A Perfect Distraction

by Anna Sugden

  Unfortunately, he didn’t seem to realize—or didn’t want to—that Maggie wasn’t part of the deal. She managed to duck his overly “helpful” hands when he tried to assist her in taking off the jersey. During the photos, she gritted her teeth and subtly swiped his meaty hand off her backside rather than cause a scene. When Jake had to leave them to continue with his host duties, Tony grabbed her arm and insisted she join him for a drink.

  He didn’t take her polite refusal well, tightening his grip and repeating his offer.

  Maggie tried to shake him off and excuse herself, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. From the angry glint in his eye, things would turn nasty if she didn’t get away from him. That was the last thing she needed, especially with so many photographers hovering nearby.

  “I have to join Jake,” she said frostily. “Enjoy the jersey and have a nice evening.”

  “I’m one of the Ice Cats’ biggest sponsors.” Tony’s fingers bit into her arm. “When I tell you to have a drink with me, you do it and with a goddamn smile on your face.”

  Maggie wrenched her arm out of his clammy grasp. He tried to grab her again, but she jabbed her elbow back, hard, into his midsection. He tried again, this time sliding his arm around her waist. Maggie bumped him away with her hip, trying to create some space between them.

  Unfortunately, he must have been drunker than she’d thought, because he tumbled backward, pinwheeling his arms like Wile E. Coyote after he’d run off a cliff. Unable to regain his balance, Tony fell backward into a waiter holding a tray of empty glasses. There was a large, resounding crash as the two men hit the ground.

  The ballroom went silent.

  Everyone stopped. Even the waitstaff stood and stared.

  The strains of Michael Jackson’s “Bad” echoed around the room until the DJ faded it out. Cameras whirred and flashed all around her.

  “Bitch!” Tony spat, as he tried to disentangle his limbs from the waiter’s.

  Mortified, Maggie tried to step back, away from the scene, but her legs were frozen in place. Her skin crawled with the sensation of so many pairs of eyes watching her. Judging.

  The walls seemed to close in on her. The air was dense—it was hard to draw breath.

  Here and there murmurs started. No one moved. They were determined not to miss a moment of gossip. She sensed their disgust and disdain.

  Tears pricked her eyes, but she refused to let them spill.

  The DJ neatly segued into “Thriller,” encouraging everyone to get on the dance floor, but he couldn’t drown out Tony’s vile stream of abuse.

  Tru and Ike appeared and grabbed Tony’s arms, hauling him to his feet. When he tried to lunge at Maggie, they restrained him and started to haul him away.

  She needed to get out of here. Get some air.

  Turning, she stumbled to a stop when she saw Lois and the cameraman recording everything. The smugly satisfied smile on the reporter’s face made Maggie’s stomach roll.

  “Beat it, Lois.” Jenny stepped in front of the reporter and blocked the camera lens with her hand. “There’s no story here.”

  Lois started to argue, but Jenny leaned forward and said something to her that Maggie couldn’t hear. The other woman paled, then nodded to her cameraman. She flounced off, but not before deliberately snapping a picture on her smart phone. No doubt she was already tweeting about what had happened.

  Jenny wrapped a comforting arm around Maggie’s waist. “Are you okay?”

  Maggie nodded dumbly, unable to force words through her constricted throat.

  “Come on. I’m sure you could do with a stiff drink after being pawed by Tony. All that money and not a nickel’s worth of class.”

  Jenny’s calm support soothed Maggie’s ragged nerves. She allowed herself to be steered away toward the ballroom doors.

  Her heart stuttered when Jake appeared before her, his expression thunderous, his jaw grimly set. She wasn’t scared; his rage wasn’t aimed at her. He’d never hurt her. No, her concern was about what would happen next if she didn’t stop him.

  She reached out and laid a hand on his arm. “It’s all right. Tru and Ike have Tony under control. Let them deal with him.”

