by Toni Aleo
Benji rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
“No, really, that’s Sinclair. Wow, those genes are strong. She’s hot, though. Single?”
Benji cut him a look, nodding his head toward Angie, but Vaughn just shrugged. “I’m whispering,”
“And I can still hear you,” Angie said then, looking up at him. “She’s single, but believe me, you aren’t her type.”
Vaughn was taken aback, but Benji just laughed.
Finally, almost like he had just remembered he had a whistle, Shea blew into it and silence fell over the ice. “Ladies. Wow. First things first—”
“He’s the realest,” Benji and Angie said at the same time under their breath before meeting each other’s gaze. When she grinned up at him, Benji paused, his heart hurting a bit.
He liked her.
A lot.
What a great kid.
“I’m your coach, Shea Adler. You can call me Coach Adler,” Shea said, his voice booming through the rink. “I’m excited to be coaching you girls. Just a little bit about me, in case you don’t know who I am—”
“Everyone knows who he is,” Angie said then, and Benji nodded as Shea went on.
“I played in the NHL for a lotta years. I have four Stanley Cup rings, and I was very successful—”
“Why’d you leave, though? My daddy says you had a least ten more years in ya,” Number Ten said, and a lot of the girls nodded, agreeing that their daddies had said the same.
Shea smiled, glancing over at his daughters. “I wanted to coach my kids, and I have this nagging pain in my shoulder, so it was time.”
“You quit to coach a bunch of kids?” Number Thirty asked.
Shea nodded, his smile not faltering. “I always said I wanted to coach my kids when they wanted to play. Shelli and Posey said they were ready to play, so I retired.”
Wow, that was some love right there. Benji had always been awestruck by Shea Adler. Since day one, the guy leaked awesomeness. He was a leader, and a damn honest man, but the love in his eyes for his daughters was breathtaking. He loved those girls—and his boys. He was just an all-around good man, and Benji respected his choice. Yeah, he wished like hell they hadn’t lost him on the team so early, but Shea loved his kids and his wife, way more than the sport.
Which was a beautiful thing and Benji craved that kind of love.
Man, to be loved and to love someone more than he loved his stick and puck, he almost couldn’t fathom it now. It seemed so foreign to him. Yeah, he’d had that love, for a little bit. But back then, he was so drunk he couldn’t remember what it felt like—to be consumed by such a love. He wanted that again.
But how?
And did he even deserve it?
He wasn’t sure, but as Shea spoke about his years and years in the league, Benji realized Shea did miss playing. Who wouldn’t? It was the greatest sport ever. Benji loved hockey. It was his go-to, his identifier; he’d been playing since he was a baby. It was something he and his dad always did together, every day. Not so much now, since he hadn’t spoken to his mom or dad in almost ten years, but he still had good memories of the long nights in the driveway, playing some stick and puck with his dad. Back when he spoke to his family. Back when they loved and supported him. Back when Silas was alive and begged to be their goalie.
He missed those times.
He missed his family.
Jesus, he thought, shaking his head and swallowing hard around the painful lump in his throat. His memories were flooding him like mad today, which wasn’t unusual—he was lonely—but today was different. He may need to call Richie after practice. Just a quick check-in with his sponsor since he hadn’t done it in the last three days. He was due.
“Thinking again?” Angie whispered up to him and he looked down at her, shrugging.
“Yeah, sorry.”
“He’s calling your name.”
Benji looked up, meeting Shea’s expectant gaze. “That’s Coach Benji, who is off in his own world, and Coach Vaughn. I used to play with them on the Assassins.”
Benji waved awkwardly as Vaughn rolled his eyes, waving too at his name.
“Coach Benji is here in replacement of Coach Jayden, so don’t get too attached to him.”
He heard Angie complain beside him, and he was two seconds from doing the same. He liked this and he hadn’t even really gotten started; he’d need to talk to Shea. He felt right here. Like this was something he needed to do. He hadn’t felt like that in a really long time, and that had to mean something.
