A Perfect Trade (Harlequin Superromance) (3 page)

Harry chuckled, then sobered. “Enough dillydallying around the subject, missy. I want to know what Jenny Martin wants from her life.”

What did she want?

With her thirtieth birthday approaching, she’d been asking herself the same question. She’d been surprised to realize that over the past year she’d slept with very few men; none in the past nine months. The players coming into the league seemed too young and she couldn’t drum up any interest for those already in the show.

The lack of sex didn’t bother her; she’d never been that excited by it. Being a puck bunny had given her a sense of power and control—in a safe environment, among a fraternity she’d trusted—at a time when she’d had none. She didn’t need that anymore. Perhaps it was time to pass her figurative crown to someone younger.

But what would she do instead? There would be a void in her life, especially now Lizzie had pretty much left home. Then there was the tick of her biological clock.

She wasn’t going there. “I don’t know what I want.”

“Come on. There must be something.”

She should be annoyed by his persistence, forcing her to say aloud what she secretly nurtured in her heart, but she knew it was because he cared.

“Sure, I want love and a family. But marriage isn’t in the cards for me, so there’s no point thinking about it.”

“Why not?” He blew a raspberry at Jenny’s arched eyebrow. “The right guy won’t give a damn about your past.”

Harry had never judged her for being a puck bunny. Everyone had to take their own path, he’d said. As long as she wasn’t hurting anyone, especially herself, it was up to her what she did.

Not everyone had the same attitude. Naturally, with that thought, a certain green-eyed Ice Cat skated into her mind. Tru certainly wasn’t the right guy.

“Wherever this man is, I haven’t found him,” Jenny said lightly.

“So have the family without the man. You don’t need a husband to make a baby. Heck, you don’t even need a boyfriend. Just a sperm donor.”

She started as Harry zeroed in on the thoughts she’d dared to have herself. His words triggered the yearning she’d been trying to ignore.

A baby. Her baby. Someone who’d love her unconditionally.

“But the damage Douglas caused...” She paused as fury blazed in Harry’s pale blue eyes. “I was told the chances of me getting pregnant without intervention are nearly zero.”

“Then have IVF.”

She laughed. Harry had never met a problem he couldn’t solve. “I can’t afford it. Even with the generous salary you pay me, I need every penny to fund Lizzie.”

“What if I gave you the money?”

“You’ve already done too much. I can’t take anything more from you.”

He shrugged. “It’s money that won’t go to my kids. You’re welcome to it.”

“I appreciate the thought, but I couldn’t.”

“All right. How about a loan?”

She began to waver. “But I couldn’t begin to repay you until after Lizzie graduated.”

“I don’t need you to pay me back.” He held up his hands. “I know you’ll insist on it, but I don’t care as long as you take the money.”

Though Jenny wanted to grab the offer—realizing it was an opportunity that might never come again—she was wary of leaping into anything rashly. “I’ll think about it.”

He leaned forward, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You’ve spent half your life looking after your sister. She’s happy, healthy, confident and doing what she wants. Now it’s your turn. You deserve a chance at your own dream coming true.”

Jenny swallowed the lump in her throat. “Thank you.”

Long after Harry had left, she sat in her rocking chair, mulling over what he’d said. Perhaps Harry was right. Perhaps this was her time. The mantle of fear that had weighed heavily on her shoulders for so long had finally lifted. Maybe it was a sign she should start a new phase of her life. One that was about what she wanted.

A baby.

Tentatively at first, then with growing enthusiasm, she thought about becoming a single parent. Then she grabbed her iPad and began to do some research. The more she read, the more the idea seemed possible.

It was past midnight before she put her pen down. It could work.

She sat back in the chair, rocking silently. Nestled alongside the happiness in her heart was a new emotion. One she hadn’t felt in far too long. Hope.

CHAPTER TWO

T
WO
MONTHS
LATER
.

“Damn, I wish we were still playing.”

Tru’s older brother, Ike, slammed his beer down on the table and glowered at the big screen, where New York had just scored against Washington, in Game 6 of the first round of the play-offs. “We won the season series against the Rangers and would be doing a better job of beating them than those jokers.”

