by Anna Sugden
She lifted her chin. “You’re important to me, too. I’m just asking for a few days.”
“Okay,” he said grudgingly. “Sure. A few days.”
The walk back to his parents’ house wasn’t as lighthearted as earlier—no passionate stops en route. They returned to find Emily dozing on the sofa and Tracy yawning.
“Time to get you ladies home,” he said.
Laden with leftovers, they got into his M-Class. They hadn’t gone a mile before Tracy and Emily were asleep.
For most of the journey, he and Maggie were lost in their own thoughts. When she finally broke the silence, it was to confirm their plans for Saturday. They were all coming to watch him play, then Tracy would take Emily home so he and Maggie could have dinner.
His body began to hum with anticipation at the thought of the private, postdinner rendezvous they’d planned.
At the house, he carried a sleeping Emily inside. He said good-night to Tracy, then grabbed Maggie’s hand and pulled her back outside. As she half-closed the door behind her, he brought her into his arms for a hot kiss.
“Something to help your deliberations.” He released her and climbed into his SUV.
As he drove off with a cheery wave, he saw Maggie touch her fingers to her lips, as if to keep his taste there. The hungry look in her eyes was encouraging. Enough to make him feel confident that things would work out as he’d hoped.
But as he drove home, that confidence began to melt away and was replaced by doubts.
Maggie’s physical response wasn’t an issue. He had enough evidence to prove she found him attractive, his touch pleasurable. Whether that was enough to make her step outside her comfort zone was something else altogether.
All the sparks in the world didn’t matter a damn if she wasn’t prepared to take their relationship to the next level. He understood her concerns, but he’d said he’d make sure nothing happened. Why couldn’t that be enough for her to say yes?
He didn’t need to hear the echo of Tru’s voice to know this was another of those situations where he had to be patient and hold off the pressure. It went against his nature to sit around waiting for things to take their course, but he knew if he pushed too hard he’d push Maggie away completely. He had to trust that if he stepped back and gave her space she’d come around.
Jake pulled into his driveway and turned off the engine. As he took the keys out of the ignition, a worrying thought occurred to him. What if she never became comfortable enough to attend events by his side? He couldn’t duck media coverage forever. He had responsibilities to his team, the fans and the community that couldn’t be blown off. Sure, he could compromise on some things, but he couldn’t give them all up.
He didn’t want to give Maggie up, either.
There were some tough choices ahead for him. Damn it. Sometimes trying to be a good man and do the right thing sucked.
* * *
“WHAT SHOULD I do?”
Maggie looked at her sister sitting on the opposite sofa cradling a glass of wine. “I’m thrilled Jake wants our relationship to become more serious, but I’m also scared.”
She touched her fingers to her throbbing lips, where his heady flavor lingered. “I care for him, but I want to take things slowly. I rushed into marriage with Lee. Perhaps if I’d waited, I would have found out what he was really like and saved myself a lot of heartache.”
“True. But then you wouldn’t have Emily, either. What’s more, you wouldn’t be over here. Nor had the opportunity to meet Jake.”
Maggie pursed her lips. “Your point being?”
“You can’t keep beating yourself up about the past. Mistakes or not, it is what it is. The only thing you have control over is what happens next.”
“Which is why I want to do things properly this time.”
“Isn’t that what Jake’s suggesting with the gala evening?”
“Don’t get me wrong—it sounds like a great event. I admit, I miss getting dressed up in a glitzy new gown and hot shoes. But it’s not all glamour and fun. The media and paparazzi will be circling and swooping like vultures. One wrong step and they’ll pounce.”
Her stomach rolled at the thought of dealing with the fallout.
“Jake’s never had to court publicity and he’s never misbehaved to get coverage. Even with that thing in Tampa, he tried to minimize the fuss.” Tracy shook her head. “He’s crazy about you. He wants to show you off and brag about you being an item. Not because it makes him look good but because he’s happy and proud to be with you.”
“But there’s so much at stake. I can’t afford to let my guard down again. I’m scared that if I give in on this I’ll step onto a slippery slope that can only end in disaster.”
Tracy set her glass down. “It’s one evening, Maggie. You’ve told Jake your concerns and he’s promised he’ll make sure everything goes smoothly. If worse comes to the worst and it all goes pear-shaped, you’ll know not to trust him again.”
“True.” A spark of hope lit within her. “Maybe I could give the gala evening a go.”
“You never know—this could be the start of something fabulous.” Tracy’s smile was broken up by a yawn. “You don’t have to make a decision tonight. Sleep on it.”
Maggie replayed both the evening’s conversations while she got ready for bed. Thought about the worst that could happen and how she’d deal with it. Considered the best that could happen, too. Gradually, her mind became clear and she came to a decision.
She was tired of giving up the things she enjoyed, of pushing aside what she wanted, of letting the past rule her present. She was fed up of being cautious all the time because she was scared of what might happen. The gala evening was another step in reclaiming her life. The perfect way to brush away the past and clean the slate for a new future.
Maggie drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face, thinking about what she could wear to knock Jake’s socks off.
