Ruthless Player: A College Hockey Romance (Westfall U Series)

by R. C. Stephens

  Rebel gushes about Wolfe remembering her little comment way before they were even together.

  “I’m going to call her Lola.” Rebel nods.

  “Lola,” Wolfe repeats. “I like it. She looks like a Lola.”

  And then Rebel and Wolfe are kissing again. I guess I get it. They haven’t been able to spend as much time as they would like together. Even though he comes to Westfall for a night and she goes to New York on weekends when he’s there. They are making it work, clearly.

  Granny Mae walks out of the kitchen with a frown. “Your table isn’t big enough to seat everyone.”

  “Oh, we have our fold out tables. I thought we could set them up in here like one big long table,” I say. Even though I can afford to furnish this place with all the best of the best, I never did because Wolfe was my roommate and he wouldn’t have it. Not when he was working to make ends meet to get by and Dec also felt like it was a handout. So I’ve been living the lifestyle of a struggling student, even though I am far from struggling.

  I had already discussed the idea of the fold outs with Holland and she liked it. She even went to our local dollar store and got some matching disposable tablecloths and plastic plates and cutlery.

  Wolfe and I set up the tables when the doorbell rings. Holland runs to the door and swings it open. “I know I just saw you two yesterday but I am so excited you’re here for Thanksgiving.” She claps her hands together and Paris and Max step inside.

  “Hi, Aunt Holly,” he says to her. I like that little nickname but I noticed it’s reserved for her family members.

  “Hi, sweetie,” she says, and she reaches down and pecks his cheek.

  She gives Paris a hug and they both hold on a little longer to each other.

  Holland then gets busy setting up the table while Lola runs between everybody’s legs and nips them. Max starts to chase Lola.

  “Looks like you have a babysitter when you need one,” Paris says to Rebel since they live together.

  Blossom arrives on her own and behind her is Chad.

  Holland quirks her eyebrow when Chad arrives. I’m helping her set up cutlery when she whispers, “I don’t care, but I hadn’t realized you invited him.”

  “He didn’t have anywhere to go,” I admit.

  “It’s totally fine,” she confirms.

  Chad had been in June’s draft into the NHL. He was picked up by the Golden Knights in Vegas.

  I walk over to Chad and we give each other a bro hug of pats on the back. Wolfe does the same and we all catch up.

  “I can’t believe I have two NHL players at my Thanksgiving table,” I snicker.

  “You’re next, Davis,” Chad says.

  “Definitely,” Wolfe confirms. “He’s doing amazing this season. His stats are way up.”

  “Geez, you sound like a proud father,” I mock Wolfe. I sure as hell know my own father isn’t proud. He called to ask what I was doing for Thanksgiving and I told him Granny Mae was coming to town. He wanted to host all of us, but I told him it would be weird having his dead wife’s mother sitting at a table with his new wife. Besides, I was also worried Granny Mae might want to claw Amber’s eyes out for hitting on me so many times. At the end I told my father it was best we did things apart this year. I know he didn’t like it, but he made his bed. And I was still pissed over how dinner went when I brought Holland home. My dad was a complete jerk.

  Our little house is filled with chatter and laughter when Granny Mae comes out of the kitchen and says, “The food is going to dry out if we don’t sit down right now.”

  Everyone scrambles for a chair. And even though they are lawn chairs and not the most comfortable, it feels nice to have my closest friends and family gathered around the table.

  Granny Mae insists we each say one thing that we are grateful for. It was a tradition my mother grew up with and it’s a tradition I hope to pass on to my kid. So we each go around and say one thing. Rebel and Wolfe give a list of five things they are each grateful for, which includes their love and us. Blossom is grateful for her sister and being invited to our dinner. Paris is also grateful to be reunited with her sister and she’s grateful to have an amazing son in Max. Then it is Holland’s turn. For some reason I feel nervous and my palms get clammy. I can’t even look directly at her and I’m not sure why.

