A Perfect Catch

by Anna Sugden

  The last time she and Ike had been together, she’d been scared she was falling into those same patterns. When she’d panicked about moving in with him, not only had she not given him a chance to prove he wasn’t like her ex, but she hadn’t given herself a chance, either.

  Yes, this time would be different. She’d make sure of it.

  Ike didn’t wake when she placed the tray on the bed, so she leaned over and kissed him.

  “I could get used to this,” he murmured, snagging an arm around her neck and pulling her closer. He pressed a firm kiss to her lips. “But first, coffee.”

  “Good to know where your priorities are,” she teased.

  “Just so you know, I’m keeping score for later.”

  “I hope so.” She ducked back out of his reach and passed him a steaming mug.

  They made quick work of breakfast, then snuggled together under the covers. The weather outside looked blustery and cold, but it was warm and cozy in bed. They talked about the party and baby Joe and the Ice Cats. They were talking about what they’d got and given for Christmas, when Ike suddenly stopped midsentence.

  “I wanted to get you a present. I’m sorry I didn’t.”

  Her heart warmed that he’d been thinking of her that way, even before last night. “I didn’t get you anything, either, though I thought about it, too.” She stroked his face, tracing her fingertips along his rugged jaw. “This...us...is our present to each other.”

  “I like that. A lot. So, no second thoughts?” Despite his seemingly casual tone, she could feel the tension in his body.

  Tracy met his gaze squarely. “Definitely not.”

  “Are you sure?” His thumb caressed her cheek. “Nothing’s changed between us.”

  The hint of vulnerability underlining his words strengthened her resolve. “We need to give this a proper try. We can take it slowly. We have a decent foundation to build on. If we both want this to work, we’ll find a way to make it happen.”

  “What about wanting different things? Having different expectations.”

  “We’re reasonably intelligent people. It can’t be beyond us to find common ground. Besides, we don’t need to solve all our problems right here, right now, do we?”

  “I guess not.”

  “Then let’s move forward.”

  Ike said nothing for several moments, clearly mulling over what she’d said.

  Though she understood his reticence, his silence made her nervous. It wasn’t too late, was it? “It’s worth a shot, isn’t it?”

  “Hell, yes. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

  Tracy released a silent breath of relief. “Then what’s the problem?”

  “No problem. I’m just surprised. You’ve been so adamant it wouldn’t work. What changed your mind?”

  She hesitated, then realized she had to start as she meant to go on.

  “Helping you with the dates,” she admitted ruefully.

  His expression brightened. “You were jealous.”

  “In your dreams.” Then she remembered she was supposed to be honest. “Maybe a little.”

  “I hoped you might be. Even though I thought we were done, I couldn’t help comparing everyone to you. They never stood a chance.”

  His admissions sent a warm glow through her. “Going through those questions made me realize I never took the time to get to know you. Or to let our relationship develop properly.”

  Ike laid his fingers across her lips. “Uh-uh. No dreaded R word.”

  She smiled. “Okay.”

  “Then let’s do this.”

  He wrapped her tightly in his arms. His chin rested on the top of her head. Her head lay against his chest. The strong, steady beat of his heart beneath her ear seemed the perfect accompaniment to their agreement.

  This time it would work. They’d both make sure of it.

  * * *

  LATER THAT EVENING, Tracy reflected that it had been one of the best Boxing Days she’d ever had. And not just because Ike’s energy had been restored very quickly by breakfast. Amazing what cheese scones could do for his stamina.

  She and Ike had spent a lazy day together, watching old Christmas movies and snacking on the party leftovers Jake had brought over when he’d dropped off Tracy’s car. Obviously, her brother-in-law hadn’t been surprised to see them together, but it had been nice that he’d made a point of saying he was happy for them.

  “You’ve snagged a good one there, bro.”

  Ike had slung his arm across Tracy’s shoulder and said. “Yeah, I made a perfect catch and I plan to hang on to her.”

  She’d acted offended at being compared to a puck, but really she’d been thrilled.

  Now they were relaxing in her living room. Tracy sat on the sofa, reading, her legs stretched out along the cushions, while Ike sat on the floor, his back against her thigh, playing a game on his iPad. The lights on the tree twinkled and Christmas music—a selection of Bing, Frank, Doris and Nat they’d both agreed on—played softly in the background.

  “I can’t find the freaking thing.” Ike swore. He thrust his iPad up to Tracy. “Can you see a hammer or a mallet or anything to break open that box?”

  She studied the screen for a few seconds, then zoomed in before spotting a crowbar up against a tree. “How about that?” She passed the tablet back.

  “Yeah. That’s it.” He groaned. “I always forget I can zoom. Thanks.”

  “Glad to help.” She ruffled his hair, then returned to her book to find out how the hero and heroine were going to escape the warped killer.

  The phone rang, startling her. She looked at the caller ID and prayed for strength before answering. “Hi, Mum. Happy Boxing Day.”

  “It’s not a happy time for me. Christmas isn’t the same without your father.”

