The Sport of Romance: A Multi-Author Box Set

by Cari Quinn

  Grinning, Rick skated over to the boards. “Hey, guys!” he shouted. “Come watch me race Sarah!”

  Several players in various states of dress emerged from the dressing and weight rooms. They filed into the bench area, mostly throwing their loyalty into Sarah’s corner and encouraging her to kick Rick’s ass. A few of them took to mocking Rick about being beaten by a girl.

  She searched for Sebastian, but didn’t see him. A flicker of disappointment brought a frown to her face and she forced her attention back to the race.

  Ben motioned her over to the boards, where he handed her his helmet. “Wear this.” He fastened the strap under her chin then stepped back, chuckling.

  “What?” The helmet rattled around on her head with the demand.

  “It’s… it’s…” Rob could hardly squeeze the words out. His entire frame convulsed in laughter as he gestured in her direction.

  “It’s huge,” Ben said. “Your head is so delicate and tiny!” He reached out then snickered as Sarah batted his hand away.

  She went to the middle of the rink and started shaking her legs out. Even though she’d probably lose, she refused to back down. Her ego wouldn’t let her. In that way, she was just like the guys.

  “So what’s the format of the race?” Ben asked.

  Rick grinned. “A sprint.”

  “No way,” Rob argued. “You can’t do that. You’ll cream her.”

  “I already practiced and lifted today. I’m tired,” Rick said.

  But the team wouldn’t hear of it. They insisted Rick skate backward between each blue line and goal line.

  “Oh, now that’s not right. You’re giving her an unfair advantage,” Rick protested.

  Rob smirked. “Quit bitching.”

  “I’ll get you guys back for this if I don’t win,” Rick grumbled.

  She went back to the bench area and Ben gave her a few pointers about how to win the race. Several others joined in until Rick cried foul. It was kind of funny how much the guys wanted her to beat Rick.

  Sarah skated to the starting line. Jordan grabbed a whistle from the bench and slid out on the ice in his sneakers to officiate the race. Grinning, he placed the whistle in his mouth and blew.

  Initially, Sarah got the jump on Rick, but in no time, with his much longer stride, he caught up even though he was skating backward. On the straightaway in front of the players’ benches, Sarah passed him, the loud cheering and catcalling from the guys merely a buzz in her ears because of her absorption in beating Rick.

  She was going too fast to handle the crossovers around the goal. There was no way she could manage the maneuver at that speed.

  She glanced behind her. Rick was closing in.

  At the last second, Sarah decided she’d save time by doing a crossover. Her inside foot caught the front of her outside blade, and she went down hard on her left hip, knocking the wind out of her as pain shot through the joint. Spinning, she crashed into the boards.

  Sarah lie prone on the ice, her arm twisted under her as she tried to make sense of what was happening around her.

  Rick and Jordan got to her in seconds, Rick screaming, “Get Colby!” Colby was the team’s trainer. “Dammit! She’s really hurt. Call 9-1-1!”

  Jon and the other coaches skidded onto the ice along with other various personnel and players. Everyone crowded around her, but Jon yelled for them to move back. A couple of the players rushed Colby over.

  Rick was repeating, “She said she could handle it.”

  Colby narrowed his eyes, concentrating on Sarah and looking into her eyes. “Do you know what day it is?”

  Sarah squinted, thinking hard. “It’s Thursday,” she slurred then blinked in surprise. Her mind, save for the pounding headache coming on like a freight train, was clearer than her speech indicated.

  She closed her eyes as the adrenaline of the race seeped away. Her hip hurt and pain radiated up and down her arm.

  “What’s the date?” Colby demanded.

  “I have a headache, but I’m fine,” Sarah mumbled, trying to open her eyes and sit up but not succeeding. She hated appearing weak in front of the players. Her eyes would only open to slits as the headache intensified until she was afraid her brains would pour out of her head.

  “Don’t move.” Colby gently pushed her back down. “What is the date today, Sarah? Do you know today’s date?”

  “October twenty-first,” she answered. “I’m cold.” She shivered and her teeth began to chatter.

