Читать книгу The Mighty Quinns: Thom - Kate Hoffmann, Kate Hoffmann - Страница 9

1

“JUST LET ME do all the talking. If they ask you a direct question, keep your answer short and to the point. Don’t try to make excuses. No sarcasm. No attempts at humor. Just be humble and repentant.”

Thom Quinn shifted in the front seat of his agent’s Porsche, trying to find a comfortable position for his six-foot-three-inch frame. “What do you think they’re going to do?”

“Considering your past indiscretions,” Jack Warren said, “I think they’re going to come down hard. At least a suspension. Maybe a trade.”

Thom had played professional hockey for Minneapolis his entire career. A first-round draft pick, he’d spent only one season on their Iowa farm team before being called up late in the year for the playoffs and hadn’t looked back. By most standards, he was a star, the kind of player who filled a crucial role in the success of a team. A defensive power who could play both ends of the ice, scoring goals for the Blizzard and blocking shots from the opposing teams.

His on-ice performance had never been in question. He’d exceeded what had been asked of him. But off the ice...he couldn’t seem to meet the league standard.

And his latest escapade, three nights before, had been meticulously documented. There were photos of him playing blackjack with two Las Vegas strippers at his side, one of him in a limo with plenty of booze and naked flesh and a cadre of “friends.” One of those friends had betrayed him, selling the photos to a tabloid television show. The pictures had then quickly spread throughout the media.

“Can you make this right?” Thom murmured.

“You don’t make it easy,” Jack said, shaking his head. “You’re twenty-seven years old. It’s time to grow up, Tommy.”

What the hell did that mean? He was on top of his game. He had plenty of cash to spend. Why couldn’t he cut loose and enjoy himself now and then? He wasn’t breaking any laws. There had been a few scuffles with angry fans and aggressive photographers, a few bitter ex-girlfriends with stories to tell, but he’d always managed to smooth out any problems he’d had with a contrite apology and a generous offer of cash.

Why did he feel the need to push the boundaries of proper behavior? The marketing machine that ran the Minnesota Blizzard had always sold Thom Quinn as a bad boy, a guy who grew up on the streets and came by his tough exterior the hard way. His nickname was “The Beast.” They’d created this persona for him, yet they’d never given him a rulebook. How far was too far? Apparently what he’d just done.

But he couldn’t leave Minnesota. His family was here and he couldn’t abandon them. “I don’t want a trade,” Thom said. “Promise them whatever they want. I’ll take a salary cut. I’ll go to rehab. Just make this go away.”

“I’ve heard this all before,” Jack said. “Remember last year when you slept with your teammate’s ex-girlfriend?”

“They’d broken up,” Thom said.

“Alex is your teammate. Did it occur to you what a fight between you might do to the team? Everyone choosing sides? You never think things out, Thom.”

“So I’m socially insecure,” he replied, an edge of sarcasm in his voice. “I make rash decisions. I constantly try to sabotage myself. I could write a book. I’m sure several of those therapists the team hired have written books about me. I’ve been told I’m fascinating material.”

“Cynicism isn’t going to help your case,” Jack said.

The car pulled to a stop at a red light, and his agent leaned back into the leather seat. Thom could always count on Jack to be straight with him. And yet Thom had never been able to trust him completely. There were only three people he’d ever trusted in the world—his two brothers and his grandmother. It was a small circle, but it was all Thom had ever needed.

Jack circled the block around the office building that housed Blizzard headquarters, and when he found an empty parking spot, he smoothly pulled the car to a stop. As he switched off the ignition, he turned to Thom. “Tell me what you want, Tommy. If you want to quit, I’ll find a way to make it happen. If you want a trade, we’ll get it done. Just tell me what you want.”

Thom had been searching for that particular answer since the time he’d walked away from his childhood. Until then, everyone else had made decisions for him. And though he’d fought tooth and nail against any type of authority figure, when his life was finally his own to run, he’d realized he didn’t have a plan. His hockey skill was the only thing that kept him from begging for spare change on a street corner. And that wouldn’t last forever.

“Maybe you need a fresh start,” Jack said. “You could go somewhere and just clear the decks. Start over somewhere else with a new outlook.”

