by Anna Sugden
Once this game was over.
“Come on, come on,” he muttered, willing the puck up the ice.
Thankfully, JB delivered as the announcer called the last minute of play.
The arena erupted. Everyone leaped to their feet yelling and chanting.
Except Maggie, who stared out at the ice, oblivious to the jubilation around her.
Jake left the celebrating Cats and headed for the locker room. Ignoring the disgusted glare Ike shot him, he stripped off his sweaty gear and ducked into the shower.
Tru joined him, concern written all over his face. “Max is on the warpath.”
Jake barely got back to his locker before the angry manager appeared. “I’m...”
Max slashed his hand through the air, interrupting Jake’s apology. “I don’t want to hear it. Words don’t cut it—I want action. I need to be able to rely on you. You have one last chance, Bad Boy. Next screw up and you’re a healthy scratch.”
Jake’s stomach lurched at the threat to sit him out completely. If he couldn’t find a way to stop Maggie messing with his head, he’d have to give her up.
Time had just run out.
He toweled off, rubbing his skin nearly raw as he tried to figure out what the hell to do. He dressed slowly, his fingers fumbling with his shirt buttons. Though the room buzzed with the victory high, he couldn’t get past how he’d let his teammates down. That wouldn’t happen again. He clenched his jaw. More importantly, he wouldn’t let Adam down.
His cell beeped with a text. He grabbed the phone, then tossed it aside with a snarl of disgust. Nick had been calling for weeks. Jake had told him he hadn’t looked at the damn boxes, but the guy refused to let it go.
He deleted the message without reading it and grabbed his gear. “Cover for me, Tru. I want to avoid the postgame media call.”
“Sure. Get out of here.”
Jake slipped out of the locker room and headed for the family area, where Maggie stood waiting for him. Despite her carefully bland expression, her eyes were shadowed with emotional turmoil.
Her lips curved into a tentative half smile as he approached, making his heart lift.
“It’s good to see you.” He leaned down and pressed a swift, hard kiss to her lips.
Her heightened color was the only sign of how his kiss had affected her. “You don’t think Emily would let me miss a game, do you?”
“Whatever the reason, I’m glad you came.”
“Me, too.” She cleared her throat. “We should talk.”
Jake kept his tone deliberately light, even as his gut tightened. “No problem.”
He slung an arm across her shoulders, taking comfort from the way she relaxed into his body rather than stiffening. They headed out toward the underground parking lot, where the team cars were warmed up, ready for their owners. Jake veered between optimism and pessimism about the reason she wanted to talk.
Damn, this relationship business was tough. He’d rather face Stemgarder any day.
Once they were in his SUV, he tackled the subject head-on. “What happened at the game?”
She bit her lip. “I’m sorry I missed so much of your play.”
“That’s okay. I sucked anyway.” Jake maneuvered out of the arena and onto the busy streets. He knew he should tell her the problems it had caused him but he couldn’t bring himself to admit it. “I was worried. Was there a problem?”
“You could say.” Maggie sighed. “My solicitor called. Lee won’t back off on his demands for Emily to go to England.”
Irritation spiked as she explained about her ex’s wedding and his demands. No wonder she’d been upset. Why couldn’t the jerk leave Maggie and Emily alone?
“I know he’s only insisting on these fittings because he needs the media coverage.”
Jake frowned. “Why?”
“His contract is up for renewal at the end of the season and he’s desperate for good publicity. After our divorce, the team threatened to get rid of him if he didn’t get his act together. He thinks the wedding exclusive, especially the shots of Patty and Emily together, will present a nice family image and help his case.”
“His demands are still impractical.”
“I offered to send Emily’s measurements and promised to get her there a few days early for a final fitting.” Maggie grimaced. “As it is, Emily doesn’t want to go to the wedding. Even if I can convince her to go, she’ll hate having to wear such a fancy dress.”
He fought to keep a straight face. That’s my girl! “I guess your ex didn’t like that.”
“Lee’s threatened to overturn his agreement for Emily to spend the year in the U.S. with me. He also wants joint custody.” Her voice wavered. “Samantha doesn’t think he’ll succeed, but it’ll be almost impossible to stop Lee from getting some form of shared custody.”
“But you’ll fight him?”
“I’ll do what I can.” She sighed. “Which brings me to the reason for our talk. I was going to tell you I’d come to the gala evening, but now I’m not sure.”
Damn the jerk. “What difference does this make?”
“With all the publicity Lee’s wedding will get, I think I should keep a low profile. The media will rake the past over enough as it is. Better if I don’t fuel it further by being in the public eye myself.”
“I don’t get how attending a charity dinner would harm your position.”
“In itself, it won’t.” She bit her lip. “But Lee will be desperate to convince everyone that he’s the better parent and he’d love anything that would suggest I’m an unfit mother. I can’t afford anything to go wrong. The merest whiff of trouble could do terrible damage.”
“I know you’ve had bad experiences in the past, but you’ll be with me. I promised nothing bad would happen and it won’t. I won’t let it.”
“Still, it might be better if I avoided the evening altogether.” She picked at a seam.
