Chapter 18

“So how was the date?”

Kendra perched on a stool in Jodie’s kitchen later that morning, while Zyana was busy over in the living room with new blocks Kendra had given her.

“It was good.” She tried to sound casual.

“Good? That’s it?” Kendra’s face fell.

“Okay, no, it was fantastic.” An excited laugh bubbled up. “Best date ever.”

“Ah! Tell me all.”

She told Kendra about the pub, the improv play, and the wine bar after, and how much fun it had been.

“Wow. Nick’s such a quiet guy, this surprises me. I mean, he’s a great guy, but…”

“I know. I was a little surprised too. I mean, my first impression of him was that he was a big jerk. Turns out he’s not. He actually has a sense of humor, and he does talk if it’s about something he’s interested in. I guess…that’s better than someone who talks a lot about anything just for the sake of hearing their own voice.”

“True.”

“We went back to his place after.” She studied the pattern of the granite on the island.

“Oh my God!” Kendra glanced over at Zyana, but she was engrossed in her blocks. She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Did you sleep with him?”

“Yes.”

“Ah! How was it?”

“So good.” Jodie closed her eyes briefly, getting warm all over, especially low down inside. Every time she thought about sex with Nick, her belly did a flip-flop. “I just got home an hour ago.”

“Holy crap!”

“He’s pretty amazing. Everything you said about sex with a hockey player is true.”

Kendra laughed. “Wow.” Then her smile faded. “So, um, what does this mean?”

“Nothing.” Jodie shrugged. “Don’t worry. You know I’ve given up on finding a man now I have Zee, and Nick is definitely not that guy who wants an instant family. He’s been pretty honest that he’s not interested in ever getting married or having kids.”

Kendra frowned. “Really?”

“Oh yeah. And after what he’s been through, I guess I don’t blame him. His parents dying, then his brother.”

“He talked about all that?”

“Yes. He still feels guilty about his brother.” She tipped her head to one side. “I suspect he doesn’t want relationships because he figures he’ll let people down again. Or he’ll be hurt again. I told him he’s not responsible for his brother’s suicide, but…that’s easy to say. Not so easy to deal with, I expect. So.” She smiled at her friend. “This isn’t a big deal for either of us.”

“Hmmm. Okay.”

Zyana skipped over to them. “Mommy, can I have some juice?”

“Yes, you may.” She moved to the fridge.

“I’d better get going.” Kendra slid off the stool. “I have a bunch of errands to do.”

“Max is already at the game-day skate?”

“Yeah. He’ll be home in a while for his nap.”

Did Nick take naps on game day? Apparently it was a thing.

She handed Zyana her juice, then followed Kendra to the door. “I have a bunch of things to do as well. Groceries. And later, Jaquawn is coming over for a playdate.”

“Zyana has a boyfriend.” Kendra winked. “It’s cool to have other kids nearby to play with.”

“Yeah, totally. And if things go well, Evaline says she’ll have Zyana over to play.”

“After you do a background check on her and her husband.”

Jodie laughed. Kendra knew her so well. “I may have checked them out with the other neighbors.”

“Of course, you did. And that’s just smart.”

“Thank you again for taking Zee last night. I had such a good time.”

“I’m so glad.”

They hugged and then Kendra waved and left.

Jodie turned to her daughter. “Okay! Let’s get going. You need new rubber boots and we need food. If you’re a good girl, we can go to McDonald’s for lunch.”

“The one with the play place?”

“Yes.”

“Yaaaay!”

Zyana wasn’t super cooperative when it came to shopping for boots and clothes for her, but she stuck it out with McD’s as bribery. There, Jodie sat with a cup of coffee and watched Zyana burn off some energy running around the play area, climbing and crawling through tunnels, making friends with two other little girls there. Then they stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things, including the ice cream Jodie gave in to Zyana on.

This was when a car would definitely be handy. Keeping track of Zyana on the bus and while walking limited how much Jodie could purchase and carry.

While Zyana napped, Jodie stretched out on the couch with her Kindle. She was pleasantly tired from last evening. She found herself losing track of the words she was reading, thinking about Nick and everything they’d done…She had not been lying to Kendra when she’d said how good it was. He was the most considerate, generous man she’d ever been with, as well as obviously experienced. When he put his mouth on her, wow, he knew what he was doing. And what a great kisser…

She let out a sigh and gave up on the book, setting her e-reader on her stomach and closing her eyes. Maybe Nick was at home napping right now…an afternoon cuddle in bed would be so nice. Except he was probably serious about sleeping since he was preparing for a game.

Nonetheless, she imagined curling up with him in his big bed…lazy kisses, slow touches, and shuddering orgasms…God, she wanted that.

Tomorrow. Nick had a whole day off, and he knew Zyana napped after lunch and went to bed early. It would happen tomorrow.

Or maybe not.

Nick had the day off Sunday, and she’d been sure he’d come over at some point. She’d felt so happy remembering their date, her stomach fluttering with anticipation at seeing him again. He knew Zyana napped in the day and went to bed early…but nope.

