Page 31 of Hutch (Minnesota Raptors #2)

It only takes me a minute to go into the bathroom and change into my night clothes.

I look like a hot mess. My eyes are wide and blown, my face is pale, and my red hair is as frizzy as if I’ve been out in the heat all day.

Good Lord, what does that man see in me?

He’s determined, but looking at my reflection, I’m as far from ‘hot’ as you can get. I look sad and pitiful.

Shaking my head, I pull my hair back into a loose ponytail and join Hutch on the bed. He hasn’t turned on the TV. He’s looking at his phone. Please don’t let him be stalking Joseph.

“What are you looking at?”

“One of the agent websites. He lists out a bunch of different athletes he represents, but I only see one hockey player. I’d rather have someone who deals with more hockey teams.”

“How many names do you have?”

“Three. Two men and a woman.”

“Check the woman’s website.”

“I’m already on this one. We’ll check her out in a minute.”

I snort. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those guys.”

He frowns and looks up from his phone. “What do you mean?”

“You’re leery of having a woman for a manager or agent or whatever.”

“No…”

I put a finger to his lips. “I get it. My friend Lucy is the top player in her division. She plays basketball better than some on the men’s team and they get all the deals and sponsorships. People overlook women in sports a lot of the time, especially sports like basketball and hockey.”

“I thought you didn’t know anything about hockey?”

“I might have looked up a few articles. That’s beside the point. What I’m saying I get that you’re leery because this is your career and you have to be wondering if she can do everything for you that a male agent could.”

He nods slowly. “I’m not the person to put a woman down or think she’s not as good as a guy, but the business sort of does that. A lot’s changed in the world of professional sports, but a lot has stayed the same too.”

“Well, there’s no harm in looking at her website is there?”

“No, I guess not.”

“What’s her name?”

“Gretchen Morris.”

I grab my laptop, boot it up and then search for her name. “She’s the owner of the Gretchen Agency.” I click the link to her website and a very professional page greets us with an image of a hockey player. “Looks like she specializes in hockey.”

“Can I?”

I hand the laptop over to Hutch and sit down next to him, leaning over so I can read what he’s looking at.

“Her list of clients is small,” he says, “but I recognize all of them.”

“Small can be good. Maybe she keeps it small so she can focus on the clients she has.”

“Most agents have at least three times more athletes than she does.” He worries his bottom lip. “But all of these guys have really good contracts.”

“Did you like the other two?”

“Not really.”

“Then give her a call. No harm in talking to her is there?”

“Now?”

“Why not?”

“It’s almost eleven. She’s probably in bed or something.”

“Your number is gonna come up as unknown. Leave her a message. She’ll call you in the morning.”

He sighs heavily. “Coach trusts her so I guess I can too. You’re right. No harm in talking to her and I don’t like the other two. The last one started at a new agency and the reviews on that agency are all bad. Not sure Coach knows about that.”

“Go on then, give her a call.”

He gives me a sheepish grin and dials not the number on the website, but the number his coach gave him. His eyes widen when she actually picks up the phone.

“Um…this is Jonathan Hutchinson. My coach gave me your number.” He’s silent for a minute. “My coach’s name is David Grimes.”

I didn’t really expect her to pick up the phone. He looks so startled it’s funny. He’s never out of sorts. Except for tonight. His dreams basically came true and he’s in shock. Then he had to deal with my baggage. He’s had a rough night.

“The Raptors want to sign me and my friend Collin Hernandez. He and I play on the same team and Mr. McClure came by after the game tonight. He wants us to come by their complex on Friday to start talking negotiations. Coach gave me your number and said to say he referred us.”

He’s nodding so I’m not sure what she’s saying.

“I can meet you at the airport tomorrow. Just text me the time of your flight. Thank you.”

He hangs up the phone and stares at me.

“She’s coming here?”

He nods. “She says she’ll cancel her meetings tomorrow to meet me and Collin both. She wants me to tell Coach she expects a home cooked meal for her troubles.”

“See? Everything works out. I think she’s going to be a great agent for you and Collin both. He needs the salary of a professional sports player to feed his bottomless pit of a stomach.”

“True.” He leans back and closes his eyes. “It’s been a hell of a day, huh?”

“For you and me both.”

He turns his head so he’s looking at me and opens his eyes. “No matter where I am, I’ll always come running if you need me.”

“You really mean that don’t you?”

He nods. “Always sweetheart.” He leans in and bumps his nose against mine. “You can do everything in your power to push me away, and I’ll still be here.”

“But why?”

“Because I feel you in my heart. I’ve never had that kind of feeling for anyone before and I know it’s important. You’re important. I’m not throwing that away just because you’re skittish. I don’t blame you and I’m patient. I can wait for you to trust me.”

“I do, though. I don’t know why, but I do.”

He doesn’t grin or make some cheeky comment. His expression turns serious.

“You do know why, you’re just not ready to admit it.”

Maybe he’s right.

