Page 24 of Hutch (Minnesota Raptors #2)

Daisy

He seemed nervous and it makes me nervous for him. I can’t even imagine what’s going through his head. He said he was terrified, but it has to be so much more than that.

I threatened everyone who made a single peep while they came upstairs to get their food that I’d never cook for them again.

Carson and Dylan were invited in to talk to the recruiter as well. Jenny is biting her nails right along with me. The rest of the girls are downstairs controlling the noise.

“What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall,” she whispers and stares down the hallway like she can magically make them appear. They’ve been in there for over an hour.

“What do you think they’re talking about?”

Jenny shrugs. “Could be anything since Dylan and Carson were asked to come talk as well.”

He could be giving them pointers on what they’re looking for if they’re really interested in joining the team.

Or how to get any team’s attention for that matter.

I don’t really care that much about all that.

I’m on pins and needles waiting to hear what he said to Hutch and Collin, the big lug.

I’ve gotten as used to him as I have Hutch.

He declared us besties and true to his word, he calls and checks on me as much as Hutch does.

I’m allowed to be excited for them. We’re friends.

“Why am I so nervous?”

“Because this is important.” Jenny starts to pace. “They don’t even want to sign Dylan and I’m still a mess.”

I remember how excited Joseph was when he was debating which college or university to attend.

He went around and around for weeks with his parents on where to go, who would give him the most playing time as a freshman, and who would help him get to the NFL the fastest. He even asked me my opinion at one point.

He was never afraid or nervous. He knew what he wanted, but he was unsure of how to get there with the easiest route.

And you know, I never felt nervous for him, not like I’m feeling right now. And Hutch actually got picked up by the team he wanted so there should be nothing to be nervous about. Yet I am. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s simply because he’s nervous and a little scared.

This is ridiculous. I huff and hot foot it to the kitchen to start cleaning up. College guys sure do make a mess. We should make them clean up, but I don’t want the noise they’d create to disturb the meeting going on in the office.

I start putting things in containers and Jenny joins me.

Like me, she needs something to do with her nervous energy.

We have the food put away and the kitchen completely cleaned by the time the office door opens and we hear voices coming down the hallway.

Looking at each other, we both let out a relieved sigh.

“Daisy, I wanted to thank you for a wonderful meal.” Mr. McClare comes over and shakes my hand. “We’ll be looking forward to seeing you at the arena during home games.”

Before I can say no, Hutch buts in. “Do you want anything to take home with you? I’m sure there’s food left.”

“No. I’m full. Two chicken burgers and those homemade fries were more than enough. I appreciate that you did what you could to make it all healthy. Got to keep these men on the proper diet. Especially since we’re thinking of changing the team diet.”

“Changing the diet?” Hutch and Collin look at each other, alarmed.

“Well, we’ve seen what a non-meat diet can do for teams. We’re considering trying it out. There will be a cheat day for our athletes, of course.”

“No meat?” Collin and Dylan both look horrified, while Hutch just appears resigned.

Mr. McClare laughs. “Don’t worry boys. Almost every single member of the team had the same reaction with the exception of Kramer. He’s a vegetarian.”

Jenny and I turn away to keep from laughing.

“Well, Hutch, Mendoza, we’ll set our first meeting up for next Friday.

That should give you both time to find an agent and a lawyer.

Your agent should be able to recommend a good lawyer if you don’t have one.

Dylan, Carson, keep working. We’re watching and if you put in the work, it’ll pay off.

Ladies.” He nods to us and takes his leave.

The boys all stand there, staring at each other.

Jenny gets impatient. “Well?”

Dylan shakes his head. “I don’t know. He seemed like he wanted us both, but…”

“But he needs to see something more,” Carson finishes. “Not sure what. I’ve been busting my ass out there every practice, every game, and in between.”

“Don’t try so hard.”

He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.

I shrug. “It worked for Hutch. When you get in your head, you stop loving what you’re doing and it shows in how you play.”

“She’s not wrong.” Hutch sighs. “It’s what I was doing. Once I stopped thinking about the pressure, it clicked and my speed came back. You’re over correcting what Coach wants you to work on and it shows in the few pucks that slip past you. It’s your only weakness and you’re over thinking it.”

Carson frowns, but nods slowly. “You might be right. I’ve spent every day for the last month trying to make myself perfect.”

“That’ll kill your career,” Hutch says. “It almost killed mine. Red over here changed all that for me by pointing out the simple truth I couldn’t see.”

Carson gives me a small smile, and I can see he’s thinking about what we all said. I hope he learns how to chill and just play to play.

“Is there food left?” Collin goes to the fridge looking for leftovers.

“I put you a plate in the microwave,” I tell him. “I know you’re probably still hungry.”

He smiles. “Good looking out for your bestie.”

Rolling my eyes, I glance over at Hutch, who’s still looking shellshocked. “You okay?”

He nods and without a word, takes my hand and pulls me out the back door to the deck. No one else is out here and he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

“I…I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t seem happy.”

“Good God, no, I’m extremely happy, I just…” He sits down in one of the Adirondack chairs. “It’s surreal.”

