Every inch of my body throbs after the rigorous workout that Coach has just put us through. I know I’ve slacked off a little recently because of family weddings, but fuck, he knows how to get me where it hurts.

I spent more time on my ass than my feet for the first time in forever, and that pisses me off. What pisses me off all the more is that it wouldn’t have happened if my head was focused on the ice instead of the young brunette who seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth.

Waking up and finding her gone had crushed me. She hadn’t left a note or anything to indicate that I’d ever see her again. Months have gone by and I still think of her everyday. All I know is her first name and that she lives in Cleveland. Not enough to find her. I’ve even considered asking my brother Eric to try and find her for me. I haven’t though because what if she doesn’t want to see me again? I wish I knew more because not knowing what went wrong or if she’s all right, is slowly driving me insane.

“Fuente!” Coach yells, jarring me from the sadness and frustration that always comes over me when thinking about finding Felicity.

I nod in his direction with acknowledgement and inwardly groan when he waves me to go over to him.

Probably another ass-chewing for being such a rookie on the ice. Scratch that, even a rookie wouldn’t have played so crappy. I sure as fuck had a work out though because sweat is still running down my back.

Getting closer to Coach, he smirks. “The boss wants your pretty ass in the multi-team calendar.”

I stumble to a halt and stare at him in wide-eyed shock. “Come again?”

He laughs. “Dickerson is refusing, so you’re next in line. I’ll message you the details.” He grins. “I wanted to see your reaction when I told you, and it was worth it.”

“All I heard was calendar. What?” I run my fingers through my hair. “I have to model?” I force the word out.

He shakes his head, amusement still clear on his face. “Okay, here’s the deal. The powers that be are putting together a multi-team calendar with all profit being split between the charities each team chooses. The calendars are eighteen months long, with nine teams in each one. Not only is it for a good cause, but it’s good publicity for the team and you. On your page, it will list your bio, etcetera.” He sighs. “I know you’ve always shied away from this kind of stuff before the Mavericks, but my advice is to just go with it.”

It’s pointless arguing about this because reading between the lines it’s a done deal and I’m already on the list. “Full kit?”

“Take it, but they usually have you losing some of the uniform. They want teasing shots.” He holds his hand out to silence me before I can speak. “I got that from the fact sheet the boss forwarded on to me. I’ll forward it to you.” He sighs when he notices that I really do lack any enthusiasm for this. “Look, Kasey, it’s on Saturday, at least the meet ‘n’ greet is. Just go. Mingle with other players and keep reminding yourself that it’s for charity. It might make you feel better about doing it.”

I’m not sure which is worse, mingling with other players in the evening or having to model half naked for a calendar, regardless of the reasoning behind it all.

“We good?” Coach asks, not waiting around for my answer as he moves on to shout at the rest of the team.

I stare at the ice wondering why I can’t just be left to play hockey instead of all the extra stuff that comes with it. In my younger days, when I’d been scouted at college, I loved the partying, the girls, and all the extra stuff. At thirty-two, I felt fucking old and really wanted to be left alone. If it weren’t for my love of the game, I wouldn’t have signed on with the New York Mavericks. I’d have gone back to Montana.

Unsure how long I’ve been standing here like an idiot, I hear, “Kasey,” screeched at the top of a woman’s lungs, giving me seconds to get my balance before she flies into my arms.

With a grunt, I wrap my arms around her waist. “Geez, Andie…You need to lay off that chocolate cake,” I joke and get a punch in the arm for the effort.

“I haven’t put any weight on.” She frowns. “Have I?”

My eyes widen in surprise. “Andie, it was a joke.”

“You sure?”

Rolling my eyes, I wrap an arm around her neck and move her along out of the rink, grabbing the bag with my gear along the way. “Loosen up, and tell me why you’re here in New York.”

Tears hover on her lashes that she rapidly blinks away. “I needed a break,” she admits, turning away.

I stop and bring her face around to mine. “Andie?” I question softly. “Talk to me.”

She shakes her head. “Not here, and not until I’m ready.”

“I hate knowing that something is going on that has you so upset.” Then I have a thought. “Are you being threatened?”

“No, it’s nothing like that.” She glances at some of my teammates as they make their way past us, curiosity in their expressions.

With a heavy sigh, she admits, “My situation is a bit like you and Felicity, except the man that I’m in love with doesn’t see me.” She laughs without any mirth behind it. “Even if he did nothing could come of it while I’m there.”

I frown and then my eyes pop wide. “It’s one of your professors?”

Andie clears her throat and I watch while she pulls herself together. “Is my bed still available?”

I decide to let her problem go for now, and grin. “I’ve told you before, that spare bedroom is for family, Sis.”

Her eyes light with joy. “I love hearing you call me that. Until my mom fell for Diego it had only really been the two of us, and now I have family coming out of my ears…and I couldn’t be any happier about it.”

“You fit in well with us,” I admit, urging her inside my truck, tossing her bag into the back with mine. Running around and climbing in, I add, “I’m not just family to you, I’m your friend and I want to help you. This guy has had you down for a while now.”

She softly smiles. “Sometimes I think that maybe he knows how I feel about him because he goes out of his way to avoid me, even having someone else liaise between us. That hurts me, Kasey. It’s not as though I’m going to jump him in his office, although that thought kinda crosses my mind on a daily basis.” She laughs, knowing how uncomfortable she’s making me.

“Fuck, Andie. That’s too much information. Geez.” I shudder and catch her hand when she pokes me in the side with her finger. “Hey, stop that.” I groan.

“You told me that I’m your sister and friend, right? That means I can talk to you about that kinda thing.” She grins so wide that it starts to freak me out.

I cough awkwardly. “Let me rephrase what I said then, you can talk to me about absolutely anything as long as it doesn’t involve you getting horizontal with your professor.” Pulling out of the lot, I glance at her from the corner of my eye. “How old is he anyway? Aren’t professors old?”

“Old, seriously?”

“Mine were old.”

She giggles and it’s good to hear. “He’s in his early thirties.” She raises a brow as she watches me. “So unless you consider yourself old at the grand old age of thirty-two, then no he isn’t old.”

I’m thinking that her professor has it just as bad for her as she does for him. Why else would he have someone liaise between them both? To me it sounds like he doesn’t trust himself to be alone with her, which makes me respect him all the more, even though it’s obviously causing Andie distress. Do I tell Andie my thoughts on her professor or do I keep it to myself? That’s the big question because I could be wrong.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?” she asks, turning toward me, one of her legs pulled up on the seat.

“I’m thinking that I have a meet ‘n’ greet thing to go to tomorrow night and that I need a date.” I turn and grin at her. “So what’d you say, Sis? You going to save me from going alone to this boring as fuck thing and go with me?”

“Well, as you put it so eloquently.” She rolls her eyes. “I’ll go, although I don’t have anything to wear other than jeans, sweats and pajamas.”

“Pajamas will do.” I laugh.

We sit in silence until I pull into the underground parking of my apartment complex, when she asks, “Do you still think about Felicity?”

I don’t even have to think about my answer. “Every day.” I sigh.

“You do realize that Eric could probably find her from the hotel records in Vegas?”

“All I know is her first name and that she lives in Cleveland. That’s it. Plus, what if she doesn’t want me to find her? She could have woken me if she needed to leave. Left a note. Something, dammit.” I slam my fist into the steering wheel.

“That tells me that you need to ask her why? Let her tell you and then you can hopefully rest, one way or the other.”

Listening to Andie, I want to grab my phone and call my brother for help, but in all honesty, I’m afraid of Felicity telling me that everything I felt that night was a lie. That she just went along with it to humor me because she was in my room. That would kill me.