by Denise Bower
“I still would like to speak with you in private some time,” he said.
“Sure,” I said before shoving him back into the locker room and making my escape.
Shelby was leaning against the wall, fiddling with her credentials when I came out of the room.
“You ready to go home?” I asked.
“No, I’ll wait for Alex. He’s taking me out to dinner. You’re welcome to come with if you want.”
“Thanks, but I have a few things to take care of here before I can go anywhere.”
A few things turned into a lot of things and I didn’t stagger into my hotel room until well after midnight. I thought about showering, but it sounded like too much work. I did the bare minimum in the bathroom before I crawled under the blankets and crashed.
Being in the hockey business meant, once the season started, days off were few and far between, so trying to find enough time to fill out all the paperwork for the Ravens and secure my apartment was hard work. When I had a few down minutes, I spent it in my office working on all the documents and hoping I returned them to the correct people. Margo had to call me to her office three times before I managed to get everything completed to her satisfaction.
The team had two more home games, and on Friday, I bribed the captain into taking over the skating drills so I could pick up the keys to my very own apartment. I was going to milk his guilt for all it was worth.
With Shelby’s help, it only took four trips to empty my car. I dropped my bags next to the five boxes and two plastic tubs I’d brought from California.
“Thanks for helping, Shelby. I appreciate it.”
“My dumb brother is sleeping again. What is the team doing to him?”
“Working him hard,” I said, laughing.
“I’ll see you later,” she said. “I have homework.”
“Lucky you,” I said.
I didn’t have time to enjoy my own space or put anything away because I was due back at the arena to meet with a few of the players to adjust their blades. Doc was also demanding to meet with me again. By the time I stumbled back into my new apartment, I realized my huge mistake.
My lovely new home was very empty unless you counted my suitcases and the items from my car. In reality I had no furniture, no food, no dishes, no towels, no nothing. I couldn’t even hang up my clothes because I didn’t have any hangers.
I walked through the empty apartment, listening to my footsteps echo. No amount of closing my eyes and wishing could conjure a couch, a bed, or even a fork.
The clock on my phone seemed to mock me when I saw the time. No stores were open at this hour unless you counted the gas station where I could stock up on paper plates, plastic silverware, and napkins. But I had no pots or pans to cook anything, so it didn’t really matter if I had eating utensils.
I laughed at my predicament, and the sound bounced around the room. I slid open the glass doors and stepped onto the balcony, staring up at the night sky filled with twinkling stars. I could hear the gentle roll of the waves as they broke on the shore. I stayed outside until I was shivering and yearning to take a shower. As usual, when things were spiraling out of control, I called Sawyer.
“Good evening,” I said.
“Nothing good about it,” Sawyer grumped. “I was assaulted by naked breasts and terrible dirty talk that included the words bucking bronco.”
“I’m sitting in my new apartment,” I said.
“Lucky you.”
“Yeah, not really. I don’t have anything. I’m pretty sure I can’t make a bed out of my suitcases.”
“Like nothing?”
“Yep, nothing. Can’t you hear the echoes?”
“Only you, doll.” He chuckled. “You can always cheer me up.”
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“For now,” he said. “And you?”
I launched into all the happenings of the past day. Sawyer gasped in all the right places, joined in my mad mutterings about the captain and the rest of the crazy team, and congratulated me when I said I might actually love this job.
“I’m happy for you, doll, but it’s late, and we’re traveling in the morning.”
“Thanks for listening to me. I miss you terribly.”
He said a soft goodbye, and I sighed into the phone as he disconnected.
Now I really needed a shower, and the thought of using my clothing to dry off didn’t seem very appealing. My only option was asking Alex if he had a towel I could borrow. After several minutes of knocking, a very sleepy Alex opened the door.
“You shouldn’t open the door without asking who it is,” I said, which earned me a face full of door. I knocked again.
“Who is it?” came Alex’s voice through the closed door.
“New tenant. I live down the hall. My name is Victoria. I’m the strength and conditioning coach for the Ravens,” I said as the door swung open again.
He grimaced at me and ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end.
“Er, sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you, but it’s an emergency.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, sounding very concerned.
“Uh, can I borrow a towel?” I asked.
“A towel? A towel is an emergency.”
“Yes, I want to take a shower, and I don’t have any towels. I really don’t have anything,” I said.
He raised an eyebrow but stood to the side so I could enter.
“I’ll be right back,” he said.
“Thanks, and can I borrow Shelby tomorrow?”
“Borrow me for what?” she asked in a rough voice when she came out of her room, rubbing her eyes.
“I need to go shopping. I don’t even have a bed,” I said.
“You mean what we carried from your car is all you have?” Shelby asked, eyes widening.
Alex dropped the towels he was carrying. “Where are you sleeping tonight?”
I shrugged. “The floor. Can I borrow a pillow and a blanket? I guess I could use the towel, but it will be damp. Oh jeesh, I should go back to the hotel. They had towels and a bed. I’m an idiot. I deserve to sleep on the floor.”
