Playmaker

by L. P. Dover

  In the kitchen, I fixed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The doorbell rang and my heart stopped. I wanted it to be Maddox, but when I saw the silhouette through the glass door, I knew it wasn’t. I opened the door and it was Sophia, dressed in a set of bright purple scrubs with the biggest smile on her face.

  “Surprise,” she squealed, throwing her arms around me. “I got away a day early.” She let me go and took a weary look at me. “Why do you look like you just woke up?”

  I groaned. “I have to work the night shift.”

  “Yikes. That sucks. I was hoping to hang out with you and your hubby tonight.”

  “Don’t know if that’s going to happen. Last night didn’t exactly go very well. I haven’t talked to him all day.” Then again, he was at practice and my phone was off.

  With a heavy sigh, she closed the door and followed me into the living room. “Care to talk about it?”

  I flung my arms up. “There’s a woman who’s been trying to get Maddox and she pretended something was wrong so he’d have to follow her to her house.”

  Sophia scoffed. “Good God. Let me guess, he went?”

  I nodded. “Nothing happened. I heard what he said to her. He wanted nothing to do with it.”

  “What did you do?”

  The whole thing actually seemed pretty ridiculous now. Chuckling, I could still see the look on Laura’s face when I barged into her house. “I stormed in like a woman scorned. Laura looked terrified.”

  Sophia laughed with me. “Wish I could’ve seen that.”

  “I don’t think she’ll be getting near Maddox anytime soon. After it all happened, I yelled at him and Braeden and left. I was so angry. I think these pregnancy hormones are making me go crazy.”

  “Probably,” she agreed. “At least, that’s the excuse you can give the guys. I’m sure Maddox will understand.”

  “I hope so. I shouldn’t have yelled at him last night. It just pissed me off when I saw him go into Laura’s house. I can’t begin to describe how angry that made me.”

  Her eyes widened. “I bet. You had a right to be angry.”

  “Hopefully he doesn’t hate me. I’m pretty sure he’s tried to call. I just like to be alone when I’m upset.”

  “Don’t we all. Some men don’t understand that.”

  Another knock sounded on the door and Callie waved at us. I motioned for her to come in and she opened the door. “Hey, Sophia.”

  Sophia hugged her. “Hi, Callie. It’s good to see you.”

  “Same to you. I’m glad you’re here. That means you can come eat dinner at my house.”

  “Does that mean I can come, too?” I asked with a wink.

  Callie laughed. “Of course. That’s why I’m here.” Judging by the look on her face, it wasn’t the only reason.

  “You talked to Maddox, didn’t you?”

  She nodded. “We talked all night. I told him that when you get angry, you get like violently angry. It’s an Easton trait. Take it from the woman who had to pluck beer bottle glass out of Dallas’s head.”

  “I’m not violent,” I shrieked. “When you’re surrounded by walking sacks of testosterone, it’s hard not to want to hit them.” Sophia and Callie burst out laughing. Running a hand over my face, I let out a heavy sigh. “I feel bad for leaving Maddox last night.”

  Callie waved me off. “He’s fine. I told him I was going to invite you to dinner tonight. Call him and talk to him. You and Sophia need a girls’ night anyway. Plus, it’ll give her a chance to hang out with Braeden.”

  Eyes wide, I gasped. “Is he going to be at your house, too?”

  “Dallas invited him,” she said sheepishly.

  I shook my head. “Not a good idea. I haven’t talked to Braeden since last night. I don’t even know how practice went for the guys. They probably beat the shit out of each other for all I know.”

  She snickered. “Nothing happened. Dallas would’ve told me if something did. Besides, you need to work things out with Braeden as well, even if he did try to instigate the shit that happened yesterday. He’s your best friend. I just hate seeing Maddox upset.”

  “So do I,” I whispered. “He’s my husband. However, yesterday I wanted to smack him.”

  Callie patted my shoulder. “I feel that way all the time with Dallas. Now come on, let’s go. You’re going to follow me to my house and hang out with me while I cook dinner. When Braeden gets there, you two can work things out. Then, after the game tomorrow night, you and Maddox will see each other again and have the best sex ever. Everything will work out just fine.”

