Feeling eyes on her, Lauren glanced up. The goalie watched her with hungry eyes, only it wasn’t for her that he was hungry. He’d eaten everything on his plate and zeroed in on her just toying with her food. “You gonna finish that?”
Lauren pushed her plate full of food across the table to Brick.
“Hey, don’t get your hand too close to him. He’ll eat that too.” Cedric joked.
The table erupted in laughter, except for Coop and Ethan. They eyed each other like two dogs sizing the other up before a big fight. Ethan matched Coop glare for glare, and not many people had the guts to do that.
Pride for Ethan surged through her, and she had no right to that particular emotion or the ones that made her panties wet and palms sweat.
Chapter 8—Delayed Offside
The next week and a half was a wild ride, and Lauren hung on for all she was worth. After trading wins with New York in New York, winning two at home, and losing another in New York, the Giants squeaked out a win in game six at home and advanced to the semi-finals against Boston. Four wins stood between this unlikely team of misfits and rejects and playing for the Cup.
She’d stayed out of trouble where Ethan was concerned. Even though she couldn’t very well avoid him since she’d been tasked to assist him, she minimized private interactions and made sure others were around when she was with him to reduce temptation. And the man was way too tempting.
During the day she concentrated on team matters, but at night she succumbed to fantasies filled with sparkling blue eyes, a sexy half smile, and a hard muscular body. Not that she’d seen him naked, but she could imagine. Thank God, the team’s recent success had distracted her somewhat.
Lauren pinched herself several times over the course of the last twenty-four hours as she realized how close this team was to achieving the impossible. They deserved this—every one of them, including the staff and coaches who’d worked so hard, slept little, and given it all to reach this point. They’d ride this ride however far it took them.
The team played beyond their abilities, believing in themselves. And Cooper, who’d stuck with the team through all the adversity and losing seasons, had never once given up hope or sold out to the highest bidder. That type of loyalty didn’t exist in pro sports anymore. Cooper said once in a rare interview that you could only spend so much money, and the extra dollars didn’t come close to making up for the team and community relationships he’d built over the years.
And Cooper had built relationships. He worked tirelessly on his different causes, especially children’s cancer, faithfully spending one day a week at the Children’s Hospital. He’d rarely missed a week in all the years he’d been with the team.
Ethan needed to see that side of Cooper, understand where he was coming from, and appreciate him for the man he was off the ice as well as on the ice.
The team had a few days before the next series began, and Lauren suspected Coop would be heading to the hospital with some teammates. Playing the stalker, she hung out until he finished practice and ambushed him as he walked off the ice.
Usually happy to see her, Cooper pursed his lips, his eyes wary, as if her association with Ethan branded her as a possible traitor. Cooper didn’t like change. He liked everything exactly the way it should be, all lined up, neat and tidy. It served him well on the ice, where his precision counted big time. Off the ice, she wished the Giants’ star player would be a little more flexible, more open-minded to the possibilities of life without the Sleezers.
“Are you going to see your kids this afternoon after practice?” She asked him.
He stiffened and lifted his chin, setting his jaw and regarding her with a hooded gaze, as if he were trying to decipher her ulterior motives. “Yeah, Ced and I are.”
“Good. Mind if Ethan and I tag along?” Lauren clutched her hands behind her back to hide her fidgeting.
Cooper frowned. Oh, yeah, he minded, really minded, but he sighed, as if he knew arguing would get him nowhere. “If that’s what you want.”
“What time and where should we meet you?”
“We’ll be at the hospital around two PM. You can meet us there.” He slipped past her as if he couldn’t get away fast enough.
So much for travelling in the same car, but Lauren would take what she got. Cooper was the easy part. Now to convince Ethan and to keep the two men from killing each other.
* * * *
Ethan didn’t see the point in invading Cooper’s private time, but Lauren wouldn’t back down. She wanted him to see a different side of Cooper. Feeling cranky and unsure why, Ethan tagged along.
Lauren pulled her piece-of-crap car into the visitor parking at the University of Florida hospital. He rubbed the back of his neck and stared out the passenger window, not certain it was a good idea for him to be here.
“I don’t think Cooper will appreciate me being here.”
“Hang with me on this.” Lauren turned off the engine and got out, leaving him no choice but to follow or sit inside a car with the blistering sun beating down. He hurried to catch up to her, still annoyed at being kept in the dark. She punched the button for the fourth floor.
“We shouldn’t be here.” Ethan spoke quietly as they got off the elevator. At the end of the hall, a commotion caught his attention.
Lauren’s genuine smile melted his irritation a bit. She touched his arm, and the contact did weird shit to him, reminding him of the very reason he’d been trying his damnedest to avoid her. Impossible that, but he’d given it a shot. She’d done the same, and for that, he’d been grateful. Nothing good would come of a physical relationship with her no matter how hard his dick wanted in the game.
She stopped just outside a set of open double doors and pointed inside, giddy with excitement. Ethan couldn’t take his eyes off her. God, she was lovely when she lit up from the inside out like that. He swallowed hard and stepped closer to her on the pretense of looking inside the room. Hell, he didn’t even glance at the scene in the room. His eyes locked onto her like a targeting device and refused to move.