  “I am grateful for this baby,” she says surprising me because the pregnancy has been a whirlwind. “I know what you all are thinking. I’m finishing up first semester in a month or so and then I am off of school and yes, I want to make it to medical school, but I am also starting to see that this little one growing inside me has been a blessing in disguise. It has brought all of you closer into my life and I really consider you all my family,” she says. Then she starts to cry but she lifts her hand and says, “I’m fine, really.” She dabs the edges of her eyes with a napkin. “I’m also grateful to you, Cole, for standing by my side,” she says. I know that took a lot for her to say and it makes me feel all choked up.

  I swallow.

  “That was so nice,” Granny Mae says because she must see I am overcome by emotion that I wasn’t expecting. “If you all don’t mind, I’d like to go next.”

  No one objects and so my grandmother begins. . .

  “I am grateful to be back in Westfall. After Catherine died, I never saw myself coming back here, but this trip has truly been a blessing. I am grateful to my grandson and I am grateful to Holland. I am grateful for the great-grandbaby growing in her belly. I am just grateful to all of you. To their friends who are clearly supportive and loving. This is a nice sight for this old woman to see.”

  Now I’m up. “I’m grateful to have you in my life, Granny Mae. I’m grateful to our friends for being here.” And then I turn to Holland. “I’m grateful for you, not only for saving my life but for flipping it upside down,” I laugh a little. “I’m a better man for meeting you, even though it has nothing to do with that baby in your belly, I’m also super grateful for her too. I’m grateful to have a family I can rely on and I’m grateful for this life,” I say. Whoa. That was a lot.

  We move on to Chad, who makes it quick, and then little Max also adds in that he is grateful to be here and grateful that Rebel has a new pup. Everyone laughs at that. Until the little boy frowns and Paris asks him what’s wrong.

  “I want Daddy,” he says.

  Paris hugs him and whispers something in his ear. In that moment I know I will never let my kid feel that way. Like he has been abandoned and not supported.

  I look at Holland and under the table I take her hand in mine and she lets me. It’s a small step.

  I lean into her ear and whisper, “I picked up some tacos for you yesterday. I asked them to separate the ingredients in different containers so it shouldn’t be that soggy. You can probably sneak off and gobble them up while we are all feasting on that magnificent turkey,” I say, tilting my chin at the masterpiece Granny Mae made. Just watching the steamy gravy has my mouth watering.

  “Thank you so much,” she smiles. “The thought of eating that. . .gosh, even the smell of it cooking was killing me.”

  I laugh and Holland slips away from the table. Everyone is so focused on the food that no one notices. My gaze lands on Granny Mae. She winks at me and I’ll be damned. She must have found my hiding spot for the tacos. She leans in. “It’s just fine. You did good. Boy.”

  We continue to dig in and after dinner it’s dessert time. Holland insists we start with the sex reveal cake. She leans in and whispers in my ear, “Do you want to come with me and have a moment in the kitchen or do you want to find out with everyone else?”

  I’ll take any moment I can get her alone so I say, “Lead the way.”

  I follow her into the kitchen and she opens the fridge and takes out the box with the cake inside. She places it on our little kitchen table.

  “Are you ready?” she asks.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I confirm, and she lifts the lid of the box to reveal a cake covered in white
cream and baby pink bows with ‘It’s a Girl’ written on the top.

  I’m overcome with emotion and feel all choked up.

  “Did you know?” she asks.

  “No, how would I know?” I ask her back.

  “When you gave the list of things you were grateful for before we started the meal you referred to the baby as her, and I just thought it was weird that you did that.”

  “I had a feeling somewhere but I hadn’t realized I said that.”

  I’ve never really cried in front of anyone before but I feel my eyes blur. “A girl,” I say feeling choked up.

  “Yeah,” she sighs. “I wouldn’t have cared what we had. I just wanted a healthy baby. But now. . .”

  “Are you thinking what I am thinking?” I ask her and then I laugh. “Why would you know what I’m thinking?”

  She giggles, “We basically spend all our time together, I’m pretty sure I know what you’re thinking.” I wait expectantly. “You want to name our daughter after our mothers, right?”

  Damn. A sense of awe washes over me. “That’s exactly what I was thinking. I don’t care the order.”

