“He has. Well, it’s been six years,” Molly says. “But it is weird to see him again.”
I sneeze. And again. And again.
“Bless you, and again and again.” Molly hands me a tissue from her purse.
I feel the cold of the rink on my face, and I blow my nose. That’s when Cam skates out to take shots on goal. He glances in my direction, and I wave at him, feeling better already.
He skates right up to the glass and takes off his helmet.
“This game’s for you, Savannah!” He raises his stick at me and I smile.
“Yeah, this won’t get Daddy’s attention,” I mutter to Celie and Molly. “If he sees me flirting with Cam, he could use it against the Cannons. He remembers the no fraternizing rule—he wrote it!”
“He’s probably too busy to notice,” Molly reassures me.
But as if on cue, Daddy approaches one of his players on the ice. He looks directly at Cam as Cam’s grinning at me. Daddy noticeably jerks backward.
My face must fall because Cam turns around and looks right at my father. Then, he puts on his helmet, gives me a wave, and skates past my father like he’s not even there. Daddy glares after him, but Cam takes a puck and shoots it hard at the goal. It sails into the net easily.
Daddy gives his three daughters a head nod and returns to his bench.
“Well, that went super,” Celie says sarcastically. “He’s already pissed, and we haven’t even had a proper hello.”
“I wasn’t excited for Cam to have to meet Daddy,” I say.
“I don’t think you’ll have a choice in the matter,” Celie says.
I start sneezing again. It’s like I’ve become allergic to the ice.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell them. “The ice has to be cleaned before the start of the game. I’m going to go to the restroom. Maybe the warm air will help me stop sneezing.”
I go use the bathroom, and as I step out, I hear—
“Savannah McMann. My favorite daughter!”
Of course, Daddy sees me before I see him.
I turn to my left.
My father’s even grayer than I originally thought and slightly balding. He steps closer, gives me a big hug and kiss, and then smiles broadly.
“Wow!” Daddy beams. “You’re all grown up!”
I just look at him. “You’ve been gone six years.”
He beams again. “Come to the concession stand with me. The game isn’t starting for another fifteen minutes. Let’s sit and catch up.”
“Um…” This isn’t going at all the way I planned, but nothing with my father ever does. He’s an expert at taking control. “Okay.”
At Daddy’s request, I grab us a table by the wall while he orders us some drinks. When he comes over, he’s carrying two vanilla milkshakes.
My heart lifts despite myself.
“You remembered.” I smile and take one of the milkshakes from him.
He sits down across from me. “Of course. You still like it.” Daddy watches me take a sip of my milkshake. “I know I do.”
I stare at his relaxed demeanor, unable to reconcile it with the man I knew.
“Daddy.” I pause to sneeze. “Are you…taking medication for anything?”
He startles. “Just some calming meds. Helps with all the chatter in my mind. How’d you know?”
“You seem calmer.”
“You always were the best at understanding me,” he says, sounding proud.
“Then how come you never answered any of my letters or emails?” I ask him, surprised I’m voicing my private thoughts but too upset to keep them to myself.
“I’m sure I answered at least a few of them,” he says, rubbing his jaw like he always does when he’s lying.
“Nope. I never received anything from you. Not in the six years since you left.” I hate the emotion filling my throat, and I force myself to remain calm.
My father’s face turns stony, and I recognize the familiar stubbornness. “I sat down to write you many times.”
“And?” Another sneeze, and I grab a napkin.
“And I got busy with something else, I guess.”
Now that, I can believe. My father’s attention span only ever stays focused when it comes to hockey.
“So why now?” I ask him. “Why did you reach out to me now?”
Instead of answering my question, Daddy shoves the milkshake straw into his mouth and slurps.
“I guess you and Watts have done well together,” I say. “You’ve won a lot more in Colorado than you ever did here.”
He raises a thin eyebrow in surprise and lifts his gaze off his milkshake. “Something’s different with you.”