After blowing his whistle once more, Shea broke everyone up into groups. Benji got group two, which included Angie. He had three drills he was supposed to run with the six little girls, and as they skated toward the other side of the rink, he thanked his lucky stars because he had all the kids who had played last year. They knew the drills, ran them like champs, well, except Angie.
“It’s okay. You haven’t done them before,” he reassured her as she skated back, upset. He was starting to think he had misread her at the beginning. She might have been nervous instead of determined and focused. Each time, though, she watched the first three go to the blue line and back. He kept trying to reassure her, but more and more, he noticed her anxiety was getting worse. Until finally, when he blew the whistle, she stood there frozen as the other two girls raced around the cone, picking the puck up and going through the many little cones that were set up. So he blew the whistle again, but she didn’t move.
Okay, then.
Lowering down into a squat, Benji met her worried gaze. Well, more like panicked. “Hart?”
“I keep messing up,” she whispered, looking away.
He leaned down to meet her gaze again, seeing the tears gathering in her eyes. “It’s okay. What’s wrong?”
“I’m nervous.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to mess up.”
He smiled. “We all mess up, Angie. It’s how we pick ourselves back up and try harder. Don’t worry. You got this.”
She swallowed hard, looking around as her teammates watched her. She looked to Lucy and he did the same, seeing that Lucy was standing now, her face full of worry. “I think I—”
But he shook his head. “You don’t want to go home. I know you don’t. You want to do this.”
She met his gaze once more, a little more determination in her eyes. “I do.”
“Then, go. Come on, we’ll do it together.”
“Together?”
“Yup, I bet you can’t beat me,” he said, standing and putting his stick down, ready to go.
Her lips curved as her eyes filled with excitement. “Yes, I can!”
His grin matched hers as he brought the whistle to his lips. “Let’s go.”
As he blew the whistle, she shot off, and he was behind her, running around the cones and sliding the puck around the little cones that were there for stick handling. Like he knew she would, she flew through the course, almost at the rate he did—he was maybe a few seconds in front of her. But when he finished, he faked a leg cramp and hit the ice, sliding to the finish as the little girls laughed and Angie rushed back, finishing with ease.
Turning, she pinned him with a look as he slowly got up, favoring his “cramped” leg. “My leg cramped. That’s why you beat me.”
“Sure,” she said, her eyes bright with no anxiety to be seen. As he held his glove out, she tapped it and then nodded. “Thanks, Benji.”
He tipped his chin to her and then blew the whistle once more, the next group going as Angie went to the back of the line. They were having a blast by the seventh time they did it, and Benji was convinced he had the best group of girls. As he watched the girls round the cones, his eyes diverted to where Angie’s mom sat, her eyes on them intently. She held her face with one hand, the other holding her phone as she watched. She looked a little panicky, almost nervous and vulnerable.
He smiled, though, for her, but Lucy rolled her eyes and moved her gaze toward where Angie was about to go again. Man, she really d
idn’t like him, but he was sure that wasn’t his fault. He was a good enough guy, nice, and obviously awesome since Angie liked him. No, there was more to it. He didn’t know the whole story—how could he? But man, he really wanted to.
He wanted to know her.
Which was crazy since he’d never wanted to know any woman but Ava. Though, something was different with Lucy. Maybe it was because she was so shut down. He wasn’t sure, but he wanted to know her story. He suspected that her ex-husband was a douche and didn’t treat them right. That had to be the reason why Angie was so nervous, almost too scared to do anything in case she failed. Or maybe Benji was way off. One thing was for sure, while she was with him, she was going to be reassured and she was going to be supported.
Because that sweet little girl had wiggled her way into his heart in the mere hour they had been together.
And for some reason, he wanted to be more than just the replacement for her uncle.
He wanted to be her friend.
That wasn’t weird, right?
Crap.
Maybe it was.
But when Angie looked back at him for reassurance after killing it and beating the other girls back to the line, he figured, yeah, it may be weird to want to be friends with a seven-year-old girl, but he didn’t care. This was supposed to have been his life now, but he’d lost his daughter and didn’t get to have that chance. For so long, he had been lonely. Holed up in his house, all by himself, but being on this rink, surrounded by these mini-players and Angie, he felt right. Maybe this was his calling, following in Shea’s footsteps. Coach a team one day, because he was having a blast.