Her optimism remained the next morning. Though it was wet and dreary, she felt as if the sun was shining brightly. She couldn’t wait to tell Jake she’d changed her mind.
Hugging her happy secret to herself, she skipped downstairs to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Then she sat at the kitchen table, scanning department store websites on her iPad to get some ideas for what she might wear.
Maggie was browsing the virtual shoe department at Neiman Marcus when a notification popped up on her screen announcing an email from her solicitor. She clicked through to the message, which said simply to call. Today, if possible.
Her heart sank. What problem had cropped up now? What was Lee up to?
She picked up the phone and dialed Samantha’s number.
After exchanging greetings, her solicitor got to the point. “Lee and Patty are bringing their wedding forward by six months to the week before Christmas. They’ve signed an exclusive deal with Hello! magazine to cover the buildup to the celebrations, as well as the wedding itself.”
“I guess Patty’s not worried about it being ‘the wedding kiss of death.’”
“No matter how many marriages break up following a Hello! feature, every bride thinks it won’t happen to them,” Samantha said wryly.
“Myself included.” Her wedding to Lee had been a Hello! exclusive, too. “I’m guessing you didn’t call to discuss the details of their wedding.”
“Patty wants Emily to be a bridesmaid. Lee is demanding Emily return to England immediately for dress fittings.”
“Which will be photographed for the magazine feature.” Anger churned her stomach. “We’ve been through this. Lee can’t drag Emily back to England on a whim. Especially not when his real motive is to use her for his own PR game.”
“I’ve already made that point to his lawyer. I also said Lee is being a tad disingenuous, given he hasn’t contacted his daughte
r despite accepting our Skype alternative. There’s been no comeback on that, but I wanted to warn you because the media circus around the wedding has already started.”
“So there’s nothing I can do but stick to the current game plan?”
“I’m afraid not. I’ll keep you posted if things develop.”
Tracy came into the kitchen as Maggie was boiling the kettle for some fresh tea and commiserated with her over Lee’s demands.
“I hope you won’t let this affect your decision about the gala evening.”
Trust her sister to zero in on the problem Maggie had been pondering. “I wonder if it’s sensible to go. The wedding fuss probably won’t make it over here, but can I risk it? Someone might see something, then make the connection and—”
“To hell with being sensible,” Tracy interrupted. “Don’t let this nonsense stop you from doing what’s best for you. Not going would be dancing to Lee’s tune again. Wouldn’t you rather dance with your favorite hockey hunk?”
Wasn’t that what Maggie had decided last night? She smiled. “No contest.”
Tracy laid her hand on Maggie’s shoulder. “Before you change your mind, call Jake and tell him.”
“Actually, I think I’ll wait and tell him in person, after dinner tonight. Then he can show his appreciation properly.”
“I like your thinking.” Tracy grinned.
“In the meantime, I need your help to find a fabulous dress and some killer shoes.”
“I saw just the thing yesterday.” Tracy typed an address into Maggie’s iPad. “Check out these Louboutins.”
Maggie sighed. “Perfect.”
* * *
I’M AN IDIOT!
Jake tugged so hard the laces on his skates snapped.
Damn it. A bad sign.
He tamped down the superstitious twinge as the equipment guy tossed him a packet of spare laces. It wasn’t bad luck, just bad thoughts. Mainly about his conversation with Maggie last night. He’d had nothing but bad thoughts since he’d opened his big mouth and stuck his size twelve in it.
“You ready?” Tru stood at the door.
“Sure.” The extra practice should take his mind off last night’s fiasco.
Walking down the corridor, Tru asked, “Will your fight with Maggie affect your play?”
“It was only a difference of opinion.”
“Then how come you both looked upset?”
“Later,” he said. “Now’s not the time.”
Tru nodded, then hit the ice.
Ike came up behind him, drinking a soda. “Can you keep your head after yesterday?”
Jeez, had everyone noticed? “I’m fine.”
Ike shrugged. “Okay.”
“Trust me.” Jake skated out to join Tru.
Only everything wasn’t fine. The clack-clack of his blades was choppy, out of sync. Another bad sign. He stopped sharply, sending up a spray of white.
Feel the ice.
He started skating again. Twice clockwise, twice counterclockwise.
Tru and Jake touched sticks then skated sprints across the rink. His muscles settled into a familiar rhythm. A whistle blast, and they switched to a one-touch passing drill. Then they fired pucks at Ike.
Jake’s timing was off. His stickwork was bad. His shots were worse.
He skated to the boards and grabbed a water bottle, squirting water over his face and down his dry throat as the two brothers joined him.
Ike swore. “Get her out of your head. The team can’t afford this crap.”
“She’s not in my head.” Instantly, that’s exactly where she was, wearing a kaleidoscope of expressions. Shock. Frustration. Disappointment.
He shook his head to clear it. “I’ll be okay,” he ground out.
“What happened yesterday?” Tru demanded. “Don’t give me bull about a disagreement.”
Jake sighed and filled them in on the conversation.
