On Thin Ice (The Baltimore Banners Book 8) (6 page)

Chapter Seven

Lauren ended the call and stared at the phone, icy anger chilling her. Not just anger. Disbelief. Betrayal. A sense of violation that made her heart pound so heavy she was surprised it didn't burst free from her chest.

And over all of that was the sharp, biting urge to hit something. To beat her fists against something over and over until she collapsed, drained of all energy. Void off all emotion until the angry tears threatening to form in her eyes withered and died.

"What's wrong?"

She looked up as Rick walked into her office, frowned when he took a sudden step back, like everything she was thinking and feeling showed on her face and he was afraid she was going to lash out at him. She took a deep breath, searching for calm, then shook her head and dropped the cell phone to her desk. It landed on a stack of files with a muted thump, the sound barely audible over the anger roaring in her ears.

"I won an autographed picture in the auction the other night."

"Okay." Rick took two hesitant steps into her office, his brows lowered in confusion. "And you're angry about that because—?"

"They also thanked me again for my winning bid on the bowling night during the live auction and to confirm the details for it." She forced the next words through her clenched teeth. "It's tomorrow night."

"And you're angry because they're just now letting you know?" Rick's gaze dropped to her clenched fists and she quickly lowered them to her lap where he couldn't see them. She dug her nails into her jeans and took another deep breath then looked up at him.

"I never bid on the bowling night. Or anything else during the live auction."

He moved over to the desk and rested his hip against it, the confusion and worry leaving his face. "Maybe they made some kind of mistake."

"No mistake. I had them confirm the credit card number. It was mine."

"Well did you tell them it was a mistake? I'm sure it was just a mix-up of some kind."

Lauren narrowed her eyes and gave him a quick shake of her head. "No mistake, Rick. Lindsay used my card."

"Lindsay—" Rick's mouth snapped closed as he stopped himself from saying whatever he'd been ready to say. Lauren wondered why, because it certainly couldn't be worse than anything she'd already thought. "And she was stupid enough to give them your phone number?"

"No, she must have given them the home phone number, thinking I wouldn't be there when they called since I'm not home during business hours. I guess it was a good thing I started transferring the home calls to my cell on Tuesday."

Rick watched her, his green eyes studying, searching. She heard his unasked question, knew he wanted to ask why she had started transferring the calls.

And if he did ask, would she tell him it had been nothing more than morbid curiosity? Would she admit to doing it out of an unusual act of spite? Because Lindsay had bragged about leaving Casino Night with Kenny Haskell. Because she had bragged about how little sleep she had gotten that night, bragged about how much fun they had. And she had said it all with a gloating smirk on her face, like she somehow thought Lauren would be upset to hear it. And then she complained about not having a cell phone anymore because Lauren cancelled it, and how she hoped Kenny wouldn't call the house when Lauren was home because she didn't want Lauren to become embarrassed by their graphic conversations.

Because Lauren was an uptight prudish freak who didn't know how to have fun and wouldn't be able to understand. So yeah, maybe there had been some spite involved when Lauren quietly entered the code to have any incoming calls transferred to her cell. She didn't know what she would say when he called, had no idea what she would tell him.

But the only call that came was the one she'd just received, finalizing the details for the bowling outing.

Lauren dug her nails deeper into the soft denim of her jeans, knowing that she'd end up leaving marks on her legs if she wasn't careful. She had so many questions and no idea where to start in even asking them. How had Lindsay gotten her card? Well, that one was easy enough to answer. She'd obviously taken it from her desk without Lauren knowing about it. Which meant she had to call the credit card company and have them cancel the card, issue her a new one.

"I'm almost afraid to ask but—how much was it?"

Lauren laughed, the sound just a little shrill to her own ears. She looked up at Rick, her lips pursed before she exhaled a loud rush of air. "Six thousand, eight hundred and fifty dollars."

"Six thousand and—?"

"Eight hundred and fifty dollars." That was another thing Lauren would have to do: dip into her savings account to pay it off. She didn't carry a balance, barely even used the cards unless she absolutely had to.

"Holy shit, Lauren. You did tell them it was a mistake, right? You're not actually going to pay for it."

"I think I have to."

"No, you don't. Call them back. Now. Tell them what happened. They can't hold you responsible."

"Maybe not. But what happens then? My name gets out and I'm suddenly known as the woman who backs out of charitable donations? I don't need that." Is that what would happen? Lauren had no idea. But the hockey world was small, at least her little corner of it. That wasn't a chance she could take, whether it was a realistic worry or not.

And maybe, just maybe, a small part of her wanted to go tomorrow night—just to see Lindsay squirm when she realized her deception had backfired. Had her sister honestly thought she could get away with it? Knowing Lindsay, she probably hadn't even thought about it, hadn't cared about any repercussions.

