Page 15

Pregnant and suddenly destitute

Sophie

Ollie’s car was gone when Remy parked in front of the carriage house after we left Diane’s.

I went in to close up everything while Remy took Beast and went upstairs.

Ollie sent a text, trying to apologize without actually admitting he’d crossed a line, but I didn’t budge.

Cash would be getting an earful as soon as Ollie could get him on the phone.

I walked up to the house, where Goober escaped as soon as I opened the door.

She looked to be heading straight for the carriage house.

Just another problem, and tonight I had no shits left to give. I made a quick meal and watched some mindless TV before going to bed.

Cash called in the morning. “Ollie’s got his panties in a twist,” my brother said as soon as I answered the phone.

“He called you already?”

“He got a hold of Dad, who passed it on to me. I had no idea he’d be that pissed that his nemesis is living with his ex.”

I rubbed my fingers over my forehead. This was going to give me a headache. “He was at the shop yesterday when Remy got back. Acted like I was some Victorian virgin and Remy was going to ruin my reputation, destroying all my chances at a good marriage or some other stupid shit.”

“Yeah, that’s what he tried to tell me. I told him I didn’t manage my sister’s sex life, so it wasn’t my business.”

At least Cash wasn’t encouraging the crazy. “I’m sure he liked that.”

“No, but he didn’t have a good reason to argue with me about it.”

“Can you believe he tried to make Remy admit he was either gay or a fuckboy because he was single?”

Cash choked on a laugh. “Really?”

“Oh yeah, it was something else. Maybe I should have mentioned you’re the same age, so you must be one of the two.”

“I’ll admit I’m a fuckboy.”

“I’ll sic Ollie on your next victim.”

“I wouldn’t say victim. But I don’t need him getting involved. I was glad you two got along after the divorce since it made things easier for me, but seriously, maybe you need more space.”

“I’m trying to work out if it’s the idea of me with anyone, or with another hockey player, or just this hockey player that has him so wound up?”

I heard Cash settling in. “Good question. You haven’t gone out much since you two split up, have you?”

“No.” I didn’t plan to tell my brother about my feelings of insecurity when it came to dating as a thirty-plus woman, or my fears that I just didn’t have the capability for the kind of passion that was supposed to be part of falling in love and living happily ever after.

“And him?”

“No idea. I didn’t think it was my business.”

“Losing his career—that was hard on Ollie.”

“I know.” I’d been married to the guy, so if anyone was familiar with how he’d coped with that, it was me.

Cash kept talking though. “So probably seeing you with another hockey player, one still playing, that would bother him. And we all know he has a thing about this particular one. You sure you want to be with him?”

“Cash! Ollie didn’t find us in the middle of banging on my workbench.

I’m not ‘with’ anyone. I’ve only talked to Remy a couple of times.

Ollie jumped to this conclusion where Remy was going to seduce and abandon me, probably while I was pregnant and suddenly destitute, from nothing .

The guy simply stopped in the doorway of the shop because one of his teammates wants his guitar fixed. ”

“Oh, my mistake. You’re right. Ollie has definitely gone off script on that one. There’s nothing there, right? He didn’t pick up on something between the two of you that got his jealousy going?”

“Are you blaming me ?” Seriously, now I was pissed at both Cash and Ollie.

“No! You’re perfectly entitled to have a torrid affair with this guy if you want. I’m just asking…do you like him?”

What a ridiculous question. “I don’t know him.”

“Do you find him attractive?”

I didn’t need to answer this, but Cash was my brother and he didn’t often ask about my life.

“He’s…” What was he? Tall, broad-shouldered, and fit.

He’d shaved off his Mountain Man beard, and yeah, he wasn’t hard on the eyes.

Green eyes, slightly too long hair, firm jaw.

Not as conventionally attractive as Ollie, but still, appealing.

“He’s what? Sounds like maybe you are attracted.”

“He’s not as good-looking as Ollie, but he’s nice.

Totally different person. He’s got this horrid dog he rescued.

The thing looks like a hairy rat and does nothing but growl.

But he’s making a lot of effort for the thing.

So that tells me he’s kind, and not enough people are kind.

He hasn’t thrown around any I’m a hockey player attitude. He seems like a decent guy.”

Cash hmm’d. “Does he like you?”

I snorted. “First meeting, he thought I’d hurt his dog.

Then he asked for my supervisor, because he assumed I worked for you and was supposed to take care of the creature and I wasn’t helping him.

Now his coach is pissed at him because we’re living within a couple hundred feet of each other.

I’m pretty sure I’m just a problem for him. ”

I had taken care of Beast for him though. He probably was grateful for that, at least until Ollie blew up at him.

There’d been something about his response to Ollie digging at him for not having a relationship that made me sure there was a story there.

I’d brought up the fact that Ollie also had something hidden to protect Remy.

So I did like him. But no, he wasn’t falling for me because I’d babysat his dog and stopped Ollie from being too much of an asshole.