She didn’t hear any noises coming from the garage, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t there. He could be stripping or hand-sanding the pieces he was working on. She wasn’t going to seek him out though. She’d learned that lesson. Clearly, his garage where he worked on his antiques was his personal space, where he went to be alone with his thoughts, and she wasn’t going to barge in there again.

Zyana and Jaquawn had played well together yesterday, and they ran into him and his mom at the park when she and Zyana went for a walk. Jodie and Evaline planned another playdate for the following weekend, Saturday morning, and Zyana had fun exploring puddles in her new boots with the bright candy-colored stripes.

After chicken, rice, and broccoli for dinner, it was bath time for Zyana, then time for some books and bed.

Downstairs, Zyana asleep in her bed, Jodie kept glancing at the door, still thinking maybe Nick would come over.

But he didn’t.

She didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but it was kind of hard not to think that he’d had second thoughts about what had happened Friday night. That depressed her. She slumped on the couch with a pout on her lips as she watched a recorded episode of Chicago Fire.

---

All during game day Saturday, Nick kept thinking about Jodie. He couldn’t wait to see her again.

He had to put her out of his mind to focus on the game. He couldn’t think about her watching him play. He was a professional, and he’d learned to compartmentalize things. He’d learned at an early age that whatever shit was happening in his personal life had to be left behind when he stepped on the ice. As a kid, he’d welcomed that, hockey providing a distraction from other crap. Now…the team was counting on him to step up with all the injuries they had.

At this time of year, things got intense. Teams were pushing toward the playoffs and the long season of a demanding sport was taking a toll on the players…almost everyone was nursing some kind of bump or bruise or strain, but they had to play through it. So far he’d been lucky—knock on wood. He took off his glove and bumped his knuckles against the boards as they warmed up before the game. Not that he was superstitious. Ha.

The Aces knew they had a playoff spot locked up, but what remained to be seen was who they’d meet in the first round, since other teams were still on the bubble. But they couldn’t pay attention to how other teams were doing. They had to focus on their own game and play their best.

The game was fast and the Blues were hitting hard. They were also shooting the puck like lasers. Thank fuck Stoykers was sharp tonight and had made some amazing saves, keeping them in the game.

The Aces were up by a goal near the end of the first period when one of the Blues got the puck and skated in on the Aces’ net. He took the shot and Stoykers extended his right leg to stop it. The shot went wide, but Stoykers fell forward, nearly flat on the ice, then rolled around, obviously in pain. The play was whistled down.

Jesus. Nick skated over to Stoyko, lifting a hand to signal Luke on the bench that he was needed. Luke came running over in his track shoes and dropped to his knees beside Stoyko.

“Fuck!” Stoykers yelled. “My knee.”

Nick stood near him as Stoykers pushed up to stand, ready to help if needed. Luke grabbed Stoykers’s stick and the two of them held him up as he skated off, weight on one leg.

Pax Whitmore, the AHL call-up replacing Boyarov, also injured, was trading his ball cap for his goalie mask and doing a few stretches at the bench.

Christ. This was so bad. Hopefully Stoykers was okay. Maybe he’d walk it off during the intermission and be back in net for the second.

But that wasn’t the case. Stoykers had “tweaked something,” as they were told, and was definitely out the rest of the game.

Pacman, as they called Pax, looked ready to puke. “You okay, kid?” Nick asked him, tapping his pads with his stick as they got ready for the second period. Actually, he wasn’t a kid. He was twenty-five, with years of experience in the minor leagues and shitloads of talent. There’d just never been a place for him on the Aces roster because of Stoyko and Boyarov. And playing against a fast, sharp-shooting team like St. Louis was a whole different hockey game.

“Yeah.” He did a couple of quick neck movements from side to side, then some jerky taps of his hands on his body. “I’m great.”

Sure he was.

The first shot the Blues had on net went in.

Shit.

Now tied at 1–1, Nick focused on Army taking the face-off. They needed to up their defensive game. They couldn’t hang Pacman out to dry.

Nick focused on the things they’d been working on to improve their defense—forwards coming back to help get the puck out of their own zone, trying to keep rebound shots to a minimum by getting on them, and stopping shot attempts from actually getting through. Benny blocked a shot that had him grimacing in pain, heading to the bench, and limping down the tunnel supported by Luke. Fuck…but he’d stopped a possible goal.

And Pacman…wow. The kid came through, practically standing on his head to keep the puck out of the net. Thanks to a slick goal by Duper, they were up 2–1, and then Nick himself hit the empty net with forty-two seconds left to make it a 3–1 win.

In the dressing room after the game, music pumped. For a while, they’d been playing “Dance This Way” by Jordyn Banks as their win song, but after Chaser and Jordyn broke up, Chaser put a stop to that. Now they listened to “Believe” by Cher, which was kind of weird, but whatever.

