar. “I blew it, man. There’s no coming back from it.”

  I pat Theo on the back. “Never say never. Anything is possible.”

  Sunlight streams into the bar as Cami enters through the heavy door, and all heads turn. My teammates and friends greet her with hugs and smiles. It’s nice to see that they’ve embraced her. I think about my bachelor-party toast. This is the better-than-the-Stanley-Cup kind of happiness. It far surpasses the happily-ever-after sort of happiness. Always and forever…that’s us. Me and Camille.

  “Don’t give up.” My voice is firm, showing my support of my friend. “The impossible is possible. We defied the odds and won a Stanley Cup in our first season.”

  “Yeah, but that’s a team thing—”

  “It’s personal, too. Camille’s proven that tim
e and time again. Beginning with how quickly our relationship, our love, took hold, defying the odds. And let’s not forget the fact that Camille had been refusing ever to date hockey players before we met. But she did take a chance on me. The impossible is possible.”

  “Happily-ever-afters are real,” Camille assures us, splaying her hands around my waist.

  I smile. “This coming from a cynic. The impossible is possible.”

  Thor smiles. “It’s nice to see you both so happy.”

  “You will be, too. Follow your heart, Theo.” This advice is coming from me. I have come a long way since moving to New York, that’s for damned sure.

  My friend gives Camille and me some time alone, and she leans into me, snuggling against my neck. “Follow your heart….That’s some great advice. I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to believe.”

  Kissing her palm, I can’t help but smile. “The journey got us here. And I wouldn’t change one thing about it.”

  It’s true, I wouldn’t. I caress Camille’s jawline, seeing so many possibilities for our future. In each and every one, Camille and I are happy. I refuse to think otherwise. After all, I am Nicholas Alexander George—a glass-half-full man who’s found that something meaningful I was searching for.

  She looks up at me, her tawny eyes bright and brimming with hope.

  “We will be happy, you know.” I wink at her.

  “I know.” Camille’s smile is gentle, is filled with love and the promise of a future filled with surprises. “Now shut up and kiss me.”

  I am and always will be eternally grateful for this moment, and every moment Camille and I share. We’re a family. All because of a bachelor party and the Scorcher app.

  The impossible is truly possible.