Something else was bothering her. She wouldn’t meet his gaze.
Realization dawned. “You’re worried he’ll use our relationship to prove his point?”
“I’m sorry, but you have to admit, your reputation isn’t exactly wholesome.”
Her words sucker punched him. Jake’s grip tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. Unsure how to respond, he said nothing.
During the rest of the drive to the restaurant, the silence was heavy and tense.
He was staring down the tunnel of defeat, but he didn’t want to let their relationship go. There had to be a way around this. A way to show Maggie she was wrong. About him, them, how good they could be together...everything. And in doing so, rescue his season.
Jake turned into the restaurant parking lot, pulled into a space and turned off the engine. An idea began to form in his mind.
“Maggie.” He took her hand and interlaced his fingers with hers.
She turned to look at him. The hopeful spark in her eyes gave him courage.
“If you don’t want to come to the gala evening, I’ll let it drop. But I think you’re missing the perfect opportunity to fight back. After all, the best defense is offense.”
“How do you mean?” She frowned.
“Preventing trouble is only half the battle. Instead of being afraid of the media, we need to use them to tell the story we want.”
She tilted her head, considering. “How do we ensure they get the right message?”
“Simple. They know I usually fly solo when it comes to important team events.” He squeezed her hand. “If I take you, it shows them I’ve changed far more effectively than anything I could say. Then we plant other key snippets of information with the journalists—about your role as a partner in your sister’s business, how well-adjusted Emily is—and get some good PR shots.” He smiled. “It’s
not salacious gossip, but it’s better than schmaltzy wedding coverage.”
She gave a slow nod. “It could work.”
“What could go wrong?”
Maggie shot him a wry look.
He held up one hand in mock surrender. “Nothing will go wrong. Not on my shift.”
“I really can’t afford the slightest bit of bad publicity.”
He tilted her chin so her gaze met his and hoped his sincerity was plain for her to see. “There won’t be a bad word printed. I promise.”
“You can’t control what they write. It’s too...”
He pressed a finger to her lips, stemming the flow. “Trust me.”
Maggie studied him for what seemed like forever. He could see the mixed emotions in her eyes. She wanted to believe in him, but the past weighed heavily.
He wanted to press, but knew that would only push her away. “I believe this is the perfect play, but the decision is yours. I’ll abide by your choice.”
He forced himself to remain quiet. The erratic thump of his heart echoed in his ears.
Finally, she swallowed hard. “All right.”
* * *
FLASHBULBS EXPLODED AROUND the open door of the stretch limo.
The butterflies that had been fluttering in Maggie’s stomach throughout the drive to the event hotel started to dive-bomb as if they were dogfighting in Top Gun.
You can do this. For Emily.
She forced herself to slide forward and get out of the car. Noise bombarded her from all sides—the cheers of the waiting crowd, journalists firing questions and those bloody camera-toting vultures snapping away—a shock after the smooth quiet of the soundproofed car. Feeling exposed and vulnerable, she brushed her palms nervously down her silk dress and waited for Jake.
Her gaze flicked from side to side. It felt like everything was closing in on her. Her breath came in short bursts. Her chest ached as her heart lurched erratically.
The urge to bolt hit her. This wasn’t what she’d wanted, what she’d signed up for. Why had she thought she enjoyed these events? Maybe that had changed as much as she had.
Then a warm hand settled in the small of her back. A tall, solid body pressed against her side, providing strength and support. Soothing her panic.
“Panty hose or stockings?” Jake murmured in her ear, his breath feathering the side of her neck like a delicate caress.
She gave a startled laugh and shot him a look through her lashes to see if his question was serious.
He gave her a too-damn-sexy smile. Her pulse skittered at the gleam in his blue eyes. The underlying concern there warmed her heart and eased her tension; it was a clever distraction.
Determined he shouldn’t have all the fun, Maggie brushed a light kiss to the ridge of his jaw. “Lace-edged hold ups.”
His cough covered a strangled moan. “Wicked woman. You’re killing me.”
This time it was Maggie who smiled. The Louboutins with the silver buttons were worth every penny. As was the black cocktail dress, whose column of silver buttons ran from the deep-cut V in the middle of her back down to the hem that flirted with the backs of her knees.
Jake’s fingers caught her chin and stole a sizzling kiss from her parted lips.
The fans went wild. More cameras flashed, capturing the moment, but the dance of Jake’s tongue across her bottom lip proved another excellent distraction.
The waiting crowd began to chant his name. Slowly, he let her go. He caught her hand and pulled her with him to the cordoned-off area full of people in Ice Cats jerseys.
Once again, Jake’s generosity with the fans impressed her. He chatted cheerfully with everyone, making each person feel special, and signed whatever they wanted. He even treated those fans who criticized him with respect and a dash of self-deprecating humor.
As a result, Maggie felt more relaxed about this event than any she’d attended with Lee. Perhaps this evening wouldn’t be so bad after all—once they’d run the media gauntlet.
Still, when a Cats’ staffer approached, asking her and Jake to head inside, she tensed.
