She has a shocked look on her face, but not shocked enough to stop and walk away.
“You won’t win,” she says one more time before walking away from us.
When we get back, I notice two rather large guys standing in the lobby. It takes me a second to realize that I have the Notes goalie and captain standing in front of me.
I quickly recover from the shock of who they sent to help me, thinking it was going to be a couple of the third string guys.
“Hey guys,” I greet them.
When they both turn around, I see a complete transformation from happy go lucky best friends to shock.
9
Parker
Coach called me last night ruining my chance of getting away for the week to my house. Apparently, Mandy needs help packing and moving from Boston to here. It’s coach so I agree, and I cringe. I was working to get this girl out of my head and now he throws me to the wolves.
The good thing is, Cam will be coming with me. We have an early flight tomorrow, so I pack a bag, shower, and call Cam.
“Hey Marsh, you got the news I assume,” he answers the phone with a hint of laughter behind it.
“Yeah, I got the call. Already packed my bag. And quit laughing at me. I’ve been doing okay with trying to forget her. Now coach throws me into the wolf den.”
“Yeah well, we aren’t going up there to flirt with her, seduce her, or anything else. We pack her truck up and get on the road back home. Three days tops.”
“Yeah, I hear ya. Well we have an early flight. I’m gonna let you go and head to bed. See you in the morning.”
“Bye Marsh. See you in the morning.” I hear him burst out laughing as he hangs up.
Five am comes early. The car will be here in thirty minutes. I brew a cup of coffee and about burn my tongue as I take my first sip. I really needed more sleep. I’m dressed and ready with my bag in hand waiting in the lobby of my building. Cam is already in the car when I get in the back seat. He looks like I feel, tired and in need of more coffee.
It’s a silent trip to the airport. I know why they do this early flight shit, they are trying to get us through the airport without being noticed. It apparently works, except for when we check in and go through security and people see our names on our ID’s and tickets. With thirty minutes before our flight starts to board, we grab a coffee. Two and a half hours later we’re landing in Boston, a bit more awake and ourselves with a nap and coffee ingested.
We don’t have bags checked so we go to the waiting car for us and get a ride to Mandy’s building.
We stand in the lobby, chit chatting with the bell man waiting for Mandy to arrive back from an appointment he told us she had. About ten minutes later we hear her greeting, “Hey guys.”
Cam and I turn around and the world stops. One second, we’re laughing, and the next Mandy is standing there with a baby in her arms. I’m sure my jaw was on the floor with the sight of them.
Cam nudges my shoulder to snap me out of it, apparently, he recovered faster than I did.
“Hey Mandy,” he says as he walks over to her and gives her a friendly hug.
“Hey Cam, I didn’t know who was supposed to show up today. I didn’t really expect it to be you two. Maybe some third line guys.” She laughs with a little nervousness behind it.
I walk over to her, “Yeah coach called us up and asked if we could help. Who do we have here?” I question as I tickle under the little lady’s chin. I’ve always loved kids, just haven’t pictured myself with one.
“This is my daughter Caroline; we call her Callie.” Turning to her daughter, “Say hi to Cam and Marsh.” As she takes her hand and makes her do a little wave.
“We didn’t know you had a baby,” Cam says to her.
“Wait, you didn’t know. Neither of you talked to Henry today?”
“Why would we know about her or talk to Henry?” I question her
“Let’s go upstairs and I’ll fill you in.”
“Okay,” Cam and I both say as we follow her to the elevator.
It’s pretty quiet in here except for the little baby sounds Callie is making. Damn she is adorable. Mandy seems nervous though, like the boogie man will be waiting for her when we arrive to her floor.
Once inside, she gets her daughter settled in the little portable crib in the living room and then offers us a drink before she sits down and explains why Henry would have talked to us before arriving to help her move.
