In It to Win It (Wynn Hockey)

by Kelly Jamieson

  He gives me a long, level look, and says, “Yes. I trust you.”

  My heart bumps. I look over at my dog. “Okay, Byron! Let’s go.”

  He jumps up, tail wagging. I pick up the leash. “Thank you again for looking after him.”

  This was a mistake. I mean, I’m sure Byron will be fine.

  But will I?

  Chapter 13

  Taylor

  Dad carries a box into my apartment and sets it on the floor. He straightens and looks around. “Not bad.”

  “Could be a lot worse, right?” I, too, gaze around the space. The super gave me the keys to my place a day early and Dad’s helping me bring some things over before the big move tomorrow. “They painted it for me, so it’s nice and fresh.” I actually like the color—a warm greige that will look great with the furniture I’m bringing. “It’s small, but I don’t need that much room. At least I have a bedroom; I looked at some studio apartments that were all one room. And it’s going to be nice to be so much closer to work. No more stressful commutes in bumper-to-bumper traffic.”

  “You’re being a trouper about this.” He curls an arm around my shoulders and kisses my temple. “I know this was a shock.”

  “Well…the splitting-up part was. I figured you were going to ask me to move out, though.” I smile wryly. “It’s time.”

  “We wanted you to get a good start to your career. We know it’s different these days. It’s hard for kids to save up, and buying a place is out of reach for so many.”

  “Well, luckily you helped me out with my school expenses, and it won’t take me that long to pay off the loans I have.” Again, it could be worse. I know kids with tons more debt than I have.

  “You let me know if you need anything at all,” Dad says. “I’ll help however I can.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” I pause. “Are you doing okay?”

  His eyes shadow. “Yeah. I’m okay. Not how I pictured life at this point. But that’s okay.”

  “You and Mom were going to retire and travel.”

  “I can still travel. It’ll just be different.”

  “What about retirement?”

  “Think I’ll keep working a bit longer,” he says gruffly. “Probably good for me to stay busy.”

  It doesn’t sound like this was Dad’s choice. I’m so curious, but reluctant to ask more questions. I don’t want to be mad at my mom, but…she seems to be doing fine, whereas Dad…he’s obviously sad. “Yeah,” I agree. “And one big change at a time is enough.”

  “You’re a smart girl.” He gives me a fond smile and heads back out to get another box.

  He brings in more cartons while I unpack things and put them away. Then he gets out his tools and helps me install the blinds I bought for the bedroom window and a curtain rod for the living room curtains I picked out. “I’ll come back and help you hang your pictures when you figure out where you want things,” he says.

  “There’s a drawer in the kitchen that sticks. D’you think you could look at that?”

  He takes care of that for me too, then drives us back to the house for my last night living under my parents’ roof.

  * * *

  —

  It’s Halloween and I’m moving.

  I took the day off work, since the end of the month fell midweek and we have to be out of the house today.

  My parents are helping out by paying movers and letting me take whatever furniture I need, so I have my bedroom set, a sofa and love seat and tables from our family room, and other miscellaneous stuff. Mom’s here now, buzzing around cleaning now that the place is nearly empty.

  Determined to be cheerful about this, since Lacey and Théo are helping me, I’m wearing a witch hat (it’s really nice, with black silk flowers and feathers) along with my old jeans and T-shirt.

  Lacey laughs when she sees me. “That’s perfect.”

  “What are you saying, Lace?” I touch my hat. “You saying I’m a witch?”

  “Nothing wrong with being a witch. I wish I were a witch. With magical powers.”

  “Good point. I’d just twitch my nose at this stuff and it would magically appear in my apartment.”

  “Twitch your nose?”

  I jump at JP’s instantly recognizable voice. “What are you doing here?” Seeing him has my pulse fluttering and my belly flip-flopping.

  “Came to help. Nice hat. But you won’t have to use magical powers. I brought more help.” He nods at the three very tall men standing with him.

  One guy steps forward, hand outstretched, wearing a friendly smile. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Stanley—wanna see my cup?”

  I take his hand hesitantly, taken aback by his greeting. “Uh…”

  “Ignore him—he’s an idiot,” JP says. “And his name is John, not Stanley, for Chrissake. John Dutchyshyn.”

  “It’s a joke,” John mutters.

  I can’t help but smile.

  “And you definitely don’t want to see his cup,” the dark-haired man says. “Hi, I’m Abdel.”

  “Hi, Abdel. Thanks for coming.”

  “And this is Ethan Copp,” JP says. “We call him Copper.”

  The big blond man smiles and lifts a hand.

  “This is Taylor,” JP continues. “She’s the one moving today. And Lacey, my sister-in-law.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Lacey grins.

  “I, uh, didn’t know you all were coming,” I say.

  “We finished practice and I roped them into it. Théo told me you’re moving today. The more bodies the better, right?”

  “Right!”

  I don’t even have that much stuff and the movers are taking the biggest items, but yeah, having all these guys will make it go quicker.

  They load boxes and bags into vehicles, and all I have to do is run around giving directions and try not to stare slack-jawed as these guys heft boxes and bulge their biceps. Because…wow.

