She shuddered at the thought and blamed the winter wind.
They were holding gloved hands as they crossed the distance. They were about the same age however Elaine looked much younger than her father. Her beautiful skin had a soft, smooth complexion like that of a young woman, but the way she wore her long greying hair twirled in bun on top of her head added years to her appearance. Peyton could envision cutting those locks into a nice above-the-shoulder, angled bob. With the texture of her coarse hair it would make the locks easily manageable and would enhance her face and scrape years off her appearance. That was the hair dresser in her, always ready to hack someone’s hair.
Her father on the other hand although a handsome man, had the years of drinking etched across his face. He hadn’t touched a bottle in years, but there was no fixing the damage done.
“Hello Daddy. Elaine.” Abby greeted with a huge smile that read, I know what you two have been up too.
Peyton watched as Sydney breathed out a lungful of fresh air, relieved by their sister’s appropriate greeting, even if her face told another story.
They said hello in unison and Kent sent Abby a fatherly “behave” glare which likely went completely unnoticed by his youngest.
“I’m starving and I’m cold. Let’s go eat.”
“The ladies at the auxiliary club are hosting a lunch.” Sydney knew about the lunch because her mother-in-law, Joan was part of the ladies group and they would be raising money for the events they hosted all summer.
“Where’s Kate?” Their dad scanned the beach of bobbing heads.
Haylee pointed at the lineup by the ice rink. “Colt Patterson is signing autographs and you know Rosemary. She gave us a thorough description of Colt’s career.”
“Oh she did?” Elaine said. Her proud smile cast past them to her son who was easily scoped out at the front of the line. Did she not read the papers? The only thing to be proud of with that man was the way he hit a puck and since he retired at the beginning of this season that didn’t really leave much pride left. The man was just like his father who had ducked out on him and his mom for a woman half his mother’s age.
“If you go grab seats, I will tell Kate where to meet us for lunch when they’re done,” Peyton offered.
As she crossed the packed snow trampled on by hundreds of people, she compared it to Colt tramping across all the hearts of the women he bedded. That was Colt’s style: bouncing around from one woman to the next.
Peyton couldn’t believe she’d allowed her teenage crush to fluster her adult awareness long enough to end up splayed against the tub wall by the all muscles and strength mass that was Colt Patterson.
It hadn’t initially seemed that problematic to ignore him since he had done it to her for so many years. That was until she found her dad doing the same thing to his mother just across the hall. Happy avoidance now, Peyton.
Standing by her sister and explaining the situation, she couldn’t control her eyes from finding him at the front of the lineup. Of course he wasn’t sitting in a chair provided; he stood basically towering in height over every person in the line with his muscular sports body wide and full through his black jacket and boot cut denim washed jeans. Hiding his medium length hair was a black toque with his signature embroidered across the front.
Really? He was that conceited he wore his own name on his attire. His face was shaven unlike last month when he had decided to intervene in her ice rink. He was a famous hockey player so that automatically made him a pro at ice rink construction, which had totally ticked her off.
That’s how he’d ended up soaked through and they ended up naked together in the shower. The memory of his touch almost warmed her body. They had been yelling at each other one minute in the kitchen then entangled in each other’s arms the next, ripping their wet clothes off. That unshaven face had tickled her entire body. How had that happened?
Peyton wasn’t about to stand in the lineup with every other girl and face him while he was looking all handsome and gorgeous. He probably didn’t want to see her anyway. From all the town talk all week and the never-ending display of social media pictures, he was never seen with the same woman more than once. Player.
Stay away from him. How hard could it really be?
In all the years she’d lived next door it hadn’t been a problem so how hard could it be now? She turned and walked away feeling confident the weekend would be Colt-free.
Chapter Two
Colt Patterson watched his childhood neighbour, Peyton McAdams slink out of the lineup like a tiny mouse running from a terrifying cat once she spotted him signing autographs.
Their eyes had met for a brief second...a very brief second. They were less than twenty feet away from each other and he could see that hot, raw desire and oh shit confusion jumbled in her eyes before she pulled away. He watched her bright pink winter hat bounce up and down, weaving through the crowd, until she disappeared behind the doors of the beach house.
The snugness of her black leather jacket and tight pants around her sexy rear reminded him of the hot body underneath and how perfect the naked masterpiece had fit against his body: wet, soft, silky and with none of the reluctance she was showing right now.
Colt grinned inwardly while nodding at some guy he didn’t know and politely making small talk after signing his hockey stick. He’d mastered small talk with the men, the women, the wives, the kids and the elderly. He knew exactly what face to play for each person, just like he knew which plays to use on the ice. He’d often found himself recapping before he’d become a pro player to a time when he’d put hockey stars on a pedestal. That seemed like years ago and even now, after thirteen seasons of playing, which was an amazing opportunity since most pro players only lasted one season, he only saw himself as him. Not the famous hockey player the rest of the world saw.
Until a couple years ago he’d sincerely enjoyed the interaction with his fans. Now he looked at them and realized that not one of the people actually knew him and not one of them wanted too. That annoyed the shit out of him.
