Know Me, Keep Me

by Barbara Gee

  The buildings still looked brand new, and everything was spotless. The landscaping needed a few more weeks of warm weather, but he could tell it would look spectacular soon. The people who built this place had done it right, and Boone decided they had either had a pile of money to throw at the project, or one heck of a funding base. Maybe both.

  Seeing the scope of the center made him more excited about being there. He tried to see it through the eyes of the veterans it served. When they came up over this hill and saw the beautiful campus spread out in front of them, surrounded by cattle dotted grasslands and rugged buttes, and realized the place was there just for them, offering a couple weeks of respite from normal life and a whisper of hope that things might get better—that had to be a great feeling.

  Boone got to the tee and turned right. As promised, the buildings were well marked, and he parked in front of the door with a sign that said “Main Office and Visitor’s Center.”

  Inside, a large wooden reception desk separated him from an elderly woman, who looked up with a bright smile.

  “Well hello there. Welcome to the Full Heart Ranch. How can I help you today, sir?” Her nametag read: Ella, Volunteer Greeter. Boone figured the center offered plenty of volunteer opportunities for community folk, as well as for outsiders like him.

  “Good afternoon, Ella. My name is Boone Kendall. I’m going to be volunteering here for the next couple of months. I believe I’m supposed to meet with Maddy Simon.”

  “Pleased to have you on the team,” Ella said, beaming. “Miss Maddy’s office is right this way.”

  Moments later he was being introduced to a gorgeous blonde with sparkling blue eyes, a wide, warm smile—and a huge diamond on her left hand. A good move on her husband’s part, Boone decided. If he had a wife who looked like Maddy Simon, he’d make sure his claim was well staked, too.

  Not that the unknown husband needed to worry, as his wife thankfully seemed completely unfazed by Boone’s appearance in her doorway. It was refreshing to have her eyes stay on his, rather than crawling up and down his body. Her smile stayed warm and welcoming, and when they shook hands, she didn’t hang on to his too long, or lean into him too far. As someone who was way too accustomed to being valued only for his physical skills and attributes, he appreciated that.

  They spent a while going over paperwork and the general expectations for his stint at the center, and then it was time for a tour of the facility. Boone forgot about his troubles, and even his headache, as she showed him around. Her enthusiasm was contagious and he began to feel a welcome sense of purpose—something that had been missing from his life since he’d been hurt.

  When they got to the dining hall, they were joined by a woman whom Maddy introduced as her sister-in-law, Libby Anderson. Yet another beautiful blonde who didn’t look at him with desire and speculation, although her eyes did sparkle with what seemed to be a bit of mischief.

  Where Maddy was a bit reserved, Libby was a talker with a big personality. Boone could see right off why she was so successful at conveying the mission of this place to staff, volunteers, and potential donors. She was the perfect spokesperson.

  The women showed him through the dining hall, where they assured him he was free to eat as often as he liked, and then they went through the movie theater and the spa before heading up to the second floor to check out a couple of guest suites. The rooms were spacious and tastefully furnished, the beds big and plush. Maddy explained that their retreats involved a lot of physical activity and hard work, but they also wanted to spoil and pamper their guests, because no one deserved a little pampering more than those who had given so much for their country.

  Accessible, enclosed walkways connected all the buildings, and after they exited the elevator, back down on the ground floor, they walked through to the gym, with Libby talking excitedly about the sports that were played there. Wheelchair basketball was one of the favorites, and he saw the sports chairs lined up neatly along one wall, waiting for the new round of guests to arrive.

  “We’ll take you into the physical therapy section and introduce you to the therapist you’ll be working with while you’re here. She’s the best there is, and I would know,” Maddy said. “She was my therapist a couple of years ago.”

  “And then we’ll let her take over your tour,” Libby added. “She can show you all the workout and rehab equipment we have, and take you to the ice rink. I think you’ll be impressed.”

  “I’m already impressed,” Boone assured them. “I know this place has only been going a little over a year, but you’re going to have a big impact on the veteran community. I don’t doubt that for a second.”

  “We appreciate the vote of confidence,” Maddy said. “We believe so strongly in what we’re doing, but we’re also new to it. Thankfully we have great consultants and a fantastic board of directors, and they help us stay on the right track. So far it seems like everything is coming together.”

  Libby pushed open a door, the twinkle in her eye more evident than ever. “Come on, Boone. Time to meet your therapist, who is also a huge hockey fan. In fact, she might be the biggest Boone Kendall fan in all of North Dakota.”

  Boone forced a smile, but his stomach clenched. The last thing he needed right now was a star-struck woman working closely with him in the gym every day. The last time that had happened, a string of videos of him working out had shown up on You-tube. He hadn’t taken it especially well.

  He hid his tension as they entered an intake area, dominated by another big reception style desk which currently sat empty, probably because it was an off week.

  “Jolene, where are you?” Libby called, pushing her head through one of the doors leading from the room.

  “I’m right here, Lib. What are you doing back over here?” A woman walked into the room through a different door, not noticing Maddy and Boone.

