Page 24

Fourteen

The mood in the dressing room following the game that night was tense.

The Mayhem had dropped another one. The fans weren’t shy about letting the players know how they felt.

A chorus of boos rained down when the team exited the ice.

Alek slumped down on the bench at his stall, not even bothering to remove the thick pads shielding his legs.

Coach stood with his hands on his hips staring his players down. “You guys have somewhere else to be tonight? Because it felt like you were phoning it in out there.”

When no one bothered to answer, he swore savagely.

“In the six weeks since preseason,” he continued.

“We’ve gone from a well-oiled machine to a team that looks like a bunch of pee wees starring in a Disney film.

” He looked directly at Alek. “I’ve given you guys the space to work things out on your own.

But if this keeps up, we’ll be making some changes. No one is safe.”

With that threat hanging in the air, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the dressing room.

His job was on the line as much as any of the players.

Except tonight’s debacle rested squarely at the tip of Alek’s skates.

He’d let five biscuits slide past the pipes.

He couldn’t even blame Merriweather. For once, the guy was where he was supposed to be whenever he was on the ice.

Alek opened his mouth to offer up some sort of apology, but Picard quickly shot him down.

“Nope.” He pointed his stick at Alek. “Don’t even start.

The second we admit to having a weak link, this whole team falls apart.

And you’re not a weak link. You’re in a slump.

” He looked around the room, meeting the eyes of every teammate.

“We all have ’em. But the one thing about the Mayhem is we don’t let it tear us apart.

The rest of us need to step up and put the puck in the net.

We didn’t execute tonight. Me included.” He heaved a sigh.

“I’ll go out there and take the heat from the media.

No sense letting them in here to pepper us with redundant questions.

” He moved toward the door. “In return for my taking one for the team, everyone better come to morning skate prepared for an extra hour of drills.”

He directed that last part at Merriweather. The defensemen nodded without comment, surprising Alek and probably everyone else in the room.

“Okay, then,” Picard said. “After all that extra work tomorrow, we’ll reward ourselves with a nice team building exercise—dinner at my place. Be prepared to have some very grateful ladies afterward because I’m sparing no expense.”

“Yeah, I’ll be coming solo,” Merriweather announced.

“What? Your wife doesn’t want a free dinner?” Picard asked.

“She doesn’t like leaving the kids.” Merriweather yanked his sweater off his head and headed toward the showers.

Picard shook his head in disgust before heading out to handle the media.

“Something is off there,” Gus muttered.

The rest of the team undressed in relative silence. No doubt eager to put this night behind them.

“Yeah, well, he’s not the only one with something off,” Alek replied.

“Captain’s right. This isn’t all on you.” Valentine sat down on the bench next to Alek. “My wrist cooled off a few weeks ago. Picard hasn’t exactly been in sync either. The first line is letting the team down.”

Gus snorted. “Speak for yourself, Twos,” he said, referring to Valentine’s jersey number of twenty-two. “I’m leading the division in points.”

Valentine bent at the waist in a mock bow. “And we thank God for your talented lumber every night.” He chuckled. “Oh, wait. Maybe that’s only your wife who does.”

Gus tossed one of his gloves at him.

Alek sighed. “I don’t know. It used to be easier to focus on the game.”

“That was when you didn’t have a life,” Gus said. “Now you’ve got an insta-family and everything that comes with that messing with your mojo. It’s bound to affect your game. Hell, I don’t have to be a psychic to know opening a restaurant is screwing with Picard’s.”

“Wow. I hadn’t put two and two together there,” Valentine said.

Neither had Alek. It still didn’t alleviate the guilt he felt at letting his teammates down. “You’ve got a family,” he said to Gus. “How come it doesn’t affect your play?”

“Years of practice,” Gus said with a wink. “Give it time.”

Time was one thing Alek was running out of. His father wouldn’t be around forever. And judging by the way Coach was looking at him tonight, Alek might not be either.

“What do you want me to do with these?” The equipment manager appeared in front of Alek holding a large, black trash bag jammed full of something.

“And these are?” Alek asked.

Valentine reached into the bag and pulled out a stuffed dog toy shaped like a slice of pizza. He squeezed it until it squeaked. “Aw, the fans brought stuffies for Hattie.”