“So, Callie’s dad, who plays for Boston’s baseball team has filed for full custody. We were dating, and when I found out I was pregnant I told him, the next day I had a NDA and a pile of legal documents relinquishing any and all parental rights to our baby. Before I could even get too excited, my world blew up in my face. Grandpa got sick and I flew to Nashville to have Callie. When my maternity leave was over, I came back here. He ignored me and Callie, and never showed any interest in her. When I came back from Grandpa’s funeral, he was at the airport waiting for us, my nanny told him my plans to leave Boston, I’m sure while she was in his bed. Yesterday afternoon he showed up with his lawyer demanding a paternity test. Which is where we were this morning.”
“Damn, what an asshole. I’m sorry, jerk” as I look at the little lady playing on her tummy in her crib.
“Who would do something like this? He is a jerk,” Cam says as I see the anger flare up into his face as his color changes to an angry red.
“Do you think he’ll show up and be a problem tomorrow when we’re trying to leave here?” I ask.
“I sent the paperwork to Henry last night. He said because of his previous rejection to paternity and the fact he isn’t on the birth certificate he has no rights to make me stay here. I’m free to go where I want. He will be close to his phone if we need him though.”
“So, we go ahead as planned, get your truck packed up, and leave as soon as we can?” I question again. Damn, I have a zillion questions running through my head and also a feeling of protectiveness cursing through my body.
“Yes, I want to get out of here as soon as we can. I can get the truck at eight in the morning and I’m leaving all the furniture behind. I only have the boxes that are packed going along with Callie’s bedroom furniture.”
“Okay, we got this and if he shows up, we will take care of it, you won’t need to talk to him,” Cam interjects.
“I’m sorry you guys got thrown for a loop. Henry was supposed to talk to you this morning after he got off the phone with me. You must have been on the plane already. I’ll call him and let you talk to him.”
She grabs her phone and calls him up, handing Cam the phone.
I’m so confused right now. This girl I was trying to forget sitting right in front of me has me feeling all possessive and protective. I’ve never seen her look so terrified, all the years she’s been around the team. Sad yes, hell she just lost her grandpa, we all felt the effects of that loss. It kills me to think of all the shit coming her way from this asshole. If I have anything to say about it, he won’t ever see or speak to either one of them ever.
Cam is wrapping up on the phone with Henry while I continue to stare off into space, so many foreign thoughts going through my head.
“Marsh. Hey Marsh.” I hear Cam trying to snap me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah?”
“Henry said we will be all good to leave here. He’s sending over some paperwork we might need by messenger. This dude has no claim or rights to Callie. So, we go about the day, help Mandy finish packing and then get out of here as soon as we can tomorrow.”
“All right.” I look over at Mandy, “What do you need us to do today to help?”
“I have everything mostly packed up other than a few things in Callie’s room and my office. We can mostly relax. Are you guys hungry? We can either go out or I can order something in.”
We decide to order some food in and hang out in her condo for the afternoon. Cam and I are in her office packing the last few things when I hear her crying from the other
room. I look over at Cam and he motions for me to go to her. He sees my struggle. He knows how I am with my family and sisters. I might be known as a player and a womanizer, but this big lug has a heart and a rather large protective bone in his body. I can’t even imagine the fear running through Mandy’s body. I walk into the room I hear her cries coming from and notice that she’s sitting on the floor, Callie in her crib napping.
I take a few steps and lower my rather large body down to the floor next to her, I don’t say anything, I gently pull her into me, positioning her on my lap. Her arms wrap around me and she buries her face into my shoulder, arms wrapping around my middle. I stiffen for a second before I wrap my arm around her and with my other hand start smoothing her hair. Trying to get her to calm down yet letting her get it all out.
“I got you. Cam and I won’t let a damn thing happen if he shows up tomorrow. We are right here on your side.”
I hear a muffled, “Thank you.”
Slowly her sobs slow down and she’s calmer. I pull her back out of my shoulder so she can look at the truth of my words, “We got you, both of you, okay?”
“Thank you. I’m sorry I’m such a mess.”
“A beautiful mess,” I say with a wink.
