Shutout (The Renegades Series Book 5)

by Melody Heck Gatto

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Dominic

  Dominic quietly opened his bedroom door, careful to not wake a probably hungover Hailee who was asleep or maybe passed out in his bed. His back ached and his head hurt from sleeping on the couch. He made a mental note to replace the couch with a comfortable one ASAP.

  Hailee rolled over and groaned. After fluttering her eyes open, she sat straight up, wide awake. “Where am I? Dominic?” she asked, noticing him there.

  “Hey there, sweet-tart,” he whispered, figuring she wouldn’t be feeling too well this morning after last night. He wasn’t even sure how much she would remember. “You’re in my bedroom, in my apartment. Do you want coffee?”

  “Coffee?” Her eyes darted around the room. “Dominic? How did I— Did we…?” She looked under the covers.

  “No. We didn’t. You passed out on the sidewalk after you threw up all over the place. I had to get you some place safe, and since I didn’t know where you lived, I brought you here. Did you at least sleep okay?”

  She screwed up her face. “What? I threw up on a sidewalk? Where did Ali go? I… I need to go home.” She quickly jumped out of bed, still fully clothed, slid on her shoes and hurried past him into the hallway.

  So she didn’t remember their almost kiss, or the moments leading up to it. He sighed and rubbed his face with one hand. He’d been hoping to start back where they left off last night, but that realization knocked the wind out of his sails. “Hailee, how much do you remember from last night?”

  “Um,”—she turned around and braced herself in the doorway—“I remember a drinking game, flipping quarters? I remember some annoying college boys, and beer. Lots of beer. That’s about it.”

  His feisty little sweet-tart had wanted to teach him that he couldn’t get away with bossing her around. And had ended up getting wasted in the process. Yeah, it was probably another dick move on his part, but he’d only been trying to protect her from just that. And, well, because he was selfish and had wanted to spend time with her alone. When would he learn?

  “Well, Alison and Kaden… ended up back here. Together. So if you need a ride home, I could go see if they’re up yet.” It was awkward trying to explain everything that had transpired. The confused look on her face didn’t help. She obviously hadn’t expected her friend to hook up with Kaden. Her cheeks flushed pink as she stared at him, eyes wide.

  “Um, wow. No. Don’t wake… them.” She shook her head as if clearing her thoughts. “I have to go. I’ll call a cab.” She ran to the front door, then paused and turned back to him. “Bye, Dominic.”

  * * *

  They were playing in Boston tonight, but the arena looked to be about half Boston fans and half Renegades fans. It was the start of the third period, and Dom had kept Boston scoreless. His reflexes were on point all game. The guys cheered him on from the bench.

  Sweat dripped into his eyes as Boston’s defense screened him, standing in his way so he couldn’t see the play. Boston’s Rancy shot the puck and it was picked off by Kris. Tyler called for the puck from the corner; he was wide open. Kris passed it to Tyler and the play moved to the other end of the ice.

  “Wooo!” Dom screamed.

  He focused on the other end as the boys battled. His body relaxed for the moment as he watched play. Tyler shot at the net, but the goalie deflected it. Kris went for the rebound, shooting wide. The puck bounced off the boards. Matt skated behind the boards going after the puck. Dom looked up a few times at the scoreboard, double-checking to see if the puck went in or not. His attention went back to the ice at a scrum behind the net.

  Boston’s Rancy and Luther were shoving Matt, trying to dig for the puck. The refs watched, letting the scuffle continue. Rancy chopped at Matt’s leg with his stick and Luther got the puck free, sending it up ice. Matt returned to the bench and Torin took his place.

  Patrick chased the puck as it slowly headed for center ice. Keeping the puck in, he passed it to Tyler who slapped it towards the net. Billson, the goalie, caught it in his gloved hand.

  The Renegades were in second place in their division, but they had to keep winning to stay there, and it looked like a good game to do that.

  Face-off was at Boston’s blue line. Their top line was out. Tyler hit the puck first, tapping it over to Patrick who tried passing it to Sam, but it was picked off by Boston’s defense.