“I don’t want to leave,” Thom murmured.

“You might not have a choice. Of course, we can decide where you might go. Your trade clause gives you final approval. But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

As they walked toward team headquarters, Thom drew a deep breath and tried to gather a positive attitude. He’d been through this before—he’d make a stupid mistake, then smooth things over with an earnest apology. His skills on the ice had always balanced the scales. His crimes had been minor, his talent outweighing the consequences.

But he was getting older. He was twenty-seven, and boyish misbehavior wasn’t as charming as it used to be. In truth, most of his teammates of the same age were married, some of them with children.

Jack held the front door open for him as he walked into the cool of the air-conditioned offices. Thom straightened his tie, then quickly ran his fingers through his shaggy hair. He’d shaved in an attempt to make himself look a bit more reputable, but he should have taken the time to get a haircut.

When they got to Steve McCrory’s office, the receptionist was waiting, a tight smile on her face. She led them both to a nearby conference room. The room was already full, the air thick with tension. Thom cursed softly as he stepped inside. The moment he scanned the occupants, he knew he was in serious trouble.

He’d expected McCrory, the general manager, and Dave Jones, the director of player personnel. But seated at the head of the conference table was Davis Pedersen, the team owner, a formidable figure at the best of times, but now he wore a stony expression on his face.

Thom heard a soft sigh slip from Jack’s mouth. This was much more serious than he’d anticipated. Pedersen stood as they entered and pointed to a pair of chairs. “Take a seat, gentlemen.”

A ringing in Thom’s ears muffled the sounds of the voices around him. Other people arrived and sat down at the table, some faces familiar, some not. Thom’s gaze settled on a slender blonde who sat on the opposite end of the table. She was the only woman in the room, so it was hard not to notice her.

Her gaze met his, her pale blue eyes lingering for a moment. Thom sent her a halfhearted smile and she returned the favor. She seemed the only one in the room, besides his agent, willing to look him directly in the eye. Another bad sign.

The conversation began and Thom listened silently as all of his faults were recounted, one by one, each followed by a short dissertation on how his actions had negatively affected the image of both the league and the team.

He didn’t attempt to defend himself, or explain. Instead he waited for his turn to speak, knowing they’d expect some type of apology before they moved on to the punishment.

Finally Thom opened his mouth, ready to be humble. But Davis Pedersen held up his hand. “I don’t want to hear your excuses or your apologies. Hell, I don’t even want a promise that you’ll start to behave in a manner befitting the position you hold. As far as I’m concerned, those would all be empty words. You’ve made promises in the past, and you’ve broken them all. So, Mr. Quinn, here’s how this is going to play out. I plan to trade your ass to the first team that pays me a decent price. Until then, I expect you to behave like a choirboy, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that happens. If you fight me on this, I’ll send you to the worst damn team in the league.”

Jack cleared his throat. “We have a trade approval clause, so you’d have to—”

“I don’t have to do anything,” Pedersen snapped. “Your boy has broken his morals clause more times than I can count.” He tossed a file folder across the table at Jack and the agent pulled a photo from it.

“The girl sitting beside you in this photo is a teenage hooker,” Pedersen said. “This is going to be posted on—on—what the hell is it called?”

The blonde cleared her throat. “Instagram.”

“Right. We were contacted by a bartender at your hotel in Vegas. He informed us that this...girl has been kicked out of the place repeatedly for soliciting. And she’s underage. He wanted five thousand or he’s going to post the photo on the internet.”

“I can explain that photo,” Thom said.

Davis slammed his palms down on the table, his expression fierce. “I don’t want a damn explanation. I want you to exercise some self-control!” Pedersen stood. “We’re done here. If you’ll excuse us, we have some plans to discuss.”

Pedersen led the other men in suits out of the room, but the blonde hung back. “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked Thom. “Coffee. A soda, maybe?”

“Do you have any arsenic?” Thom asked.

She laughed softly. “No. I’m afraid not. Even if we did, I’m sure I wouldn’t be authorized to give it to you.”

“I’m all right,” he said.

“I hope so,” she replied. “Good luck. I hope it works out for you.”