  Libby pulled her head back out of the doorway, grinning. “I’m tagging along with Maddy and the new guy, because I want to see your face when you meet the man whose jersey you wear every time you watch a hockey game.”

  Jolene froze, then slowly turned to look behind her, where Maddy gave a jaunty little wave. Jolene’s cheeks turned pink and she was apparently speechless. Boone decided he much preferred that reaction to squealing and jumping, which was more often than not the first reaction of his female fans.

  What he didn’t like so much was his own reaction to her. He managed to stop himself from blatantly checking her out, but it was impossible not to notice the woman’s lean, lithe figure. She was dressed in black yoga pants that hugged her long legs to just below the knee, and her slender, toned arms were bared by a neon pink tank-top. Her body was definitely that of an athlete, and he wondered whether she still played any sports, or if her incredible muscle tone came from rigorous workouts.

  He forced himself to focus his gaze on her face, which he found wasn’t exactly a hardship. This woman was his kind of adorable. Boone had always found himself drawn to women with a cute and warm kind of beauty. He liked a face that looked like it could break out into a big grin at any time, rather than one that most often gave a haughty sniff and an eye roll.

  Boone had the sudden and rather confusing thought that if he were faced with a crowd of a thousand women, this is the one who would stand out from all of them. Her long, walnut brown hair was pulled back into a glossy pony tail, which emphasized high cheekbones and smooth, silky skin glowing with a light golden tan. Warm, sparkling dark eyes watched him from under smoothly arched brows, and Boone quickly decided that having this woman as his number one fan wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

  Her full pink lips were currently parted in surprise, but as he watched she snapped her mouth closed and swallowed hard. And that was the end of any visible, visceral reaction to his presence. Her smile as she approached held nothing but warm welcome.

  Libby made the introductions. “Boone, this is Jolene Tolley, our physical therapist extraordinaire. And no, that’s not an exaggeration—but you’ll
be finding that out for yourself soon enough. Jolene, this is, as you know, Boone Kendall. Maddy and I have already shown him around the main buildings, and now we’ll leave him in your capable hands. You can show him the rink and the equestrian center. And he’s staying in Cabin E. You can help him get settled in there, too.”

  Jolene’s firm handshake was just as professionally brief as Maddy’s and Libby’s had been. “We’re so glad to have you here, Mr. Kendall,” she said.

  Boone could only describe her voice as sweet and sexy, which further complicated things on his end. “Call me Boone. Nice to meet you, Jolene. I hope having me here isn’t going to screw up your normal routine too much. I know my doc has been pretty demanding about everything.”

  Jolene laughed softly and the sound made Boone’s stomach do something kind of—fluttery.

  “I’ve been known to be a little demanding myself, Boone, and when the future of my hockey team is at stake, my demands could reach a whole new level.”

  The beautiful dark eyes glinted with humor, and Boone tried once more not to stare. “Okay, well, I hope I don’t disappoint,” he said, vaguely aware that Maddy and Libby had left the room.

  She looked him over and Boone realized with no small amount of shock that he was actually a little disappointed that her gaze was purely assessing rather than appreciative.

  “You don’t look like you’ve lost a lot of muscle tone, but it’s hard to tell when you’re in jeans. Step on the scale over here.” She walked to the nearest one, then gave him a rueful smile. “Please,” she added belatedly.

  Boone smiled. She was used to having her orders followed without question, that much was obvious. He stepped on the scale and she adjusted the weight.

  “One ninety-five, but that’s with clothes and shoes. So you’re probably closer to one ninety. That’s a little on the low side for you.”

  He looked at her and raised a brow.

  “What?” she asked defensively. “I’ve followed your career pretty closely ever since you took the contract with the Wild. I know you’re 6’4”, and your weight ranges from 195 to 210. I think you’re at your best when you’re right at 200, though. You lose a little bit of dexterity with that extra ten pounds, even though it’s all muscle. The bulk is good for checking and hits, but you’re more of a finesse player than an enforcer, so you don’t need it.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Do you know this much about the rest of the team?” he asked a little suspiciously.

  Jolene proceeded to rattle off the heights and weights of his two line mates. “I can tell you more, if you want.” She folded her arms and frowned up at him. “Rest assured, Boone, I’m a true fan, not a fan-girl. There’s a difference.”

  “Yeah, I can see that,” Boone said, stepping off the scale with a wry smile.

  She returned his smile. “I promise I’m not going to rattle off hockey stats every time we’re together.”

  “Don’t hold back,” he challenged. “I can talk hockey all day long.”

  “That should make for some interesting workouts, then. Shall we go check out the rink? I can’t wait for you to see it.”

  Jolene pushed through a door and waited for him to follow. They walked across the gym and out a side door, where a wide sidewalk took them around to the back of the lodge building. The unmistakable shape of a building housing an ice rink came into view.

  “Ah, looks good so far,” Boone said.

  ***

  Jolene looked up at him and saw the anticipation on his face. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she was walking side by side with the captain and first line center for the Minnesota Wild. She had tried to prepare herself, but the real life Boone wasn’t what she’d expected.