  “Did that bastard hurt you?” Worry mixed with the fury blazing in his blue eyes as they raked over her, inspecting her from head to toe. His hand cupped her chin gently. His thumb caressed her cheek, then her lips.

  “I’m fine. Just a little shaken. Nothing a glass of wine can’t fix.”

  “Yeah, well, he’s going to learn never to lay his hands on my woman again.”

  Her gut twisted. “Jake, don’t. It’s not worth it. He’s not worth it.”

  But it was like he didn’t hear her plea. He stormed across to where his friends still held the raging man. Maggie didn’t hear what he growled at Tony, only the threatening tone.

  Tony’s response was crystal clear. “Get your cheap piece of ass under control, Bad Boy, or you’ll be the one paying the price.”

  Jake’s fist ploughed into Tony’s face.

  Bone crunched, blood spurted.

  A camera flash exploded.

  The perfect evening had become a perfect nightmare.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  MAGGIE’S SILENCE WAS a hell of a lot more painful than his bruised knuckles.

  For the first time in his life, Jake hadn’t a clue what to say to make this nightmare situation right. Charm wouldn’t bail him out of the mess he’d created.

  His gut burned. After all his assurances, he’d blown it.

  He just wasn’t cut out to be a good man. He’d been whistling in the wind to think he could change. Hadn’t tonight been proof of that? He’d done the very thing Maggie had been afraid of. Worse, he’d done it in full view of the media and every idiot with a cell phone and a Twitter account.

  The pictures had probably already hit the internet. By tomorrow, every sports blog, podcast and talk show would have commented on the details. The nonsports media would get in on the act, too, happy to take another pop at hockey’s violence.

  Everything he’d been trying to do for the past few months had blown up in one hotheaded moment. Thing was, given a do over, he couldn’t swear he’d have done anything different. That’s who he was. No one got away with bullying on his watch.

  Unfortunately, Maggie would suffer the consequences, no matter how justified Jake’s actions were or how much that jackass had deserved the broken nose. He looked across the limo at her, pressed as close to the far door as she could. Her head was turned away, staring out of the tinted window, though he doubted she saw anything of the landscape flashing past.

  Jake reached out to touch her but pulled his hand back at the last second. He wanted to bridge the gap, but he wasn’t sure how. The distance between them felt broader than the width of the limo.

  The familiar building silhouettes told him they weren’t far from Tracy’s house. He didn’t want Maggie to leave the car with this situation unresolved, but where did he even start?

  With the basics. But how? With his reputation...

  The germ of an idea occurred. Getting the attention of the media was about the only thing his reputation was good for, so why didn’t he use it to tackle the problem head-on?

  The more he thought about it, the more he knew it was the only way to rescue the situation. His stomach churned at what he’d have to do, what it would cost him, but he owed Maggie nothing less.

  Before he did anything, he’d have to get her approval. For that, he’d have to get her to talk to him. Time to bridge that gap.

  “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

  For several moments, she didn’t respond. He hunched his shoulders against the feeling of inadequacy that crept into his body.

  Slowly, she turned to face him. “I told you to leave him
alone.”

  “I know. I lost my temper. But no woman should be treated that way, let alone my woman.”

  “A noble sentiment.” Her lip curled. “This was exactly what I was afraid of and why I didn’t want to come tonight. You promised nothing would happen. I should have known better.” Her short laugh scraped already raw nerves. “I did know better.”

  Feeling lower than a slug and knowing he’d earned every damning word, he forced himself to keep quiet until she’d said her piece.

  “It was bad enough that I knocked Tony to the ground,” she continued. “Your macho behavior compounded the damage.”

  “I couldn’t let him get away with what he did.”

  “Tru and Ike had it under control,” she snapped. “I begged you not to get involved. But even though I’d shared my concerns with you, you waded in. Now instead of an unfortunate accident, there’s one heck of a juicy story out there. Lee will be thrilled. He couldn’t have planned this better himself.”

