Page 13

One of those players

Remy

I’d told Hanny I’d ask Sophie what her business was called and if she’d look at his guitar.

He was eager to get her opinion on the thing and had brought it to practice for me to take to her.

After seeing the security at the Williams place the first day he’d dropped me off, he thought that would be easiest. I’d picked up Beast from the doggy day care, and since the door was open, figured I’d see if I could at least drop off his guitar, rather than have it anywhere near Beast.

I didn’t plan to do more than greet her if she was really busy—there was an SUV in the driveway. She probably had a customer with her. The car had an Austin Aces sticker on it, but since I was new to the team I could probably escape recognition by a fan.

It was a shock to see Otts in the workshop. Like he’d been tracking me. One look at his face and it was obvious he had no idea I was staying here, this close to his ex. His expression went from surprised to angry in seconds, jaw clenched and hands fisted.

I felt like I’d made a misstep, though I wasn’t sure exactly how.

How bad was this going to be? He could make my professional life hell, but coaches did that all the time.

I just hoped he wouldn’t stop me from playing altogether.

I wasn’t afraid of him physically. While he’d kept in good shape, I was in playing condition.

Pretty sure I could take him. It would depend on how badly I wanted it.

Goalie fights were rare, and I hadn’t been in one since juniors.

“What the actual fuck?” He glared at me, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

Was this crossing some kind of line? I wasn’t doing anything but saying hello to Sophie. I wasn’t dating or banging her, I was just living over her workshop because her father arranged it with the team. “I just wanted to ask Sophie about a job.”

“I don’t give a fuck. Why are you living with my wife?”

Beast growled. Otts looked down at Beast and paused for a moment.

“Ex-wife.” Sophie sounded pissed.

“I’m not living with her. I have the apartment upstairs. I’ve never been to the house.”

“But you know she lives there.”

Had she told me that? “Maybe? It’s not like we’re hanging out. The team told me they’d found a place I could stay with my dog, so here I am.”

“What is your problem, Ollie?” Yeah, Sophie was pissed.

Otts turned to her. “The problem is that this is my player. And you’re my?—”

“Ex,” she interrupted. “Don’t call me your wife like you’re pissing on your possessions. We aren’t together.”

“But you and him?—”

A sound like a growl came from Sophie, and my eyebrows lifted. Would not have expected that. Beast growled in support and Otts shot him an angry look again.

“This was my dad’s idea, so if you want to get pissed at someone? Call him.”

Otts shook his head. “How did Ryder even get involved?”

“He knows your team’s owner, and somehow found out they needed a place for Remy to live with his dog.”

As if on cue, Beast started barking.

He turned back to her. “You didn’t tell me.”

She held up a hand. “First, it just happened. We haven’t talked till now.

And secondly, it’s not important. One of your players is renting the apartment above my workshop because he has a dog that needs space.

I know what the schedule of a hockey player is like.

He’s going to be traveling and working out and practicing. I’ll barely see him.”

But right now, with training camp, I was around a lot.

And Ollie still wasn’t convinced. “But considering everything…”

I was tired of being referred to like a problem. He’d been professional enough at training camp, and I was hoping he’d finally get over his problem with me. Our rivalry was a long time in the past. “What do you think I’m going to do to her anyway?”

I might not be the best goalie the NHL had ever seen, but I wasn’t one of those players. The fuckboys, the entitled ones, with too many stories about them crossing the line even though nothing was made public.

He glared at me, grinding his teeth for a moment. “I don’t know, but you’re a player and single, and we’ve been competitors for a long time. So I can make some guesses.”

My jaw dropped and my anger grew. He’d been out of the game for seven years. We hadn’t been competitors for a long time. “What the actual fuck? You think I’m gonna what, seduce her? Because she’s your ex?”

Sophie was kind and sweet. She wasn’t conventionally pretty, her features too strong for that, but I liked her face.

It was distinctive. Noticeable. But just because I found her attractive didn’t mean I was going to make her uncomfortable.

This was a new city and I appreciated any friendly overtures I got, but I wouldn’t make assumptions about more.

“If I was wondering why we weren’t together anymore, you’re sure nailing the reasons home.” Sophie sounded really pissed.

I flicked a glance at her. Arms crossed, eyes slitted, possibly steam coming out of her ears.

Otts held up his hands. “Sorry, Soph, I didn’t mean anything.

But this guy has never married, and never had a long-term relationship.

So he’s either gay and hiding it, or a fuckboy.

” Had he been keeping tabs on me, or just checked me out in detail when I was signed?

And how did he get away with grouping players like that?

I knew a lot of guys who were neither of those things.

We had out players on our team, damn it.

“If he’s gay, you have nothing to worry about. And really, those are the only options? Gay or promiscuous?”

Exactly. “I’m not gay. And I’m not a fuckboy.”

Otts didn’t back down. “Then why haven’t you had a serious relationship?”

“I’ve had relationships.” Not recently, but I’d dated. Thought I’d been in love a couple of times. No one had ever found me worth staying for, but that wasn’t his business.

