I kicked Cage to keep him from opening his mouth. He had enough problems tonight. Yes, sir, Coach.
Good. I’m keeping you in net, Booker, but get your shit together. I don’t want to see another period like the last one. You got it?
Yeah. I’m good, Coach. Thanks.
Don’t thank me, just go do your goddamn job.
Our second period was better, but we only scored one goal. When the third started, we finally turned the game around in our favor.
Within the first two minutes, Simard dropped gloves with Shelley, the Blues’ enforcer. It was a pretty even fight, with both players getting in some solid hits. Simard knew his job. It was just what we’d needed to get us pumped up.
Skates moved faster, bodies checked harder, and the puck was on one of the Breakers’ sticks more often than not. When one of the Blues lost an edge and went down behind their goal, I nailed a shot from just inside the blue line. It didn’t go in, but O’Dell got the rebound, and his shot did go in.
“Hell yeah, boys!”
We quickly regrouped, not wanting to waste a second of the energy we’d gotten from Simard’s fisticuffs. In less than sixty seconds, we’d scored again.
The rest of the game wasn’t quite as exciting, but we were able to hold onto our lead, giving us another win. At the rate we were going, we were going to finish in the top ten, but we couldn’t get cocky. There was still a lot of hockey season left.
Our celebrations came to an end while we looked at the boards in the locker room to see who had to do interviews. I saw my interpreter and knew I was up. I didn’t mind so much anymore. After all, it enabled me to see my girl.
We hadn’t discussed how we were going to go public with our relationship, but with the team knowing, it was bound to get out. I took that issue off the table when Jennie walked over to my interview spot, notebook in hand. “You won’t need that today, sweets.”
All eyes within ten feet of us bored into me. Tim was the first to react, shoving a recorder in front of my face. With more calm than I felt, I slowly but purposely pushed Tim’s hand away from me. “It’s not your turn, Spade.” I gave my attention back to Jennie.
With her notebook tucked under her arm, she signed to me. You don’t have to do that for me, Mags. I don’t care if you ever speak in public. You know…as long as you still talk dirty to me in bed.
I saw Cage’s head snap back on a laugh out of the corner of my eye. Jennie’s face flushed when she realized Cage was watching her, and I gave him a harsh look. He dismissed me with a wave. What does Mags say, Jennie? Inquiring minds and all that…
She shook her head at him and turned her full attention back to me. So tell me, Magnus. What do you think was the turning point for you guys? How did you go from an admittedly bad first period, all the way to a strong third?
I was done with the sad, Silent Defender gig. Done. I wasn’t sure why I felt so strongly about it. I think it was because it almost seemed like I was trying to hide who I was. Who knew? Maybe I was, but to hell with that. Get your recorder out.
Are you sure?
Yes. I waited until she’d hit the red button and put it close to my mouth. “Simard changed the game for us. He knew we needed a shake up, and he provided it. He’s a great guy to have on our team. He’s highly effective.”
By the time I was done speaking, half a dozen recorders were stuck in my face, but I just kept smiling at Jennie. “What else ya got, sweetheart?”
My endearment further incited the reporters around me. Tim jostled the others around him until he got my attention. “Is that what it took? A pretty pair of legs?” It wasn’t his words so much as his smirk that flung me off the deep end. I had his shirt wrapped up in my fist before I’d even realized I’d moved.
“Care to rephrase that, Spade?”
Someone was tugging on my arm. Cage was on one side of me with Jennie tucked behind him. I normally thought before I took action, but I could only see red. Cage—being Cage—egged me on with a shake to my arm.
I looked over at him, still holding onto Tim’s shirt “What?”
“Do it.”
Jennie smacked Cage in the back of the head and squeezed her way in between us. She grabbed my wrist and jerked until I let go of Tim’s shirt. Just to be safe, she pushed me back a step. What is wrong with you? You can’t hit him! Do you honestly think that’s the first time I’ve heard those kind of remarks?
That doesn’t make it okay, Jennie.