He wouldn’t even be here signing autographs if his mother hadn’t asked him with that pleading, longing tone, like the coaches whistle, commanding him every time.
Ever since Colt announced his plan to retire from the league, his mother had expressed a handful of worry. The year before her quiet worry had been put at ease while he was travelling with the team, distracting him from the mess he called life. After the accident, when he officially walked away from his career, she was like an unwinding ball of yarn.
She worried about him living alone in the city...he was over thirty he could manage. She worried he didn’t have anyone to talk to...he was alright with that−he didn’t want to talk. She worried he wasn’t eating properly...he had a great selection of take-out flyers by the fridge. She probably worried she was the only one worrying about him anymore. Everyone else was interested in their two minutes of fame time. They didn’t care about his personal life, they just liked his title.
Peyton, on the other hand was running away from him. How many women ever ran away from him? Zero. Of course that made the chase all the better. Chase? What chase? There was no chase.
No woman talked to him the way Peyton did either. Her mouth was lined with direct, honest and forceful sentences, laced with a hint of loathing, whenever she spoke to him. She wasn’t hiding behind a mask to win him over for mating purposes or one night stands like the other women he conversed with. She clearly didn’t care what he thought of her and she wasn’t trying to figure out how she could manipulate him into the sack. That was ironic since that’s where they had ended up. Well, sort of.
And now she was running away like a busted stow-away on a ship and he wanted to track her down and take her back aboard the boat and into the shower where their fire fought water.
Being home last month and watching Peyton struggle with the hose, trying to ice the small rink built on both their parent’s property, had been entertaining. He’d actually smiled an
d for a long time he stood at the kitchen’s back door, drinking his coffee, watching the clumsy woman slip and fall more times than he could count. Dry and warm, he watched her soak her jeans, end up with snow down her shirt...that had been interesting...and land her bare hands on the ice repeatedly. Finally when he couldn’t bear to watch another second, he’d pulled his boots on and went outside to offer her assistance. That had also been interesting. That cute little brunette had been in disguise for the ice queen he’d encountered after offering his help.
Colt had, in fact, built the exact rink with his dad when he was little so he knew what he was doing. Peyton on the other hand, although convinced she did, had no idea what she was doing. Besides spraying a stream of water across the ice and then on him. She’d looked mortified initially after soaking him, but he wondered if she’d done it purposely as revenge for making her so angry. He would bet if she’d known how that move was going to end, she wouldn’t have pointed that water anywhere near him.
Pulling his thoughts back to the present, he hiked his signing up a notch and motioned he was ready to wrap it up and take a break.
After Colt’s dad had left when he was still in school, his mother had devoted a lot of her spare time to the town and the hospital where she worked as a nurse. It was great because it passed her time after he left home. However, he found himself suckered into her plans more than he liked.
He’d given his word to sign autographs before the night at the bar. And since his mother had insisted he was staying with her as his lawyer tried to settle the charges out of court, he’d had no way of getting out of the signing. He hadn’t agreed to stay with her, but she pressed the topic every chance she got.
Nearing the end of the line, Peyton’s twin, Kate was standing beside what looked like a little version of them. The same dark curls spilled out from under a pink hat.
“Hello there,” he said to the little girl in his very best smooth voice, sending Kate a wink.
Kate and Peyton were a few years younger than him, which when he was a teenager, seemed like a huge age difference, now it was nothing. Plus they had been girls so he hadn’t played with them much at all when they were young. He had some memories before his high school years but mostly he remembered they were rowdy, loud and annoying. Especially Peyton. She would chase him around playing street hockey, or catch in the backyard with love-struck eyes that appalled him. His mother brushed it off and told him it was adorable and one day he would like having women interested in him. She hadn’t been wrong there.
The rosy-cheeked girl now smiled up at him with eyes as blue as the thawing lake in the distance. “Hello Colt Patterson. My name is Rosemary. I will be playing hockey next year like you.”
Colt chuckled and bent down to her height. He had a little fan here. “Will you? That’s a great winter sport to play.” It certainly had been great for him.
“I couldn’t play this year because I was too late and everyone was already in teams. But where I used to live I was on a team but then I moved here.” Her face tightened while she was thinking.
“That just gives you more time to practise.” She beamed. “Would you like me to sign that?” She was holding a mini hockey stick that looked like it had seen better days. He received a second smile and he quickly jotted his name.
He stood to shake Kate’s hand. “How are you, Kate?” he asked casually.
“Good thanks. I think this little girl is your very biggest fan,” she said. “And this is my husband Marc Caliendo, your very least fan.”
Marc chuckled and shook his hand. “I’m just starting to understand hockey.”
“This is our neighbour Elaine Patterson’s son, Colt Patterson.”
“I think I remember seeing you around,” Colt said.
“We will be seeing you around,” Kate stated, not questioned as though she knew something he did not. Ahh, maybe Peyton mentioned him.
