Making a Splash

by Joanne Rock

  The players weren’t all that different from the guys in Jack’s unit back in the navy. They were battle-scarred and seasoned, working in tandem for a common goal.

  Kyle waved his hand in front of Jack’s face, distracting him from the “don’t go there” vibe he was sending his brother’s teammate for good measure.

  “You with me, Jack?” Kyle asked, a grin tipping one slightly swollen cheek. “Because I’m not going to help you out if you get Oleg pissed off.”

  “Right. Sorry.” He shook his head, bringing himself back to the conversation. He tried to remember what his brother had said to him…?. Oh, yeah. Heart on his sleeve. “I’m back where I left off with her four years ago. It’s the damnedest thing. I walked away back then, determined to give her some space to be her own person and enjoy college without me hovering over her. But the first time I see her—bam! She’s in my head all the time.”

  Kyle studied his knuckles as he wound athletic tape between his fingers. “Does she know?”

  “Know what? That I’m crazy about her?” Jack shrugged. “She’s still trying to get past what happened when we broke up. Being left out of the loop about Cristina and the kidnapping didn’t go over so well.”

  He’d come to regret the way he’d handled the situation back then. But he could do better with Alicia this time. He just had to figure out how to convince her to give him a second chance, to win her trust again. Not just for tonight, but forever.

  His brother nodded and ripped the tape with his teeth. “She was having a rough semester that spring after you left. Her father was pressuring her to ditch Boston College. She quit freelancing for Dad even though she really liked the job. And you know, as much as the Murphy family drama can bug us, I think Alicia sort of liked hanging out at the house on the weekends.”

  Jack reached into Kyle’s open locker and grabbed the elbow pads and shin guards he’d need next. “Our family drama doesn’t seem so bad when you compare it to hers, with a pushy dad and a know-it-all brother who never had time for her. At least we’re there for each other when it counts.”

  “Yeah, I felt like crap when I heard she had no one at that last meet, when she won two national titles.” Kyle frowned, shaking his head. “I’d like to think that if I make it to the Stanley Cup playoffs, there’ll be a few family members in the crowd. It’s gotta suck when you don’t have anyone to share that stuff.”

  Picturing all the other swimmers hugging their loved ones while Alicia went back to the locker room alone sent a shaft of pain through Jack’s chest. He should have been honest with her about why he went into the navy. Why he didn’t want to tie her down as a junior in college. It might not have made his leaving any easier on her, but at least she would have known that he didn’t take off because he didn’t care. Far from it. He’d gone because he cared too much, too soon.

  “That’s why I keep hoping she’ll change her mind about moving to Bar Harbor. At least in Chatham she has friends and a thriving business with loyal customers. And she’d have him, assuming she gave him another chance to be a part of her life.

  Kyle strapped on the shin guards as more players began to filter in. Some greeted each other with laughing insults, while the more intense players went straight to work getting dressed for the game. Jack knew he only had a few more minutes with his brother. The coach would want to talk to the assembled team soon.

  And Jack didn’t want to leave Alicia alone for too long on a night that was supposed to be all about her having a good time.

  “Don’t assume you know what’s best for her.” Kyle took the elbow pads from Jack’s hands. “If she says she wants out of Chatham, you might want to respect that she knows her own mind.”

  “I do.” Didn’t he? “I just think it can’t hurt to be sure. To understand why you’re doing something so that it’s not just a knee-jerk reaction.”

  Maybe part of him still believed she wanted to leave Cape Cod only because he had returned home.

  “Think about it, Jack. She’s had four years to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Four years to save enough money to buy this place. Her leaving town isn’t just about you.”

  The reminder was enough to make Jack weigh the benefits of straightening out his brother’s broken nose for him. One good swipe in the other direction, maybe?

  It was all the conversation they had time to exchange before the coach stalked into the room with a clipboard under his arm, obviously ready to address the team. Jack saw his cue to leave, and with a slap on his brother’s chest pads for luck, he ducked out of the locker area. He was so preoccupied processing Kyle’s suggestion that he didn’t even bother giving Oleg the hairy eyeball on his way out.

  Jack walked through the two sets of double doors that secured the visiting-team area, and went to find Alicia. He’d been so busy trying to win her back and save her from incurring any problems with the run-down property in Maine that he hadn’t thought about how much this dream meant to her.

  By pointing out all the inn’s flaws would he be no better than her father, who—in his desire to “help” his daughter—refused to consider what made Alicia happy? As Jack hurried down the final set of stairs to the rink-level seats, he spied Alicia, now decked out in Boston Bears gear. She’d bought a jersey and a baseball cap with the team logo to show her support.

  She didn’t hesitate to support other people in their aspirations. For all Jack knew, maybe she’d have understood his need to go into the navy, to follow a calling that felt right to him. No way would he yank the rug out from under her when she’d never known the feeling of having someone in her corner, cheering her on through it all.

  He would find a way to be there for her now, when she was working so hard to achieve a dream. So what if the bed-and-breakfast needed a lot of capital before it started earning a profit? He’d invested in businesses all over Cape Cod to help local entrepreneurs. Why not invest in Alicia?