“They tossed them all over the ice before the game. There’s at least four dozen.” The equipment manager looked aghast at Alek. “Is this gonna be a thing now?”

Alek shrugged. “At least the fans have someone they appreciate. But I don’t want those.

My place is already a freaking minefield of dog toys.

I can’t take two steps in my own house without tripping over one of her toys.

” Not that the dog showed any interest in them. She’d rather tear up Alek’s underwear.

“You want me to throw them away?” The equipment manager looked scandalized.

Shit.

If that got out, the talking heads would crucify him even more than they already were.

Seward leaned over the equipment manager’s shoulder and plucked a toy from the bag. “My pooch loves these Lambchop toys. She shreds them up faster than I can buy them.”

“Take it,” Alek told him. “Anyone else need a toy for their mutt?”

Several of the guys rooted through the toys, but they didn’t make a dent in the bag. He was stuck with them.

Twenty minutes later, he carried the trash bag full of dog toys through the mezzanine of the arena to meet up with his family.

His family.

Up until recently, it was a rare occasion when his parents waited for him after a game.

Once or twice during the season, his sister and her family might make the trip to a home game, giving him a reason to venture into the family room.

Tonight, though, his insta-family, as Gus called them, waited for him, along with his parents.

Finn rushed to him as soon as Alek entered the room. He was carrying an armful of dog toys of his own. “Check it out! Hattie has fans.”

“I’ll say she does.” Alek gestured to the trash bag.

“She’s going to think it’s Christmas,” Finn joked.

Alek waited for Sheridan to burst Finn’s bubble and tell him Hattie wasn’t keeping all the dog toys. She remained where she was, however, across the room, listening to an animated conversation between Claire and Freya, all the while watching him out of the corner of her eye.

“Actually, I was thinking we could donate these to a local dog shelter,” Alek told Finn.

“That’s dope! Hattie just tears the guts out of them anyway.”

Good to know the dog is consistent.

“I’ll reach out to one of the Growlers who works with the Humane Society. He can help us.”

“Really? Will I get to meet him?”

“I think that can be arranged.”

“Make sure you let someone in PR know when you’re doing that,” Lori said as she joined their conversation. “Maybe take Hattie along to donate them. It will make a compelling human-interest reel.”

She left the part about him needing some positive PR unsaid.

“I’m going to meet one of the Growlers,” Finn told Alek’s dad when they joined their group.

“Aren’t you a lucky guy?”

Alek turned at the sound of Marissa Lane’s voice.

He’d forgotten he’d even invited Finn’s teacher to tonight’s game.

And what the hell was he thinking having her at one his parents were attending?

The woman was bound to get the wrong idea, saying nothing of his mother.

He hadn’t even kissed Marissa yet. Up until a few hours ago, his plan was to remedy that tomorrow night, hoping it would lead to a whole lot more.

That was before Sheridan had come bursting into his room, her cheeks glowing with annoyance and her nipples fully alert. His ego appreciated the fact she’d immediately become flustered by his half-dressed appearance. So had the rest of his body.

And that was the problem. He couldn’t think of anything else but getting her naked. Not even when a six-ounce rubber disk was flying at his head at nearly one hundred miles an hour.

Gus was wrong. Finn and Hattie weren’t the distractions. It was the other member of his insta-family who owned that honor.

“Are those more dog toys?” his father asked.

“We’re going to donate them to a dog shelter,” Finn chimed in proudly.

“That’s an excellent idea.” His father took the trash bag from Alek. “Let’s add your toys Finn and then we can go put this in the car.”

“Yes, we need to head out. We’ve got an early start tomorrow,” his mum added.

“We are going to see some real wigwams at the Potawatomi museum,” Finn told his teacher. “Alek is going to take some pictures of me there so I can show the class.”

His mum placed her palm on Finn’s shoulder. “Alek isn’t coming with us, honey.”

Finn’s face fell.

“I wish I could, bud. But I have to be at practice,” he told Finn.

“Oh, yeah. Right.”

Gunner sidled up next to Finn.

“And then he’s got a date with Miss La-ane ,” Gunner announced in a sing-song voice.

Finn looked at Marissa before shifting his gaze back to Alek. The expression on his face was subdued. Sheridan appeared behind Finn almost immediately, as if the boy had unconsciously summoned her. She wore a wide smile.