“Ethan?” She touched his arm, and he jerked himself to attention.
“Uh, yeah?”
She pointed again, her gaze darting from him to the room and back again. “It’ll be good for you to see Cooper and the guys in action off the ice.”
“Okay.” Reluctantly, he looked away from her, but he could still sense her closeness, almost as if she were still touching him even though she wasn’t.
Beyond them, a large playroom full of kids in various sizes and shapes dressed in hospital gowns, some in wheelchairs, a few running around as if nothing were physically wrong. Except for their predominantly bald heads, most of them could be kids anywhere.
Ethan stared at his star player, the guy with an attitude bigger than Mount Rainier and plenty of opinions, as he joked and played with the kids. Some of the little ones hung on him, others crowded around him. A few of the sicker ones eagerly waited with hope and patience that tugged at Ethan’s heart. Other members of the team worked the room, but Cooper appeared to be the real star in this show and the ringleader of the group.
Ever the businessman, Ethan’s mind raced ahead to the promotional possibilities—Seattle had a children’s hospital. Not to mention, that might be one way to gain Cooper’s cooperation once the truth came out.
Something was missing. Ethan glanced around the room, trying to figure it out. Then it came to him. No TV cameras. No reporters. This was a strictly off-the-record visit. These guys were here because they wanted to be, not for a promo op. That said a lot about their character. A sliver of pride vibrated through Ethan. Maybe he didn’t have the right yet to be proud of this team, but he still was. He’d made the perfect choice in going after them, even if it’d take a while for them to appreciate him as much as he appreciated them.
“Do they do this often?” He lowered his voice not wanting to call attention to himself.
“Every chance they get. They also visit veterans’ homes and n
ursing homes.”
Ethan nodded as he followed Lauren into the room. They sat in a corner at a small inconspicuous table.
“Cooper is a fixture in this city. He does tons of charity work, much of it anonymously, like working with these kids.”
Ethan said nothing as he watched Coop entertain the dozen or so kids sitting around in wheelchairs and on the couches. He steeled himself against emotions he didn’t want to feel. These kids looked like the sun rose and set on Cooper. They hung on his every word as he talked about enjoying every moment of your life.
Fuck, this was going to be hard. Harder than he’d ever imagined. He’d always thought of this move from Seattle’s point of view. He’d be the hero, the guy who gave Seattle back a winter sport since their beloved Sonics left. Now he was about to steal another city’s team.
He rolled his shoulders, trying to ease some of the tension gripping his body. This was business, and sometimes the tough choices hurt innocent people.
In its current location, this hockey team hemorrhaged money. In Seattle it stood an excellent shot of being a lucrative investment and a Seattle icon for years to come. Ethan’s business dealings had been all about making the hard choices. This project would be no different; while he was making Seattle’s dreams come true, he’d be ripping out the hearts of hockey fans in this area.
“What are you thinking?”
He snapped his head in Lauren’s direction. “Why do you ask?”
“You seem disturbed when you should be anything but. Why, Ethan? What’s bothering you?”
Her concern touched him. No one had worried about him since he’d been a little kid. What Ethan would give for a woman like Lauren with whom he could share all his troubles, wishes, and desires. Like his father shared everything with his mother.
When the truth was revealed, she’d never trust him again. If he was lucky, she’d at least tolerate him as her employer and not bolt out the door and out of his life.
Ethan, my man, he thought, you’re skating on thin ice in the middle of a deep lake while it cracks all around you, but the only thing you can do is keep skating for the other side because you’ve come too far to go back now.
Chapter 9—Cross-Checking
The day after the hospital visit, the commissioner called Ethan to an impromptu meeting at a bar near the airport.
The second Ethan walked into the bar, he knew something was up. He took a seat, ordered a whiskey and waded through small talk, when all he wanted to do was scream, get to the point.
Finally Straus did, and it wasn’t what Ethan wanted to hear. His jaw dropped as he stared at the man. “What do you mean the league has to consider other offers?”
“We’ve been approached by another interested party.” The coward wouldn’t even meet his gaze.
“I bought this team, and if it wasn’t for your gag order, the entire world would know by now, and there’d be no going back.” Ethan fisted his hands under the table so he wouldn’t wrap them around Straus’s neck.
“We want a presence in Seattle. It’s a huge, untapped hockey market, but we have an offer that’ll keep the team in this city.” Straus’s gaze darted around the room, as if he was seeking an escape route.
“Offer? You shouldn’t be considering other offers. This team is sold for all intents and purposes. You know as well as I do, that even with a playoff run, the team is hemorrhaging money. New ownership won’t change the fact that there are other draws for people’s entertainment dollars, and hockey isn’t at the top of their list.” Ethan was incredibly frustrated. This was supposed to be a done deal, blessed by the league to rectify a unfortunate situation, and put a team in a bigger market with a better TV deal.
“The offer comes from well-respected men in the world of hockey. Several of the owners have expressed concerns regarding our hasty decision on the sale of the team.”
“Because I’m not a hockey guy? And none of my partners are hockey guys?”
Straus stared at his hands, “No, that’s not it.”