  Byron is at my heels the entire time, not letting me out of his sight. He knows something’s going on and he doesn’t like it.

  It’s not long before everything is loaded up.

  I gaze around the house, which is nearly empty now. An intense sadness sweeps over me. The house I grew up in and loved so much looks so sad now, cold and vacant.

  Because it’s not the house that makes a home…it’s the people. And I’ll still have my mom and dad and sister; it’ll just be different.

  A hand touches my shoulder. I turn to see JP. “You okay?” he asks in a low voice.

  I meet his eyes. Concern shines there. I feel that tug…my body reacting, being pulled toward his. Why is he such an asshole sometimes, and so nice others? It confuses me and knocks me off balance.

  “I’m okay,” I finally answer, lifting my chin. “It’s the end of something, but it’s the beginning of something too. Starting my life on my own, independent.”

  “Right.” His eyes are warm with compassion, and they crinkle up a bit at the corners with a hint of a smile that looks almost like…pride.

  Byron is pacing, disturbed by all the commotion, strangers in the house carrying stuff out. I drop into a crouch and wrap my arms around him. “Hey, buddy, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

  “Should we take him to my place first?”

  I bite my lip, my throat thickening. I don’t want to give him up. But I have to. I nod, press my face to his silky head, then stand.

  “He’s still your dog,” JP says in a low voice. He lifts a hand as if he wants to touch me, then drops it to his side. “He’ll be living at my place, but he’s still yours.”

  My throat squeezes and I nod. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll meet you at my place. Lacey and Théo can take charge at the apartment until we get there.”


  “Okay.”

  “I’ll come over later,” Mom says. “To see if you need help with anything.”

  “Call me first. I might be okay. No need for you to drive all the way there for nothing.”

  “You sure?” She gives me a long, searching look.

  “Did you see those guys?” I wave a hand, smiling. “They have muscles on their muscles.”

  The corners of her mouth lift. “Yes, they do. Okay, I’ll check in with you.”

  We hug. I take one last look at the house, push down the sadness, and straighten my shoulders.

  Once more, Byron and I make the drive to JP’s place. He seems to know where he is, which is good. JP is already there, waiting in the lobby for us. He relieves me of some of the paraphernalia I’m carrying, taking the big doggy bed and a large bag, leaving me with Byron’s leash and another bag. In the elevator, I tell Byron to sit, and he does, looking happy, tail waving on the floor.

  “He thinks you’re going to give him more treats,” I remark to JP.

  He grins. “I am.”

  Inside, he tosses Byron a cookie, which Byron catches and crunches. I pull his food and water bowls out, set them on the kitchen floor, and unpack the food and treats I brought while JP takes Byron’s bed into his bedroom.

  “This is his water bottle,” I explain, showing him the collapsible dog dish. “For long walks when it’s hot. Poop bags. Brush and comb. And this is the number for our vet…It’s not exactly close, but I’ll find another one. Just in case of emergency.”

  I hand him the typewritten list of instructions he needs for feeding, walking, and grooming Byron, showing him the dog food and treats. He listens and nods solemnly, although his eyes twinkle.

  “Okay, we’d better get to the apartment,” I say. “I should be helping.”

  I kneel and throw my arms around Byron. “ ’Bye, buddy. I’ll see you soon.” I squeeze my eyes tight as they sting with tears. He licks my face.

  I try not to feel sad as I drive from JP’s condo to my apartment. It’s not very far, which is good, as I’ll be able to see him often. Byron, I mean. Not JP.

  JP

  I meet up with Taylor in front of her new apartment building.

  “We went over my schedule, so you know I have a couple of home games coming up, tomorrow and Sunday.” I glance at her as I lift a box out of her trunk, catching her as she surreptitiously wipes a tear. Fuck, this is torture, seeing her upset. Me taking him is better than having to give Byron up to a shelter or something, but she’s still so sad. Her love for that dog shows what a big heart she has. “We have a skate in the morning, but I’ll be home in the afternoon before the game. I’ll let you know the practice schedule; we might have a day off Friday.”

  She nods.

  “If you want to come see Byron Wednesday night while I’m out, that’s fine.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  I’m doing my best to be her friend, since that’s what she wants. Even though there’s still enough electrical energy between us to power the ExCorp Center.

  It doesn’t take long to unload her things and carry boxes from one room to another. The apartment is tiny and old-fashioned, but it’s clean and freshly painted. Lacey puts things away in the kitchen while Taylor unpacks her clothes and makes her bed in between directing where she wants her furniture placed. I go help her with the bed, fitting pale green sheets over the mattress, then shaking out a big white duvet with sunflowers. She’s determinedly cheerful in her ridiculous witch hat.

  “I’m sensing a theme here,” I say, nodding at her bed.

  She frowns. “What?”

  “Sunflowers. I notice you have a bunch of sunflower things in your kitchen, too.”

  “Oh. Yeah. They’re my favorite flower.”

  “Ah.” Somehow, this isn’t surprising. She’s…sunshine.

  When the movers have left, Théo produces a case of beer that he stored in the back of the refrigerator earlier. This is greeted with enthusiasm by Dutch, Abs, and Copper. Even Lacey and Taylor crack open one.