“Longer than a few months?” He had checked me out thoroughly. What the actual hell?

Otts was stubborn, but Sophie was too. “How many long-term relationships did you have while you were playing, Oliver ?”

Using his full name seemed to let him know how angry she was. I’d like to call him Oliver in that tone of voice as well.

He glanced between us. “I was focused while I was playing.”

And I wasn’t?

“And that was years ago. As we get older, we’re supposed to mature.” He was such a smug prick. He’d retired from playing, not suddenly become a fount of wisdom.

“You have no idea what happened in my relationships. Where do you get off deciding I’m immature because I didn’t get married?”

“Then why didn’t you? Why don’t you commit?”

It was none of his fucking business why nothing had lasted for me.

Why the women I’d dated didn’t stay. Reasons like the success he had but I didn’t.

I was so angry, words choked up in my throat.

I didn’t owe him those secrets, those things that had eaten away my confidence till it wasn’t worth investing any longer in a relationship that wouldn’t last.

Sophie wasn’t choked up like I was. “Yes, Oliver , maybe we should all share now. Remy will spill his guts about his love life after you share yours. Want to tell him why your one long-term relationship ended?”

Otts’s face went white. Like he’d seen a ghost. “Sophie, you wouldn’t?—”

She glared, hard enough to drill holes through him. “I’m not saying anything. But if you want Remy to tell all his secrets, maybe you should share yours.”

I had no idea what the secret was, but it was something big. He wasn’t going to ask me to explain now.

“Okay, I was out of line. But I’m worried.”

“What exactly are you worried about, Oliver?” She was still pissed, and I was grateful she was on my side.

“The two of you are almost living together.”

What was he on? I’d been closer to people in high-rises than I was to her. This property was huge.

Sophie’s hands were on her hips. “So what? We’re divorced. I won’t be cheating on you, because I can’t. But I am allowed to move on.”

“I know, but?—”

“But you want to decide who I can or cannot move on with?”

He ran his hands over his face. “That sounds bad.”

“Because it is. Are you going to let me monitor your dating and sex life?”

Now his face was turning red. “That’s not. I mean…”

Sophie leaned forward. “I don’t want to fight.

But Oliver , if you’re upset your player is living above the workshop, you need to vent that on Dad and Cash and your team, not us.

And keep whatever is going on with you and Remy between the two of you.

Now, I have work to do. Did you need me for something, Remy? ”

Otts’s face grew red again. He crossed his arms, determined not to leave me alone with Sophie. I was pissed too, but he was my coach. In my head though, I totally called him Oliver, in the same tone of voice as Sophie.

“Hanny—Larry Han, one of the team forwards—has a guitar. It needs some work done so he sent it with me. He wanted a quote on what it would take to fix it.”

Sophie turned to Otts. She smiled, but I took a step back. “Should I ask your permission to look at this guitar since the owner of it is on your hockey team?” The sarcasm almost pooled on the floor.

“Obviously you’re not going to listen to me anyway, so I won’t bother answering.”

Beast barked again, which gave me a good reason to get out of there. Sophie seemed perfectly capable of handling Otts. Beast had turned his attention away from Oliver and was staring at a tree. Pretty sure his bladder was full. “Beast and I will go. Is the cat around?”

Sophie shook her head. “Goober is in the house, as far as I know.”

I nodded. “Good.” I wasn’t sure what all was going on here, but Otts was not happy. I wouldn’t be surprised if he spoke to the team and they found me another place to live. That was probably for the best. I was in enough trouble with my coach. More than I’d realized. And damn it, I wanted to play.

It was too bad, because I’d already started to like this place. And Sophie…yeah, avoiding her was probably best.

Beast dragged me to a tree and lifted his leg. Then he insisted on sniffing every bush in the immediate area. I wanted to get up to the apartment before Otts came out and decided to talk down to me some more.

It wasn’t Otts who stormed out the door though, but Sophie. She was furious. She caught sight of Beast and me, heading for the stairs.

“Have you got that guitar?”

I nodded. “In the back seat.”

“Then let’s go.” I stared at her. “I’ll look at it somewhere else. I’m not going to be able to use the shop for a while.”

I took a step toward her, wary of the fury in her eyes. She made that growly noise again.

“Keys?”

Playing it safe, I threw them to her. She grabbed them in the air and stomped to the driver’s side. Beast pulled me to the truck—he was a fan of car rides and could see something good within reach.

Sophie turned on the engine and slammed the door. Otts stormed out of the workshop.

“Sophie, come back here!”

Then he turned to me, and as Beast tugged me to the truck I decided Sophie’s idea of running was a good one. Otts had no business sticking his nose in my personal life, but that wasn’t stopping him.

I opened the door, threw Beast inside, and barely managed to get in and close it again before Sophie had the truck in gear and heading for the gates. I quickly pulled on the seat belt. I wasn’t sure where we were going, but I was along for the ride.