Colt finished the lineup and took his break, heading straight for the beach house where Peyton thought she could sneak away from him. The family day weekend might be a huge event but honestly who was she fooling? She couldn’t hide in Willow Valley.
Scanning the room crammed with townspeople grabbing a bite to eat, he suddenly had reservations about his previous thought. Maybe she could hide from him.
The beach house had been built by the town BIA and hosted events all year round. The wood exterior matched the beach theme of the town with windows around the entire building so you could see in every direction: the lake, the sandy beach, the main strip. Although the inside looked like a cabin it was well insulated and warm. The wood tables set up for people to eat and chat were almost all occupied while other folks examined art from local artists along the far wall and set up on easels.
Finally, standing at the front of the lineup for ordering food, he saw that familiar bright hat.
Colt pulled his hat off nodding and shaking hands with folks he knew or people who recognized him as he moved to the front of the line where Peyton was in the middle of placing her order.
He was used to attention, especially when he came back home. The town went wild for him, proud to have their name on a map because of his success. Although the town in itself was amazing enough without him and drew a large crowd of people all on its own. That hadn’t stopped them from adding a sign at all the town entrances reading, Home of Colt Patterson−Hockey Legend. He wasn’t sure about the legend part, but he was appreciative.
Colt leaned his hip against the counter squeezing beside her. “Did you make sure to get extra onions on my burger?” he asked. “I like to spice things up,” he added in a sultry tone. He knew how to talk to a woman and make her melt in her boots. This one however was likely burning with fury.
He watched her suck her lips in and then purse them out in a frustrated manner while taking a deep breath and exhaling all at the same time. Why did she have to go do something like that in public when he couldn’t snatch those lips with his mouth and give her a reason not to pout?
Without looking up at him, Peyton said to the young teenager working behind the counter in an irritated tone. “Can you add another cheeseburger with extra onions?” He was surprised she didn’t ignore him and continue her order.
“Sure can.” The bubblegum chewing teen hit some buttons on the cash with her black nails. “Is that everything?”
Finally those hazel eyes speckled with green and brown glowing like gem stones looked up at him. “Anything else?” she asked him feigning manners. “A pop? Some fries? The bill?” There it was that sassiness about her that he was enjoying so much.
Colt smiled at her before turning to the color bombed head of hair that looked like someone took crayons to her long locks in every colour of a crayon box. “Can you add a bottle of water to that please?”
She gave the total and Colt dug into his jeans for his wallet.
“Town hero,” Peyton mumbled dryly, unimpressed and for only him to hear. Most women would flutter their eyelashes at him and wrap an arm around his with gratefulness. Not Peyton McAdams.
“You know they do actually call me that.” He dumped his change in the support youth hockey box at the counter.
Passing him the receipt he caught the girl double checking him. That usually happened before... “Hey, aren’t you that hockey player?” she asked.
“I am.”
“And he’s single,” Peyton added, winking at the girl who was young enough to be his secret love child, before walking to the end of the counter to wait for their order.
“Can I get your autograph for my brother?” That made more sense since she obviously didn’t even know his name, referring to him as that hockey player.
“Sure can.” She grabbed a napkin and he quickly signed the white paper leaving her ecstatic with a little souvenir for her brother.
Peyton was scrolling her phone with her back facing him. He leaned into her thick hair and the smell of vanilla wafted his nostrils. “Planning a grab and run?” he whispered.
&nb
sp; Peyton turned, sliding her phone in the pocket of her black jacket along with her hands and sent him a straight face. “I couldn’t be so lucky.”
“I’m usually the one running away from women not the other way around.”
She frowned. “Am I bruising your ego here? ‘All-star hockey pro finds a woman who doesn’t jump into his arms at every opportunity.’”
He leaned forward. “You weren’t saying that a month ago.” A month ago she had let him be the lucky man lacing his hands through those curls and gripping the back of her hair while kissing every inch of her long neck.
Peyton shrugged, not even a flush across her face. Most women would have giggled themselves breathless if he said that to them. “You already conquered this mountain Patterson. So, keep moving. Like you do best.”
“Oh snap.” Colt covered his chest as if offended. That was his reputation. It hadn’t started like that when he’d first begun his hockey career. “Ouch, that hurt sweetheart.”
“Don’t call me that.” She hadn’t minded him calling her that when he was tracing his hands down her smooth legs.
“Isn’t it more like you conquered this?” He made a quick motion over his body. “I mean you have been after this since high school.”
She laughed mockingly. “Some high school fantasy.”
“That came true.”
She smirked. “Yes, unfortunately the guy had aged ten years with greying hair.”
Ouch. He ran his hands through his hair which he knew was absolutely not greying. Although he was sure he could pull it off.
“And yet she allows him to buy her lunch.” Why they were talking in third person he wasn’t sure, but he went along with it.
“Ouch,” she tsked. “She is even using him for his money. I bet that’s a first for you.” It actually wasn’t, but from the sarcasm in her words she already suspected that.
Lakeshore Legend: The McAdams Series (By The Lake Series Book 2) Page 3