  Sophia and I followed her outside and I nodded to my car. “Hop in, Soph.”

  We got in and started on our way to Callie’s house. Sophia smoothed a hand over the dashboard. “This is nice. How does it feel to drive now that you’re not in New York?”

  I shrugged. “I like it. Maddox bought this for me.”

  Her brows shot up. “Lucky.”

  “That I am,” I whispered. Releasing a heavy sigh, I pressed the phone call button on the screen and chose Maddox’s name. “I want to leave him a message.”

  Sophia nodded. “Go ahead. I’ll be quiet.”

  The phone rang over the car speakers and I waited for his voicemail to come on. “He’s not going to answer. I’m pretty sure he’s still at practice.”

  But then his voice came over the line. “Hey,” he answered.

  I sucked in a breath. “Hey, I was going to leave you a message. I didn’t think you’d be able to answer.”

  “I can hang up and you can call back.”

  The sound of his voice made my heart break. Even Sophia frowned listening to him. He sounded tired, and even a tad angry. “No, that’s okay. I just wanted to hear your voice and see how practice went.”

  “It was fine. How are you doing?”

  “Better. I had some time to think.”

  “And what did you think about?”

  I glanced over at Sophia and she waved for me to continue. My lips pulled back into a smile. “How much I love you,” I said to him.

  He chuckled, and it was the best sound in the world. “I love you, too. I hoped you would come home last night. Callie had to stop me from coming to get you.”

  “I’m glad she did. I’m not perfect, Maddox. When I get angry, I like to be left alone.”

  He snorted. “It’s a good thing I have a big house. Next time, just lock yourself in one of the other rooms. You can’t run away when we have problems. And believe me, I know I can be stupid at times, like you saw last night. My mind was in the right place. I thought Laura needed help and that’s why—”

  “We don’t have to talk about it anymore,” I cut in. “I know nothing happened and that nothing was going to happen.”

  “Does this mean you’re coming home after work?”

  “I’ll be there tomorrow morning. I have to work the night shift.”

  “I know.”

  “Sophia and I are on the way to Callie and Dallas’s house. We’re eating dinner with them and then I’m going to work.”

  “Hi, Maddox,” Sophia announced.

  “Hey, Sophia. Glad you could come down. Sorry to put you through so much shit.”

  She waved her hands. “No worries. It’s nothing compared to my divorce. I’d have given anything to beat the shit out of my cheating husband.”

  Maddox blew out a sigh. “He’s a worthless jackass who couldn’t see what he had.”

  Sophia nodded. “Exactly. I’m just glad you and Lacey were able to work things out.”

  She winked at me and I smiled. “I’ll try to call or text you tonight if I can. It’s Friday so I don’t know how crazy it’s going to be.”

  “Sounds good, sunshine. Be safe and I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Sophia grabbed her chest like she was in love. I shook my head and laughed silently. “Okay,” I murmured. “I love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  We hung up and Sophia giggled. “You guys are so cute. I ne
ver would’ve imagined Maddox could be like that. He’s so sweet.”

  “Yes, he is…and he’s all mine.”

  * * *

  —

  “Girl, are you going to eat all the strawberries?” Callie said, laughing.

  I chopped up the last two and tossed them in the big bowl with the grapes, apples, and pineapple. “Sorry. They taste so good. Plus, I’m in a good mood.”

  “No worries. I’m just glad you’re finally eating.” She dropped the dumplings into the pot and closed the lid. I hadn’t had chicken and dumplings in years. Joining me by the bowl of fruit, she reached in and stole a grape.

  “I’m glad you and Maddox worked things out. You could’ve gone over to see him. I know you’re dying to.”

  Sophia grabbed a strawberry and nodded. “I’ll be fine by myself if you want to go.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I do want to see him, but we’re having girl time right now. It’ll make the morning that much better when I go home.”

  Callie burst out laughing. “Of course, it will. He’s going to be too tired to play in the game tomorrow night.”

  “Him tired?” I said with a giggle. “What about me? I have to work tomorrow night. I’ll be exhausted.”