  Tracy bit her lip to keep from saying it was better. “I thought you were at your sister’s until New Year’s Day.”

  “I am.”

  “She always has a full house, which is fun.”

  “But it’s not my family and you know I prefer to be at home. I don’t see why you and Maggie couldn’t come here.”

  Her mother knew perfectly well—they’d had this conversation countless times in recent weeks—but Tracy played along. “Joe is far too young to travel and this is a very busy time of year for my business. I can’t get away.”

  “Your father always said—”

  “We have the same bloody argument over and over.” Tracy lost it at that point and the conversation degenerated from there. By the time she hung up, she was wrung out and close to tears. “Why do I let her get to me? Why can’t I just let it all go over my head?”

  Ike moved up onto the sofa and pulled her close. “Families—can’t live with them, can’t shoot them.”

  She gave him a half smile. “It’s all right for you. You have a nice family.”

  “I’m lucky, for sure. But don’t forget my dad is a complete jackass.”

  Tracy had been at the Badolettis’ Fourth of July party when Radek Jelinek had showed up unannounced. He’d made a big show about wanting to reconnect with his sons, when what he’d really wanted was their money. Luckily, he’d shown his true colors and been exiled for good.

  “Mine was a bully and a tyrant,” she said. “His house, his rules. Women were helpless, useless, worthless creatures, who knew nothing and did as they were told. God forbid they should think for themselves, or worse, disagree with him. I don’t know if it was bad enough to be classed as emotional abuse, but it got close.”

  Ike hugged her tighter, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Your mom went along with him?”

  “His word was gospel. Everything she did was his way. His words came out of her mouth. It’s no bloody wonder Maggie and I left home as soon as we could.”
/>   “It says a lot about you both that you turned out as great as you did.”

  “We made mistakes, especially with the men we then married. Thankfully we both got out and we’re okay now.” She gave a self-deprecating smile. “At least Maggie is. I’m still a work in progress.”

  “Seems to me you’re doing okay, too.” Ike paused. “I know what Maggie’s bastard of an ex was like.” A muscle in his jaw jerked. “Do you want to tell me about yours?”

  They’d avoided such serious topics when they were together before, too focused on enjoying the moment. Tracy had still been too raw to be able to talk about Hank rationally, so that had suited her fine. Now she realized it might have been a mistake. How could Ike understand her fears when he didn’t know the background?

  Admitting what she’d been like—what she’d allowed herself to be like—was embarrassing. But if they were to make their rela— whatever this was called work, she had to be open about her past.

  She let out a long breath and dived straight in. “Hank was just like my father. More charming, better educated and much wealthier, but beneath it all, he was the same. I fell for a pretty face and an American accent. I was so eager to please, I turned into my mother before I realized what was happening.”

  Ike said very little, prompting her occasionally with a question as she told him the whole sorry story. Her marriage, Hank’s affair, their divorce. How she’d used Hank’s divorce settlement to set up her business. “After my parents and Hank, I needed to assert my independence. To have something that was mine. To prove I wasn’t my mother or Hank’s pathetic wife.”

  Ike held her close, stroking gently up and down her arm, encouraging her with his touch.

  “Of course no one believed I’d survive even a full year. My father and Hank both said I wasn’t capable of running a business, let alone one in such a competitive market. That’s when I vowed that someday I’d be number one. Success would not only prove to him and everyone else that I could make it, but also prove to me I could be successful as a person.”

  After she’d finished, they sat quietly, each lost in their own thoughts. It was hard to tell what Ike was thinking about what he’d heard.

  Finally, Tracy had to know. “I bet you’re regretting you asked.”

  He shook his head. “Like I said before, everyone has a past. My childhood affected me and made me the way I am. I’m amazed you came through yours in such good shape.”

  She laughed. “Hardly.”

  “Most people would have folded after what you’ve been through. Or repeated their mistake again and again. You broke the cycle and became your own person. What’s more, you used your experiences to build an independent new life and a successful business. Sounds pretty good to me.”

  Stunned, she turned to look at him. It couldn’t be that easy. Could it? “If I’d known you’d get it, I’d have shared all this before.”

  “I might not have understood back then.” He gave a chagrined smile. “I’ve always been strong and self-reliant—I’ve had to be—and intolerant of those who weren’t. This damn injury gave me a new perspective. Made me appreciate better what it’s like to be vulnerable.”

  “But I could have tried.”

  “And I could have asked. What’s done is done. I figure we’ve both learned enough from our mistakes not to repeat them.”

  “Or at least recognize when we’re making them. Neither of us is perfect, after all.”

  “Speak for yourself. Kidding,” he added quickly, when she reached for her wineglass.

  She made a point of taking a long sip of wine before setting the glass down. “We also know to discuss issues when they arise, instead of hiding from them.”

  “Yeah. Great.” He winced. “Hopefully we won’t need to have any more deep discussions for a while. I think I’ve had my quota for the year.”