“Are we ready to go?” The perky tone she spoke with was like fingers on a chalkboard.

“Yeah,” Finn murmured as he bolted in the direction of the exit.

“Good to see you,” Sheridan said to Marissa before racing after her nephew.

Alek’s dad cleared his throat. “I’ll go put this bag in the car.”

His mum extended her hand to Marissa. “It was so lovely chatting with you. Thank you for what you do for the children. I hope to see you again soon.” She rose to her toes and kissed Alek on the cheek. “See you at home later.”

Marissa watched them go. “Um, I need to get going, too. I have some papers to grade.”

Ask her out for a drink , Valentine mimed behind her.

Alek ignored his teammate. “I get that. It’s a busy weekend. I’ll pick you up at five thirty tomorrow?”

She nodded. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Asshole that he was, he let her slip out the door without even the courtesy of a chaste kiss on the cheek like the one his mother had just given him.

Alek arrived home a little after nine the following evening. As promised, Picard’s dinner was top-notch. He had to hand it to his teammate, the ambiance of the restaurant was among the best he’d ever eaten in.

Too bad he didn’t enjoy a single minute of it.

“Where is everyone?” he asked when he entered his great room to find only his mother wrapped up in a blanket, reading a book. Alek was surprised at the FOMO he felt when they’d left on their road trip early this morning. He was looking forward to Finn’s retelling of the day.

“Well, hello to you, too,” she said. “We didn’t expect you home so early.”

Alek shed his suit jacket. “We have a game tomorrow. Picard made sure dinner didn’t stretch too long.”

“Ah.” His mother fingered the corner of her paperback. “And Marissa has an early morning tomorrow, I assume.”

He knew what his mother was driving at, but he didn’t want to go there with her.

Marissa had more than held her own with the WAGs tonight, wearing a stunning little black dress that did wonders for her generous curves.

It didn’t escape his notice that all the guys had eyed her at one point or another.

Alek seemed to be the only male who was ambivalent to her.

And that not only pissed him off, but it confused the hell out of him.

The dress had “do me” written all over it. Marissa had also dropped several hints that she’d finished grading her papers last night so that this evening, she’d be free. All evening. Too bad the only action Alek had been capable of was a good night kiss that wouldn’t win him any style points.

“Yep.” He didn’t elaborate further, instead crouching in front of the fireplace to stoke the fire burning there. “You never answered my question. Where is everyone?”

His mother’s sigh filled the room. “Your father took Hattie for a walk.”

“What?” Alek got to his feet. “Should he be out walking alone? At night?”

“You are being absurd. Your father is perfectly capable of doing normal everyday things. When that changes, I will let you know.” Her tone left no room for argument.

He thrust his fingers through his hair. “Sorry. It’s easier on you because you see him every day. You go with him to see the doctors. I don’t.”

She put her book down on the ottoman, then wrapped her blanket more snuggly around herself. “I get that. Something tells me there is more than your father’s illness making you so edgy, though.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, my life has been turned upside down.”

“Having second thoughts?”

“No,” he answered without hesitation. “None. In fact, I want to hear about Finn’s day. He sounded really excited about the museum.”

“Mmm.”

His mother’s evasive response didn’t sit well.

“What? Did he not have fun?”

She sighed. “He looked like he was trying to, but he seemed a tad off all day.”

Alek moved toward the stairs.

“He’s asleep, Alek. Sheridan has gone to bed, also. Let them be.” She patted the sofa next to her.

He breathed a weary sigh, then he reluctantly did as she asked.

“Finn and Sheridan have suffered a significant loss. You need to allow them time to process. It may seem like they are on an emotional roller coaster some days. Give them grace.” She rubbed the back of his neck. “You need to give yourself some grace also.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Jamie and Madison meant something to you too, Alek. Could it be that you’re struggling to come to terms with their loss as well?”

He jumped up from the couch. “Fuck no. They were lost to me years ago. By their own choice, in case you’ve forgotten. I’m fine with their loss, Mum. Perfectly fine.” He picked up his suit coat. “It’s been a long day. I have practice first thing tomorrow. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Alek wasn’t so much of a dick that he didn’t peck his mother on the cheek before storming off. He was too put out by his mother’s comments to notice Sheridan standing in the shadows of the laundry room, however.