No. No it doesn’t, but that’s life. Leave it be.
Coach calmly walked over to us. “Tim, you’re no longer welcome in my locker room. I’ll call the Courier and get a replacement for you. Jennie, if you’re up to it, feel free to continue. Mags, thank you for not hitting the little guy here. I appreciate it. Too much paperwork.”
Tim was escorted out by our security guards, but he didn’t go happily.
He called her a slut on his way out.
Jennie grabbed Cage’s hands to stop him from saying more. I wanted to go after the little shit and at least get one hit in on him. It seemed only fair, but I played by the rules. For Jennie’s sake.
I ran my hands down her arms. “You’re good?”
She wasn’t half as shaken as I was. “Yes. I’m fine.”
I don’t want anything like that to ever happen again. These vultures need to know that you’re under my protection.
Under your protection? Like you’re my own personal mafia boss now? What are you going to do, stamp your name on me? Or wait! You could pee a circle around me.
My girl had spunk. I could do that, or I could just do this. I pulled her into my arms right there in the middle of my teammates and reporters and kissed the daylights out of her. When I let her go, she brushed at her impeccable suit, which now had wet spots on it from the sweat still dripping off me.
“You’re lucky I love you, Eriksson.”
I reached for her again, but she held me off. I lifted my hands. “Okay, I won’t touch you. And I love you too, sweets.”
The other reporters slowly went back to what they were doing before our impromptu show. At least that was over with. I couldn’t wait to see what happened when they found out we were getting married and expecting a little one.
Chapter 16
Jennie
The days leading up to New Year’s Eve were hectic. Even though we weren’t having a typical wedding ceremony, I still wanted some flowers, music, a pretty dress, and a wedding cake. I was able to get it all, but it wasn’t easy.
Izzy was the one who had finally found a bakery, a half hour away, who could do a wedding cake on such short notice. We were incorporating the cake into the food that was already ordered for the party. It wasn’t a traditional cake. It was shaped like the Stanley Cup, and I loved it.
My dress wasn’t traditional either. I’d decided to go in an entirely different direction and wear the Breakers colors. The one I fell in love with was the color of a Concord grape. The darkness of the purple gave it a luxuriant, rich feel. A little harder to find was the wide, orange ribbon that I tied just under my breasts, leaving it long enough to fall down my back the entire length of the dress, ending at my ankles.
Izzy had come through for me once again and added some of the orange ribbon to the slit that ran almost up to my thigh. I wasn’t sure exactly how she did it, but she assured me it was as easy as knowing how to iron. As long as it was done, I didn’t care.
Orange and purple were not demure colors one would think of for a wedding, but my dress looked fabulous. It was exactly what I wanted, and I couldn’t wait until Magnus saw me in it. He was under the impression that I was going to wear white. “This is all so surreal, isn’t it?”
Mags and I were lying in his bed, facing each other, the morning of our big day.
“Are you getting cold feet?”
I couldn’t wait to become Mrs. Eriksson, but admittedly, there was a lot going on. “No. It’s not that. It’s just…I don’t know. It’s all happening so fast. What do
you think people are really saying? I’m sure they all think we’re crazy. I mean we’ve only known each other for a couple of months.”
He ran his hand over my hair. “That’s not exactly true. We’ve known each other since pre-season. That’s at least four months.” When Mags smiled at me, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world to have gained his attention at all, let alone his heart. I hoped like hell that feeling never left me. “Besides. Who cares what other people think? I only care what you think. Are you having second thoughts? Because if you are, we can wait. We don’t have—”
I put my finger to his lips. “No, Mags. I have no doubts about us. I mean, I know the idea of two people getting married after two months of dating is a bit impulsive, but I know we’re right together. I feel it here.” I placed his hand over my heart and put mine over his. “We were meant to be. Us and our little one.”
Mags pushed me back to brush kisses against my belly. “Hello, little one. This is your father. I just want you to know that I’m going to take care of you and your mother forever. I don’t want you to ever worry about anything.” He kissed my belly again and rested his head there, making lazy circles around my breasts, grinning as my nipples hardened.