  Since she’d had enough angst herself, Tracy moved out of his arms and shifted onto his lap, her knees on either side of his thighs. “Hmm. You must be quite worn out. That’s a shame, because I’ve had this great idea.” She leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

  He laughed. “I may just have enough energy for that.”

  “Well, if you’re sure.” She slid down his body and proceeded to do exactly what she’d suggested.

  * * *

  IKE PULLED A sweater over his head, shook out his wet hair, then slipped his arms slowly into the sleeves. He’d been free of the splint for a couple of weeks, but was careful about how he used his still-healing arm. He had a decent amount of movement and flexibility now, and his arm was getting stronger all the time. He was also running and working out in his home gym daily. He was cautiously optimistic that this afternoon’s appointment with Dr. Gibson would give him a date for when he’d be allowed to skate again.

  The sooner, the better. Monty’s run of strong play had continued and the Ice Cats were currently in a wild-card spot for the playoffs. Even the kid they’d brought up from the AHL was holding his own. All good news for the team, but it made Ike nervous.

  Especially when there were rumblings that Hardshaw was after more scoring power and wanted to bring someone in before the trade deadline. With the Cats up against the salary cap, the only way the GM could bring in a quality scorer would be a major trade or to shift salary. Sure, Ike’s salary wasn’t an issue right now, because he was officially on the long-term injured list. But who knew what might happen down the road when he was reactivated. If Hardshaw thought the current goaltending tandem was good enough, he might deal Ike.

  Particularly if there was any doubt about Ike being as good as he used to be.

  Which was why Ike was desperate to get back on the ice.

  Marshaling his arguments for the surgeon, just in case, Ike headed downstairs to grab the lunch his housekeeper had left in the refrigerator. One good thing to come out of this whole mess was Marlene. Ike planned to keep her for as long as he could. Thankfully, she was happy to keep working for him. Tracy was working on a buyout of her contract with the employment agency so they could make the arrangement permanent.

  Ike took out the soup, then grinned when he saw the lasagna and salad Marlene had made for dinner. Tracy was stopping by later. She had a long day of client meetings and he’d wanted to surprise her with a nice meal, so he’d asked his housekeeper to make something he could heat up easily.

  Now that he understood what drove Tracy and why her business was so fundamentally important to who she was, he tried to do things like this to show his support. He still told her when he thought she wasn’t getting the balance right, though he tried to do it in a more positive way.

  The past couple of weeks had been unbelievable. Even better than when they’d been together before. After their intense conversation on the twenty-sixth, there had been a new closeness between them. They were adapting well to being together and they were compromising. They were also more relaxed with each other.

  There was just one tiny fly in the ointment. Ike knew he shouldn’t rush Tracy, but he was impatient to know where he stood. To have some reassurance that there would be a future for them. For him, the answer was obvious. He wasn’t sure about Tracy. He understood why she was cautious and thought she was slowly coming around to the idea of commitment, but he had no idea what shape that commitment might take.

  He’d thought about having one of those issue discussions she’d mentioned, but was wary of saying the wrong thing. Besides, with her so busy with work and him trying to regain his fitness, the timing never seemed right.

  Perhaps that was a mistake. Perhaps he should tell her how he felt about her. What was the worst that could happen? She wasn’t ready? She didn’t feel the same? It had to be better to know for sure.

  His front doorbell rang, interrupting his thoughts.

  He was pleasantly surprised to find Tracy standing on the doorstep. “Yo
u’re early. Did you miss me?”

  She ignored his question. “Can I come in?” Despite her polite request, she looked ready to spit nails.

  Curious and a little concerned, he stood back to let her in. “Sure.”

  In the front hall, Tracy turned to face him. Her anger erupted. “Do you know what your ass of a general manager just did?”

  “Uh, no. I didn’t even know you were seeing him today.”

  “I hadn’t planned to, but he called asking for an urgent meeting, so I fit him in.”

  He opened his mouth to suggest they go through to the kitchen, but she cut him off.

  “He gave me a whole song-and-dance routine about how he’d made a mistake taking my work in-house and giving so much responsibility to Lois.” She paced the hallway. “Things have been getting steadily worse as I’ve handed things over to her. She hasn’t been able to cope and the mistakes have been piling up. They’d become more than an inconvenience and were beginning to affect the efficient operation of the team. The final straw was when she tried to save money by changing the deal with the airline the Cats use for their charter flights. The airline retaliated by stripping out services. Apparently the trip back from Columbus last night was not good.”

  “So he wants to reinstate you?” he asked cautiously, not sure why she was so mad.

  “Oh, yes.” She stopped in front of him. “And he’s sweetened the pot. A five-year deal with better financial terms and a longer notice period.”

  “That’s good, isn’t it?”

  “No, it’s not bloody good,” she stormed. “He’s set a non-negotiable condition.”

  “What kind of condition?” What the hell could Hardshaw have stipulated that would upset her so much?

  “He’s heard that you and I are seeing each other and doesn’t approve. Nepotism or favoritism or conflict of interest or something. Anyway, the upshot is that I can have the contract or I can have you. Not both.”