And it was time for Benji to be happy.
If coaching a bunch of girls three times a week could do that, he was going to do it.
Practice was over before Benji knew it. They even had a little scrimmage at the end. Nothing crazy, but when Angie scored, you would have thought he had been the one to score. He was so excited and Angie ate it up. Lucy was in the stands, hollering her butt off too, but she didn’t smile when he sent her a grin. She probably thought he was strange. Oh well, he probably was. For as much as he’d thought about her in the last two hours after just meeting her, he was starting to think he was an odd one.
Keeping the puck from Angie as the girls started to clear off the ice, Benji was laughing with Angie when Shea blew the whistle. “Come on, guys, they gotta clean the ice for the next group.”
“Aww, man,” Angie complained and Benji tapped her helmet.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get your mom to bring you early on Wednesday, and we’ll do a little pickup before practice.”
Her eyes lit up as her grin almost broke her face. “You’re coming back!”
“Yeah, you’re coming back?” Shea asked with a grin as they skated toward him.
“Yeah, when I can. We have a road trip coming up, so I might miss a lot more than I get to come.”
Shea nodded. “I appreciate the help, of course.”
Benji tapped gloves with him as he went off the ice to find Elli Adler kissing on her daughters. “Y’all did so good! I’m so proud. Boys, get off there!”
Benji grinned at where her three boys were jumping off the stands.
“They’re boys, babe, let ’em be.”
She shot him a look. “Oh, stay-at-home dad now, think you can handle broken bones?”
He cringed but still kept a grin on his face. “Hey, I’ve had my fair share. I can handle it.”
Sending Benji a sideways glance, she rolled her eyes. “He’d cry.”
“Hey!” Shea complained and Elli shared a laugh with Benji before patting his chest.
“Glad to see you out.”
He grinned and shrugged. “It’s good to be out.”
“Angie, honey?” They all looked to where Lucy was standing, her eyes on Angie. “Ready?”
“Yeah, Mom. See ya, Coach. Come on, Benji,” she said, pulling him along.
“Lucy, how are you?” Elli called to her and Lucy smiled, taking Angie’s hand before coming toward them.
“Good, you?”
“Good, thanks. How’s Baylor? I haven’t gotten an update.”
Lucy shook her head. “I haven’t either. My brother is currently ignoring my calls.”
Elli’s brows rose and Shea laughed. “He didn’t tell her he wasn’t coming tonight. Sent Benji instead.”
Elli tsked. “Brat, but hey, Benji is wonderful.”
“Yeah, he is,” Angie agreed and Benji’s face warmed from the praise. But when he glanced to Lucy, she didn’t seem convinced.
“Yeah, I might make it to where Jayden can’t have children. Haven’t decided.” She said it so matter-of-factly, like it was as easy as swatting a fly.
Scary.
Elli and Shea grinned as Benji winced. “As long as he can skate and score, I don’t care what you do to him.”
Lucy grinned, pointing to Elli. “I got you, boss.”
“Thanks, love, and I’m very excited about our appointment at the end of the week.”
Shea looked confused. “Appointment?”
“She’s gonna decorate our summer home in Florida.”
Shea made a face. “God, how much is that gonna cost? We’re poor now, Lucy. I don’t play anymore.”
Lucy laughed and, wow, what a sound. Watching as her face lit up and she shook her head, Benji found himself smiling too. Laughing looked so much better on that girl. She really should do that more. “Sure you are, Shea. Don’t worry, y’all get the family discount.”
“Thank God,” he breathed and Elli smacked him.
“Anyway, let me know when you want to have a sleepover for the girls. Shelli and Posey have been asking for Angie to come over.”
Wrapping her arm around Angie, Lucy nodded. “Will do. See y’all. Great practice, Shea.”
Shea beamed. “Thanks! See ya Wednesday, Angie.”
“Bye!”