I slapped his hand away playfully. “Stop that. You’re making me cold.”
“I know a way I could warm you up.”
I shook my head. As much as I loved the sexual attention Mags gave me at all hours of the day and night, I didn’t have the energy for another round. He must have seen it in my eyes, because he got up and tucked the covers around me again. “Go back to sleep. It’s early. Are you going into the office today or are you working from home?” He got dressed as we chatted, almost tripping when he pulled up his jeans since he was looking at my lips and not what at he was doing.
“I’m working from home today. I have two articles to put to bed. I will have to stop in the office before tonight, though.”
“Tonight? Before we get married?”
“Yes, but don’t worry about it. I already have it all worked out. Izzy’s going to take my dress to the arena. I’ll get changed there. My hair and makeup will already be done.”
“How’s Izzy going to get in?”
I blinked my eyes at him. “I didn’t tell you? Mitch Simard is her date. Lucinda set them up. He’s picking her up.”
“Ah, Lucinda the matchmaker.” He put his finger to his lips in thought. “You know, I think Mitch and Izzy would be a good match. She needs a good enforcer. As much as I like Izzy, she needs a man to show her she can be herself and not a doormat. He won’t stand for her pandering to him. From what I know of Mitch, he likes women who think for themselves and then stand behind their words.”
“Elise, Lucinda, and I thought the same thing. We’ll see.”
Fully dressed now, he leaned across the bed and gave me a long, sweet kiss. “So I won’t see you before the wedding then?”
I shook my head. “Nope.” I cupped his face, looking deep into his eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetheart. Enjoy your last day as Jennie Fields.” He turned away but abruptly spun back around. “You are going to take my name, right?”
“Proudly. I want everyone to know you’re my guy.”
“Good. See you tonight.” He blew me a kiss and then he was gone off to practice.
I stayed in Magnus’ bed until almost ten o’clock. I’d turned into a later sleeper since I’d gotten pregnant. It was great to be able to work from home when I wanted to, but these days it made me lazy.
I heard a muffled meow coming from Mags’ closet. “Did your daddy shut you in the closet, sweet thing?” I opened the door to a most horrific smell. She’d shit in his dress shoes. I loved her, but she was one vindictive cat.
The smell of cat shit helped pull my morning sickness to the forefront. After taking care of that business, I took care of Mags’ shoes, gagging the whole time. I couldn’t help but think that was not a good way to start the day. An uneasiness settled in my stomach, but I pushed it away as typical nerves any bride would feel before her wedding. Oh, how I wished that was all it was to be.
***
I was running late, which was so unlike me. This unborn baby had already scrambled my brains, but I loved her to distraction anyway. “We’re going to have to haul ass, little one. I still have to stop at the network and finish this article. Shouldn’t take more than an hour, tops. Then it’s off to get married!”
I’d begun talking to our baby the day I told Magnus about her or him. I hated calling the baby an “it,” so I’d decided on “she.” Not that I cared. I’d love to have a Magnus Junior just as well.
I’d just gotten back from the salon. My hair was half up, half down. Magnus loved to run his fingers through my hair so I didn’t want to wear it completely up. Two sparkling barrettes held the sides up in a loose cascade while the rest hung free in big curls. My makeup was natural and light, with just a hint of purple in the eye shadow. I could only imagine how the dress would transform me. I felt gorgeous already.
Grabbing the flash drive with my articles on it, I headed out the door. At the last minute, I slipped back inside and grabbed a pair of scissors. I’d stupidly worn a pullover T-shirt to the salon, and there was no way in hell I was going to try to pull it over my lovely salon hair. Thank God it wasn’t a favorite.
Worrying for nothing, I got to the network with two hours to spare—plenty of time to do the last-minute formatting and self-editing to my articles and take hard copies to the blogging offices. Funny as it seemed, our blogging offices insisted we handed in our articles on paper, as if they couldn’t print them out themselves. But they did a great job with final edits and making my articles shine, so I couldn’t complain.