“The last two games ‘those jokers’ played against us, they got a boat race—6–1 and 7–2.” Tru didn’t mention that Ike, the Cats’ goaltender, had been pulled for the backup in both games. “It wasn’t our year.”

Ever since their season had ended, he and his brother seemed to have talked about nothing else. They’d analyzed the situation to death; from the coaches to their teammates, crucial plays in crucial games, injuries, setbacks and what should have been done at the trade deadline to boost their faltering roster. None of which had helped ease the pain and frustration of being on summer vacation while other teams—including their rivals from across the Hudson—were still in the hunt for the Cup.

Ike swore. “You’re not going to spout that crap about ‘only one team can be champions’ and ‘there’s always next year.’”

“Get real. I’m as pissed off as you are, but I have bigger things to worry about. Like where the hell I’ll even be next year. According to the rumors, I’ll be traded at the draft.”

“You should stay off the fan boards and social media sites. Most of the junk they post isn’t worth the time it takes to read.”

At least his brother didn’t blow smoke up his ass. “I can’t avoid it, Ike. My name’s everywhere and everyone’s hammering me about my future. If we were in the play-offs, no one would question if I still have what it takes.”

“Anyone with a brain knows you do. For sure, the people that matter do.”

“I wish I had your confidence. The Cats haven’t even opened a dialogue with my agent, despite Andy pressing them hard.” Tru drained his beer. “They’ll talk to him about his other clients, like J.B. and Vlad, though.”

“Things are dicey in the front office right now. They’re probably stalling until our owners decide what they’re going to do about the Cats management. The Scartelli brothers have said publicly their team’s poor finish in the standings is unacceptable and they plan to put it right. Until it’s clear what’s happening to the coach, they won’t move on player deals.”

“If Max stays, he’ll be forced to shake things up, and a new coach always reworks the team his own way. Either way, it looks bad for me.”

From the TV, the horn sounded the end of the first period and coverage switched to commercials. The waitress brought their steaks and another round of beers. For several minutes, the brothers concentrated on their food.

Then Ike raised a hand in greeting to someone behind Tru.

A familiar tickle between his shoulder blades alerted Tru to who his brother was smiling at. Though he knew it was a mistake, Tru couldn’t resist turning around.

Jenny.

His heart jerked in his chest, as it always did when he saw her. As it had since the first time he saw her, back in first grade.

Her smile, bright for his brother, faded when she noticed Tru. Her expression became cool and distant before she turned away pointedly.

Tru’s gaze lingered, despite his best intentions. She must have come straight from work; she wore a blue suit that matched her eyes. The above-the-knee skirt and coordinating blue spiked heels showed off her long, shapely legs.

His stomach twisted when a man approached Jenny and hugged her, before pulling out a chair for her. There was something familiar about the guy. Tru’s tension eased when he realized it was her boss, Harry Sturridge. Though Tru was annoyed with himself for caring who Jenny ate dinner with, he couldn’t help being relieved it wasn’t a teammate. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with
that
tonight.

Sturridge said something to make Jenny laugh. The husky sound seemed to reach out and caress Tru through the bustle and noise of the restaurant.

Shifting to ease the sudden tightness in his groin, he forced himself to look away and focus on his meal, slicing into his rib eye.

Surprised when Ike didn’t make his usual crack about the antagonism between him and Jenny, Tru looked up. Ike was staring at the television, where, based on the logo on the screen behind the commentators, a studio panel was discussing the Ice Cats.

“What’s up, bro?”

“I’m not sure.” Ike pulled his cell out of his pocket, tapped the screen and frowned.

Tru knew instantly it wasn’t good news.

Ike didn’t keep him in suspense. “The Scartellis just fired Phillip Hannah. They’ll announce a new general manager in the next few days.”

Tru’s appetite vanished. That was a bigger organizational shake-up than anyone had anticipated. “Max’s days must be numbered, too. A new GM always wants to bring in his own coach. That means changes throughout the roster—maybe even a total rebuild—and the easiest guys to get rid of are the unrestricted free agents.”