When Angie started to pull Benji along, Lucy looked down at their hands and then to Angie. “Let go of the replacement, Angie.”
“Mom! His name is Benji.” Angie laughed and shook Benji’s hand. “Plus, he’s gotta ask you something.”
Lucy’s face twisted in confusion before looking up at Benji. Her eyes bored into his, and man… Was he breathless? Jesus, she was gorgeous. “Yeah?”
Confused, Benji looked at Angie. “I do?”
Still laughing, she rolled her eyes. “Yes! About Wednesday.”
“Oh!” he laughed, tapping her head again, but when he looked up at Lucy, she was glaring at him. Man, Sinclair wasn’t kidding about that resting bitch face…such a pretty girl, though. Hm. Well, it was about Angie, not her. “Yeah, I was wondering if you could bring her earlier Wednesday so we can get some pickup time in before everyone else hits the ice.”
Lucy’s brows came in, a little wrinkle appearing between her brows. “So you’re, what, doing this full time now? Did you talk to Jayden?”
He shook his head. “No, not at all, but I had a great time tonight and decided to help out as much as I can.”
Her face didn’t change. “Don’t you have to play?”
He shrugged. “Yeah, but I’ll work it out. I might miss more than I can come, but I want to come when I can.”
Still unsure, she held his gaze. “So you willingly want to do this when you have no child on the team? Or do you?”
Swallowing hard, he shook his head. “No child on the team, but I enjoy it.”
“Hanging with a bunch of seven- through ten-year-olds?” she asked, deadpan. “I’m sure you have better things to do.”
“Mom!” Angie complained. “You love hanging with me.”
“’Cause you are my everything,” Lucy said simply, her eyes never leaving Benji’s. “I’m not trying to be rude—”
“No?”
She faltered a bit. “I’m just saying, seems like a guy like you would have something better to do.”
Benji smiled. “Considering you don’t know what a guy like m
e likes to do, I find your assessment of me a little unfair. But I’ll tell ya a story—I’m boring and this was a lot of fun.”
Lucy’s eyes narrowed but she nodded slowly. “I’ll see what I can do about Wednesday. I have a meeting that day, so getting her here at five is cutting it close.”
“Can’t Jayden bring me? I can play with both of them!”
Lucy cupped her face and smiled. “Ew, you’re gross! All sweaty,” she laughed. “But, yes, if your uncle ever answers my calls and he’s alive, then we’ll have him bring you.”
“Well, if he can’t, let me know and I’ll come get her for you.”
Why in the hell did he say that?
Lucy looked up, her eyes wide, and Angie grinned happily. “Cool! Mom, that works, right?”
Her look said, no, no it didn’t. Benji knew that but he smiled just the same. “Not trying to sound like a creeper—”
“Eh, riding the line, buddy,” she said more under her breath, but he heard her loud and clear. Who could blame her? Some strange dude asking to pick her daughter up? He’d punch a guy who said it, so he didn’t blame her. He still felt a little dejected as he met her gaze, though, praying she saw he wasn’t a creepy bad guy.
“But I can help out if need be.”
Lucy only nodded, her eyes burning into his. He didn’t think she thought he was a perv, but it was obvious she didn’t trust him. Hell, he was sure she didn’t trust anyone, which was sad and only made him believe he was right about the ex. As he held her gaze, her eyes staring into his, he swore he saw a little heat in her eyes. Then, maybe he was an idiot because just as quickly, she was nodding as she said, “Yeah, okay. Angie, say bye. Let’s go.”
Angie grinned up at him and held her fist out for him to bump. “Thanks for all the help. You really helped me out.”
“Anytime,” he said, bumping her fist. “I’ll see you Wednesday.”
“Cool,” she cheered and then she looked up to Lucy. “Mom?”
“What?” As Angie jerked her head to Benji, he smiled as Lucy looked over at him confused. “What?”
“Don’t you want to thank him?”
Lucy made a put out kind of face but quickly masked it with a winning, fake grin. “Thank you so much for helping my daughter on the ice. You are by far the coolest dude ever and not creepy at all.”