  Decision made, he didn’t slide into the seat beside her. Instead, he turned on his heel to make a call in private—away from the noise of the arena crowd. He had a lot to take care of if he was going to pull off the plan taking shape in his head. But for Alicia—for a shot at a future—he’d do whatever it took.

  MIDWAY THROUGH THE THIRD period, Alicia noticed that Jack had already checked out of his brother’s game. Granted, it was preseason, and these early matches weren’t of major importance. But even so, did he have to read a text message for the third time?

  “Did you see Kyle’s hat trick?” she asked, leaning close.

  “What?” Jack straightened so fast he almost dropped the phone he’d been using. Frowning as he looked out onto the ice, he realized pretty quickly that she’d been messing with him.

  Tough to score a hat trick when he wasn’t even out skating. The players went on in shifts and Kyle had sat down about two minutes prior. Axel was still on the ice, but looking toward the bench since he was due to switch out. The Murphy clan’s honorary brother was a defensive powerhouse and his arrival on the Boston team had been much heralded in the media.

  “Okay, you caught me. Kyle still has two goals, not three. But your attention has wandered enough that it makes a woman doubt her appeal.” She nodded toward the phone resting on Jack’s knee, while the crowd cheered a hard check into the boards nearby.

  The players smashed into the glass, one guy’s face distorted as he slid down the barrier.

  “I apologize.” Jack shut the phone in mid message. “I can finish this up later.”

  “I don’t mean to take you away from something important.” In fact, she really hoped it was urgent if he was spending time playing with technology instead of being with her.

  Otherwise, what did that say about her own level of importance in his life?

  “It’s not a big deal,” he assured her, not realizing that might actually be more hurtful. “I can delay delivering Keith’s boat for only so long, so I’d rather spend the remaining time with you than straightening out a business transaction.
” He tapped the case of his phone for emphasis.

  “Are you investing in another bar?” Curiosity got the best of her and she had to ask.

  “You could say I’m helping a struggling business, yes.” And with that cryptic answer, he wrapped an arm around her as the crowd in the arena broke into shouts and catcalls.

  “They’re fighting,” Alicia observed, when she turned her attention back to the ice.

  Sure enough, a mammoth defenseman on the Montreal team had one of Kyle’s teammates in a headlock. Gloves were coming off all over the rink as other players got involved. Even skaters from the bench were emerging onto the ice, everyone prepared to join in the skirmish.

  The linesmen watched, but weren’t pulling men off each other yet. Kyle went out into the thick of things along with two other guys who skated in his line.

  “Damn! And it’s only the preseason. Can you imagine what this rivalry will be like by the time the playoffs roll around?” Jack asked Alicia, sounding disgusted as one player socked another, backing him into the boards.

  “I don’t mind hockey fights,” she admitted, knowing the comment would sound more bloodthirsty than how she meant it.

  Predictably, Jack’s brows soared up to his hairline for a moment.

  “Who knew you had a violent streak?” He grinned. “But you’re not alone in liking the fights. That’s why the league doesn’t outlaw them altogether.”

  Finally, the linesmen stepped in to slow things down. Kyle seemed to be holding his own with a player from the other team who’d tried to stick up for his buddy.

  “I don’t like it for the violence,” she clarified. “And I hate seeing anyone get hurt. But there’s something open and honest about admitting you’re pissed off and acting on it. It’s fast and primitive, but at least it’s genuine. In a world full of superficial sentiment, where we’re conditioned never to cause a stir, there’s something cathartic about occasionally acting on your feelings.”

  As order was slowly restored, penalties were assigned to both teams and the play continued, four on four. Kyle came out on the ice again during a shift change, and Jack waved a towel with the Boston Bears team colors.

  “Do you feel that you don’t get to express yourself with your dad?” He sat forward in his seat for the face-off as the ref dropped the puck to restart the game.

  “Sort of. My dad speaks his mind. The problem is that he doesn’t appreciate anyone else—especially someone who disagrees with him—speaking theirs.” She flinched as two players crashed into the boards right in front of them, their bodies slamming the Plexiglas so hard it shook. “Not that his preferences stop me from saying what I want, but I can disagree with him all day long and he doesn’t really hear it. He forges ahead with what he wants, anyhow.”

  “No wonder you like my family,” Jack acknowledged. “It’s a nonstop mission to one-up each other. I always found it fairly juvenile, but at least we’re continually talking to one another—if only for the sake of running our mouths.”

  “You are a mouthy group.” She jumped to her feet as Kyle scored his third goal of the night.

  The hat trick—three goals scored by the same player in a single game—prompted fans all over the arena to do more than “tip their caps.” They threw their hats out onto the ice to honor the scorer, a tradition maintained even for a player on a visiting team.

  Alicia tossed her baseball cap in a slow-pitch softball arc so it would fly up and over the protective boards surrounding the rink. She’d bought it to show her support for Kyle anyhow, so it seemed only fitting to send the hat out onto the ice now. Cleanup crews would have to pick up all the headgear before play continued, and the rink would donate them to a local charity.