  Callie grabbed another grape. “Working night shift couldn’t have come at a worse time.”

  I shrugged. “It’ll be okay. I’m sure Dr. Young would do the same for me if I needed the help.”

  The door opened and Dallas appeared, carrying a case of beer. “Sorry I’m late. Had to grab some drinks.”

  I thought Braeden would be right behind him, but he wasn’t. “Where’s Braeden?” I asked.

  Dallas set the beer down and gave Callie a kiss. “He had to run home really quick. He should be here in a couple of minutes.” He peeked inside the pot and rubbed his stomach. “Dinner smells good, babe.”

  A few minutes later, a knock sounded on the door and Braeden walked in. “Knock, knock,” he called out.

  Dallas waved him over. “Come in, man.”

  My heart raced. Braeden joined us in the kitchen and I could see the anguish on his face. He smiled at Dallas and Callie, but I knew him well enough to see the pain behind those green eyes of his. Sophia waved at him and grinned. “Hi, Braeden. It’s good to see you again.”

  His lips pulled back into a small smile. “Same to you, Sophia.”

  She shifted on her feet and I could tell she was nervous. Callie cleared her throat and turned to Dallas. He stared at us, completely confused. “What’s going on here?”

  Callie patted his arm. “Honey, I need your help in the bedroom for a second.” He stared at us as she pushed him out of the kitchen. “Move, old man.” Reluctantly, he followed her out.

  She glanced back at me and I mouthed the words thank you to her. Sophia rubbed the back of her neck and slowly walked away. “I’m going to give you two some privacy.”

  Braeden watched her leave and then slowly met my gaze. “I am so sorry,” he whispered. “You have to know I had nothing to do with what happened last night.”

  “What about the flat tire incident?”

  He ran a hand over his face. “When I walked out of the rink, Laura and Miranda were there with a flat tire. I knew Maddox and Justin were the only ones left inside. I told them I had to leave and that they’d be able to help her. That’s it.” Closing the distance, he reached for my hands. He held them and squeezed. “As much as I despise Maddox, I would never deliberately hurt you like that. He loves you, Lacey. I see it all over his face. The guy would be the stupidest man alive if he ever hurt you.”

  I burst out laughing. “Yes, he would. He’d have you and Dallas chasing him down.”

  He let my hands go. “Are you ready for the world to find out the news?”

  That brought a smile to my face. “I am.”

  “It might not be a bad idea to go ahead and tell Dallas, too. He’ll understand.”

  “Understand what?” Dallas asked, strolling into the kitchen.

  Eyes wide, Callie hurried in behind him and so did Sophia. Clearing my throat, I walked over to Dallas, my nerves making my voice shake. “There’s something I have to tell you. You might want to sit down.”

  Callie patted his back. “I agree.”

  Chapter 33

  Lacey

  Maddox was asleep on the couch when I walked through the door after my long night at the hospital. We had ourselves a good time, and then I crashed. It was the best sleep I’d had in forever.

  When I woke up, Maddox was outside cutting the grass. Glancing at the clock, I saw he had about thirty minutes before he had to leave for the arena. My stomach growled so I took a quick shower and put on a set of my light blue scrubs. When I got into the kitchen, there was a bowl of chicken salad in the refrigerator. I pulled it out and made us a sandwich.

  My phone vibrated on the counter. It was Dallas.

  “Hey,” I answered.

  “I have to say, I’m still in shock.” Dallas chuckled and then sighed. “I can’t believe it took you so long to tell me. What’d you think I was going to do?”

  I took a bite of my sandwich. “I guess I figured you’d try to kick Maddox’s ass.”

  “If it was several months ago, I would have.”

  “Have you talked to Maddox at all? He’s outside cutting grass so I haven’t asked him.”

  He snorted. “Not yet. Think he’ll be afraid to talk to me?”

  “Not at all,” I said, laughing. “He’s not scared of you. I think he just wants to be accepted. So don’t make it hard on him.”

  “We’ll see,” he teased.

  Rolling my eyes, I sat down at the bar. My chicken salad sandwich was amazing. “How did everything go with Sophia and Braeden after I left for work?”