“Thanks,” Thom said, taking a long look at her. Who was she? She must work for the team. But doing what? He hadn’t seen her at the rink; he would have remembered someone so beautiful. Hell, if he had met her, he would have found some way to seduce her. He usually didn’t let an attractive woman get past him.

“Don’t even think about it,” Jack muttered as the woman left the room.

“What? I’m not thinking about anything,” Thom lied. “She’s pretty. Who the hell is she?”

“You don’t know?” Jack asked. He shook his head and chuckled. “Probably for the best.”

“No, really. Who is she?”

“She’s Malin Pedersen. Davis Pedersen’s only daughter.”

“I thought his daughter was still in high school.”

“She was. When you were drafted. She’s grown up.”

“She’s pretty,” Thom said. “What did you say her name was?”

“Malin.”

“Kind of a weird name,” he murmured.

“I believe it’s Swedish,” Jack replied.

“Malin,” Thom whispered to himself.

A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. He drew a deep breath and scolded himself inwardly.

“Exercise some self-control!”

His boss’s command echoed in his head. Yes, it was definitely a bad idea to imagine the boss’s daughter naked and lying in his bed...

* * *

“THIS IS YOUR FAULT,” Davis Pedersen said, scowling at his daughter from across his desk as she and Steve McCrory followed him into his office.

“How is this my fault?” Malin asked.

“I hired you to contain all this Flitter business. We never had these kinds of problems in the past. Now the moment one of our players steps out of line, there’s someone there to take a photo and blast it all over the internet.”

“It’s Twitter,” Malin said. “And I can only control our players and what they post. I can’t control the whole world.”

“Then what good are you? I don’t understand how something as ridiculous as that damn Flitter—”

“Twitter,” Malin corrected him again.

“What?”

“It’s called Twitter. Instagram. Snapchat. Skype. Tinder. Didn’t you read the handbook I wrote for the players?”

“I don’t need a damn handbook to tell me what’s happening to the reputation of my team, and this man is dragging it into the gutter with him. I want him watched 24/7. Until we work out a trade, I want Thom Quinn on complete lockdown, and I’m putting you in charge of that. If there is even a hint of trouble—if a single photo of him is put on Twitter—this job you created for yourself is done and you can head back to your fashion designer friends in New York.”

Malin gasped. “You’re the one who begged me to come home and handle this problem for you. You said if I wanted a role in the organization, I’d have to prove myself.”

“And so you will,” her father said. “Protect my investment.”

Malin turned to Steve McCrory. “Are you really planning to trade him? He’s one of our best players. And the fans love him. I’m sure I can smooth this over. Just give me a little time.”

“We can’t continue to let his off-ice behavior bring negative publicity to the club,” McCrory said. “He’s gone from drunken brawls to teenage hookers. What’s next? I don’t want to wait to find out. It was my decision to trade him, and your father backs me on that.”

“I don’t agree,” she said. “If you want to see a social media firestorm, wait until you announce this trade.”

“Once we trade him, he’ll be someone else’s problem. Until then, he needs a watcher.”

It was useless to argue. When it came to decisions about the team, McCrory was an immovable force. He was backed by her father, and there was no hope of changing his mind.

She couldn’t blame her father. When he bought the franchise seventeen years before, it was a failing enterprise with the lowest attendance figures in the league. Now the club led the league in season ticket sales, merchandising and number of playoff appearances. Though they’d fallen short in the championship series last month, they were poised to make another run next year.

“I can turn him around,” Malin said. “I’ve got two months before training camp starts. Give me a chance. Maybe I can find a way to redeem him.”

“My mind is made up,” McCrory said.

“Mine, too,” her father added. “Why don’t you go explain what we expect of him these next few weeks?”

“Me?”

“I said he needs a watcher. That’s you. Or are you not up for the challenge?”

“Of course. You won’t regret putting this faith in me.”

Malin walked out of her father’s office, her spirits deflated. She’d never really believed that her father wanted her to work for the team. It had always been an old boys’ club, not an atmosphere welcoming to women. But women made up 45 percent of their audience, a figure that was growing with every year that passed. Sooner or later, the old guys would need to admit that they needed a woman in the executive offices. And she was determined that woman would be her.

