I thanked him and stood to head back to the locker room. I put on my gear and walked onto the ice for the last hour of practice. I kept my focus on blocking shots and making it a challenge for anyone that got close. I knew the guys wouldn’t take it easy on me right before a game, and I returned the favor.
“Nice save, Aston,” Hartman called as he passed me.
The praise made me feel better, and I finished off the drill on a high note. The whistle blew, and Coach Romney called us in. “That’s it for today. Everyone go home, ice, eat, and be back here by five.”
I headed back through the tunnel while most of the guys stayed on the ice to cool down. I was almost to the locker room when I stopped in my tracks.
“Amelia?”
She spun and faced me with a nervous smile. “Oh, hi, Derrek.”
I moved forward and raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?”
She glanced down at the garment bag hanging over her arm. “Nikolay forgot his suit for tonight, and Elena has meetings so she couldn’t bring it over.”
Seeing her again reminded me of how beautiful she was, even more so than in the dark light of the balcony. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold, and she looked a bit uneasy.
“Do you want me to grab him?”
She ran her bottom lip through her teeth, drawing my attention. “I don’t want to bother him, I just didn’t know where to put this.”
I pulled my attention away from her perfect mouth and headed into the open locker room. “You can put it in here.”
She followed behind me looking wide-eyed. “I didn’t think I was allowed in here.”
I laughed. “Maybe not while we’re all changing, but it’s fine right now.” I walked over to his locker and reached out to take the bag from her.
She offered it and looked relieved it was out of her possession. “Thanks.”
“Do you have to get back to work?”
“Yeah, this is my lunch break.”
“Wow. That’s nice of you to run back here to help him.”
She blushed, and I couldn’t help but smile to myself. I’d done that. “It’s not that big of a deal. He’s already helped me out so it was the least I could do.”
She turned to leave and something told me to stop her.
“Hey Amelia?”
She paused and met my eyes, waiting.
I hesitated. As much as I enjoyed the night talking to her, I felt vulnerable with her knowing my secrets. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
She looked confused. “About what?”
I glanced around to make sure we were still alone. “What we talked about the other night.”
Her eyebrows knit together. “That’s no one’s business.”
I was surprised. “I really appreciate that.”
She gave me a shy smile. “Of course.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Do you have to hurry back to work?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “Um, I have a few minutes.”
“Do you want to grab something to eat? With me?”
Her mouth dropped open just barely before she recovered. “Yeah, sure.”
It took me a second to realize she hadn’t turned me down. “Okay. Great. Let me just shower and change. I’ll be out in five.”
She nodded and backed up. “I’ll just be…,” she held her thumb out over her shoulder, “out there.”
I watched her walk out, then hurried through the fastest shower in history and pulled on my clothes before the guys began to trickle in. The last thing I wanted was for Nikolay to see Amelia and me leaving together. I might be turning a new leaf, but the Russian still scared me.
8
Amelia
I sent a quick message to Madi letting her know I’d be back a bit later than usual for lunch. I didn’t think the office would mind since I didn’t have any scheduled appointments, and Madi told me they were pretty flexible. I knew I was in for an afternoon of teasing though once she found out the reason for my extended break.
There wasn’t a chance of her not finding out. I was a terrible liar, and I doubted the guys would fail to mention it to the Pride. If I felt like losing a bet, I’d say everyone would know where I was and who I was with before I made it back to work.
Minutes later, Derrek walked out of the locker room with damp hair wearing black joggers and a dark gray Fury hoodie. The smell of his manly body wash went straight to my head. I had to keep myself from leaning in. “Ready?”
“Sure.” I shook off the thought fell into step next to him as we headed into the elevator. His arm grazed mine when he reached out to hit the button and his warmth spread, even through my coat. “So where are we going?”
“I have a place in mind, but if Mexican doesn’t sound good, we can go somewhere else.”
“Oh no. If there is one thing I could eat every day for the rest of my life, it’s chips and salsa. I’m always in the mood for Mexican food.”
His grin made my entire body warm as we walked out to the parking garage. “Perfect. Did you drive here?”
“Yes, my car’s right over there.” I pointed to my little black hatchback parked in one of the few visitor stalls.
“The restaurant's actually not too far from the clinic. Do you want me to drive and bring you back here, or drive separately?”
I appreciated him thinking ahead. “It would make more sense to drive separate so I can head back to work when we’re done.”
“Sounds good. Do you want to follow me?” He walked across the aisle to a silver sportscar. I wasn’t much of an expert, but it looked fast and expensive.
“Yeah, just don’t lose me.”
He flashed another heart-stopping smile. “I promise.”
While my heart rate was returning to normal from the frenzy he put it in, I got into my car and pulled out behind him. He was cautious and mindful of me the entire time. There were a few lights he could have gone through, but he stopped to make sure I didn’t fall too far behind. It was a tiny thing, but I appreciated his thoughtfulness.