Yes, I met a man who cares about me far more than I ever believed possible.
“I grew up, Daddy. That’s what happens between sixteen and twenty-two.”
“Well!” he says brightly. “Yes, we’ve won, but I’ve got other things to be excited about too! A last chance for your old man to marry and be a father again. Quite a lesson, huh?”
“Yes.” I force a smile. “Congratulations. When’s the wedding?”
“Soon. Flora’s been ready for months.”
“That’s great. Well, we better go,” I say. “The game’s about to start.”
Daddy gives me a kiss and hug even though I barely touch him.
“See you after the game!” He points at me.
I point back at him and quickly head for the stands.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The game is close throughout and filled with tension.
Watts didn’t make the trip due to an illness, so at least that’s something I don’t have to deal with. Still, the Caves are bullies, and Molly, Celie, and I have no problem rooting against them. One player in particular, some massively tall guy wearing number 47 with the name Sully on his jersey, seems to be on the team solely to pick fights. And his main target is Cam.
He’s clearly trying to get into Cam’s head and throw him off his game any way he can. Cam handles it like the star that he is. He dodges Sully’s checks and barely manages to avoid a few flying elbows aimed at his head. But everyone cracks eventually, especially when they’re being goaded.
When Sully slams Cam into the boards so hard I shriek, Cam comes back swinging. He shoves Sully to the ice, and the two of them start rolling around and exchanging punches. By the time the refs pull them apart, Cam’s got blood on his face, and Sully’s bent over holding his busted nose.
They get sent to the penalty box, and I take a look at my father’s expression. Sure enough, he’s smiling. That crazy, competitive smile he always got whenever he thought he was getting what he wanted, no matter the price.
I glare at him and then turn my attention to Cam. He’s banging his stick on the ground inside the box. His cheeks are red, and the blood is coming from his lip. He wipes it away impatiently, looking like he just wants back on the ice.
“He’s really hot when he’s mad, huh?” Celie says.
“He’s always hot,” I say. “I just hope he’s okay.”
By the time the buzzer sounds, signaling the end of the penalty, the score is still tied at zero. But only one minute is left in regulation.
Cam breaks out of the penalty box like a man on fire. He skates across the ice effortlessly, heading for the puck. He swipes it away from the Caves player in seconds and passes to his wingman, McLain. When McLain passes it back, Cam avoids Sully’s hook and eludes the only defenseman in his path before winding up to take a shot from just inside the blue line. It’s a long shot, but the goalie gambles and jumps out to narrow down the angle. The puck is hit so hard that it careens off his shoulder and slams into the top of the net. Right at the buzzer.
Celie and Molly and I jump up and down and scream like we won the title.
Making the playoffs felt impossible two months ago. But now—
I turn toward the ice. Cam, in typical Cam fashion, is tearing off his team jersey and grinning. He takes off his pads and tosses them over the boards, and then r
emoves his t-shirt.
Half-naked as usual, he turns to find me.
“Playoffs!” he shouts to me. “What’d I tell you?”
I laugh and hold up my phone to take a picture of him celebrating.
Thirty minutes later, both teams have left for the locker rooms, and I just want to go home. But Molly and Celie are determined to see Daddy.
“Did he give you a clue what he wanted?” Celie asks me for the tenth time.
“Not exactly.”
I wouldn’t say the pre-game run-in with my father went great. Then again, it went pretty much the way things always go with him.
My excitement over the win is gone, and now all I feel is numb.
“Hello, girls.” We all turn to see Daddy walking toward us.
He climbs into the stands, gives me a big hug and kiss as if we didn’t see each other already, and then he does the same with Molly and Celie.
I return to sneezing. As Molly reaches into her purse to hand me a tissue, Cam steps out from the Cannons’ locker room. He waves but doesn’t come over.
Cameron
My hands clench into fists at my sides as I watch Savannah stand across from the man who broke her. The fact that he’s her father makes me loathe him even more.