  “Fuck!” Patrick screamed as he sped towards Dom, chasing Boston. Their defenseman, Boyd, raced right at Dom. He turned to his backhand and moved to shoot the puck. Patrick came up from behind and put out his stick, hooking Boyd around his waist and pulling him down off his skates.

  Boyd continued to slide after he hit the ice, right into the goalie crease. His large body crashed into Dom, knocking him backwards into the goal posts.

  “Get the fuck off me, Boyd!” Dom yelled, as Boyd lay on him in the blue paint.

  “Hey!” Sam yelled. “Get off Zanetti!”

  The whistle blew, stopping play, but the men continued to scuffle.

  Before Sam could react to Boyd, he picked himself up off the ice. Dom was already back to his feet, and shoved the Boston player away from his blue paint.

  Patrick was right behind Boyd and cross-checked him twice in the chest. “Get away from our goalie!”

  “Woah! That’s it, break it up.” The linesman intervened, pulling Patrick and Boyd apart. “Dubois — get to the box!”

  “What? What did I do?” he yelled.

  “Pittsburgh number twelve, two minutes for hooking,” the stripes announced at center ice.

  “It’s alright guys! Get them out of the zone.” Dom yelled from behind the mask.

  Play continued and the Renegades cleared the puck from their end. Dom was able to hold Boston scoreless, and the Renegades ended the game with a shutout.

  The buzzer sounded and the game was over. Renegades won and secured their spot in the playoffs. The players surrounded Dom, cheering, tapping him on the helmet and pads, congratulating him. Some of the crowd roared and cheered, while most of the Boston fans had already left the arena.

  “Way to go, Meatball!” Matt said, when he congratulated Dom. As he skated away from him, Dom noticed Matt was limping a bit. Possibly from that hit in the corner earlier.

  “Dom, my man!” Pat tapped him on the helmet with his stick then butted his helmet to Dom’s mask.

  As the team cleared off the ice, Dom followed behind them, meeting Tyler and Kris at the bench. Kris and Dom each took off a glove, fist bumped, then pulled their hands back while wiggling their fingers, and ended their traditional winning handshake with a high-five. Tyler watched with a smile, and once Dom got close enough he patted the side of Dom’s helmet with his glove, then head butted helmets with him.

  “Way to go, Zanetti! How many shutouts is that now?” Tyler asked as they started down the hallway.

  “I don’t know. I don’t really keep track of that stuff,” Dom answered.

  Hitting the locker room, the team cheered, “Zanetti!” and “Player of the game!”

  * * *

  Dom was still on a high from getting the win and the shutout tonight. But the whole plane ride home, all he could think about was Hailee.

  He’d been so glad that they were going to be friends, but what exactly did that mean for them now? After the way they had connected at the ice rink and then their almost-kiss the other night, he’d had high hopes that they could eventually progress to more than friends. But he had no idea what had happened the next morning. With Hailee waking up, freaking out, and running off, he wasn’t sure what she was thinking. But he did know that he hadn’t imagined the way she’d looked at him. She’d wanted his kiss.

  Maybe she was just drunk and would’ve almost kissed any guy. Or maybe she was just drunk enough that she couldn’t hide her true feelings for him. He was going with the latter, because the other reason was too hard to think about.

  If he was right about that look in her eyes, then he had to keep trying. He was smart enou
gh to know that if he put this face in front of her enough, she’d eventually not be able to resist. Those old feelings had to be under there somewhere. After the craziness at the ice rink and the bar, he didn’t know where they were going with this next.

  Dom smiled at the thought of her. Patience is a virtue and all that jazz. Plus, persistence is one of my best talents. Don’t forget about my good looks and amazing personality. He had so much going for him, especially tonight.

  Only being friends was going to have to work for now, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t still try for more. If there was ever a time to do this, now was the time. Persistence starts now. He had practice in the morning, but was free for the rest of the day after that. He fired off a text message, asking her to meet him for coffee tomorrow afternoon at Cool Beans.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Hailee

  Hailee had just got home from a long day of doggie baths and nail trimming. Her head hurt, and all she really wanted was to sink into the warm tub. Her phone buzzed with a message.