We arrived at a beige building with a large sign that read ‘Los Gatos’. I chuckled as I got out and met him behind my car. “The cats? Are you sure this is somewhere we should be eating?”
He laughed and took my hand before leading us to the door. “I promise, it’s delicious. Phil, the owner, used to play on the team. When he opened it, he let the players vote on names and Los Gatos was the winner.”
I couldn't believe someone would let that happen, but if the team was anything like it is now, Phil knew what he was getting himself into.
“Hi Derrek.” The hostess greeted him like an old friend. She was an older woman with wrinkles around her eyes and lips that revealed she spent her life smiling. “Who’s your friend?” she said in a teasing tone as she turned, removed two menus from the stand, and waved us back toward an empty two-top table.
Derrek sent me a questioning glance, but I wasn’t sure what he was asking.
“Hi Tina, this is Amelia.”
Tina set the menus down and gave me an appraising look. “Are you a hockey fan?”
I froze, caught off guard by the question. “Um. Yes?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure?”
I nodded. “Yes, I am a fan.” I liked sports in general, but with Elena dating Nikolay I was kind of forced to become an enthusiast. The only people I knew here so far were either players or their significant others. Well, and the NBA players from the clinic.
I almost laughed at how different my life was compared to just two weeks before.
“Don’t worry, Tina. She’ll soon be Nikolay Kozlov’s sister-in-law.”
I gaped at him. What did he know that I didn’t? He winked and sat down. I took the seat across from him as the woman’s stern expression softened into a smile.
“You’re Elena’s sister?”
I sent Derrek a confused look. “I am. Do you know her?”
Tina let out a laugh. “Oh yes. I know all the Pride girls. I’m
glad she has family here now. I’ll bring you guys some water. Do you want anything else to drink?”
I shook my head, still recovering from the whiplash of her attitude.
“No thanks. Water is great for me,” Derrek answered, and she hurried toward the kitchen.
I leaned forward and kept my voice low. “What was that about?”
Derrek mirrored me until we were only inches from each other. “She’s a bit overprotective. She doesn’t want any of the guys hanging around with ‘jersey chasers’ as she calls them. Every time she sees any of us single guys she asks when we’re going to find a nice girl.”
I bit my bottom lip and giggled. “So, she was making sure I’m a nice girl?”
His eyes dipped to my lips and heat grew in my stomach. Did he know the effect he had on me? “Yeah, and you passed.”
I dragged my teeth back, releasing my lip, while watching his reaction. He didn’t blink as his mouth curved into a tiny grin. “What would have happened if I hadn’t?”
His eyes moved up to meet mine. “I’m not sure. I’ve never brought a girl here.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?”
He nodded emphatically. “I haven’t, but Mikey did once, and she kicked them out. Said she had the right to refuse service. She told him to come back when his head was on straight.”
I gasped. “No, she didn’t!”
“Yeah, he said he got a car for the girl and came back in alone, and she gave him his burrito for free.”
My shoulders shook with my repressed laugh. Tina was heading our way, and I didn’t want her to know we were talking about her. I liked the sassy woman.
“Here are your waters. Do you know what you’d like to eat?”
Derrek glanced at me, and I nodded. Tina turned toward me. “What can I get you?”
“The chicken tostada, please.”
She wrote it down then looked to Derrek. “Tacos al pastor, please.”
Without another word she went back to the kitchen before returning seconds later with salsa and warm chips.
I couldn’t contain my smile as I picked one up and dipped it. I nearly moaned when the flavor hit my tongue. “So good,” I mumbled with a full mouth.
He chuckled and bit into a chip. “They’re my favorite in the city.”
I took another bite and swallowed before talking this time. “Thank you for sharing this place with me. You’ve made my week.”
His eyes lit up. “That wasn’t too difficult.”
I shrugged. “I’m a simple woman.”
His eyes narrowed. “I doubt that.”
“I swear.” I held up two fingers in what I thought was the boy scouts salute.
A low laugh escaped his lips. “It’s three fingers.”
I glanced at my hand and raised my ring finger. “There.”
He grinned, and I nearly swooned. He had to practice in the mirror to perfect that smolder.
“Tell me about the simple woman you are. I feel a bit exposed with you knowing my deepest insecurities.”
He had a point. The night of the party he’d opened up to me. It was likely a result of being in the right place at the right time, but still, he trusted me with his secrets and I had a gut feeling I could trust him in return.
“I’m not going to lay it all out like you did, but I’ll share some things with you.”
His cocky grin slipped. “That was a rare moment for me.”
I leaned forward and took another chip. “I could tell. That’s why I kept it to myself.”
“Thank you.”
I stuffed a chip into my mouth, hoping to delay the conversation. Telling Madi about my past had resurfaced the feelings I thought I had dealt with, but it still hurt to think of Martin’s betrayal.
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
He didn’t say it as a joke. His intense stare made me believe it. He really wanted to know everything about me. It should have felt intrusive or intimidating, but instead I felt drawn to him. I wanted to trust him and confide in him.