Liar. “What’s the offer?” Ethan forced out the words from between gritted teeth. He’d be damned if he’d lose this team now.
“I’m not at liberty to say.”
“Whatever the fuck it is, I’m raising my offer by one hundred million over whatever they come up with.” Ethan sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. Take that, asshole. If money talks, then mine is shouting.
“You don’t know what their offer is.” Straus finally met his gaze. He swiped at the thin layer of sweat beading his brow, even though it was freezing-butt cold in this bar.
“I don’t fucking give a shit. That’s my offer. This is my team, and we had a deal. I’m holding you to it.” Ethan raised his chin and leaned forward. Straus shrank back in his seat.
“I’ll need to consult with the relocation committee.”
“Consult with them all you want. As soon as this team finishes its last game, I’ll be announcing my purchase and the move.”
“You can’t do that.” The commissioner sat up straighter and met his gaze, as if attempting to intimidate. Ethan almost laughed as he glared right back, and the man quickly looked away.
“I can, and I will. I have it in writing. You do recall our contract?”
The commissioner nodded and scratched his arm, glancing toward the doorway.
“Is that all?” Ethan was fighting mad and needed to get the hell out of here before he lost it and said something that couldn’t be taken back. Not waiting for a response, he stood and strode toward the door, leaving the bastard to pay the bill.
* * * *
Lauren glanced up as her father walked into her office and shut the door. “Hey, Dad, what’s up?”
“I have it from a good source, Williams is at an afternoon meeting with the commissioner right now.”
“I know he is. It’s not like it’s a deep, dark secret. He has a lot of meetings with Straus.”
Her father muttered something about Ethan having his head stuck up Straus’s ass. “I want you to find out what was discussed. My group made their official offer yesterday.”
Lauren fought back an odd rush of panic. Her pulse raised and her stomach clenched, her loyalties divided. “He won’t tell me anything, Dad. You know that.”
“So study his body language, his mood; those things tell more than his words. I want to know everything, every little nuance.”
“I’ll do what I can.” She mumbled, not committing to her father’s cause, even if guilt warned that she should be.
“Lauren, this is important. We want this team, the boys and I. You do want to keep your job, don’t you?”
Lauren bristled at the veiled insult that the only way she could get and keep a job with a team was because of her father’s influence. Sure, he’d helped her initially, but now her track record should speak for itself.
Besides, she wanted the job indicated by her title, not a glorified clerical position, where the men in charge sent her to make copies—who used paper copies anymore anyway?—and discounted everything she said or even worse, patronized her. Her dad’s good ol’ boy group would never give her the credit or clout she’d worked so hard to earn. She didn’t mind working twice as hard as any man, but eventually she wanted the respect she deserved and a shot at moving up based on her merits, not the size of her dick.
Ethan had given her that respect from the very beginning. He depended on her input and asked her opinions, never once giving a shit that she was female, while her father never asked her opinion. The GM didn’t, and the coach sure as hell didn’t. Yet, this wasn’t all about Lauren. It was about winning, putting the best possible product on the ice, and giving the guys every chance to succeed. Deep down, the current coaching staff and management weren’t getting it done. They’d been lucky and riding the backs of guys playing out of their minds. Ethan knew that as well as she did. Did anyone else get it?
“Dad, I want to keep this job, but I want more responsibility.”
Her father sc
owled, reminding her of when she was little girl, and she taxed him with one of her many questions why the boys got to do things she didn’t. “Lauren, honey, I know you were a good hockey player, you know hockey, but you can never know it at the level of someone who’s played in the NHL. You’re doing really well. Be happy with that.”
“Because I don’t have balls, I’m relegated to support roles, not decision-making ones.”
“Now, Lauren.”
God, she hated it when he tried to placate her. “Ethan would give me more responsibility.”
Her father took a step back and shook his head in disbelief. “Lauren, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“But you did, Dad. You heard it. Just because I didn’t play the game at the level you did, doesn’t mean I can’t see things that are wrong, that I can’t make contributions.”
Lon just smiled, one of those infuriatingly patronizing smiles. “I’m sure you can, honey.” He glanced at his watch. “Gotta go. Late for a meeting.”
He hurried away, just like he had every other time in her life that involved tough situations with his daughter. Lauren sighed and returned to her spreadsheets, evaluating the team’s performance in the last round of the playoffs.
Lauren waited anxiously for Ethan to return from his meeting, but it wasn’t until after six that he called and asked if she wanted to discuss the finals over dinner. He said he was famished.
Despite her promise to avoid private situations with him, she caved at the note of despair in his voice. He needed her, and very few people needed her. Not like that.
She waited for Ethan at the pizza joint down the road from the arena and found a seat in a high-backed booth.
The epiphany hit her with the speed of Cooper driving to the net. She wanted Ethan to be involved with the Giants on a long-term basis. In fact, she counted on it. Ethan’s steady leadership would do more for this team than her father’s good ol’ boy group of “hockey guys.” Ethan with his passion for the game, his open-minded acceptance of new ways of training and coaching, and his respect for her and her knowledge.
Skating on Thin Ice: Seattle Sockeyes (Game On in Seattle Book 1) Page 9