  Each stinging word was like a well-aimed dart. “I’ll speak to the media and—”

  “Please don’t,” she said coolly. “You’ve done enough.”

  “But I can spin the story so they see it’s my fault and nothing to do with you.”

  “Really? After you went to such lengths to tell them we’re together and serious about each other, they’ll drop me from all the stories.” She arched an eyebrow. “I don’t think so.”

  “I can’t just sit on my hands and let you suffer.”

  “Too bloody late. Anyway, I’m sure the Ice Cats would prefer if you said nothing.”

  “I don’t give a rat’s ass what they think. I bet they’ll back me one hundred percent. If they don’t, then I won’t be part of an organization that condones sponsors abusing women and...”

  He swore when he caught her surprised expression. “Your jerk of an ex wanted you to put up with grab handing so you didn’t upset the team?”

  “Lee felt I should do whatever it took to keep the sponsors happy,” she said crisply, though she dropped her gaze.

  “Even for him, that’s a new low.” Jake grimaced. “What kills me is that you think I’m as bad as he is.”

  “You don’t help your case when you do stuff like tonight.” Her tone softened slightly.

  “You’re right.” He sighed. “At least, let me try to fix this.”

  When she started to shake her head, he cut her off. “Look, it’s already as bad as it can be. But it’s still only a local story. Maybe I can ensure it doesn’t get to the U.K. Or, if it does, make it all about a dumb hockey player from New Jersey.” There was no question he fit that bill. “If it doesn’t work, you’re no worse off. What have you got to lose?”

  “My daughter. My life over here. Everything I’ve worked so hard for over the past few months.” Her voice cracked on the last word.

  Her anguish sliced through him like a freshly sharpened blade on clean ice. History was repeating itself. He hadn’t paid enough attention to Adam when it mattered, had put himself first. Now he’d done the same to Maggie.

  This time, though, he had a chance to do something to make the situation right.

  If she’d let him.

  “Give me a couple of days. Let me try to minimize the damage.” He paused, uncertain what else to say to convince her. “Please.”

  Maggie stared out the window, saying nothing.

  The limo turned smoothly into Tracy’s drive. Time had run out.

  Desperate, he made one last play. “It’s up to you. I’ll do whatever you think is best.”

  She turned, her eyes widening. “You’re backing off?”

  “You have too much at stake for me to try to railroad you.”

  She thought for a few moments. “All right. Give it your best shot.”

  Relief rushed through him. It was a start. “Thank you.”

  His mind was already turning over a list of who to contact first. The journalists who covered the Cats. The big guys like Dreger and McKenzie at TSN, whose stories would be retweeted, as well as the key hockey bloggers.

  Maggie’s voice, barely above a whisper, interrupted his thoughts. “If it doesn’t work...” Her words faded, as if she didn’t want to finish the sentence.

  She didn’t need to.

  “It will. I’ll make sure of it. Trust me one more time.”

  But as the limo pulled to a stop, doubts danced at the edges of his brain. Maggie’s future, Emily’s future—hell, his own future—was in his hands. What if he couldn’t fix this? What if he was too late? How could he live with himself if he failed someone he cared about again?

  * * *

  “CREDIT WHERE CREDIT’S due. Jake’s lived up to his promise.”

  Jenny shot a triumphant look at Tracy, making Maggie smile.

  The women were meeting for lunch at Tracy’s house, having decided Maggie should lie low until they’d seen the full extent of the coverage of the gala-evening fiasco. Jenny had brought takeout and was spreading containers across the kitchen table while Maggie laid out plates and cutlery and Tracy made hot drinks to ward off the chill of the gray day.

  Maggie wasn’t sure she could eat anything. She was trying to put on a cheerful front, though her stomach had been in knots for the past couple of days. Her nerves were pretty much shot. She’d barely slept and she jumped whenever the phone rang.

  Every time she turned around, she was assailed by stories of that night. She and Jake had been plastered over every magazine, website and chat show. While most of the stories had focused on Jake, they’d all included a particularly unflattering picture of Maggie, with Tony sprawled at her feet.