But I fight back a smile when I take a closer look. Savannah’s so strong, and as she nods a response to her dad, I relax when her mouth twists into a half-frown.
She’s not going to give in to him. Never again. I can tell. Her head is held high and her shoulders back, almost like she’s spreading her wings and getting ready to fly away from him and all his fucking abuse.
I’ve fallen for her. I haven’t told her because I don’t think that’s something she’s ready to hear, but I care about her so much that having to see her with someone who treated her like crap kills me. But I respect her just as much, and I’ll shake her dad’s hand if that will help her to heal. As much as I want to break him in half and destroy him for what he did to her when she was a helpless child, I know Savannah wouldn’t want that from me. She needs me to be a better man than he was, not engage with him in a war over her past.
I catch her eye again and make the motion of pretending to hit something with a phantom hockey stick. “Use your stick if you have to,” I mouth.
Her face lights up in a smile, and she beckons me over.
Savannah
Molly congratulates Daddy on his upcoming nuptials and impending fatherhood while Celie stands silently.
I glance back at Cam, and as he playfully pretends to swing an invisible hockey stick, I lip-read his words. Use your stick if you have to.
I want to jump into his arms and make love to him right then. He always knows exactly what I need.
I smile and wave him over, and he heads for us immediately.
I introduce him to my father whose eyes narrow on Cam.
“You didn’t play for me when I coached here. Declan Wild’s brother. I’d sure remember the hottest new star in the AMHL.”
“Hello, sir.” Cam’s voice is calm, but his expression is feral like if he had his way, he’d deck my father on the ground right now. His dark eyes pin Daddy in place, and my father twitches like he felt the silent threat thrown his way.
He extends his hand, and Daddy takes it. “Maybe I can persuade you to join the Caves when your contract’s up.”
“Not a chance,” Cam says lightly. “I like it here.”
“Are you okay?” I ask Cam, gesturing to the cut on his face. “That must hurt.”
“I’m fine,” he assures me. “The trainer cleaned it out. Didn’t even need stitches.”
We all walk outside together, and as Daddy walks ahead with Celie and Molly, Cam takes my hand immediately, firmly, and in a “you’re mine” kind of way. He holds onto me so gently, with such care, that I stop worrying about Craig or anyone on the Cannons seeing us. And I temporarily stop sneezing.
I shift closer to him and he kisses my head.
He flicks his gaze over to me.
“I’m okay. Really. I appreciate that you’re here for me, Cam. I can’t tell you how much that means. But I have to find out what he wants.” Because I could see it in my father’s eyes—this is not a social visit.
We all reach our vehicles, and stand awkwardly for a moment.
Then Molly breaks the silence. “I’ve got something to say.”
Cam glances over at me. I shrug, having no clue what Molly’s going to come out with.
“Daddy, I’ve been waiting a long time to have the opportunity to tell you this, and I wanted you to be the first in the family to know. This may be the only chance I’ve got to tell you so…here goes.” Molly draws a deep breath and I hear it catch in her throat. She recovers, though, and with a determined smile and looking right at Daddy, she says in a clear tone, “I’ve started dating someone. A woman.”
Daddy had a smile on his face, happy he was thought of “first.” His smile remains although it’s quickly fading.
Cam puts his hand on my arm as Molly lifts her chin and zeroes in on my father.
“I wanted you to know that.”
Celie gasps. “That’s so great, Mol! You’re actually dating?”
Molly nods, and her gaze shifts to me.
“That’s amazing, Mol.” My voice is soft. “I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks, Vannah.” Molly answers me, but her attention returns to my father.
Cam says to her quietly, “You don’t need anyone’s approval to be yourself.”
She sends him a grateful look. “I know, but this is something I had to do.”
Daddy breaks out of his trance. “What the fuck did you just say, Molly? If it’s what I think, that is simply unacceptable for one of my daughters.”