She found Thom Quinn where she’d left him in the conference room. She glanced over her shoulder as she entered. “Did your agent leave?”

Quinn shook his head. “No. He had to take a call.”

Malin pulled out a chair at the end of the table and grabbed a phone, punching in the number of her assistant. “Leah, I’m in the conference room. Can you find Jason and have him come in here? He’s probably in the mail room, working on the convention mailing.”

She hung up the phone and met Thom Quinn’s gaze, holding it for a moment longer than seemed proper under the circumstances. Malin swallowed hard. What were the circumstances? She wasn’t his boss. She didn’t have any power over him, at least none that didn’t come directly from her father. What if he refused to do as she said? In one quick stroke, she’d lose the last of her credibility with her father and any shot at a management job with the team.

“So, they sent you to give me more bad news?”

“Bad news?”

“Yeah, that they’ve decided to trade me to the worst team in the league?”

“Yes,” she murmured, her gaze still locked on his. “I—I mean, no.”

He was an incredibly handsome man. That had always been part of his appeal to the female fans. The shaggy dark hair. The scruffy beard. The impossibly blue eyes. Added to that was a collection of imperfections that made him irresistible—the scar on his lip, the slightly crooked nose.

Dragging her eyes from his face, she reached out and straightened her pen sitting beside her notepad.

“Which is it?” he asked. “Trade or no?”

Malin drew a deep breath. “No,” she lied. She was still determined to save him. He’d be much more amenable to her plan if he thought he had a chance to stay. “They’re going to give you another chance.”

He frowned. “Really?”

Malin nodded. “Under some conditions,” she said.

“What would those be?”

“Maybe we ought to wait for your agent.”

“No, please. Give me my punishment. I’m willing to do what I have to do to stay with the team.”

“All right,” Malin said. “There’ll be no more drinking in public. And I’d advise no more drinking at all. You make stupid decisions when you drink.”

He stared at her silently and she paused for a moment, waiting for a comment or a refusal. But when he said nothing, Malin forged on.

“You should also probably take a break from the women, too. I don’t mean to say you can’t date, but consider keeping your private life more...private.” She cleared her throat. “And finally, we’re going to assign you a—a personal assistant.” It sounded so much better than a watcher, she thought to herself. “This person will live with you and help you make the proper choices and—”

“You’re assigning me a babysitter?” he asked.

“Of course not. You’re not a baby. You’re a full-grown man with a lot of decisions to make. Which is why you need a personal assistant.”

He chuckled softly, shaking her head. “All of this because of one photo?”

“If we hadn’t killed that photo, you could have ended up in jail.”

“I knew she was a hooker,” he said. “And that she was underage.”

“What?” Malin asked.

He nodded. “She approached me in the bar. She looked hungry and scared. She had a black eye and a swollen lip. We started to talk and it was obvious she could do with a meal and a decent night’s sleep. So I bought her dinner and rented her a room. The next morning, I stopped by her room and gave her money to go home. She took it, and as far as I know, she’s back in Kansas or Nebraska or wherever she came from. I guess the guy must have snapped a picture when we were in the bar.”

“You didn’t...”

“I do have some limits when it comes to my behavior.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

He grinned and shrugged. “I tried, but they wouldn’t listen. Besides, it wouldn’t have mattered. They see me the way they want to see me.”

She studied him silently. Malin had read his bio, the rags-to-riches story—he’d been a juvenile delinquent, virtually orphaned and living on the streets before stumbling into an after-school hockey program.

He’d never had a steady male influence in his life. Instead, he’d been forced to cobble together the rules and expectations of adulthood. Add to that the quick acquisition of wealth and fame and it would mess anyone up. But was she really prepared to untangle that mess? If it meant gaining a whole lot of respect, damn right she was.

“Miss Pedersen?” said a voice from behind her.

Malin turned to see her second cousin, Jason, waiting nervously at the door. His mother had sent him to the Twin Cities when he’d failed to find a job after five years in college. He hadn’t impressed her beyond his ability to overthink nearly every project he’d been given. But Malin needed someone who’d take the job seriously, someone who’d stick to Thom Quinn like glue.