His forehead presses against mine and all I can see are the clear gray of his eyes.

They look like storm clouds, but the good thing about storm clouds is eventually the storm clears and the sun breaks through.

I’ve seen that in him. He’s kind and gentle with me.

Cocky, but not arrogant. I’ve seen him angry, but he’s never turned that on me. He’s been angry for me.

Maybe I really am stupid for trying to push him away when he’s offering me something I’ve always wanted.

To have someone who really will put me first and not turn out to be a cheat and a woman beater.

I’ve not seen any of the red flags in him that I saw in Joseph.

I’m letting fear and insecurity hold me back and Nana would have a field day with that one.

She raised me to be a strong woman to take chances. She’d be so disappointed in me.

I need him to understand, to really understand why I pushed him away and why I come off cold. It’s not to hurt him or anyone else. It’s simply to protect myself. If he knows, maybe he’ll help me work through my fears.

“I was in the ICU for three weeks,” I whisper. “My jaw was broken and I couldn’t eat anything for weeks while it healed. I drank protein shakes through a straw.”

He rears back like I slapped him.

“He ruptured my spleen and damaged both my kidneys. I had three broken ribs, a broken leg, and a broken arm.”

“Daisy…”

I hold up a hand to stop him. “Let me get this out. I need to.”

He nods and his hands twitch like he wants to hold me, but he doesn’t move.

“I had a fractured skull and cranial bleeding.” I pull my hair back to show him the spot where they had to shave my head. “They went in here to repair the bleed. The effects of the concussion lasted for months. I still get a little dizzy sometimes.”

His fist clenches.

“The reason I’m telling you this is so that you’ll understand how hard this is for me.”

“I’m patient…”

I put a finger to his lips. “I know.” Taking a deep breath, I lean in until our foreheads are touching again. “You’re a good man, Jonathan. I ran from that because I don’t trust my own judgment.”

“You’re friends with Collin. I’d say you have pretty good judgment.”

“He didn’t really give me a choice.”

“You always have a choice with me.”

“I know. That’s why I want you to kiss me.”

“You don’t have to…”

“Again, I know that, but I want to. I was too scared earlier when he called and all those old feelings rushed up, but I’m hoping you can help me make new memories and give me good feelings to replace all those old fearful ones.”

He looks afraid to take me at my word. I can’t blame him. Not after all the time I spent pushing him away.

So I kiss him.

He goes sill as stone and I pull back. “This doesn’t work unless you kiss me back.”

“I don’t want you to feel like you have to do this.”

I smile. “It’s precisely because you make me feel like it’s okay not to rush things that I want to kiss you.”

“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first day I saw you there on the ground, with all your books and papers scattered everywhere. You didn’t know who I was and then when you figured it out, you didn’t care.”

“I’ve never cared about stuff like that. I just care about who you are in here.” I tap his chest. “I can see how good of a man you are and I want to get to know that man better.”

His hands come up and holds my face gently. He has calluses on his fingers from years spent working with his hands. They’re rough against my skin, but it’s the gentlest touch I’ve ever felt.

“If you want me to stop at any point you just say so.”

I nod, trusting that he’ll stop if it gets to be too much.

He leans in and nibbles at my lips, teasing them. I expected him to just kiss me, not this. It’s more of a gentle carress. He feathers small kisses over the bridge of my nose and kisses my forehead. His nose rubs against mine.

When his lips finally settle on mine, it’s not a demanding kiss. He keeps it soft as he explores my mouth. His tongue swipes against my lips and they open automatically for him. His tongue darts in, hesitant at first as he learns my taste. Thank God I brushed my teeth when I went to change.

He explores my mouth with a thoroughness that leaves me breathless.

This slow burn starts in my stomach and fans out.

It’s not instant flames like with Joe. This feels deeper, more intimate than anything I felt when Joseph kissed me.

The fire sweeping through me burns out the memory of Joseph, leaving only Hutch behind.

He sucks on my lower lip before letting his lips slide over mine again, teasing them with soft gentle brushes. It’s the softest kiss I’ve ever been given.

He pulls back, his nostrils flaring, and to my surprise, I’m gasping a little as well. My fingers trace my swollen lips and I let out a shaky breath.

“I think I pushed you enough for tonight, Red. I don’t want to scare you.”

“You didn’t scare me.”

“If you could see inside my head right now, you’d run.”

“Maybe, maybe not. I’m scared of how badly you can hurt me, but I’m tired of being a coward. I want to give this a shot.”

“You’re the farthest thing from a coward, Daisy. You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met. Now, come here and let’s watch a movie. Collin should be back soon anyway.”

He pulls me into his side and I lay my head against his chest as he turns on the TV. He chased the fear away with that kiss and for the moment, I’m content. Not sure how long it’ll last, but I’ll take it for tonight.

Settling down, I close my eyes and listen to the sound of his breathing as he absently strokes my back. It’s not long before sleep claims us both.