“I’m sorry,” Molly says. “But I’m an adult now, Dad. Not a kid. You can’t tell me what is and isn’t acceptable anymore.”
“You’re screwed up, Molly,” My father says. “This is fucking crazy!”
“Daddy, stop it.” I hear my voice rather than feel it.
My father turns on me. “Oh, you knew about this, did you? And you never said anything earlier?”
I feel rather than see Cam rein in his anger, trying not to interfere.
“Why do you always do that, Daddy?” Molly says. “Why do you always turn it on Savannah and make it her fault, no matter who’s involved?”
“She is at fault!” Daddy’s tone is furious. “Bringing her boyfriend and her sisters along when I only asked to see her!”
Cam tenses like he’s about to turn on my father, but I squeeze his hand, begging him to stop.
I barely recognize my own voice when it comes out low and seething. “Daddy, if you don’t stop, I’m going to turn and walk away. And I know you wanted to discuss something important with me. So consider this fair warning.”
Daddy growls, but he doesn’t say anything in return.
Shaking, I let out a long breath.
Cam’s jaw is clenched in a vice grip, and his eyes are blazing. Molly’s smiling like this evening has fulfilled her every fantasy.
Without another word, she pulls out her car keys. “Thanks for the talk, Daddy. Goodbye.”
And she’s gone. Into her car and out of sight.
Celie turns to Daddy. “You haven’t changed at all, have you? God bless your son, Daddy. I’m leaving.”
She says goodbye to Cam and me and jumps into her car.
And now it’s down to three.
Appropriately, we’re still standing in the dark, frigid night air of Climax, Minnesota. Me, my father, and my boyfriend.
“This is not how I thought this would go,” Daddy says with a frown.
“How did you think it would go?” Cam asks him.
“I wanted to ask my favorite daughter if she’d move out to Colorado and work for me again.” Daddy practically pouts as he says it.
I feel the bottom drop out below me. My father doesn’t ask for things without a good reason, a reason that will benefit him.
“You want that?” I say in disbelief.
“Sure. But you seem busy.” He gives Cam a hard stare. “You know the team handbook says no fraternizing between employees. I don’t like Craig and I have no loyalty to the Cannons anymore, but I advise you two to think about your futures before you keep this romance going.”
“You want me to move out to Colorado now?” I ask him again.
Daddy’s gaze shifts away from me, and I know I’m not going to learn the real reason. Not yet. “It feels right! It could be an opportunity for us to try again, Vannah! We never won together, you know.”
I flinch, remembering how things ended.
“I would never even consider working for the Caves when that man is still on the team.”
Daddy’s face contorts with discomfort. “Watts is leaving after this season.”
So he and Watts are finished for some reason. Probably because Watts isn’t in his prime anymore. And my father needs a new star. Someone who can make sure he stays on top. Someone like…
Cam.
Fuck. He wants Cam. And he’s willing to use his daughter to get him. He just wants what he wants. And right now, that’s Cameron Wild.
But why does he think I can help him get Cam? Did my father know Cam and I were dating before he saw us together? No. It’s not possible. I can’t quite get his angle. But I will.
“Tell me more,” I say, hoping to stall him.
“Think about it, Savannah McMann.” Daddy always skips my middle name. It reminds him too much of my mother who chose it for me. “You could have the spare room downstairs. Colorado’s beautiful. Much better than this crap here.” He gestures around as if the Cannons parking lot can sum up the whole of Minnesota.
He reaches into his pocket and puts a business card into my hand. “I’m missing you, baby. I miss our laughs and our talks and your beautiful smile. You always did have a beautiful smile. Doesn’t she?” he says to Cam.
“Of course she does.” Cam rubs my back. “All of her is beautiful.”
Daddy looks at him for a long moment and then turns to me. “So tell me, Savannah.” He gives me all of his attention for the first time tonight. “Can we talk somewhere warm? Coffee’s my treat.”
Cameron (Wild Men Book 7) Page 16