  Colby tried to mask the worry in his expression, but he didn’t fool her. With the amount of pain she was in, Sarah knew she was injured, possibly badly. “There’s an ambulance on its way.” He turned to the others. “She’ll be going into shock soon. Get some stuff to keep her warm.”

  After a few moments, several players returned with towels and a bunch of jackets. Sebastian, wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, slid onto the ice. He knelt, his eyes wide as saucers. “Mon Dieu, what’s going on here?”

  “I fell.”

  A ghost of a smile appeared. “Yes, that much I know. What were you thinking, ma fille idiote?” He reached for her then snatched his hand back and balled it in his lap. His gaze shot to Rick. “What were you thinking?”

  Sarah prayed Sebastian wouldn’t cause a scene. It was bad enough he was kneeling right next to her when all the other guys had kept a proper distance. She touched his arm and he refocused his attention on her. “I’m fine, Sebastian. Don’t yell at him.”

  Rick glanced between the two of them. “I’m so sorry, Sarah.”

  She whispered, “I’m okay.”

  Sebastian stared for another few seconds and then rose. Relief that he hadn’t done anything more to make people suspect there might be something between them flooded her.

  Soon, the ambulance came and Sarah was loaded onto the backboard. The EMTs tried to be gentle, but she was jostled a little and pain radiated from her arm and hip. Rick stayed right by her head the entire time, while Sebastian held back a bit but watched like a hawk.

  Sarah focused on Rick’s stricken expression. “Rick, it’s okay. I agreed to it.”

  Rick shook his head. “I never should’ve challenged you. You haven’t been skating long enough to go all out like that. I feel horrible.”

  She touched his cheek with the fingertips of her uninjured arm. “It was my fault.”

  Sebastian snorted, but she didn’t spare him a glance. Rick, still shaking his head, looked miserable. She knew Rick wouldn’t let her accept any of the blame, which was just silly. They’d both agreed to the race.

  As the EMTs finished loading Sarah into the ambulance and pulled away from the arena, she thought about Sebastian’s reaction. She doubted anyone knew about their kiss, but if he kept doing things like he had today…

  Maybe she needed to look into dating. If she wasn’t available, perhaps Sebastian would back off. Her head started to throb and she closed her eyes.

  Not even lunchtime and this has already been a long day…

  * * *

  A few hours later Sebastian couldn’t stand it anymore and went to see Sarah. The information desk attendant directed him upstairs, which meant they’d admitted her. His heart in his throat, he sprinted to the elevator. As it ascended, he tapped out a staccato rhythm on his thigh with his fingertips.

  When he reached her room, he popped his head in first. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” She waved, revealing the air cast on her arm.

  Other than the cast and the paleness of her face, she didn’t appear too worse for the wear. He willed his heart to stop thumping and stepped into the room. “Broken?”

  “It’s a sprain. The doctor said I can take it off in a few weeks, which is good. The damn thing is uncomfortable.”

  Sebastian laughed and nodded. “When I broke my wrist during juniors, the cast itched so much I spent an entire day searching for something I could slide between my wrist and the cast to scratch with.” A ghost of a smile played over her face and his heart swe
lled. He hated seeing her unhappy. “Can I sit?”

  “Um, sure.” She gave him a weak, uncertain smile and he fought not to reach out and caress her.

  He pulled one of the chairs to the side of her bed and sat. “Other than your wrist, how are you? I heard it was a pretty nasty fall.”

  “They said I have a mild concussion. I guess my head hit the boards, and as you know, a helmet can only do so much. Good thing I was wearing one though. And I hit the ice with my hip, so I’ve got a huge bruise that’ll probably hurt for a while.”

  “When I heard you’d taken a tumble, it scared me half to death. I think I have gray hairs now.” He attempted a smile, but wasn’t sure he succeeded.

  Sarah raised an eyebrow. “Gray hairs? Right…” Shifting a little in the bed, she regarded him. “You shouldn’t worry about me. In fact, you shouldn’t even be here. How would it appear if someone from the team showed up?”