Tru pushed back his chair angrily. “That puts my neck firmly on the block.”

“Cool your jets. The team needs experienced players, even in rebuild mode.”

“They
have
plenty of veterans—you, Jake, Scotty Matthews, Ralinkov, Juergen. Hell, even guys like J.B., Mad Dog and Blake have Cup experience. I’m expendable.”

Ike couldn’t deny that. “The Cats won’t let you go for nothing. They’ll want something in return. On the upside, lots of decent teams need a skilled defenseman.”

“Great. Except I don’t want to move. I don’t want to start over with a new team, in a new town, with a new freaking system. I wanted to spend the summer making sure I was 100 percent fit for next season, not looking for somewhere to live.”

“Talk to Andy. That’s why you pay your agent the big bucks. Find out what it would take for them to re-sign you.”

“Right.” Tru stood and tossed some bills on the table. “Catch you later, bro.”

“You’re leaving good rib eye?”

“Yeah. But you won’t let it go to waste.”

Tru wound his way between the tables, heading toward the door. What a great year; first his love life, then the season and now his career going down the toilet.

Almost too late, he realized he couldn’t avoid passing Jenny’s table. He tried not to catch her eye. Unfortunately, as he walked behind her boss’s chair, their gazes clashed.

His pulse jumped. Heat seared through him.

For an instant, Tru thought he saw an answering fire in her turquoise depths, but it was extinguished immediately and replaced with ice. She averted her eyes abruptly and smiled softly at her dinner companion.

The sting of the virtual slap was as sharp as if her palm had connected with his cheek.

Tru continued without breaking his stride. Her laugh scraped his raw nerves like a whetstone on a steel skate blade.

Jenny’s reaction toward him was the
one
thing he could rely on right now. Wasn’t that a sorry state of affairs? He pulled out his cell and called his agent, desperately hoping there was something Andy could do to keep him with the Cats. Unfortunately, Tru’s gut told him the chances of a miracle save had just skated out of town with his GM.

* * *

“Y
OU
HAVEN
’
T
LISTENED
to a word I’ve said, missy.”

Harry’s good-natured grumble made Jenny blink and turn her head from staring unseeing out of the car window. The bright morning sunshine reflected her giddy happiness.

“I’m sorry. I just can’t believe it. Everything’s happened so quickly. Last night, when we had dinner, I was plain old me.” She paused, then said softly, “Now I have a live embryo inside me. I’m sort of a mother-in-waiting.”

“You’ve never been a plain old anything. And you make a lovely mother-in-waiting. Do you feel any different?”

“It’s too early to have any symptoms.” Jenny giggled. “I won’t even know if the embryo implanted properly until I take the pregnancy test in two weeks.”

“I didn’t mean morning sickness. Do you feel any different in yourself?”

Jenny thought about it for a few moments. “Actually, I do. It’ll sound silly, but I feel almost serene.”

“My Alice felt the same each time she was pregnant. She’d laugh and say it was the only time in her life she’d ever be described as Madonna-like—the religious one, not the pop star.”

“That’s a perfect description. Though I wouldn’t mind a dash of the other Madonna, too.”

Harry laughed. “You could give the Material Girl a run for her money any day.”

“Thanks, but you’re a teensy bit biased.”

“Never. I’m a cynical, heartless bastard. Ask my kids.”

Jenny rolled her eyes. “They take your money.”

“Dollars spend easily, no matter who they come from.”

The lack of appreciation Harry’s children had for their father annoyed Jenny.

He had supported her through every step of the IVF process, with as much interest as if he were the grandfather-to-be. From helping her choose the sperm donor to taking her for ultrasounds. After yesterday’s egg-removal, he’d taken her to dinner, to distract her while she waited nervously to hear if her sole embryo was viable.

Naturally, this morning, Harry had accompanied her to the clinic for the implantation and would doubtless wait on tenterhooks to see if the procedure had been successful.

As if a cloud passed in front of the sun, her happiness dimmed a little. She knew the odds of success were lower than normal because she’d only been able to produce one embryo. Plus, her internal scarring might prevent her carrying a baby to term. “What if it fails?”