  “Good. They left together, so that’s a good sign. The woman knows her hockey.”

  “Yes, she does. That’s why I thought she’d be a good match for him. Hopefully, he’ll open up to it.”

  “Are you playing matchmaker?”

  “Not really,” I answered sheepishly. “Well, maybe a little. They’re the perfect match.”

  Dallas burst out laughing. “You’re too much. But hey, I have to get ready to leave. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Okay. Play hard.”

  “I always do.” We hung up and I finished off my sandwich. Wiping his sweaty brow on his shirt, Maddox walked through the back door. I waved at him and he joined me in the kitchen.

  “Hey, babe,” I called sweetly.

  He winked and kissed my cheek in passing. “Did you sleep good?”

  “I slept amazing. Although it feels like I could sleep even more. Being pregnant really wipes you out.”

  Grabbing a bottle of water, he guzzled it down. “It’s a good thing this is your last night on night shift.”

  “True.” He opened the refrigerator and pulled out another bottle of water. I nodded toward the bowl of chicken salad. “Did you make that?”

  He followed my gaze. “The chicken salad?”

  “Yeah, it’s really tasty. I love it.”

  A sad smile spread across his face. “My mom brought it to me today. You were asleep. I didn’t want to wake you.”

  “Did you tell her about us?”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t want to do it without you.”

  “Are your parents going to the game tonight?”

  With a heavy sigh, he drank more of his water. “I think so. Guess we’ll see. They haven’t come to the last ones.”

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him. “I hope they do so you and your dad can work things out. It’s been long enough.”

  “Yes, it has. And if it doesn’t work out, I still have you. That’s all that matters.” He kissed me quickly and smacked my ass as he walked away. “I’m going to take a shower and head out.”

  “I won’t be far behind you,” I shouted back. As much as he wanted to say he didn’t care about his dad, I knew he did. I just prayed they worked it out before it w
as too late.

  * * *

  —

  Sophia and I had gotten to the arena early and joined Callie in the private box. She glanced down at my light blue scrubs and smiled. “You look good in blue.”

  I sat down beside her and Sophia took the seat next to me. “Thanks. It’s my favorite color. My scrubs are the only thing that’s going to fit me here pretty soon.”

  Squealing, she bounced in her seat. “Maternity clothes shopping. I can’t wait. I want to go with you.” More people started coming into our seating area and my gut clenched. If Laura showed up I was going to go off. “She’s not coming,” Callie murmured low.

  “Was I that obvious?”

  She snorted. “You looked like you could kill someone. I figured it was because of Laura.”

  I huffed. “Yeah. I really don’t want to see her right now.”

  Callie squeezed my shoulder. “Justin told her to stay away. He was pretty pissed at Miranda, too, because she knew about the scheme. She won’t be here, either.”

  “Good. It’s stress I don’t need.”

  “Well, I’m glad you worked everything out with Braeden. You two are too close to be at odds with each other. He apologized to me as well because he knows Maddox is my family.”

  “I’m glad it worked out, too.”

  Leaning forward, she looked over at Sophia. “What all did you and Braeden do after you left last night?”

  Sophia’s cheeks turned red, but she shrugged it off. “Nothing much. He took me to his house and we talked for a few hours.”

  “Anything else?” I asked with a wink.

  She bit her lip. “We might have a date this weekend.”

  Squealing, I clapped my hands. “Yay, that’s awesome.”

  She shrugged. “It’s obvious you were still on his mind. It’s going to take him time to get over losing you. Although I do think he was impressed by my hockey knowledge.”

  Callie bumped me in the shoulder. “See, Braeden will be okay. He just has to get his mind off you. I know you’re going to miss spending time with him.”

  I shrugged. “I just want him happy.”

  The game was about to start so the guys got into position. Maddox waved at us and I waved back. Once the puck hit the ice, it was on. The team looked amazing out there. I had no doubt we would win. The game started and Maddox was a force to be reckoned with. He moved faster than I’d ever seen him before. “He’s a little vicious out there, isn’t he?”