  “Me neither,” she says. “CC is a really cute name for a baby girl.”

  “It really is,” I agree. “Do you wanna rock, paper, scissors for it?”

  “Sure,” I say, even though it sounds crazy.

  We do one round. She chooses rock, I choose paper. Second round I choose scissors, and she chooses rock.

  “You choose,” I urge.

  “No, it should be you,” she argues.

  I laugh. “Okay, Celia Catherine.”

  “It’s final.” She cocks her brow in challenge.

  “Fine by me, besides, she’ll probably want to stay CC,” I say.

  “Should we take this out to our guests?” she asks.

  I really want to kiss the hell out of her but instead I say, “Definitely.”

  Holland

  * * *

  Knowing we’ve given our baby girl a name does something to my insides. The fact that we are naming her after her grandmothers makes me feel their presence somehow, and for the first time in a long time I feel comforted. Like my mother is close by.

  We take out the cake to show everyone and they all gush over the fact that I am having a baby girl. My stomach only has a slight bump but my obstetrician assures me that will be changing any time now.

  We all take pictures of the cake and each other, and then Granny Mae brings out her pies and they are all so delicious.

  By the end of the night we are all stuffed and tired. Everyone stays to help with the cleanup and then we hang out on the couch and watch some Netflix.

  Our guests leave and Cole goes upstairs to change before he heads back to the couch. “It was a long day, you must be exhausted,” I say.

  Granny Mae has already gone to sleep in Cole’s room. I feel bad having him sleep on the couch after all his hard work today. Especially when my bed is a queen.

  “You can come sleep in bed with me,” I tell him. “You need a good night’s sleep.”

  “And you think that’s a good idea?” he asks.

  “I offered you a spot on the mattress not anything else,” I say playfully.

  “Okay,” he says and we head upstairs. He settles into bed and I head into the bathroom to put on pajamas. Then I come out and slide into bed.

  This is a little more awkward than I thought it would be.

  He yawns loudly. “Thanks, I really am tired. I haven’t been sleeping well on the couch.”

  “I figured,” I say.

  “Do you mind if I hold the two of you?” he asks.

  I’m alarmed for the briefest of moments and then I realize he just wants to feel close to our daughter. I carry her around with me wherever I go. Even though Cole will give her a quick hello, or pat my tummy briefly, he isn’t that close to me physically to have more.

  “Of course.”

  Cole takes his arm and wraps it around me. His hand rubs my belly and he whispers,

  “I can’t wait to meet you.” Then he moves his arm a little higher so he’s hugging me and he falls asleep. I sigh and stare into the darkness of the room. This feels so nice. If only I wasn’t so terrified to grasp on to what’s directly in front of me.

  Thirty-One

  Holland

  Christmas came and went in the same fashion as Thanksgiving. Our house was filled with family and friends. Valentine’s Day was freaking awkward. Cole has come to mean so much to me but we haven’t gone down that rabbit hole. Now it’s time and as I walk into Cole’s room and turn on the lights at 4:00 a.m. I am both excited and scared to death. Either way I need to get this handsome hockey player moving because our daughter is about to make her grand entrance. He doesn’t budge.

  “Cole, we need to go now,” I say really loudly, and then I start to shake his shoulder. “Cole. Cole.” Damn, he sleeps like the dead. He opens one eye and winces.

  “What are you doing?” he asks. He isn’t angry just very confused.

  “Why would I come into your room in the middle of the night and turn on the lights?” I ask him, placing each of my hands on either side of my hips.

  “But we still have two weeks,” he argues.

  “Cole, we need to go now,” I tell him.

  “Holy shit, are you in labor?” He jolts upright.

  “Well, it’s either that or I pissed my bed,” I deadpan, and he looks confused.

  “Look at me, Cole.” I look down at my pajama pants, which have taken quite a soaking.

  “Your water broke?” he asks.

  I nod. We started doing prenatal classes back in February. I’ve been home since first term ended for me and we both had a lot to learn. I’m still not sure I know how to swaddle a baby, but I sure hope I can at least change the diapers. Granny Mae was supposed to come to Westfall to help us out, but now that the baby is coming early, we are on our own.