  Dom: Coffee with me this afternoon at Cool Beans?

  He couldn’t possibly know that’s one of my favorite places, could he? Clearly, it was coincidence.

  She thought long and hard before answering. What was she supposed to say? After all, they’d agreed to be friends, right before the very cute but awkward ice skating and then the drunk at the bar incident. Not to mention waking up in his apartment. But saying yes might lead him on. Another text came in as she still pondered his invitation.

  Dom: Meet you there at three.

  He was persistent. Dominic never did like taking no for an answer. Which had made leaving him so much harder. He left no room for her to say no this time. Guess that was settled; three it was. She didn’t stop to wonder why her heart lifted now that the decision was made for her.

  First I need to shower, and what am I going to wear? She stopped by her clothes rack, pondering over her wardrobe. This wasn’t a date, so she wasn’t getting dressed up. But he always looked so perfect, even in blue jeans and a hoodie, so she needed to look just as good without overdoing it. I think I’ve finally gone mad. If anyone would’ve said I’d be standing here trying to decide what to wear to get coffee with Dominic, I’d have told them they were crazy…

  She was overthinking things. This wasn’t a date. It didn’t matter what she wore to coffee. Abandoning her clothes rack for the warm tub, she sank down to her chin, and relaxing in the hot water, she closed her eyes. Her heartbeat was fast, and her stomach twisted and turned. She didn’t know why, but she was nervous. This is just coffee between two friends. He probably just wants to catch up and get reacquainted. But her pulse didn’t slow, and her stomach wasn’t falling for it.

  Her brain went into overdrive as she tried to take deep breaths, and it conjured up past memories that she had long tried to forget. Visions of his cheerful smile, his flirty dark eyes, sinful lips, perfect hair, and muscular arms. She had spent many nights wrapped up in those arms. Now they were covered in tattoos, from his neck to his fingers. They fit him so well, too. When they were together he had a few, and they looked good on him. Her thoughts wandered to how she would run her fingertips over them and trace the outlines. She loved those tattoos.

  Her thoughts played like a movie, reminding her of all the loving times they had, the way he’d kiss the tip of her nose, or snuggle in bed with her. She felt so secure with his arms around her, as though nothing bad could happen while he held her. But that love couldn’t survive the new life that awaited her. She refused to be someone’s “little woman”, some stay at home wife who made meatloaf and timed the meal perfectly so it was ready the second her man walked in the door. She would be no one’s good little wife.

  Now the bath water was cooled and her memories had turned sour. At least her nervousness had disappeared. It was time to dry off and get ready to go meet Dominic. I guess I at least need to learn how to coexist with him if I plan on staying in Pittsburgh. She was a big girl; this wouldn’t be a problem.

  Looking through her closet, she decided on a pair of tight black cotton pants, an off the shoulder top and some strappy sandals. She quickly applied her makeup and dried her hair, leaving it straight. It was almost three and she was running out of time. Out of habit, she texted him.

  Hailee: I’m on my way, but not going to make it by three. Running late.

  He responded instantly.

  Dom: I know you better than to expect you to be on time. See you when you get here.

  He was still too damn cute for his own good, and obviously her own good, because his witty response brought a smile to her face.

  The drive to Cool Beans was only a few minutes, and she wished it were longer. One more light, or a line of traffic might have given her a chance to catch her breath, but her damn stomach had started flopping again. She pulled up to the curb, and before she could even get out of the car, Dominic was waving at her through the window.

  She jumped out of the car and slammed the door, gave a half-hearted wave back, then straightened her shoulders as she walked over and pulled open the door to the coffee shop. Dominic was sitting in the corner by the window. A coffee cup sat in front of him and there was one across the table from him.

  “You waiting for someone?” she asked, as she approached.

  “Yeah, you.” He nodded to the open seat.

  “Who’s coffee is that?”

  “Yours. I just ordered it. Café Mocha, still your favorite I hope.”