  Sebastian would’ve liked to argue with her, but with Sarah in this condition, it didn’t seem fair. “I know, but I couldn’t help myself. I had to see that you were all right.” Leaning forward, he took her good hand in his and squeezed.

  “I’m all right,” she whispered, her voice cracking, and it was all he could do to remain seated.

  Sebastian wanted so badly to put his arms around her and hold her tight so she would never hurt again. He was waging an internal battle over doing just that when a nurse came in. Sarah snatched her hand away and the loss registered acutely.

  When the nurse finished checking her vitals and had vacated the room, Sarah returned her attention to him. “Go home, Sebastian. Really, I’m good. I just need some rest.”

  He sighed, defeated. It wasn’t like he could force her to let him provide comfort. “Is that what you want? You want me to leave?”

  She swallowed and then nodded. “Yes.”

  He didn’t believe her, but couldn’t exactly call her a liar in her vulnerable state. “All right. But I want you to promise me you’re going to take care of yourself.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  Leaning over the bed, he placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. He fought the urge to trail his lips down her face to her mouth for a repeat of that intense kiss they’d shared in her office, but now was not a good time. Sarah was injured and if he took advantage of her condition to further his own agenda he’d feel guilty.

  He recalled the man who had attacked her. Though Sebastian would do anything rather than hurt Sarah, and he hoped she knew that, he worried she might see an advance as threatening, given her weakened state. As he pulled back though, he caressed the sides of her face with his hands.

  Her eyes closed and she leaned into the touch for just a second before pulling away. “Thanks for coming.”

  Sebastian took a gentle hold of her chin, urging her to meet his gaze. “Mon ange, what will I do with you?”

  Unable to stop himself, he placed a soft kiss on her lips then forced himself to straighten and move away. She stared at him, confusion and want warring in her eyes. Before he did something else stupid, like going back for another ill-advised kiss, he said, “I’ll see you in a few days.”

  As he left the hospital, he went back over the past weeks and how much he’d come to depend on seeing Sarah every day. That kiss in her office had thrown him for a loop and now he wanted more, so much more. He’d never heard about a rule forbidding players to date people who worked for the team, but Sarah believed it would be a problem.

  Without a shadow of a doubt, he was falling for her. How could he convince Sarah to take a chance on him?

  * * *

  Sarah had just finished dinner when Rob leaned on the door frame and knocked. “How are you?”

  How do you think I am? She smirked. “Awesome. You?”

  Rob walked into the room then sat in the chair Sebastian had used earlier. “Quite a wipeout this morning, huh?”

  “Were you there? I don’t remember seeing you.” She frowned. Had she forgotten more about the incident than she thought she had?

  “I was on the bench.” Rob narrowed his eyes, assessing her. “You’re lucky. A sprain’s better than if you’d broken it. Well, actually, that’s not true. Sometimes sprains don’t heal as well.” He bit his lip as if he’d said too much, and Sarah smiled despite herself at his “got his hand caught in the cookie jar” demeanor.

  Rob cracked her up, and she was grateful for his visit, especially after all the emotional stuff Sebastian had stirred up. Rob made her comfortable, and for that she really appreciated him.

  “At least the cast won’t be on long. What else did the doctor say?”

  “They’d like to keep me here overnight for observation. I have a mild concussion.”

  Rob nodded. “Ah yes, the joys of being on skates.”

  Sarah chuckled, relaxing against the pillows the nurse had piled behind her head. “Yeah, right. So what brings you down here?” Even though she knew it might still be odd for someone from the team to find Rob in her room, she felt absolutely no attraction to him and thus had nothing to hide.

  He held up a bag. “I brought your stuff from the rink. I figured you might want it.”

  “Oh, thanks. That was sweet of you.” Rob grinned and she relaxed a little more. Rob was great as a friend. He was funny, could talk a hungry bear away from a picnic basket, and was a scrappy, hard-nosed player despite his relative size deficiency. One of the local sports reporters had dubbed him “Our Little Psycho,” which pleased him to no end.

  Rob jerked his head toward her. “Hurts, huh?”