  “Ow,” I screech and keel over. “Shit, Cole. My water broke and the contractions are coming close together. You better move unless you want to deliver this baby yourself.”

  He flips the covers over and he’s wearing a pair of jogging pants and a white T-shirt. He always jokes about sleeping buck naked so I’m confused.

  He must read that on my features because he explains, “I wanted to be ready, just in case.”

  “Can you go get my overnight bag from my room? I’m seriously scared of walking, it can make the contractions come faster,” I explain.

  He darts off and returns within seconds with my overnight bag.

  “Do you want to change?” he asks, staring at my soaked pants.

  I shake my head. “Please, let’s go. This really hurts.”

  “Okay,” he replies and suddenly he is sweeping me off my feet. “What are you doing?”

  “You said you can’t walk,” he answers. It’s not what I meant but it isn’t a bad idea either.

  He takes the steps downstairs slowly. The doctor was right and my stomach popped, and now it looks like I have a large watermelon in my belly.

  He carries me in his arms and my bag on his shoulder. He heads for the door and I remind him to take the keys.

  Suddenly another contraction hits and my body spasms from the pain. I howl, throwing my head back.

  “What the hell is going on?” Declan comes running down the stairs. “Oh shit,” he shouts when realization strikes. “Do you need me to drive?”

  “That isn’t a bad idea,” I say to Cole, but Cole doesn’t like the idea. I can tell. “That way you can sit beside me and hold my hand,” I reason, and then he gives in and lets Declan drive.

  We get in the car and Declan comments about never driving such a nice ride before.

  “Just take it slow, McAvoy,” Cole says to him.

  “Do not take it slow,” I protest as another contraction hits.

  “Just be very safe,” Cole says. “These girls are my life.”

  His words make my heart burst, even through the pain.
>
  We get to the hospital in a whir of contractions. Cole helps me get checked in and then they are wheeling me off. I had no choice but to come to Westfall General. It’s where my obstetrician works, even though she has an office offsite of the hospital. I wonder if Dad is on call tonight. Not that it matters, we aren’t anywhere near his department.

  Before I know it, I’m in a delivery room and the doctor is saying there is no time for an epidural.

  I break down and cry, assuring the doctor and Cole that there is no way I can deliver this baby. The pain is so bad I think I’m going to die.

  “You can do this, Donovan. Focus on CC. We need to get her here safely,” Cole reassures. Just like that he enters into the role of coaching me and he is damn good at keeping me focused on our goal.

  Thirty-six minutes later CC is born and she is perfect. The doctor lays her on my stomach and Cole is by my side, a sweaty mess, and he says, “I love you. I love both of you.”

  And I respond, “I love you too.” Because I love this man and I love my daughter so damn much.

  Cole reaches forward and kisses me and so much emotion is poured into that one kiss.

  After Cole cuts the umbilical cord. The nurses and doctor take CC and wipe her down and weigh her. And then she is returned to us all swaddled in a pink blanket.

  “You did good, Donovan,” Cole praises.

  “We did good,” I correct.

  Thirty-Two

  Cole

  The Westfall Dragons made it to the Frozen Four again this year, but we didn’t take the championship. I missed the tournament entirely since my daughter was born the weekend before and I refused to leave Holland and CC behind.

  The first two months were rough. Holland and I barely slept. I still had to finish up the final exams for my degree and Holland was a stickler about making me study. But now I am officially done and graduation is right around the corner.

  These last two months have been all about what CC needs. Newborn babies are demanding, but they are so sweet and worth it too. Holland and I regularly tell CC how much we love her and we declare our love to each other too. We just haven’t had time to actually show that love in the physical sense. Between CC having gas issues and the nighttime feedings, which Holland is on duty for since she decided to breastfeed, we just don’t have time for ourselves. There’s also the small detail that Holland is on a no sex directive from the doctor, which she thinks makes total sense because after CC came out of her vagina and stretched it to smithereens, Holland is terrified.