Lindsay probably thought she was still getting away with it. And wouldn't she be surprised to find out she hadn't? Because Lauren had every intention of letting her know she hadn't—after tomorrow night, of course. There was no way in hell Lindsay would be participating in the bowling night, even if her new boyfriend was going to be one of the players there.

"I think you're being a bit extreme, don't you?"

Lauren frowned, wondering how Rick had been able to read her thoughts. Then she realized he was still talking about getting her money back. She shook her head. "Maybe, maybe not. But I'm not going to push."

"So what are you going to do? You're not actually going to let your sister go to this thing, are you?"

"Not a chance in hell." She grabbed her phone and unlocked the screen, pausing to watch Rick. "Can you and Cindy get a babysitter for tomorrow night?"

"Why?"

"Because the party is for the bidder and three friends. I think you and Cindy should join me. It might be fun."

"For that kind of money, it better be more than just fun. Who's going to be the fourth?"

"I'm going to call Dale, make him join us."

"Are you going to tell him what happened?"

"Yeah. Maybe."

"You know what he's going to tell you, right? That you're insane, that you need to kick Lindsay out, once and for all."

"Yeah, I know." And he would. Lindsay was Dale's sister, too, but he'd lost all patience and sympathy for her when she disappeared after her last tantrum. Part of her couldn't blame him, not when she saw how much Lindsay's actions had hurt their mom. But Lindsay was still her baby sister and Lauren hadn't been able to completely turn her back on her. Dale made it clear that he didn't understand why, and that it was only a matter of time before Lindsay hurt someone else in the family.

Yeah, he was going to have a field day with this news.

She looked back at Rick, her brows raised in question. "So do you want to go or not?"

"I think you're crazy but yeah, we'll go. Cindy and I are due for a night out anyway."

"Then it's your big break, because the party includes beer and pizza."

"For that kind of money, it better include white-gloved waiters serving it on gold plates."

"I wouldn't count on it." Lauren tapped the phone screen, calling up the list of her contacts and hitting her brother's name, wondering if she could get away with inviting him without explaining why.

Probably not, but it was worth a shot.

Chapter Eight

The bowling alley was surprisingly quiet, considering this was supposed to be a party. Yes, music played in the background, upbeat Top 40 songs, loud enough to enjoy but not so loud that the person next to you had to shout to be heard. Heavy balls bounced along the two lanes, followed by the sound of pins crashing against each other.

But there was no accompanying sound of cheers or groans. No laughter or lighthearted conversation or good-natured teasing. The only real conversation Kenny heard was coming from behind him, from the handful of staff that had accompanied the players to the alley.

The alley was closed tonight for the private party, to avoid a rush of fans or those who were just curious. As far as Kenny was concerned, they should have left it open. Maybe then it wouldn't be so quiet and uncomfortable.

He glanced over his shoulder, watching the staff standing in an awkward group. Most of them were from the team's PR and marketing office, including a photographer, along with two representatives from the team's charitable foundations office. One or two other people he'd never seen before. He had no idea what they did or why they were here.

He didn't know why any of them were here because this certainly wasn't his idea of fun.

He turned back around on the hard plastic bench and reached for the plastic cup of beer. He took a long swallow, his gaze studying the foursome across from him over the rim of the cup.

For the amount of money that went into winning tonight's little gathering, you'd think that the group across from his would at least pretend to have fun.

Maybe that wasn't exactly a fair statement to make. The one couple, he forgot their names already, seemed to be enjoying themselves at least a little. But they were keeping to themselves, not really talking to any of the players, which Kenny thought was a little weird. Isn't that what tonight was supposed to be about? Bowling and pizza and beer with four of the Banners. A night to spend with the players, having fun and relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

Other than the quick introductions made by the woman from the charities office, there hadn't been much mingling. And even though the two teams were supposed to be playing against each other, there wasn't even a sense of competition. They may as well be playing by themselves.

Which made Kenny wonder why Lauren even bid on the party.

Good question, especially since he knew she wasn't the one who bid on it. She left before the bidding started, just walked away when her sister came over and pushed her way between them when they were at the craps table. He tried calling her name but she kept walking. Then her sister had grabbed his arm, holding him in place. Thank God he'd had to leave to take his place near the stage, because he wanted nothing to do with the sister.

And then she started bidding on the bowling party as soon he stepped on the stage with Harland, Brad, and Justin—although why Justin had agreed to be part of their team was beyond him, since he had just been cleared to play. Kenny held his breath during the crazy few minutes of bidding, praying someone would bid higher, that Lauren's sister wouldn't win.

And then she did. Kenny could barely even pretend to smile for the picture and damn near took off at a run as soon as he could get away. He'd looked for Lauren, hoping she was still around, but didn't find her. Then he'd left, trying to figure out a way to get out of tonight's event.

Relief had damn near collapsed his legs when he saw Lauren walk into the alley tonight—without her sister. His first thought was that she'd had her sister bid on the party for her. But then she had completely ignored him, except for one icy glare during the introductions. In fact, the guy she was with added his own glare, which Kenny didn't understand at all. And who was the guy? Friend? Boyfriend? Something else?