“Jason Pedersen, this is Thom Quinn,” Malin said.

“I—I know who you are,” Jason said. “I met you last spring at the fan convention. You signed my helmet.”

“Mr. Quinn, I’m going to suggest you hire a personal assistant. One who’ll live with you 24/7. I trust you can make a place for him at your home. Of course, the team will provide a stipend for his rent.”

“You want me to live with someone?” Thom asked.

“This is nonnegotiable,” Malin said. “Perhaps we should discuss this with your agent?”

“No,” he said. “It’s fine with me.”

“You’ll also pay his salary,” Malin added.

“I will?”

“Yes. Due to contract restrictions, we can’t force you to hire an assistant. We can encourage you to do it on your own, though. Which I’m now strongly suggesting.” She leaned forward, her hands splayed across the conference table. “Please do it, Mr. Quinn. Trust me, if you want to keep your job, you need to do this.”

Malin waited, knowing that her ability to sway his behavior was key to her plan working. If he fought her, then it was going to be a very difficult summer for them both.

“All right,” he finally said. “I can make room for Jason.”

Jason gasped. “What? Me?”

“You’re going to be Thom Quinn’s new personal assistant,” Malin said.

Jason’s eyes went wide. “I’m moving in with Tommy Quinn? I’m moving in with The Beast?”

“We’re not going to be using that nickname anymore,” Malin said. “Call him Mr. Quinn for now.”

“You can call me Thom,” he said, nodding at Jason.

At that moment, Thom’s agent returned to the room, his phone still held up to his ear. “What’s happening?”

“I’ve just hired a personal assistant,” Thom said in a bright tone. “This is Jason. He’s going to help me get my shit together.”

Jack glanced back and forth between his client and Jason. “That’s it?”

“Yeah,” Thom said. “He’s going to be living with me. I think it will work out just fine. Jeff and Jake both have assistants, and they say it’s great. Maybe he can also do my laundry? And clean the fridge? It will be nice to have a workout partner.” He stood, then held out his hand to Malin. “If we’re finished here, I’ll meet Jason at my place. You can give him the address and send him over with his stuff.”

The moment their hands touched, Malin felt a current race through her body. Thom’s hands were strong, his fingers long and slender. He was known for his great hands, but she’d assumed that referred to his stick handling abilities. She stared down, her mind suddenly occupied with thoughts of what his hands might do to her body. Great hands indeed. A shiver raced through her.

“What about you?” he murmured. “How will you know that I’m complying with your wishes?”

“I’ll be in daily contact with Jason, and he’ll keep me up to date on how you’re doing. You’ll be expected to work out with a team trainer and skate every day. We’ll put together a schedule.”

“All right, then,” Thom said. He suddenly let go of her hand, and Malin wondered if she’d ever have the chance to touch him again.

She watched him follow his agent out of the conference room, then flopped down into one of the leather chairs.

She was acting like a puck bunny, getting all flushed and breathless the moment she set eyes on a handsome hockey player. This had never happened to her before. Why was it happening now?

“He is so cool,” Jason said. “The Beast! How can you not like that guy?”

Malin was wondering the exact opposite—how could she stop liking him?

* * *

THOM STOOD IN FRONT of the open refrigerator door and examined the contents. Old takeout containers, a few packages of hot dogs, juice, vitamin water and beer. Though he worked hard to maintain a decent diet, it was much easier during the season when meals were provided by the club’s caterer.

“Can you cook?” he called.

“Cook?” Jason wandered into the kitchen area. “Sure. Pizza. Mac and cheese. Man, your place is so cool. What guy wouldn’t love living in an old firehouse? Was it like this when you moved in?”

“No, I renovated it myself.” Thom grabbed a couple of beers, starting to make a grocery list in his head. McCrory and Pedersen had made it clear they wanted him to lay low for the next couple of months, so he wouldn’t be dining at his favorite restaurants. He followed the sound of Jason’s voice to the family room at the rear of the house.

Jason had already found the remote for the television and was flipping through the channels. “You are old enough to drink, aren’t you?” Thom asked before handing the other man the beer.

