Page 8 of Hutch (Minnesota Raptors #2)

Daisy

I woke up feeling like crap. All the tell tell symptoms of a hellashish fall cold or maybe the flu bombarded me.

I’m not sure which it is because I have a runny nose, the sneezies, and body aches.

It could be either, really. All I want to do is sleep.

And wish my nana was still here to make me soup.

At least it’s quiet. Today is a double whammy for sports.

There’s a football game and a hockey game going on at basically the same time so the house is pretty much empty as far as the guys go.

Some of the other girls are around, but they haven’t even stuck their head up here so I count that as a plus.

They generally don’t bother me and we all seem happy with said arrangement.

Hutch has texted twice, but I ignored him.

I’m blaming all of this on him. If he hadn’t taken me ice skating last night, I’d probably be fine right now.

Yes, I’m from West Virginia. Yes, we have snow and ice and cold temperatures.

But an actual ice rink? That’s a whole other level of cold and I wasn’t really dressed for it either.

It took me forever to warm up last night.

Thank God my bathroom has an actual tub and I was able to soak for a while which helped more than anything else.

Maybe I should go out and try to find some Tylenol Cold and Flu, but I don’t feel like getting out of bed honestly. I’m miserable and if I get up to try to drive myself somewhere to find medicine, then I’m just going to feel worse.

“Daisy?” There’s a knock on my door and one of the girls pokes their head in. I think her name is Heather or maybe Christie? I can’t remember.

“Yeah?” I sneeze into the tissue I’m holding.

“Girl, you look rough. No wonder you haven’t even come out for food.”

“I feel worse than I look.”

“Hutch is here to see you. I told him I’d come up and let you know, but I can tell him to come back if you want. I know I wouldn’t want a guy seeing me look a hot mess.”

I don’t really care about that, but I don’t correct her.

“Why would I come back?” Hutch gently pushes Heather or maybe Christie out of the way and barrels into the room, looking all chipper until he gets a good look at me. “Shit, you okay?”

“Do I look okay?” I ask dryly.

“You look like you’re dying.”

“Pretty much.”

“You weren’t sick last night.”

“Hmm…let’s see. You dragged me onto an ice rink in jeans and t-shirt. I froze my ass off. Is it any wonder I woke up sick today?”

“I gave you my hoodie,” he says defensively.

“And your hoodie.” Which didn’t help at all.

“I brought you tickets to the game tonight, but I’m guessing that’s a hard no.”

“Even if I wanted to go, which I don’t, I couldn’t. I’d spend the entire time sneezing or coughing my head off.”

“We could get you some Sudafed or Tylenol Cold and Flu,” Heather AKA Christie offers. “It’s how I got through AJ’s games last year when I was sick.”

“I don’t want to put you out,” he frets. He looks so hopeful I almost say yes. “It’s just that scouts are coming tonight and you’re the reason I was able to get my speed back. I really wish you could be there.”

“You don’t need me to be there to keep your speed.” I sneeze and blow my nose. “You just need to stop worrying about all the pressure of it and have fun. Forget about the scouts and just skate.”

“Easier said than done.” Heather comes farther into the room.

“My boyfriend, AJ, was in Hutch’s position last year.

Fear and pressure can do a number on you.

He was picked up by a team, but it wasn’t any of his top picks all because his speed wasn’t where it should be.

Once the pressure of getting a contract was taken away, his speed came back, but it cost him. ”

Well hell.

“If you did something that clicked in his head and gave him back his speed, I get why he wants you there. Hockey players are a superstitious bunch.”

“We are even though we deny it,” Hutch agrees. “How is AJ doing in Florida?”

“His team went to hell and they’re scrambling to rebuild. Shaw was on his team, but he had a clause in his contract that let him request a trade and he got out before it imploded.”

I have no idea who they’re talking about.

“The Raptors are going to be in the stands tonight to watch our first game of the season. They’re looking at a couple of us.”

“That’d be awesome to land a contract with them. You live here don’t you?”

“Born and raised.” He flashes her a smile and it makes me a little uncomfortable. Queasy almost. Probably all the drainage that ended up in my stomach. Nothing to do with the fact he smiled at a very pretty girl. Besides, she has a boyfriend.

“Well, I’ll leave you two alone. If you decide you want to brave the cold, I’ll go get you some medicine from the store.”

“I don’t know…I don’t know anything about hockey.”

“Would you go sit with her, Christa?” Hutch asks. “That way you can explain what’s going on. We can pump Daisy full of meds and hot chocolate.”

I was close on her name at least.

“What if I don’t like hot chocolate?”

He frowns. “They serve hot apple cider and coffee along with sodas and beer.”

“I do like hot chocolate, but I don’t know if I’ll feel up to going.” A wave of coughing racks me and he looks alarmed.

“You need medicine whether you come to the game or not. I’ll be back.”

He takes off back downstairs and Christa stares after him. “That boy has it bad.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I noticed it at the pizza party when you moved in. He got you food before he fed himself. He’s never done that before. And I’m pretty sure he just ran out of the house to go find you medicine to make you feel better and not because he wants you at the game. AJ was like that with me.”

“He’s just being nice.”