  “It’s not just my arm. I’m pretty sure a truck ran over me. I ache everywhere and I’m exhausted.” And I sent Sebastian away and I feel like the world’s hugest bitch.

  “Well, that’s why hockey players wear pads when we tear around the rink, you idiot. Though most days I wake up aching all over too, so I’m not sure how much they help.” The corners of his eyes crinkled as he laughed. “I can’t imagine what it will be like if I’m still playing in ten years. I’ll probably be in a wheelchair when I’m not on the ice.”

  Rob cleared his throat. “Sarah, I know this is none of my business, but Sebastian confided in me about you two. I wasn’t going to say anything, but Rick mentioned Sebastian’s overprotective behavior after the accident. As you know, it’s not good when people are starting to notice.”

  Suddenly Sarah’s head was like a lead balloon and she closed her eyes, willing the headache that was threatening again to abate. Maybe my concussion is worse than I thought… Her eyes flew open again as the mortifying idea that hers and Sebastian’s pretty much nonexistent relationship was a topic of conversation sank in. “There’s no ‘us two.’”

  “I know that. Calm down, honey.” Rob ran a hand through his hair. “Sebastian is a good guy. He’s one of my best buddies, and I like you too. You’re cool. You’re smart. Plus I think this mathematical analysis thing is amazing, now that I understand it better. But I think it’s a bad idea for the two of you to get involved. It’s like sleeping with a teammate’s wife. It’s not good for anybody. I mean, it’s almost like you’re a coach. That’s just weird, like sleeping with your boss or something, you know?”

  Sarah groaned. “I get the point.”

  “I’ve been watching you ever since Sebastian told me about that night you two went to dinner. He wasn’t at the arena by accident that night. He went there for you.”

  “I know.” Her tone was defensive, but she couldn’t seem to temper it. “It’s not like I invited him.”

  Rob ignored her. “You’re trying to hide it, but you’re lonely. I can see it when you get off the plane and go to your car alone, and I can see it when we’re home and everybody is talking about plans with friends and family. You said your family lives out of town, and I can appreciate that, seeing as my family and most of my non-Storm friends live ten hours away.”

  Sarah nodded, chagrined to know her loneliness was so obvious to others. She pulled the hospital gown tighter then folded h
er good arm over her chest.

  “I can also see you love your new role and you’re gaining confidence with the guys, which I think is great and will help you get your ideas across. Every now and then, though, you have this faraway look in your eye, like you’re thinking about something else, or someone else.”

  His perceptiveness both surprised and appalled Sarah. “Am I that easy to read?”

  Rob chuckled, revealing the creases around his eyes again. “No, you’re not. I’m probably the only one who’s noticed, since I know about the thing with you and Sebastian.

  “I was dating a girl while I was in Rochester a couple of years ago. Things were pretty serious. Then the Storm called me up. I was ecstatic to be playing here, but I missed her a lot. I wanted her to move here, but she was going to school at the University of Rochester and didn’t want to leave.”

  He took a deep breath.

  It must be costing him to relive this part of his life.

  “After a while, it just got too hard to see each other between my playing schedule and her college workload.” An expression of resignation settled over his face.

  Sarah’s heart hurt for him. Rob was a good man and she hated to see him in pain. Was this woman why Rob never dated seriously?

  “Anyway, we broke up. It took me a while to start dating again, but I did. You need to do the same. Go on a few dates. Have some fun.”

  “This isn’t the same situation. There is no relationship to speak of.” She appreciated his concern, because it was kindly intended, but she wanted this conversation over. With her background, she wasn’t at all sure she was capable of just going on a few dates for fun. Not that she was expecting a proposal by the second date, but just going out without the possibility of a relationship seemed like a waste of time. “But thank you. Sage advice from such a young man.”

  “I’m not young. I’m only a few years younger than you, I think. You’re, what, mid-thirties?” Sarah grunted and he smirked, standing. “And you know I’m right about this. You need your rest, so I’m gonna go. Hey, do you need anything from your house? I didn’t think about that. I could go get you some stuff if you want.”