  His knowing smile made the hair on her arms stand up; she silently cursed her body for its reaction to him. Thankfully, her sleeves covered most of them. He was very observant and certainly wouldn’t miss that.

  Using her best nonchalant voice, she answered as she sat down, “Oh, thanks.”

  “Was I right?” His eyebrow arched a bit and his eyes lit up. “Still a Café Mocha girl?”

  It was scary how well he still knew her. “As a matter of a fact, I am. Thanks.” She smiled and took a sip of the hot and sweet coffee. She liked her Iced Mocha too, but Café Mocha was the same thing. “So, you’re here, I’m here and we have our coffee. Now what?” It was a dumb question, but her uneasiness made her say stupid things.

  He cracked his knuckles, then stretched his large hand out on the table. He always used to do that, and she would usually meet his hand and cover it with hers. She liked his large, strong, rugged hands…

  “Hello? Hailee?” Dominic waved his hand in front of her face.

  Her face started to warm. Awesome, I was daydreaming about his hands. Way to look like a fool, Hailee. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?” Maybe he wouldn’t make a big deal out of it…

  “Where were you at? Was that pretty head of yours thinking about all the times these hands”—he rubbed them together and stared heavy into her with his deep brown eyes—“ran down your—”

  “Woah! Hold up there, lover-boy!” She held up her hands in defense. Was he really this cocky?

  A smug laugh fell from his lips. His thin, sweet lips… I knew this friend thing was a bad idea.

  He took a long, slow drink of his coffee before jetting his tongue out and quickly swiping it over his mouth. “You know you missed me.”

  “You know what? I agreed to be friends. This”—she pointed her finger between the two of them—“is not friendly banter. If you want to flirt, I know a whole club full of girls who will gladly let you flirt with them all night for the right price.” She put her coffee cup to her lips; with any luck, it would help her not say anything stupid.

  “Nah.” He shook his head. “I’m not really into paying for it.”

  His sleek grin subdued any condescending comments that were swirling around her brain, so they never made it to her lips.

  “So, coffee, huh? What are you drinking these days?” THAT was the only thing that came to mind? I’m so bad at the small talk crap. She waited, propping her elbow up on the table and resting her chin on her palm.

  “Black. I ditched the extra su
gar and cream a while back. Got to watch what I’m eating. You know how it is.” He shrugged.

  “So, how’s your mom and dad?”

  With the quick change of subject, Dominic bowed his head towards the table, concentrating on his finger running over the rim of his cup. “Oh, Mom and Dad, yeah, they’re doing great.”

  “Grandad?” She missed his family. They had really treated her as though she belonged. Well, most of them…

  “He’s doing good too. Still able to play hockey in the basement with my nephews. Never did act his age.”

  “What’s he, about eighty now?”

  “Eighty-three. He asks about you from time to time.” Dom looked back up at her, meeting her glance. Those big brown eyes weren’t so jovial and brash anymore. “Everyone does.”

  “Well, please tell them I said hello.”

  “I will. We have a game coming up in Toronto. Dad and Grandad are coming to see us. I can’t wait.”

  Feeling herself start to be more at ease, she shifted her weight to one side and leaned in a bit closer. She didn’t mean to be flirty, but her high-pitched fangirl voice said otherwise. “So speaking of hockey, you’re like a star goalie, huh?”

  “I guess.” A bashful look crossed his face as he shrugged.

  “You know you want to brag. Go ahead. Tell me about the fangirls and how you have your choice of any babe you want to attend team functions with.” She flashed back to seeing him with various girls online, and a twinge of pain ran through her.

  “Eh, no not really. I mean, yeah, there are fangirls. A lot of the guys have them. Kaden tends to bring them to functions, not so much me. Did I tell you I have a cat now?”

  “No you didn’t.” His quick change of subject from the fangirls to his cat didn’t go unnoticed. Does he really not bring fangirls to team functions? He was by himself the other night, as far as I know. The question gnawed away at her. Was he hiding info about fangirls or just really had no interest in them?