  Actually that wasn’t entirely true. Physically, he was what she’d expected, only more. She’d known his height and weight, but somehow he was just so much bigger than she’d pictured. His shoulders stretched his long sleeved, white, Henley shirt to its limits, and the impressive definition of his chest was definitely not hidden by the lightweight fabric. And all that hugeness tapered oh so nicely into a flat, tight stomach and a narrow but very well-formed behind that his worn jeans most definitely did justice to. Those same jeans mostly hid the outline of his long, long legs, but he was a hockey player, for goodness sake. Jolene knew all too well that his thighs would be powerful, his calves well defined, his ankles and feet strong but probably a little beat up from a lifetime spent in skates.

  She heard him clear his throat and she looked up at him, realizing he had asked her something.

  “Oh, sorry. I have a million things on my mind. What did you ask?”

  “Is the rink regulation size?”

  “No, it’s three quarters. We went round and round on that, but the best advice we got said to make it smaller. Most of the people who will be skating will be brand new at it, and they won’t be able to build up a lot of stamina in the two weeks they’re here. Making the ice a little smaller allows for more action at the goals, rather than so much skating back and forth and wearing everyone out.”

  “Sounds like you got good advice.”

  They reached the main doors and he opened one, standing back so Jolene could go in first. She took him up some concrete steps to the seating level, so they were able to look down on the rink in all its glory.

  “This is it,” she said, sweeping a hand toward the ice. “What do you think?”

  He took it all in, the ice with all the correct markings, the accessible players’ boxes, the seating for fans—at least a hundred comfortable looking, fold down seats. His gaze returned to Jolene, and she realized she was holding her breath, waiting for his reaction.

  “It’s definitely a smaller scale, but for its purpose, I’d say it’s pretty much perfect. Who’s your ice man? Looks like he has some talent for the job.”

  “His name is Lee Taylor. He and our other permanent employee, Donovan Teal, worked together years ago, and Donovan recommended him. Lee is quiet, but very capable. Donovan loves his ice.”

  “I can see why. He’s got a quality surface. And his markings are perfect.”

  “You’ll be working primarily with Donovan,” Jolene told him as he looked around. “He spent thirty years working at various rinks in and around Minneapolis, and he even has some experience working with sled players. We were lucky to get him. He and his wife were looking for something different, and since they lost a son in Iraq, they were drawn to this project. We can’t pay top dollar, but he’s not in it for the money.”

  “Sounds like a good match for the place.”

  “He is, and I guarantee you’ll like him. I told him just yesterday that you were coming to help us out. He was actually speechless for a moment there.”

  Boone smiled and leaned his elbows on the railing as he looked out over the ice. Jolene struck a similar pose.

  “Do you get tired of reactions like that?” she asked, because she really wanted to know.

  “What reactions?”

  “People being speechless, and star-struck and such.”

  He shrugged. “I try not to get caught up in it. I still see myself as the same old Boone, regardless. It just so happens that what I do makes me well known in some circles. Comes with the job.”

  “There’s got to be a lot of pressure though. Like, I just now told you how excited Donovan is to meet you. Do you feel at all anxious about living up to his expectations, or are you just so used to it you don’t even think about it?”

  He turned around and leaned back against the railing, folding his arms across his chest as he looked over at her. “I learned a long time ago that I can only worry about so much before I hit a breaking point. Same as it is for you or anyone else. Being professional athletes might make us seem larger than life, but we’re not. We’re just a bunch of guys who’ve been blessed with physical gifts that allow us to play a game at the highest level. Aside from that we’re surprisingly normal, and most of us aren’t even all that interesting.”

&nb
sp; “But like it or not, you’re still going to be treated like you’re special,” Jolene insisted. “You can’t simply choose to refuse the celebrity status that comes along with what you do. People value your gifts more highly than they value their own, and that automatically puts you up on the proverbial pedestal. You might not feel like you belong up there, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are.” Jolene smiled. “And there are perks, obviously. Pedestal dwellers make a lot more money than those of us looking up at them. And you don’t have to wait in lines at restaurants and stuff.”

  He smiled crookedly. “You’re right. It can be nice up there. Addicting even. And a lot more dangerous than you might think. Climbing back down isn’t easy.”

  “Am I hearing the voice of experience?” Jolene asked gently, hoping she wasn’t getting too personal with the man she’d met only twenty minutes ago.

  Boone nodded slowly. “Getting through that rookie year is tough. I can’t even tell you how tough. At first you don’t realize that the people putting you on the pedestal are the ones who have something to gain by you being there. You trust them and begin to think you really are all that. The clingers latch on and pump you up, and pretty soon you get used to hearing how superior you are. You start to believe it, even though deep down you know you have the same stresses and worries and weaknesses as everyone else. And the money—it’s just there, begging to be spent. It’s so tough to pull away from all that and get grounded again. If you’re lucky, a teammate who’s been there will take you under his wing and help you see the light. And refuse to give up on you when you slip backwards.”