“I bet.” I lean against the railing next to him.

He pulls me down to sit in his lap and I go stiff, not expecting it. He doesn’t seem to even realize what he’s done. He’s simply staring out into the darkness and blinking.

“I’ve worked for as long as I can remember to get here. I thought I lost my chance when I turned down two offers in my sophomore year and an invite to the NHL draft. This year was my only chance left to get back the attention I had.”

“Why did you turn it all down before?”

“My mom wants me to graduate. It’s all she’s ever asked of me in return for her busting her ass to get me an education and making sure my hockey dreams come true. I turned down offers to make sure I could do that for her.”

“What about now? Do they want you to play now or do you wait for the new season?”

“No, they lost two players to injuries and they need me and Collin now. We’d be starting as soon as we sign our contracts.”

“That’s…how is that going to work with school?”

“Jay, Mr. McClare, said he’d help us work with the school so we could do remote learning and take our tests when we’re back in the city. I don’t think the dean will say no to having two Raptors’ players on the enrollment list. At least I hope he’ll agree. I’ll figure it out, though.”

“I don’t think your mom is going to tell you to turn this down and graduate.

She’ll be extremely happy for you. I have a feeling she’d be the first person in the dean’s office threatening him if he tried to block you from remote learning.

And if you have to graduate late, like during the summer or even next semester, I think she’d be fine with that too. ”

“Ya think?”

“I do. Your mom’s pretty great from everything you’ve told me.”

“She’s the best mom in the world.”

I wish I could say the same for mine.

He leans his head back and tucks me into his side. “I think I’ve gone numb.”

“Numb?”

“It’s like my emotions are so high right now, it’s hard to feel anything.”

That’s not the reaction I was expecting.

“This means I’m no longer a part of the school’s team.” He sits up, the reality finally hitting him. “Damn.”

“You can think about that tomorrow. Tonight, just bask in the knowledge that you did what you set out to do and that’s amazing.”

He sighs, but before he can say anything, my phone rings and I go completely still.

It’s a ringtone I haven’t heard in months.

One I never wanted to ever hear again. Slowly, I reach into my back pocket and pull out my phone.

His face is smiling at me and everything inside of me shrivels up and all my anxiety rushes back. My hands shake.

“What’s wrong?” Hutch is instantly alert.

“Why is he calling me?”

“Who?”

I turn the phone so he can see it.

“Why the fuck is he calling?” Hutch spits out.

I don’t answer and let it ring through to voicemail. The police told him to leave me alone. He shouldn’t be calling.

“Hey.” Hutch takes my face in his hands and turns it so I’m staring into concerned gray eyes. “Why do you look so terrified? I know it was a bad breakup, but the fear in every muscle of your body is telling me it was a lot worse than that.”

I shake my head. I don’t want to talk about this.

He leans in, until his forehead is pressed against mine. “You can trust me, Daisy.”

Oddly, I do. I’m not even sure how that happened. I put up a huge wall, but he squirmed his way over the top and got under my skin. Somehow.

“I don’t want to talk to him.”

“Then don’t. He can’t make you accept his calls.”

He’s right about that. There’s no one left he can threaten me with.

Nana’s gone and Robbie is a world away in the middle east. And he’s in Texas.

The draft isn’t until April so he can’t just leave school.

He has practice and games. He doesn’t know where I am either.

I told no one when I sold the house. I’m safe.

But I don’t feel safe. Not anymore.

That one phone call set me back months.

Hutch pulls me closer and I shiver. It’s colder than it was. Or maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m cold because the fear has taken over.

“You’re shaking,” he murmurs.

“Promise me something.”

“What?”

“Keep texting me, even if I don’t respond.”

“I’d already planned on it.”

Nodding, I lay my head against his chest. I’m not sure why I asked him to do that, but just knowing he’s going to do it, it makes me feel slightly better.

“Did you talk to you mom yet?”

“She doesn’t get off her shift at the store until later. I’m sure she’ll see my voicemail as soon as she looks at her phone.”

“You’re going to need to make those calls tomorrow.”

“Fuck.” A long sigh goes through him. “I need to do my research on these guys tonight too and the guys at the house are going to want to party.”

“Stay here.”

It’s his turn to go still. “What?”

“I mean, it’s quiet and I have an entire attic to myself. I’m sure we can find a blow up mattress around here somewhere.”

My ask has nothing to do with him needing quiet and everything to do with me not wanting to be alone tonight with that voicemail taunting me. I should delete it, but part of me wants to hear it.

“You sure, Red?” he asks, using the nickname he started, but Collin picked up.

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

“It’s your cheat day, yeah?”

“Yes.”

“I’m going to go bake a cake.” I stand and all but run inside, leaving him staring after me in confusion. He knows I’m scared, he just doesn’t know why.

To talk about it right now…I can’t. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to.

But what I can do is bake a cake. It’ll calm me down and he and Collin deserve a celebration cake at the very least. And it’s his cheat day.

I put Joseph’s voicemail out of my mind as best I can and start gathering ingredients.

Just breathe , I tell myself. Breathe and don’t think about him.