“A few more minutes and the worst will be over,” Jake said quietly. “Then we can focus on enjoying ourselves.”
“At least until you have to put on your apron and serve dinner.”
“They said we’d wear our sweaters, not an apron.” He rolled his eyes when he saw her teasing smile. “Funny.”
At the hotel entrance, they were stopped by a couple of TV reporters. Jake seemed to know Archie, a tall man, whose scarred face suggested he was a former player, and Lois, a painfully thin woman with a brittle smile. Archie’s questions were mainly about hockey, particularly the recent rumors that some big NHL names were caught up in the internet pharmacy scandal.
Lois was more interested in Jake’s social life. From her pointed questions, Maggie sensed the woman had more than a professional interest in Jake. She seemed put out when he made a show of putting his arm across Maggie’s shoulders and pulling her close.
“So Bad Boy is finally getting serious?” The question dripped with cynicism.
“For sure.” Jake launched into his preplanned spiel, adding the perfect touches of earnestness and romance.
Maggie’s pulse tripped when Lois’s assessing gaze zeroed in on her.
This was the one. If danger was to come from anyone, it was this hard-edged gossipmonger. She made a mental note to avoid Lois as much as possible.
After an approving look at Maggie’s shoes, Lois flicked her gaze dismissively over the rest of her and turned her attention back to Jake. It was so blatant, Maggie bit back a laugh.
Thankfully, the Cats’ staffer reappeared, disentangled them from Lois’s talons and hurried them inside. There, he handed Maggie off to a colleague who would take her to join the other girlfriends and wives, before directing Jake to the booth where he’d have his session with the season-ticket holders.
“I’ll come and find you as soon as I’m done.” Jake dropped a quick kiss on her lips.
Maggie was touched that he cared enough to reassure her.
“I’ll be fine.” She smiled. “I’ll be with familiar faces.”
The Cats’ women were far more down to earth and friendly than the football WAGs. Perhaps because these women didn’t compete to be the most fashionable, or most photographed. Many were childhood sweethearts from the same small towns as their partners, and family oriented. A few were athletes, some had their own careers and others managed the charitable foundations set up by their husbands. They even treated Jenny like one of the gang. When she’d mentioned this to her friend, Jenny had explained that they didn’t consider her a threat. They knew she didn’t sleep with married men.
Maggie followed her chaperone into the anteroom set aside for the women. She was greeted warmly and teased about taking part in her first jersey auction. Jenny waved from across the room, where she handed out the special signed Cats jerseys that each woman would model during the auction.
“I didn’t know you were coming.” Maggie gave her friend a hug before slipping on the red Badoletti jersey.
“It was last minute.” Jenny turned to show the name on the back of her jersey—Larocque. “The kid didn’t want to go stag, so he asked nicely if I’d come with him.”
“You’ve forgiven him for being a jerk early on?”
“Sure. Though I made him grovel repeatedly.” She grinned. “Thing is, ever since he’s been living with Jake and hanging around with the families, he’s felt like a kid brother. One that needs an occasional cuff to the head.”
Maggie laughed and helped Jenny hand out jerseys. When they were finished, they joined the others for a fortifying glass of champagne before heading into the ballroom.
The atmosphere there was less frenetic than outside. People chatted while music
played in the background, accompanied by the clink of glasses. Waiters glided discreetly through the crowd, holding trays of canapés and drinks. Even the select group of media allowed inside was restrained.
She and Jenny circulated through the various entertainment stations set up beyond the dinner tables around the outside of the ballroom. Attendees could gamble alongside players in the special Ice Cats casino or compete against them in the multimedia area. There was also a small dance floor with a DJ playing golden oldies.
Jake appeared a few minutes before dinner was called and stole her away onto the dance floor to take advantage of a slow track. “The plan is going perfectly. They love you. They love us being here together, and the idea that you’ve ‘tamed Bad Boy’ has captured their imaginations. Should make great reading tomorrow. Your jerk of an ex won’t be able to compete with this kind of good publicity.”
Even as she savored the moments wrapped in his arms, Maggie’s stomach tightened. She didn’t want to tempt fate by calling this evening perfect. It was going well. Enough that she could imagine attending such events in the future with Jake—but she couldn’t quite relax. Old habits died hard.
Dinner was a hoot. The players did a wonderful job of serving the dinners. There was a good-natured competition to see who could earn the most “tips” by serving with the greatest flourish. Ralinkov took the prize, hamming it up with his unique style that was part snooty butler, part flamboyant Spanish waiter.
By the time the auction started, most guests were in a relaxed state of mind. Judging by the many flushed faces, perhaps a little too relaxed. At least it eased the grip people had on their wallets as the bids for the jerseys skyrocketed.
The Cats’ wives and girlfriends modeled the jerseys at the front of the ballroom as the auctioneer announced each lot with great gusto.
Maggie was pleased when Jake’s jersey raised the second-highest amount, after the captain, Scotty Matthews. The winner was a walking, talking New Jersey cliché. From his shiny suit and slicked-back hair to his heavy gold jewelry and brash swagger, he’d have done well in a bit part on The Sopranos. He was even called Tony.