“All I’ve been is strong the past year. Strong when he rejected not only me, but my baby, before I even knew I was having a girl. Strong when I had to give birth. Strong when I had to see Grandpa weaken and become a shell of himself. Strong when we lost him. I needed to be strong and change my life and get us home. I can’t be strong anymore, it’s exhausting.”
“I’ll be strong for you. Don’t you worry about a damn thing.”
“Why?” she asks with a raised eyebrow.
“Why not?”
“Marsh you don’t know me, I’m just your old coach’s granddaughter.”
“I’ve known you for years Mandy. I knew you when you were graduating college in Nashville. Side by side with Hutten on and off the ice. I was a rookie, but I knew who you were. When I saw you at the game the night of the memorial ceremony, I couldn’t keep my eyes off you. You stuck in my head. I’ve never had a girl get stuck in my head before. I tried to forget about you, not because I wanted to, but because I needed too. You’re starting the year on our staff, I’m not known to date, I haven’t found a girl that gave me a reason to want to date. I could date you though, and I’m a jealous man, and I really don’t want to go cave man on the guys because you have to touch them, Mandy. I know it’s a lot coming from a guy like me, but I speak what’s on my mind.”
Here I am being honest, and she jumps away from me like I’m poison.
“What are you doing? Why are you saying these things? I can’t do this again.” Then she runs away from me into the bathroom and locks the door.
“What the hell happened in here?” Cam whisper yells at me, noticing Callie is still in the room after her mom bolted away into the bathroom.
“I don’t know. I was honest with her and she freaked out.” I get up and walk out of the room, so we don’t wake up Callie.
“You had to go and be all caveman, claiming the girl? Have you not realized that she recently got screwed over by the last guy she dated who just so happened to be on the team she worked for? You couldn’t, oh I don’t fuckin know, give her someone to lean on and get through the next couple of days until we get back to Nashville?”
I plop down on the couch with a frustrated sigh and realized I’m a huge fuck up who probably just ruined any chance of anything with Mandy.
Cam leaves me to be pissed at myself and pops his head into Callie’s room before he goes back to the office, passing by Mandy in the bathroom, to finish what he was doing before I blew up the afternoon.
10
Mandy
I run away from Marsh to the bathroom and lock myself in there. He just confessed some sort of something for me, out of the blue. I feel like my world is a completely confused ball of anxiety. I have enough to worry about with Con threatening to take my daughter. The Twilight Zone comes to mind.
My phone rings, it’s Grandma.
“Hello,” I answer with a hint of defeat in my one-word greeting.
“Mandy, what’s wrong?” she questions immediately.
“Oh, you know, just living in the twilight zone. Con threatening to take Callie and then Marsh is here with Cam to help me move. Please tell me you didn’t have anything to do with who showed up?”
“Who me? I may have made a suggestion,” she says with a hint of laughter behind her answer.
“Grandma, this isn’t helping me right now. For some reason that damn goalie decided to confess some sort of feelings for me. This is way too much to handle. I’m currently locked in my bathroom while they are out there packing my condo. I feel like crawling away into a black hole at this point.”
“It can’t be all that bad, sweet girl. What did he say?”
“He said he can’t get me off his mind, he wants to be strong for me. He says I’m someone he could date but he isn’t known for dating anyone ever. I can’t do this again Grandma. I just can’t. The last time I got wrapped up with someone on the team I was working for got me to this day. I feel like my world has tilted on its axis and I can’t hold on.”
“Mandy, you listen to me. You are and always have been strong. Marsh is a good guy deep down. He probably means what he says. You need to get through the next couple of days and get back here. I know you have feelings for him, I saw the way he looked at you and you at him. I know what you’re scared of, and I don’t blame you one bit. Let him know you can only give him friendship right now. You are stuck with him for the next two days of traveling.”
“Fine, but only friendship,” I say as I huff and if I was three would have stomped my foot on the ground.
“Go back out there, feed those boys some pizza and beer, get some rest, and then tomorrow get loaded up and on the road.”