“You can’t do that,” Shelby said, sounding horrified. “I slept on the floor once and my back ached for three days. And I’m young!”
“I’m not that old,” I said.
“You can take my bed tonight. I’ll sleep on the couch,” she said.
“I’m not going to chase you out of your bed. The couch is fine for me,” I said. “If it’s okay with you, Alex.”
He answered by tossing a pile of blankets and a pillow at me. “I don’t care who sleeps where, but if anyone wakes me in the morning, I will hurt you. I finally have a day off, and I’m going to take advantage by not doing anything. Shelby, if you want to go shopping with Vika be my guest. But you both have to be back here for dinner.”
“Yes, sir,” Shelby said and saluted him. He rolled his eyes and trudged back to his room.
“He’s grumpy,” I said.
“He’s tired and nervous about getting sent down to Iowa. That would suck. Iowa isn’t known for its abundance of skating rinks. I’d rather stay here.” She paused. “Please don’t tell him I said that. I don’t want him to worry about me.”
“He’s not going to get sent down,” I said firmly.
“I know how hockey works. No player is a sure thing,” she said.
“He’s more likely to get sent up than down,” I said.
A flicker of fear showed on her face, but she composed herself quickly and shut off her emotions. I didn’t want to stand here and upset her, so I changed the subject.
“Let’s not worry about things we can’t control,” I said. “The team is going on a seven-day road trip and I’ve elected not to go along with them. I need to catch up with everything at the rink. Alex has been totally stressing, so how would you like to stay with me. I’d really appreciate the help setting up my apartment. And, maybe we can find some time to get on the ice.”
Her eyes wid
ened as she absorbed the meaning of my words. “Seriously?”
“Yes,” I said.
Shelby screamed so loud, a distraught Alex came barreling into the living room. “What’s going on?”
She talked so fast I could barely understand her, but Alex seemed to be able to follow her excited squeals.
“Are you sure?” he asked me.
“Yeah, I’m positive,” I said.
“Thank you so much,” he said, enveloping me in a hug.
“I’m just going to be playing catch-up while you guys are gone. I’ll also help Daniel get his ankle back in working order. He should be cleared for ice time soon.”
Alex looked like I’d lifted a giant weight off his shoulders. “I’m going to try and go back to sleep. No more screaming. No more asking to borrow things. If you need something, just take it.”
Shelby handed me her keys. “Go take a shower. I’ll make up the couch so you can crash when you’re done. I’m going to bed.”
“Deal.”
Forty-five minutes later, I was burrowed in a pile of blankets on a couch that was pretty damn comfortable. Or maybe it was just that I was so tired and the couch was better than sleeping on the floor.
It was nice to have a day off from hockey and the guys, but when Shelby poked me in the shoulder, telling me it was time to get up, what I really wanted to do was hide under the blankets and go back to sleep. Instead I was going to spend the day shopping.
After a quick trip back to my apartment to get dressed, I found Shelby sitting at her kitchen table writing furiously. When she noticed me, she slid a few of the papers in my direction. She had created lists of items and divided everything into Essential, Non-Essential, Decorative, and Boring Stuff.
“Check them and add anything else you think you need.”
It turned out having these lists was incredibly helpful. God knows what I would have stuffed in my cart if I hadn’t followed her suggestions. Seven stores later, we were done buying enough things that I’d be able to function. I had delivery dates recorded in my phone along with a promise of a bed arriving at my apartment by the time we parked.
We finished in half the time I had planned, which left the remainder of the day for resting. Except Shelby then suggested we go to the grocery store and stock my fridge.
“You have dishes and pots and pans but nothing to cook. You keep complaining about eating fast food all the time.”
I sighed because she was right, so we sat on the floor and I let her make another list. When she was satisfied, we headed off to the grocery store.
Again I was glad she made a list, or my cart would have been piled high with junk food. We made it home at the same time the bed guys pulled into the parking lot. I felt slightly giddy at the thought of a new mattress. While we carried in groceries, they assembled the frame and then lugged the mattress and box spring to my apartment.
“Er, the bed seems bigger than I remember.”
The guy flipped through his order forms. “This order says California king.”
“Good grief. Do I look like I need a gigantic mattress?”
He glanced at me and shrugged, ignoring my question.
Shelby nudged me and whispered, “You could fit six people in here.”
For a few minutes, I thought about demanding they return this monstrosity and bring me a normal size mattress, but I wasn’t in the mood to argue. And the bed looked incredibly comfortable.
The guys finished setting up the bed, had me sign something, and left.
“None of the sheets and blankets are going to fit,” Shelby said.
I glanced at the phone and decided we had enough time to rush back to the store.
The same lady was still working and she tried to contain her amusement when I explained why I needed to exchange the bedding. Thankfully it was an easy exchange, and we were back home right as Alex sent a text about dinner. I chucked the bags into my bedroom and headed over to Alex’s apartment. When he opened the door, the smell of food overwhelmed my senses and made my stomach rumbled in anticipation.
“About time,” Alex said as he stirred something in a pot. “Set the table, Shelby. We’re having homemade chicken noodle soup, salad, and fruit. I hope it meets your standards.”