  It hadn’t helped that she and Jake hadn’t seen each other at all since that night. They’d opted for a low profile, too. Though they’d spoken often on the phone, it wasn’t the same as being with him. Aside from missing him, she’d come to realize how much of a presence he’d become in her life. How much she enjoyed that presence.

  Jenny took the cover off a plastic salad bowl and split the contents between three plates. “Jake’s done everything he can to deflect attention from Maggie.”

  “I give him kudos for punching out that tosser, Tony.” Tracy held her hands up in mock surrender. “Jake’s certainly put himself about, appearing on podcasts, talk radio and phone-conference roundtables with journalists.”

  Jake’s determination to fix the problem, along with the huge personal sacrifice he was making for her and Emily, had melted Maggie’s heart. Other than Tracy, no one had ever cared enough for her to put their reputation, their soul, on the line. Not her parents, not her so-called friends back home and certainly not Lee.

  Tracy interrupted Maggie’s thoughts, calling her and Jenny to sit and eat.

  Jenny stabbed her grilled chicken breast with relish. “I hear the Cats told Tony that they appreciate his support, but his money isn’t worth that kind of behavior.”

  Maggie nodded. “Not only did the team stand behind Jake one hundred percent, they also stood up for me. Tony backed down pretty quickly.”

  “Rumor has it Tony tried to switch allegiance to the other hockey teams in the area, but they wanted nothing to do with him.” Tracy grinned. “That’ll teach him.”

  Maggie pushed her food around her plate. “Why do I feel like it’s been too easy? That trouble’s waiting round the corner, ready to ambush me?”

  “Past experience,” Tracy said softly. “You haven’t had an easy ride of it, sis. If anyone has earned the right to be cynical about the media, it’s you.”

  “Perhaps I deserved it. I used to chase column inches myself.” Maggie laid her fork down, giving up all pretense of trying to eat.

  “Maybe in the early days, but not during your divorce. It still infuriates me how Lee’s behavior was downplayed, just because he was a well
-known football star.” Her sister jabbed a carrot stick into the bowl of hummus.

  “This time, everyone’s on your side.” Jenny sent her a reassuring look. “I know we still haven’t seen what’s in the weeklies, but the coverage has been favorable elsewhere. Jake’s indignation over Tony trying to paw you played well on all the gossip sites.”

  “True,” Maggie admitted. “But I won’t relax until I see what the bestselling mags back home, like Coffee Break and Chit Chat, say.”

  “They’re out tomorrow, right?”

  She nodded. “With the time difference, we’ll get our first glimpse of what’s in their next issues tonight on their websites. If we make it through this week’s edition relatively unscathed, we should be okay. If not...” She broke off, not wanting to put it into words.

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Tracy laid a hand on her arm. “It’d be different if you’d had a go at someone they know, like that Russian billionaire who owns Chelsea.”

  “I suppose so.”

  “From tomorrow, things will go back to normal.” Jenny raised her coffee cup in a salute.

  “Not really. Samantha has received a formal demand from Lee to change the custody arrangements. That’ll be very hard to fight.”

  “If he’s so determined to change the rules, you should be, too.”

  Maggie tilted her head, considering. “How do I do that?”

  “Apply for residency and move here permanently.”

  “I’ll second that.” Tracy nodded her approval.

  “I’d love to, but if Lee gets shared custody, Em’s life would be totally disrupted. She’d be pulled from pillar to post every few weeks. Assuming he’d even give permission.”

  Tracy pursed her lips. “I can’t see him giving an inch.”

  “Perhaps you could make it worth his while,” Jenny mused.

  “How?”

  “Offer to take Emily back to England during school holidays. In between, they can Skype, like you suggested before. He gets regular contact and quality time without disrupting Emily too much.”

  Maggie’s stomach twisted. “I don’t want her staying with him. Even with Patty there to run interference, I don’t trust him.”