“When a man feeds you before he sees to his own plate, it’s more than being nice. He likes you.”

“I’m not looking for a relationship.”

“I said the same thing two years ago when I met AJ. He sort of snuck up on me and before I realized it, I was all in.”

“The only thing I want to be all in on is graduating.”

“All I was interested in was the library and studying and then this six foot five hockey player ran me over at the quad. I ran from him and he chased me. Best thing to ever happen to me. If he hadn’t knocked me over, I’d probably still be holed up in the library ignoring everyone.”

“Sounds like a romance book.”

She laughs. “Sometimes I think it is and then I remember it’s real when he’s the last person I talk to at night.”

I sneeze loudly and she takes a step back. “No getting me sick. If I fall behind on homework, I can’t fly down to Florida for AJ’s first starting game.”

I arch a brow. The way she’s been talking about her boyfriend, I have a feeling she’d let every assignment catch on fire and not give two shits if she’s behind to be there for him.

“Alright, fine. So I’d go and then kill myself making it up when I got home. Who wants to be exhausted though?”

“Somehow I think you’d manage.”

“I actually like studying so yes, I would.”

I hate studying but I do it because it’s necessary.

“If you decide to go to the game, I’m happy to go and explain what’s going on.

I remember the first game I went to. I felt out of place among the puck bunnies and the few girlfriends who made me feel even more out of place.

At least if you go with me, you’ll have a friend there.

It wasn’t until I met Jenny that I felt like I belonged. ”

I get that. Jenny is really nice.

“Maybe if I feel better.”

“Let’s get some meds and maybe some soup in you. That will help.”

“Ugh…I’m not sure I can eat. I’ve been queasy since I woke up.”

“Have you eaten anything?”

“Not since about four yesterday.”

She nods. “That’s probably why. You need to eat.” She takes her phone and shoots off a text.

“What are you doing?”

“Texting Hutch to bring you back something to eat.”

“You don’t need to do that…”

She smiles, cutting off what I was about to say. “Let the man bring you food.”

“He already tells me I don’t eat enough as it is.”

“You don’t.”

“That’s not true.”

“I’ve barely seen you eat since you’ve been here. You’re never in the kitchen and there’s hardly anything in the fridge with your name on it.”

“I eat when I’m at school and I have a mini fridge up here.”

The look she gives me says she doesn’t believe a word of it.

“I get it. Money is sometimes tight for me too. You eat less and less just to survive. AJ hates that I won’t let him give me money, but I don’t want anyone saying I’m only in it for his money.

But if you don’t eat, then you’re going to wear yourself down until you get so exhausted, you can’t work.

Have you been able to find a job yet? Jenny said you were looking. ”

“Not unless I want to wait tables in establishments that are sketchy.”

“Let me check with Debbie. I think one of our servers quit a few days ago. She might have an opening.”

“Where do you work?”

“A pub about ten minutes from campus, The Den. It’s pretty busy, but we don’t get the business some of the other places do as most of the sports teams hang out elsewhere. I think our food is better, but what can you do? People go where they want.”

“That would actually be great.”

“I’ll ask when I go in for my next shift. Now, why don’t you go shower? I always feel better when I shower after sneezing my head off for hours.”

She waves and lets herself out.

Now this is luck. I’ve been looking weeks for a job.

I did start skipping meals to make sure I had enough for the rent through this semester just in case I couldn’t find anything.

Which was starting to look more and more likely until Christa came through with the win.

Well, with the way my luck has been going, the position might already be filled.

The place probably has hundreds of applications on file they can pull from.

Still, even a chance is better than nothing.

A shower does sound nice, but the energy to get up and actually do it? Not so much. Just the thought of trying to do it tires me out. I don’t want to.

My brother would tell me to man up and do it because it will make me feel better.

Christa is right about that. I wish Robbie was closer, but Robbie is a world away in Afgahnistan.

I’m terrified any day I’ll get a knock on my door and it’ll be some uniformed Naval officer standing there all stoic to tell me my brother died in the line of duty.

Nope, not today, Daisy . I’m not going down that rabbit hole of what ifs. Robert Earl is serving his country and doing what he loves. I just have to try and remember that. He’ll be fine.

Instead of focusing on that, I turn my thoughts to Hutch. Why is he so bent on me going to his stupid game anyway? I’m not the magical cure all for his speed. He just needs to not stress. Stress is a killer.

Could it be he really is superstitious? He agreed with Christa hockey players were, but he didn’t specifically say he was.

If I go, will it turn into me having to hot foot it to every single game?

As cold as it is in there, I’m not gonna do that.

Being exposed to it for less than an hour made me sick.

I can’t get that hopeful expression of his out of my head, though.

He has been very nice to me since I came here, even if I’ve only seen him a few times.

I can feel Nana giving me the stink eye from Heaven.

She’d tell me to man up and go brave the cold for someone who has gone out of their way for me.

He’s the reason I even have this room now.

Dammit, Nana.

I’m going to have to go to this stupid hockey game.

Throwing off the covers, I get up and grouch my way to the bathroom for a shower.

No one had better give me one foul look if I end up coughing my head off or sneezing until the sun don’t shine while I’m there.