“I’m twenty-two. But I probably shouldn’t drink since I’m on duty.”

Thom grabbed the remote and switched to the local sports report. “We need groceries. You might as well hit the store. While you’re gone, I’m going to take a run.”

Jason shook his head. “I’m not supposed to leave you alone. If you need me to shop, then you have to come with me. If you’re going for a run, I go with you. That’s what Malin told me and I’m not going to screw it up. I’m supposed to stick to you like glue on rice.” He cleared his throat. “Or maybe it was white on rice. Yeah, yeah, that’s it. White on rice. Flies on flypaper.”

“All right. We can send out for a pizza,” Thom muttered, stretching his legs out in front of him. “Why don’t you go grab a bedroom and unpack your stuff?”

“I can do that later. I—I’m just gonna sit here and watch the sports report.”

“I’m not going to sneak out while you’re upstairs.”

“No, no,” Jason said. “I trust you. Completely. Why don’t I call for the pizza? Malin—I mean, Miss Pedersen—gave me some cash. My treat.”

“Malin,” Thom repeated. “You call her Malin?”

“Not around the office. But she’s my cousin, so it would be weird to call her Miss Pedersen any other time.”

“What else did she tell you?”

Jason shrugged. “Just...stuff.”

“Like what?”

“She said I shouldn’t let you drink. That I should keep you away from sleazy women. I’m supposed to work out with you every day, and if I can get you to read an actual book, she’ll give me a bonus.”

“She expects you to do all that? She must be tough to work for.”

“Nah, she’s really nice. I’ve screwed up a few times—more than a few times—and she always gives me another chance.”

“What else do you know about her? Does she have a boyfriend?” He handed Jason the beer and this time the other man took a sip, his earlier reluctance forgotten.

“I think she used to. Someone said he used to come to the games, but he lived in New York. That’s where she used to live before she came back to Minneapolis.” He shrugged. “I’ve never seen her with a guy. I’m pretty sure she likes men. I’ve just never...”

“What’s her job?”

“Social media. She runs the team website and all the social media accounts. She filters the team’s Twitter posts and Instagram photos. So if you post something that would reflect badly on the team, she catches it before it goes out.”

“I don’t do social media,” Thom said.

“Yeah, I know. You make up for it with all the other stuff that gets posted about you. God, I wish I had your social life. All those beautiful women. Maybe you can give me some advice?”

“Where does she live?”

“Malin? She’s got a place in Merriam Park. I’ve only been there a few times. Just to check on the place while she was out of town. It’s nothing like this place. Just an ordinary house.”

Thom let those few nuggets of information roll around in his mind for a bit, curious about the woman who suddenly held so much power over him. He wanted to dig deeper, to find out every little detail about her. What did she eat for breakfast? Did she sleep in pajamas or the nude? Did she—

Thom stopped himself. This was exactly the kind of thought pattern that had gotten him into trouble in the past. Once he’d decided he wanted a woman, there was nothing that stood in his way. It didn’t matter how long it took or what he had to do to get her into bed. In the end, he always made it happen.

A voice from the TV caught his attention. “A late-breaking report regarding your Minneapolis Blizzard.”

Both Jason and Thom turned to look at the television.

“Trade rumors are swirling, and at the center of the storm is Blizzard defenseman Tommy ‘The Beast’ Quinn. Sources say his off-ice shenanigans haven’t been sitting well with team’s owner, Davis Pedersen. Is Quinn on his way out? Fans are not going to be happy. We’ll have an exclusive on our late report.”

Thom stared at the television for a long moment. With a soft curse, he shut the television off and tossed the remote on the coffee table. “She told me I wasn’t going to be traded,” he muttered. Launching to his feet, he turned to Jason, looming over him in his most threatening manner. “What do you know about this?”

“I—I— Nothing. They don’t tell me anything. I swear.”

“Come on. I want you to show me where she lives. Miss Pedersen and I have some things to discuss.” Thom shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out the keys for his truck. When Jason didn’t move, he said, “Don’t you have to go with me?”

“She’s probably still at the office,” Jason said.

“I’m not going to talk to her there.”

“You can call her,” Jason suggested. He held out his cell phone.