Harry frowned at the tremor in her voice. “Then you’ll try again. We discussed this.”

“But it’s so expensive. I can’t...”

“Don’t you dare say you can’t afford it. We have an agreement.”

“I know, but it’s a huge amount of money for one round of IVF, let alone three.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m a wealthy man. I still don’t understand why you won’t take the money in a lump sum, instead of separate payments for each attempt.”

“Because there would be too many zeros involved. I’m already worried it’ll take years to repay what you’ve lent me so far.”

“Lizzie’s education is your priority. Once she finishes college, we’ll talk again about a repayment schedule.” Harry patted his breast pocket. “Besides, I have your signed IOU tucked safely in here, in case you ever think of welching on the loan.”

Jenny smiled. She’d scrawled their money arrangement on a crumpled cocktail napkin, in pink Chanel lipstick, at dinner last night, when he’d tried once again to give her the money as a gift. “I promise not to leave the country.”

Harry chuckled. “Have you told Lizzie?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t told anyone.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to say anything until I know for sure the procedure’s worked.”

“Understandable. But this is a stressful time and you’re not giving anyone the chance to support you. I thought you might have told Maggie, at least. She’s your closest friend.”

Guilt twinged her stomach. Although Maggie had shared a lot about
her
past, Jenny had been reluctant to reciprocate. Jenny told herself it was for sound reasons, but she knew she wasn’t being fair to her friend.

“Maggie and Jake have been trying to get pregnant for the past year. I’m not sure how to tell her what I’m doing.” She sighed. “I’m scared of upsetting her.”

“Maybe, but she’d be there for you regardless. Having another woman to share this with, especially someone who’s also trying to get pregnant, might be helpful to you both.”

“I’ll think about it.”

As Harry pulled into the CVS parking lot, Jenny’s phone rang. She glanced at the caller display, pursing her lips as she declined the call.

“Damn lawyer won’t take no for an answer.”

“I thought you’d already told Connor Smith you wanted nothing to do with your uncle’s will.” Harry parked in an empty slot and turned off the ignition. “Why is he still hassling you?”

“He wants me to sign some documents to say I accept that the proceeds of his estate will go to charity and won’t make a future claim against the estate. I told him to mail the papers, but he’s insisting I go to his office.”

“Do you want me to set Barrett on him?”

Much as she’d love Harry’s high-priced barracuda to deal with the slippery lawyer, she didn’t want the fuss. “Not yet, but thanks.”

“Well, holler if you need him.” Harry unclipped his seat belt. “Now, have you got that list the IVF nurse gave you? I want to make sure I get the right prenatal vitamins, since the ones your doctor prescribed made you so sick.”

“I can get them.” She smiled. “I’m supposed to behave normally. Walking around a drugstore won’t do any harm.”

“But I can be in and out in ten minutes.” Harry’s jaw set. “Besides, I thought you didn’t want anyone to know about the procedure yet. Won’t people be curious if they see you looking at pregnancy vitamins?”

Harry had a point. She could avoid unnecessary gossip if he fetched the vitamins for her.

“We’ll go in together. You can get these.” She handed him the nurse’s note. “While I get some other things I need, like cotton balls and nail polish remover.”

“Okay. But the sooner you’re home with your feet up, the better I’ll feel.”

She patted his arm. “This is really all about your delicate feelings, isn’t it?”

Harry laughed. “Isn’t it always about me?”

The long line at the prescription counter made the drugstore more crowded than usual. As they walked past the small, seated waiting area, she heard someone calling her.

“Coo-ee, Jenny!”

Tru’s mother, Karina, waved her over.

Harry squeezed Jenny’s arm, then wandered off toward the vitamins aisle. He’d probably rub it in all the way home that they’d bumped into one of the last people Jenny would want to discuss a potential pregnancy with. Not because she didn’t like Karina—she was very fond of her—but because of the woman’s son.

Jenny glanced over at the counter. Her heart gave a little jolt as she saw Tru chatting with the pharmacist.