“Just as well. Sounds like Ollie would make his life hell.”

“He probably already is.”

“Wouldn’t want to be in his skates. So other than Ollie’s behavior, how are things going?”

For a moment I considered asking Cash about Diane’s offer. Cash went to Conrad for his instruments and repairs, but he knew who Diane was. It would be nice to bounce the idea off of someone I knew and trusted, who knew something about the business.

But I held back. He’d tell me I was being too risky and warn me about all the potential problems. Cash had never asked me to do any guitar work for him, so he didn’t actually know what I could do.

He never stopped at the shop when he was home.

Ollie, who knew nothing about guitars, had been more encouraging than Cash or my dad.

Anger I wasn’t familiar with nudged at my skull.

Ollie had leapt to conclusions about Remy, and that had been all on Ollie. Maybe Cash was just as bad, only not about whether I was hooking up with a guy I’d just met a couple of days ago, but about my abilities.

When Cash started to talk about how things were going in Toronto, I mm-hmmed at the appropriate places, but the anger lingered. I didn’t mention String Theory. I’d make that decision without his input.

Remy

I was nervous before the next practice, not sure what Otts might do after that confrontation at Sophie’s shop. I was on time, but I didn’t get on the ice until most of the team was already there. I did the usual stretching and drills with the other goalies, but Otts ignored me as much as possible.

Should I try to talk to him? Would he get over it with time? If not, I’d need to find another place to live, as much as I didn’t want to. I’d better try to discuss it, so one way or another I wouldn’t have to keep stressing about it.

After the team was dismissed, I waited to speak to him. He was talking with Laplante while I hung back. Would he mention yesterday? Tell me the team was moving me, or buying out my contract? Trading me?

Laplante finally left.

“Coach Trent?”

Otts’s jaw clenched, then he nodded. “You have a question?”

“I feel like after yesterday?—”

Otts held up his hands. “I’ve been told by Sophie and her father and brother that I was out of line.”

“I had no idea, when the team gave me a place to stay, that these were people you knew.”

“I overreacted. It was a shock, but I’m a reasonable person. Where did you two go, by the way?”

He was using a power play, trying to pressure me into answering, but there wasn’t a good reason to avoid the question. “She drove us to String Theory. She and Diane looked at Hanny’s guitar while I walked the dog, then we came back. I dropped her off and that was it.”

“You two aren’t…”

In theory, it was none of his damned business. But there was no reason to antagonize my coach when the answer he wanted was the truth. “If it wasn’t for the dog and cat, we’d hardly say a word to each other. But she’s been nice about Beast and I appreciate that.”

“Thanks for telling me. Sophie wouldn’t answer my calls or return my messages. I was worried.”

That he was worried about his ex was nice. That he was worried about what had happened to her with me was not so nice. But I just nodded.

“How are you getting along with Laplante?”

There were so many bodies on the ice or on the bench while the coaching staff was still making decisions about who would stay that there hadn’t been a chance to do much with him outside of our interactions at practice.

Once they started cutting people, I might be able to talk to the guy. “It’s only been a couple of days.”

“It’s a lot of pressure on a young man. Make sure he knows he can talk to you.”

Right. It was that easy. Again, I nodded and headed for the gate to get off the ice. Otts and I would never be close, but it seemed we weren’t getting along any worse, at any rate.

After, in the locker room, Hanny came over. “Things okay with you and Otts?”

The other goalies must be showering or cooling down, because no one was in the immediate area. “He found out where I was staying yesterday, and it was a surprise. No, more of a shock. He wasn’t happy.”

“You gotta move?”

I shrugged. “Sophie told him off, and apparently everyone else did too, so maybe not. We’ll see.”

“I know you two used to be pretty competitive?—”

“A long time ago.”

“But I don’t get why he isn’t over it yet.”

“It’s a mystery to me too.”

We headed out of the building. Hanny stopped at his car, key fob in his free hand. “What are you doing this aft, Remy?”

“Gotta pick up Beast. Then I’ve got groceries being delivered later this afternoon. I’ll unpack a bit, watch some video.”

Hanny shook his head. “Sounds exciting but I’ve got a better idea. You need to get to know the team. Including Laplante, which might help things with Otts. You can’t spend the whole season feeding your dog and watching game tape.”

I was pretty sure I could, but I appreciated Hanny looking out for me. I shrugged one shoulder. “You’re not appreciating the joy that is feeding Beast and watching tape. But yeah, you’re right.”

He snorted. “Why don’t I come over to your place and meet this luthier who’s got my guitar and is causing all this trouble. Then after your food arrives, we can go out with some of the guys.”

“You just want to see Sophie, don’t you?”

He grinned. “I’ll follow you.” He chirped the car and opened the door. I gave in and turned to my Ford pickup. I was reluctant to introduce Hanny to Sophie and I didn’t know why. But at least Hanny wasn’t going to ask her out, what with Otts being her ex, and for some reason that was reassuring.

I needed to focus on hockey, not Sophie.