“Well, I was born on a cold night in—”
His laugh stopped me. “You can skip forward a little bit.”
I pretended to think about it. “In second grade, I fell on the playground.”
He put his hand up. “Maybe a bit more.”
I smirked. “You just want the good stuff.”
“For now. We have time for all the nitty gritty later.”
I liked the idea of spending more time with him more than I should. My brain was warning me that this needed to be a platonic relationship, but my heart stuck out its tongue and told my brain to shut up.
“I graduated from Baylor at the end of the summer. I had every intention of staying in that area or Houston, but plans changed.”
“Why?”
This was it. The moment I either told him the truth or skimmed over the facts. Something told me to lay it all out. If he wasn’t running by the end, I knew I could rely on him.
“Well about a year ago I met Martin…” I told him the whole horrid story. He barely reacted, so I wasn’t sure what he was thinking. I told him about the call from Madi and how a week later I was moving in with Elena.
He was quiet, looking torn. “Amelia. I’m so sorry.”
I tried to smile, but it fell flat. “It was really hard. I never wanted to leave Texas, but I had to. My reputation was destroyed.”
He shook his head. “I hate the way you got here, but I can’t say I’m not glad that you are.”
My cheeks warmed, and I looked up at him through my lashes. “Oh really?”
Heat filled his eyes. “Yes. You’re the first person I’ve met here that I feel like I can be myself around.”
I looked down, remembering what he told me on the balcony. He was struggling, with the team and himself. I understood feeling like you didn’t belong, and I hated that he was experiencing that.
“My coach talked to me today. He told me they’re worried about me affecting the team. He gave me specific grievances the guys have had with me. I know I’ve said and done dumb things, but it feels like the guys will never let it go.”
The sudden change of topic was a relief since it took the focus off me, but I could see how much he was hurting.
“Have you talked to any of them about it?”
His eyes dropped to the table. “No.”
“Why not?”
His shoulders rose and fell as he took a deep breath. “It’s hard enough knowing they’re holding onto these negative feelings, I don’t know how to bring it up without things getting confrontational. I don’t want to make things worse.”
I could understand that. “I don’t think things will get better without hashing it all out. It will be uncomfortable in the moment, but you can’t move forward until you do.”
“Can’t I just work harder from now on?” he asked with a half-hearted smile.
“I don’t know how the guys work. That might be okay, but I really think you need to clear the air.” I paused and waited until his eyes met mine. “I know we just met, but I really like you. You’re funny and kind and thoughtful. It’s sad that they don’t know that side of you.”
He didn’t interrupt so I continued.
“I’m not sure what’s happened in the past, but I know we all make mistakes. I don’t know all of them very well, but they seem like good guys. I’m sure they would appreciate the effort of you wanting to talk to them.”
He shifted in his seat. “I know it’s what I need to do, but it’s hard.”
I gave him a gentle smile. “It takes a lot of strength to set aside your pride and admit when you’re wrong. I think they’ll respect you.”
Tina saved us from the serious conversation when she brought out the food. The topic was forgotten and Derrek regaled me with stories from playing hockey as a teen while we ate.
“Thanks for coming with me.” He stopped next to my car and gazed down at me.
“Thanks for inviting me.
” He’d also paid for me which made me wonder if this had morphed into a date at some point.
We both hesitated, staring into each other’s eyes. The memory of how he’d focused on my lips sent a shiver down my spine. I couldn’t deny I was attracted to him, but I wasn’t ready to think about what that meant. I broke the tension when I unlocked my car. “I’ll see you later?”
He nodded. “Are you coming to the game tonight?”
“Yeah, the girls saved me a seat.”
His smile dimmed. “See you.”
I slid in behind the wheel and he shut the door for me. I watched him in the side mirror as he walked to his car and got in. His smile was gone.
9
Derrek
I had the perfect vantage point from my seat next to the bench. I could see the Pride in the section directly across from the bench, a few rows behind the penalty box. I noticed Amelia the moment she walked through the entrance of the portal wearing a home jersey. She took the stairs down behind Elena and sat between her sister and Madi. The two rows of women surrounding her waved and smiled when they saw them.
There wasn’t a single look of animosity among them. She lived here for just over a week and blended in seamlessly with the group. I knew from experience and stories that the Pride could be tough to break into. The women were protective of the team and one another. Chloe was especially tough on anyone that threatened to disturb the precious balance.
Elena met most of them in Mexico while vacationing with Lucy. She told me stories from that trip and how the women embraced her and even invited the two of them on their excursions. It didn’t sound like the Pride’s norm, but I couldn’t even begin to understand or predict their behavior.
It seemed completely random at times. A few of the girls some of the guys had brought around in the past were immediately dismissed. They weren’t allowed to come to practices and were never invited to any parties or dinners the women were famous for hosting. They seemed to have some sort of grading system no one knew about. They either let people into the group or they didn’t. I didn’t see any pattern or reasoning, but what did I know?
Scoring Chance (Utah Fury Hockey Book 9) Page 6