  When she’d cheered herself hoarse and found her seat again, she felt Jack’s palm envelop hers and squeeze.

  “Ally.” His voice warmed her ear, his mouth closer than she’d expected.

  The combination of sound and heat sent a pleasant shiver through her.

  “Mmm?” She wondered if the plane ride back would be as much fun as the trip here. Already, her body tingled at the suggestion of intimacy.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you won at the national-championship meet.”

  His words were so unexpected, so genuinely full of regret, they chased away the sensual thrill curling inside her.

  “What made you think of that?” She’d blocked that time from her mind, the final meet a bittersweet win when she’d had no one to share it with. Sure, it was nice to win with her teammates, but while they were all mobbed by family, friends and significant others, Alicia had wandered back to the locker room alone.

  “This.” He gestured to the arena full of fans who’d cheered for Kyle Murphy’s first hat trick at the NHL level. “Eighteen thousand people celebrating a player’s talent and accomplishment. You should have had that your junior year, when you were a two-event winner instead of…”

  Instead of informing her dad by email that she’d won. His reply had been full of reminders that swimming would never lead to a real career, though he’d managed a “congratulations” at the end of the note. The memory sparked a surprising burn in Alicia’s throat, especially with the hum of energy still infusing the Montreal arena after the impromptu tribute to Kyle.

  “Sports aren’t everything.” She’d reminded herself of that often, trying to keep the season and the win in perspective.

  “But you worked your butt off to be the best and you deserved to have someone there who knew exactly how tough it was to achieve what you did.” Jack reached over to graze her cheek with his knuckles. “I always admired how hard you worked to accomplish your goals.”

  Surprised by the admission and his apology, she nodded, mute with emotion for a moment. She hadn’t expected Jack to think back about that day, especially after she’d learned what he’d been going through during the weeks leading up to the championship meet he’d missed. So it meant a lot—even all these years later—to know he’d been proud of her.

  “Thank you,” she finally murmured, leaning across the hard metal arm of the stadium seat to kiss his cheek. “I missed you that day.”

  The warmth in her heart was more than attraction or awareness. It went deeper than that, reaching a place inside her no one else had touched since her breakup with Jack. Despite her best intentions, she knew she was in love with this man all over again.

  Could he be apologizing for the past now because he wanted a future with her, after all? Hope beat fiercely in her heart. Maybe Jack was ready to be open and honest with her, to let her share in his life in a way that he hadn’t been prepared for four years earlier. Back then, he’d walked away rather than confiding in her. He’d made the decision to join the navy, which affected them both deeply, without ever asking for her opinion. He’d just broken up with her—no explanations, no arguments.

  Perhaps his apology today was an olive branch that could lead toward a different kind of future. A future where they might not only confide in each other, but argue back and forth without worrying about pushing the other away. For a couple of strong personalities like them, that seemed important. Comforting.

  Even if it meant returning to the Cape and forsaking the dream of the inn on the Maine coast, Alicia wanted to think about a future with Jack. As long as she could be his partner and not someone he informed of his choices after he made them, she was on board. Because after four years of keeping her eyes peeled for a man she’d want in her life, she’d never met anyone who came close to Jack Murphy.

  12

  ACTIONS SPOKE LOUDER than words, right?

  The next morning, Jack was damn pleased with himself—he was going to pull off an action that would surprise Alicia to her toenails. He had a contract for the Bar Harbor property in one hand and a list of repairs he thought they should make within the first year in the other. He’d even gotten cost estimates on the repairs and made a timetable for when and how the work could be completed.

  Alicia would be thrilled,
her dream come true facilitated by the kind of capital that would take the property from ramshackle charm to high functionality for her guests. Better yet, it would be a task they could tackle together. She hadn’t thought he supported her idea of starting a business in Maine. But she would see how serious he was about making a commitment to the property—to her—when he gave her the signed contract for the inn she’d poured so much thought into with her sketches and plans.

  He had been up half the night after they returned from Montreal, working to make it happen. Alicia had spent the night on the boat with him, and he’d returned to the inn at dawn, before she awoke, so he could have the sale contract signed by the owner. Without a Realtor or a bank involved, the process was actually very simple and straightforward. The owner had been elated at the prospect of a cash sale, even knocking a substantial amount off his asking price when Jack presented him with a list of the flaws he’d found in the structure.

  Now, seated on the deck of Keith’s boat, Jack waited for Alicia to emerge from the cabin below. He’d heard the shower switch off about ten minutes earlier, so he knew the wait was almost over.

  “Morning,” she called as she reached the top step, stretching up on her toes and throwing her arms wide. “Isn’t it beautiful out?”

  A pair of soft, well-worn jeans showcased her hips, while a pink cotton sweater kept her warm against the slight nip of fall in the air. She’d dried her long hair enough to take the worst of the dampness out, but he guessed her head must feel cool in the morning breeze. As usual, no makeup hid her pretty features. She looked beautiful to him, a vision he’d love to see every day.

  But he kept that sentiment to himself. He didn’t want that kind of pressure mixed up in a gift he wanted to give her no matter how she felt about him.