“Okay, Grandma. I’ll put on my big girl pants. I’ll call you tomorrow when we hit the road. I just want to get out of Boston before Con comes back to cause me more problems.”
“Henry will be by his phone all day for you if you need him. You need to concentrate on Callie and getting on the road. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I love you.”
“Love you too, I’ll talk to you tomorrow, goodnight.”
I hang up the phone, get myself together, and walk out into the living room where I see Marsh and Callie on the floor playing. I lean against the door frame silently watching. Surprised to see this part of the big, mean, womanizing goalie. Cam comes up behind me as silent as a stalker and quietly says to me, “He’s not all bad. I get why you are terrified to get involved with him. He doesn’t have the best reputation with girls, not to mention what you’re currently going through. He feels like shit for bleeding his feelings out to you with everything you have going on. But, Mandy, he has been going crazy. He hasn’t touched a girl since he laid eyes on you, he’s been escaping to his house as much as he can and not staying at his condo. I told him to forget about you, focus on the game and going for the cup. He was trying, but coming here, helping you, and then hearing about what you’re going through knocked him for a loop. He’s an all-in type of guy.” He winks at me then moves past me bursting into the room where Callie and Marsh are. “Who’s hungry?”
I follow him, daring to take a glance at Marsh as he tickles Callie’s tummy, making her laugh. He’s laughing along with her and I give him a small smile when he looks at me.
“How about pizza?” I ask them. “I have some beer in the fridge.”
“Sounds good to me,” Cam answers.
“Yeah, that’s fine.” Marsh adds. I hate he seems to be a bit deflated because of me. He’s had a take the world by the horns attitude every time I’ve seen him. Confidence for days and an easy-going smile.
“Cam, can you watch Callie? Marsh can I talk to you?” I ask both of them.
“I got this little lady, we’ll be fine,” Cam answers as he tickles her feet.
“Yeah, we can talk,” Marsh answers as he gets up off the floor.
I lead him back to the office Cam packed up for me earlier. I turn around and he’s right there, right in my bubble. I take a step back before I give in to the physical attraction I have for him.
“Marsh—” I begin when he stops me.
“Please call me Parker.”
“Okay, Parker,” I agree and realize I like it so much better than the team given nickname Marsh. Before I get another word out, he is cutting me off again.
“Mandy, I need to apologize to you. I’m an idiot. I should have realized you weren’t into me like I am you.”
“Parker, it isn’t that. I mean I did swear off any guy I would be working with, and I refuse to ever date a goalie. Well shit this isn’t going well. Let me explain, I hope.” I’m so damn frustrated with myself at this point. I try again without insulting the guy.
“Honestly, it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. After what happened with Conner, I decided I needed to concentrate on only Callie. It’s hard being a single mom. I work because I love it and also, I have to take care of my little lady. The money that asshole tried to compensate me with when he signed away his rights and had me sign an NDA went directly into an account for her. Now this shit with Connor happens. Anyway, my dad was a goalie, he cheated on my mom over and over again like him being on the road was a reason to screw any and all puck bunnies. Then, when mom passed away in the car accident, he left me with Grandma and Grandpa, like I didn’t matter. I hate to be stereotypical, but he made me never want anything to do with a goalie. I hope we can at least be friends.”
“I understand where you’re coming from Mandy, I really do. I can’t help how you make me feel. I’ll try and be your friend, but I can’t guarantee I won’t be willing you to come to my bed every chance I get. I have you stuck in my head, my body craves no one but you. No one has ever made me feel this way. Like I said I’ll be your friend but be warned I will try to break you down once you’re settled in Nashville and I see you every day.” He grabs me into his arms crushing his lips to mine, kissing me with a possession I’ve never felt before. Heat spreads throughout my body, making me want more, but also knowing I can’t have it. He pulls back, winks at me, and says, “Game on,” Then walks out of the room, leaving me shocked and wanting more. Damn him.
Breakthrough Page 5