As far as I knew, I was the only one in the office. The only lights I saw on were the ones that lit automatically after closing hours. Lost in concentration, I didn’t see the flicker of light until I smelled smoke. “What the hell?”
Not thinking much of it, I took the time to save my articles to my hard drive and flash drive, print out final copies for the blogging department, and shut down my computer. My only thought about the burning smell was that someone else must have been around and cooked their popcorn too long in the microwave. God knew it happened all the time.
As soon as I left my office, I saw the fire. It was still at least twenty feet away, but it was already in front of me, to my right and to my left. The only direction I could go was back toward my office, which had no other way out. “Shit!”
With no other choice, I made my way back there and shut the door. The A.C. Sports Network offices were on the third floor, so there was no option to jump out a window. Panic set in. I didn’t know what to do, other than needing to get the hell out of there.
I reached for the phone to dial 9-1-1. The phones were dead. I searched for my purse to grab my cell before remembering I’d only taken my flash drive and keys, leaving my purse in the car. “Think.” I wasted precious moments pacing back and forth in my office. It got really scary when I started to hear the sound of the fire eating through the walls. There was only one other option that I knew of.
I looked out the small window of my office to see flames dangerously close to me. I had to make it to my boss’s office on the corner. There was a small ledge outside his window that I could possibly climb out onto and hope like hell the firefighters would find me before the heat of the fire did.
Just like we’d learned in school, I felt the door for heat. It was warm but not hot. I opened it cautiously. The way to my boss’s office was still clear. I ran for it, coughing as I did. The smoke was getting thicker by the second.
For whatever reason, I locked the door behind me. His office wasn’t smoke-filled yet, but it was seeping under the door already. And then I came across another problem. The walls were made of glass. They weren’t windows I could open. I threw the desk chair at the window, but it simply bounced off. “Fuck!”
Next I threw a brass vase and was rew
arded with the tiniest crack. I threw that vase again, and again, but to no avail. I was getting tired and my coughing had become alarming. As the fire got closer, thickening smoke made even seeing difficult. I renewed my efforts, throwing anything I could get my hands on at the glass. It was a stapler, of all things, that finally had the glass come crashing down.
Obviously the glass was weakened from my repeated throws of the vase, chair, and small brass table, but so was I. I dropped to the floor for a few priceless seconds to get a breath of cleaner air.
There was still a ton of glass in the fifteen foot wall. I was leery of trying to smash more out but, equally as fearful of walking through it without it falling down on me. Not to mention the terror of standing three stories up on less than twelve inches of concrete on the corner of the building.
One thing I did know was that I was not dying on my wedding day with an innocent baby inside of me. I would protect her at all costs.
I cautiously crawled out onto the ledge, relief filling me as I saw the fire trucks getting into position. My relief was magnified ten-fold when I saw a firefighter acknowledge my frantic waving.
The ladder of his truck swung toward me, and in less than five minutes I was on the ground, coughing and clinging to the firefighter’s neck until he gently pried my fingers away. His oxygen mask brought me a rush of life-giving air. “Ma’am, do you know if there’s anyone else in the building, or on your floor at least?”
I shook my head and coughed some more while I answered him. “I didn’t see anyone. I don’t think so, but I can’t be sure.”
“How long were you in there before you saw the fire?”
“Maybe an hour.”
He placed me in the care of an EMT.
“Wait!” He had to wait until another coughing fit racked through me.
“Yes, ma’am?”
I clutched him in a fierce embrace. “I would have surely died without you, and I’m newly pregnant. You saved two lives tonight. God bless you.”
He wasn’t unaffected by my words, but he shrugged it off just the same. “Just doing my job, ma’am.” He took his mask back from me, and then grabbed the handle on the fire truck to get back to work. “But thanks for the blessings and congratulations on yours.” With a quick smile, he climbed his ladder once more, hose in hand.
Silent Defender (Boardwalk Breakers Book 1) Page 14