“It smells great,” I said.
“Sit.” Shelby pushed me toward the table.
The food and the company made the end of the very long day lovely. But the best part may have been crashing on my new gigantic bed. I did manage to put on the mattress pad, but I was too tired to wash the sheets. I unwrapped a pillow and opened one of the blankets, curling up and quickly falling asleep.
Chapter 6
The dawn brought a light dusting of snow and an angry lake as the powerful wind stirred up the water, sending giant waves crashing on the shore. With all the lists we made, I hadn’t purchased a winter coat, mittens, or suitable footwear. My clothes were still strewn all over the floor because we neglected to buy hangers. Plus I had to navigate around boxes and the new stuff we hadn’t put away. I did manage to find my Ravens team jacket. By the time I arrived at the rink, I’d cursed every snowflake and was chilled to the bone.
“Hey, Hank.” I shivered and shook some snow off my shoulders.
“Good morning. You look like a Popsicle. You should buy a better coat. What can I do for you?”
I took a deep breath. “Who do I need to see about the ice schedule?”
“Are you working with Daniel on rehabbing his ankle?”
“He’s not cleared for ice time yet.”
“Oh, I thought…. Who do you need the ice for? Doc just stopped by and said he could start skating today.”
The moment Hank finished his sentence, my phone chirped and a text from Doc came through, clearing Daniel.
“Oh, never mind,” I said.
“You can bring the kid on the ice with him,” he said.
“Kid? What kid?” I said, trying to make it sound like I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Don’t play dumb,” he said. “I know you want the ice for Shelby.”
“Who told?”
“It’s all Shelby talks about. I figured she finally wore you down. She’s so excited, and I don’t blame her. I would love to see you skate.”
“I’m not skating,” I snapped. The moment the words were out of my mouth, I felt terrible for shouting at Hank. “I’m sorry for being rude.”
“I get it,” he said. “But you shouldn’t allow someone who’s not even around to keep you from doing something you love.”
“What are you, a shrink?”
“If you need me to be,” he said and winked. “I have a lot of job titles.”
“I’m not ready yet,” I said.
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye but said nothing. I squirmed under his scrutiny and decided I needed to leave the room.
“Talk to Paulie about the ice,” Hank yelled as I scurried down the hall. “See you after the trip.”
I ran into Johan at the top of the stairs.
“How’s Daniel?” Johan asked.
“Just cleared today.”
“How are you?”
“Adjusting.”
“When we return, I want you to work the team into the ground,” he said.
“Sure thing,” I said. “Do you know where I could get some tractor tires? Or maybe we can do some cross-country skiing. The forecast is predicting lots of snow.”
He looked at me like I was slightly unhinged. “Uh, ask Paulie. Well, I think the guys are all loaded. Hold down the fort.”
As he strolled across the concourse, I heard him mumbling about shitty bus rides. I was suddenly thankful I didn’t have to make the trip. But if I were on the trip, I wouldn’t have to think about skating with Shelby. My mind was a jumbled mess.
It wasn’t only the skating that was making me jittery. With Alex gone, I was suddenly in charge of a fourteen-year-old girl. I shoved it out of my mind, because right now she was at school, and I had work to do.
>
Daniel had already started his workout when I found him in the weight room. We worked hard on strengthening his ankle. I cut his time on the ice short when his ankle started to ache.
Paulie was waiting for me in my office after I finished practice. He handed me a copy of the ice schedule and winked. I penciled my name into an empty slot and felt a surge of excitement flow through my body. I thanked him and rushed home to wait for Shelby to get out of school.
The moment she staggered into the apartment, I knew we wouldn’t be going to the rink. Her eyes drooped, her skin was pale and clammy, and her mouth was wide open as she tried to breathe. She grunted at me and disappeared into her room. When I called Alex, he freaked out and wanted to come home. I told him I could handle a sick kid.
Three days later she felt better, but now I was infected with the crud. I tried to pretend I wasn’t sick by dragging my aching body, bright red nose, and watery eyes to the rink. The second Margo spotted me, she hollered and told me to go home. I backed out of her office when she brandished a bottle of disinfectant and aimed it in my direction. I texted Daniel and told him he was on his own.
Again, Alex wanted to come home, but Shelby scoffed at him and tossed me a box of tissues while fixing me a cup of tea. She handed me the phone, and I warned Alex to stay far away from his plague-infested home.
I was down for three days, suffering through mouth breathing, sweating, and strange dreams about skating and hockey tangled together. I whined to Sawyer, begging him to come stay with me. He made the best chicken soup.
During our phone conversations, Sawyer acted more subdued and wouldn’t talk about the ice show. I tried to force the subject, but he continually blew me off, and since I was sick, I didn’t have the stamina to break him and get him to talk.
By the time the team returned from a successful road trip, I had recovered enough to pass as human. Doc declared me noncontagious, so I was allowed around the team. I was excited to get back to work, but the guys were less than pleased when they saw the schedule for ice time and workouts. I ignored their pleas for mercy and put them through the paces.