Thom shook his head. “No, this has to be done in person. Why would she lie to me? I mean, I went in there fully expecting to be traded. And then she decides to put me through this crap. Locked up like a prisoner with you reporting my every move. What’s that all about?”

“I don’t know,” Jason said. “But I do know that if I show you where she lives and you go there, she’s going to fire me. Can you just sit down and we’ll order a pizza?”

“No,” Thom snapped. “I want this settled now.”

He walked to the front door, not bothering to wait for Jason. When he reached his truck, parked on the street, he got inside. As he slipped the key into the ignition, Thom heard a rapping on the window. Jason stood at the passenger door, a stricken expression on his face.

Thom unlocked the door and the kid hopped inside. “I can show you where she parks. We could wait for her there. She always leaves the office at five. If she has to work late, she comes back after dinner.”

“Five,” Thom said. They had fifteen minutes to make a ten-minute drive. At least it would give him a bit of time to figure out exactly what he wanted to say.

Hell, he should have known not to trust her. She wasn’t on his side. She was the daughter of the damn owner. Of course she’d side with her father. Well, he was going to fight this trade. Why lie down and let the team walk all over him? If he wanted to, he could make things very difficult for them.

He knew there was a morals clause in his contract, a section that directly addressed bad behavior. Beyond his youthful criminal record, Thom’s “rap sheet” was long and colorful. The brawls—with fellow players, with fans, with bartenders and limo drivers and bouncers and parking attendants—were probably the most egregious.

The women followed a close second. Though they didn’t cause as much legal trouble as the brawls, they were a distraction, especially when one decided to spill her secrets to a gossip website.

Until recently, Thom had been able to keep the drinking pretty much under control. But now, there seemed to be more reasons to drink than reasons not to. It wasn’t just something he did to relax anymore. Getting drunk was the only way he could shut off the constant hum in his head, turn off all the questions rattling round in his mind.

Life used to be pretty simple for him. He played hockey and he did it better than almost everyone in the league. It provided for him and his family. But now, it seemed that with every year that passed, his life grew more complicated. What would he do when he couldn’t play hockey anymore?

Thom had vowed that he’d get out of the game gracefully. He never wanted to be one of those guys who hung around trying to recapture lost glory. He wanted to go out on top. But how could he be sure the time was right? And what would he do once hockey was over for him?

“It’s right here,” Jason said, pointing to the parking ramp.

Thom turned into the entrance and grabbed a ticket, then steered the truck up the levels. “What kind of car are we looking for?”

“She has a dark green Audi. It’s usually on the fourth level.”

Thom found the car and pulled into a spot across the aisle from it. He shut off the truck, then nervously tapped the steering wheel with his fingertips. “What time is it?”

“A few minutes before five. She should be coming along any minute.” Jason slouched down in the seat. “What are you going to say to her?”

“I don’t know,” Thom said. The drive over had been too short to untangle the knot of emotions in his gut.

“Don’t you think you’d better figure it— Wait. Someone’s coming.”

“Is it her?”

“Yeah, it is.”

They each watched in their side view mirrors as Malin strolled past. Thom reached for the door and then, at the last minute, decided to wait. “She’s gorgeous,” he murmured.

“You think so?” Jason asked.

“Don’t you?”

“Well, she’s my cousin, so I really don’t look at her that way. And I’m really more attracted to brunettes than blondes.”

Malin got into her car and slipped behind the wheel. Thom held his breath, waiting for just the right moment. When she began to back out of the parking spot, he knew the moment was at hand, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to get out of the truck.

He didn’t want their next encounter to be an argument. And he certainly didn’t want it to happen in a parking lot with Jason looking on.

“She’s driving away,” Jason said.

“Yeah.”

“I don’t get it. Everybody says you’re legendary with women,” Jason murmured.

“Most of that is just talk,” Thom said. “Most of the time I have no idea what the hell they’re thinking. Or what I’m doing.” He reached for the ignition. “You know what? I could use a drink. Let’s go to a bar.”

“I’m not supposed to—”

“Jason, if we’re going to get along, you’re going to need to learn that the rules just don’t apply to us. Got it?”