  “I can order pizza,” Taylor says. “I feel I owe you guys food.”

  We all look at each other and shrug. “Sure.”

  “I have no idea what’s nearby.” She grabs her phone and spends a few minutes frowning at it as she swipes the screen trying to find something close.

  “This is my favorite place.” I show her my phone. “I think they’ll deliver here. Let me order.”

  “No! I want to buy everyone pizza as a thank-you.”

  “You can pay me back.”

  She puffs out a short breath. “Fine.”

  Hiding my smile, I order several large pizzas, then look around for anything else I can help with. There are a couple of lamps in the corner of the living room, so I set them on tables and plug them in. Taylor throws herself down onto the couch and exhales a deep sigh. “I think we’re mostly done.”

  “You want these pictures hung?” I ask, pointing to the frames propped against one wall. More sunflowers, really nice images on black backgrounds, framed in black.

  “Um, sure.”

  “Got a hammer and nails?”

  She bites her lip adorably. “Nope.”

  I laugh. “You better get yourself a set of tools. No worries—we can do it another time.”

  “I’m too tired to decide where I want them, anyway. And my dad said he’d come help with that.”

  I take a seat too, on a chair so I’m not too close to her. Keeping my distance is much better. But I’m not pleased when Abs and Dutch sit on the couch with her between them.

  “Thanks for your help, guys. You don’t even know me, so I really appreciate it.”

  “Japester owes us,” Abs says with a grin.

  “Japester?” Taylor grins and shoots me a look.

  “Nickname,” Abs says.

  “Japester. Okay. I guess your nickname is Abs?” she says to him.

  He pats his flat belly and grins. “It’s because of my six-pack.”

  I snort.

  “And your nickname probably isn’t Dutch because you’re from the Netherlands,” she says to Dutch.

  He laughs. “Nope.”

  “Théo, what was your nickname when you played?”

  “I was The Win Man.”

  Lacey collapses into giggles. “The Win Man? Oh my God.”

  “Usually shortened to just Win Man.” Théo smirks and adjusts his glasses.

  Taylor’s beer is empty. I get up and move over to the little kitchen and pull two more out of the fridge. After popping the caps off, I walk over and hand one to her.

  She gives me a surprised little smile. “Thanks.”

  “What about me?” Dutch waves his empty in the air.

  “Get it yourself.” I sit back in my chair.

  “Okay, sure. I see how it is.” Grumbling, Dutch rises.

  “Hey, bring me one too,” Abs calls.

  Taylor’s smiling, and something warm expands in my chest. I like seeing her smile. Way more than seeing her cry, that’s for damn sure.

  “Is that speaker plugged in?” she asks, pointing at the Bose speaker on top of a bookcase.

  “Yeah.” I nod. “I plugged it in.”

  She picks up her phone and moves her finger over the screen, and music begins to play through the speaker. “There.”

  “So, Taylor,” Dutch says. “If I said I’d like to score on you tonight, would you think I was being too forward?”

  Taylor laughs nervously.

  “Ever kissed a guy with no teeth?” he asks.

  Her eyes fly open. “Um…”

  “Because less teeth means more tongue.”

  “Oh my fuck, I can’t believe I brought you guys here.
” I blow out a breath. “Ignore him, Taylor.”

  She laughs. Looking at Dutch, she says, “But you appear to have all your teeth.”

  “Yeah, I wear my fake ones out in public.”

  “Don’t even think of showing us,” I warn him.

  “I didn’t plan to.” Dutch looks affronted. “Anyway, there are other reasons you should consider dating me.”

  What the hell? Is he coming on to her? He can’t do that!

  I narrow my eyes at him, but he doesn’t appear to get the warning.

  “I’m good on the ice,” Dutch continues. “But I’m great in bed. Also, I have a long stick.”

  Taylor bursts out laughing, unoffended by his inappropriate comments. “Good to know.”

  “His stick isn’t that long,” Copper says dismissively. “And it’s curved.”

  “Aren’t all sticks curved?” Taylor asks.

  “No!” Dutch jumps in. “The blades are curved. Not the shaft.”

  “Uh-huh.” Copper lifts an eyebrow.

  “A player’s stick is like his fingerprint,” Abs put in. “No two are alike.”

  “A stick’s a stick,” Taylor says, her tongue in her cheek.

  I smile.

  “No way!” Dutch leans forward. “There are so many differences. Curve, thickness, roundness, stiffness…”

  Both Taylor and Lacey crack up. Taylor meets my eyes, hers dancing, and I have to smile.

  “It’s true,” I concede, even though I hate that some other dude is making her laugh. Not to mention flirting with her. “Also the size of the knob.”

  They laugh more and I relax a little. “And the way they’re taped,” I put in. “I like to leave the tip bare.”

  “Just the tip.” Dutch smirks to more laughter.

  The pizza arrives. We all eat and drink more beers, the guys continuing to be inappropriately entertaining. When they start taking their leave, Dutch says to Taylor, “Well, Taylor…if I can’t score, can I get an assist?”

  She laughs. “You definitely get an assist for helping today. I can’t thank you guys enough.”