Everyone was congratulating Pacman, and he was floating around, his face red and sweaty but his smile beaming with relief and excitement.

It was Saturday night and a bunch of guys were going out to some club. Nick debated whether to go with them. The crazy idea of showing up at Jodie’s place popped into his head. But that was nuts. It would be nearly midnight by the time he got there; she was probably long asleep.

Although the bar scene wasn’t his thing, he went out with them for one. He felt like celebrating.

It occurred to him that he hadn’t felt this good for a while. It could be the win. It could be that he was getting past the emotions he always felt around the anniversary of Aleks’s death. Or it could be…Jodie.

Wait. Hadn’t she told him that sex would improve his mood? Was that what this good feeling was? Damn.

Somehow he had a feeling it was more than just hormones from sex. It was Jodie. And he hadn’t remembered feeling this good for…well, for a helluva long time. It was weird…he felt at peace, yet excited. Relaxed, yet exhilarated.

They ended up just going to the Sin Bin, which was fine with him. It was quieter, so they could talk. He wasn’t much of a dancer, and dance clubs weren’t exactly his comfort zone.

Hallsy came too, for one drink. They pulled some tables together and ordered beers. Pacman wouldn’t have to pay for a drink all night, as everyone showed their appreciation for how he’d played after he’d let that first soft one in.

“So how was the date last night?” Hallsy asked Nick. “Remember you owe me big for babysitting.”

“I’ll buy your beer.” Nick grinned.

“Wait, what? Babysitting?” Brick frowned at them. “You don’t have a kid. Also…you went on a date?”

“Uh…” Nick’s mind whirled. Well, no point in dodging the question. “I went out with Jodie. Hallsy and Kendra babysat Zyana.”

Brick narrowed his eyes at him. “You went out with her? Fuck! I asked you if there was anything going on with you two, and you said no.”

Hell. “There wasn’t when you asked me.”

“But there is now?”

“Uh…we just went on one date. Who knows?” He tried for a casual shrug.

“What the fuck, man. I asked her out and she turned me down. Now I know why.”

Hallsy was looking back and forth between them with a notch between his eyebrows.

Nick tried not to grin.

“Fuck,” Brick muttered.

Now guilt settled in Nick’s gut like a rock. But what the hell? It wasn’t as if he’d stolen Brick’s girlfriend or something.

“Chill, man,” Hallsy said to Brick. “It’s not like you were already dating her. Besides, Nicky was drunk when he asked her out.”

Brick frowned. “Drunk?”

“I wasn’t that drunk. Okay, I’d had some tequila.”

“Are you seeing her again?” Brick asked.

There was the big question. He wanted to. Did he ever. But was it the right thing to do? He was never going to be a family man. He liked being alone, working on his house or his furniture, free to come and go as he pleased. Jodie had a kid. Responsibilities. The last thing he wanted was to be responsible for someone else. He’d failed epically at that.

“Probably not,” he finally said.

Hallsy frowned. “Kendra said you two…uh…she said Jodie had a great time.”

Nick rubbed his forehead and avoided looking at Hallsy. However, he felt the change in the air as anger radiated off his teammates. He glanced at Brick, scowling at him, then at Hallsy wearing a similar expression. “What?”

“You screwed around with her and that’s it?” Hallsy demanded. “What the fuck, man?”

“I’m out.” Brick held up his hands. “She’s hot, but this is too much drama.”

Jesus. “Drama? There’s no drama.” Probably. Maybe. He frowned at Hallsy. “Look, I’ve been honest with her. I’m not a family kind of guy. She doesn’t care about finding a guy who’d want a family with her. That’s why she had Zyana by herself. It was one date. So we’re all good here.”

Hallsy gave him a long look. “Okay. If you say so.”

Nick finished his beer, ordered another one for Pacman, and left with a slap on his back. “See you guys tomorrow.”

“I’m out too.” Hallsy left cash on the table and followed Nick through the Sin Bin and out onto West Erie Street. In the fresh night air, he said, “You slept with her.”

“Yeah.” They started walking to the lot where they’d parked their vehicles. Nick decided to go on the offensive. “What the hell was that in there? Why’d you ask me about her right in front of Brick? I told you he wanted to ask her out.”

To his surprise, Hallsy said, “You’re right. Sorry.” He paused. “Just FYI…Jodie said it was amazing.”

“Not a secret, man. She told me that too.” He tried not to smirk. “And for your info…she was amazing too.”

“Shit.” Hallsy shook his head. “Never should have suggested she move in with you.”

“She doesn’t live with me. Look, I don’t know what you’ve got your jock in a twist about. She’s an adult woman who makes her own choices. We had a great night.” And he wanted more great nights with her. But you couldn’t always get what you wanted. “Besides, she knows I’m a jerk.”

Hallsy snorted. “Okay. It’s your life, and hers I guess. But she’s a friend of Kendra’s and if Jodie gets messed up about this, Kendra’s not going to be happy, which means I’m not going to be happy.”

Great.