Tru’s eyebrows spiked. “You’re that serious about her?”
“For sure.”
“Jeez. Next you’ll be talking about the future.” Ike’s lip curled.
“Right. I can’t even convince her to come to a public event with me to show the world we’re a couple.” Jake slammed the water bottle back on the boards.
He’d been prepared to put himself and his reputation out there to show his feelings for her. Was it so much to ask her to take a little leap of faith and do the same?
Ike adjusted his mask. “You’ve been sweet-talking women since kindergarten.”
“Well, it didn’t work this time.” When it mattered most.
Tru tapped Jake’s helmet with his glove. “Maybe you only think it’s what you want, what you should do instead of what you want to do.”
“Run that by me again.”
“Isn’t this another part of your ‘be a saint’ kick?”
“I’m trying to live a better life.” Jake glared at him. “Not earn a damn halo.”
“I got you wanting to cut out the high-octane lifestyle, but this is the other extreme.”
Ike nodded. “By the all-star break, you’ll be talking about kids, a minivan and a spot on the PTA. Nuts.” He skated off to his crease.
Jake turned to Tru. “You think I’m crazy, too?”
“No.” There was understanding in Tru’s eyes. “But you’ve only been dating a few weeks. Why the desperate need to make a statement about how serious you are about her?”
“Why wait? I already know all I need to about Maggie. You said it yourself. She’s—” how to describe her without sounding like a sappy Hallmark card? “—perfect for me.”
“No one’s perfect, bro.” Concern tinged the understanding.
“She’s pretty damn close. I care for her. A lot. Want to be with her. A lot.” He wanted her, period. “I’m not interested in being with anyone else, and the thought of spending the rest of my life with her doesn’t scare the crap out of me.”
Ike yelled across the rink for them to get their asses in gear.
Tru tapped his stick against Jake’s pads. “She’s not perfect when she affects your play. Personal problems have no place on the ice.”
His stomach dropped to his blades. “I’ll handle it.”
“Then do it. Fast. If you don’t, your ice time will be cut.” His friend’s voice was serious. “This kind of thing costs teams championships. I know you don’t want to let yourself or the guys down, but if you keep this up, you’ll become a liability.”
Jake set his jaw. “Consider it fixed.”
He took off, skating at a furious pace, pushing to get his rhythm again. Forcing his body to feel right. When sweat streamed down his back, he stopped and grabbed a water bottle.
He drank, then poured water over his face. “I’m ready. Let’s go again.”
A muscle twitched in Tru’s jaw. “Sure.”
With gritty determination, Jake pushed aside the memory of last night’s disagreement and what it meant for his relationship with Maggie. He’d deal with that later. For now, he had work to do.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
MAGGIE STILL WASN’T in her seat.
Jake swore under his breath as he climbed over the boards for the start of the second period the following afternoon.
When he’d skated out for the beginning of the game and seen her sitting in his allocated seats with Emily and Tracy, his heart had jolted. Hope had soared when she’d smiled at him before the opening face-off. Everything would be okay.
Instantly, his skating had clicked back into sync.
His concentration had been absolute during a frenetic first period. He’d played out of his skin, blocking shots, intercepting passes, back checking and throwing his body around.
But as he�
�d headed off the ice for the first intermission, he’d seen her vacant seat and sick dread had filled him. He’d tried to convince himself there was a logical explanation. After all, Emily and Tracy had still been there, laughing and talking as normal.
Now the sight of the still-empty place hit his chest with the force of a slap shot, shaking his focus. What had gone wrong? Nothing had happened—a little chirping, but no fights, no big hits.
He adjusted the tape on his stick and tried to park his concerns. He had a game to play. This was a division rival—points from them were prime. He shoved his mouth guard in, narrowed his gaze.
Focus.
It didn’t work. His first shift sucked. As the period progressed, his play deteriorated and Max shortened his ice time.
Jake kept his head down and tightened his grip on his stick, but the ice had already tilted against him. When his mistimed pass was intercepted, resulting in a Penguins’ goal at the end of the second, Max ripped him a new one, then benched him.
Being taken out of the game burned like acid in his gut. He’d never been benched before.
Never again, he vowed.
His mind steadied for a few minutes, but being out of the play made it hard to maintain focus. He couldn’t stop his gaze from wandering toward that damn empty seat.
The clock ticked down slowly to the final horn. The game grew chippy and disjointed. Tempers frayed as nothing went the Cats’ way—pucks took weird bounces, sticks broke at awkward moments, refs gave penalty after penalty.
All Jake could do was sit there, frustrated, unable to do a damn thing to right the mess he’d caused. No one spoke to him. Everyone’s attention was fixed on rescuing the game. He wished he was somewhere else.
With two minutes to go, Max pulled Ike for an extra attacker. Vlad scored almost immediately, tying the game and bringing the Cats back to life.
Maggie reappeared a moment later. She ruffled Emily’s hair before slumping into her seat. Her miserable expression told him whatever was wrong had nothing to do with him.
A switch flipped in his brain. As the problem wasn’t him, he’d find a way to fix it.