Kenny slid his gaze to Lauren and the guy with her. They were sitting close to one another but they weren't acting like they were together. The guy would occasionally lean close and say something in Lauren's ear, or listen to something Lauren had to say then shoot a withering glare in Kenny's direction.

And just what the hell was that supposed to be about?

"Haskell!"

Kenny jumped then looked over at Harland. "What?"

"Where is your head, man? It's your turn. Go." Harland motioned to the lane behind him then stepped around Kenny with a small huff of impatience. Kenny took another swallow of beer then sat the cup down, hoping this time he'd do better than knocking over three pins.

He made his way to the rack and blindly reached for a ball. His hand brushed against something warm and he stepped back, startled. Lauren was in the lane next to his, frowning at him as she reached for her own ball.

"Do you mind?"

"I—sorry." Kenny stepped back and waited for her to choose, mentally kicking himself for such a lame response. Sorry? He was sorry? No he wasn't. Confused, bewildered, and a little irked, yes. Sorry? Not in the least. So why the hell had he muttered the inane words?

He clenched his jaw and grabbed a ball, wishing he could just throw it at something instead of playing this stupid game. He looked over at Lauren and noticed she was still watching him, her brows lowered over her dark eyes.

"Ladies first."

She stretched her arm out to the side, pointing to the pins standing at the end of his lane. "Then by all means, go ahead."

A few laughs broke out behind them, followed by a couple of cheers and jeers.

"You tell him, Lauren!"

"Prove her wrong, Haskell."

Kenny frowned, giving the woman across from him his own glare, then stepped onto the lane. He raised the ball in front of him, steadying it with his other hand, tried to judge where to roll it, then took two steps and let it go.

He held his breath, watching it roll down the lane, mentally willing it to hit the center pin and knock everything over. The ball veered to the right and barely clipped the pin on the end before dropping out of sight.

Kenny bit back his curse and reached for another ball. His teammates cheered him on, telling him he could do it, telling him to show everyone what he had.

What he had was shit, because he hadn't been bowling in at least fifteen years.

He repeated the same steps as before and let the ball loose, putting more force into it than he had the first time. The ball flew down the center of the lane and Kenny held his breath. Sure enough, it veered once more, this time to the left and straight into the gutter without hitting a single pin.

"I am so impressed."

He didn't miss the sarcasm in her voice, or the little smirk that pulled at her lips. But at least she had spoken quietly, so that nobody else could hear her.

"Think you can do better?"

Her gaze finally met his, a flash of something sparking in the depths of her brown eyes. Challenge, or something else? Kenny crossed his arms and raised a single brown in her direction, like he was daring her.

Was he? Maybe. Or maybe he was just asking for trouble. But at least she was talking to him.

Sort of.

She narrowed her eyes then looked away, raising her own ball much like he had done a few minutes earlier. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, moved forward a few steps, and release the ball.

Cheers and applause erupted behind them when all the pins landed on their sides.

"Son of a bitch." Kenny shook his head, still not believing it. Beginner's luck, or something else? Not that it mattered, since she had just essentially kicked his ass.

The guy she had shown up with walked up to her and wrapped her in a big hug, swinging her around and planting a loud kiss on the top of her head before setting her on her feet. His arm draped around her shoulder, pulling her so tight against him that she almost stumbled. Kenny watched, his jaw clenching tighter with each passing second.

"Nice strike, Lauren. Way to show them who's boss."

"Oh God, get off me. You're creeping me out. Dork." She elbowed the guy in the side, a grimace on her face. But it wasn't a real grimace, more like a comical one, like they were sharing some funny inside secret.

So who the hell was this guy? Kenny studied him through half-closed lids. Sandy brown hair, cut above his collar, maybe a little shaggy on top. Brown eyes. Slightly crooked nose, like it had been broken once or twice. Kenny recognized the same little bump, the same not-quite-even line that he saw in the mirror every day. He was maybe an inch taller than Lauren, just over an inch shorter than Kenny. Obviously worked out, or had some kind of physical job.

Kenny quickly sized him up and wanted to dismiss him but he couldn't, not with the familiarity he shared with Lauren. He thought about coming right out and asking who he was, then immediately dismissed the idea. It struck him as too…desperate, maybe. It wasn't his business, not when he barely knew Lauren, not when they didn't even know each other. Yes, he had tried getting to know her last weekend at Casino Night, thought that maybe she had warmed up to him a little. He'd obviously thought wrong. And hell, it wasn't like he had time for a relationship anyway. He wasn't even looking for one, not when his game had to take top priority, not when—

"Haskell, what the hell are you doing? Come on, man, get out of my way." Justin nudged him to the side, shooting him a worried look.

"Sorry." Kenny stepped back to make room for him. "Should you even be playing? You just got cleared. I didn't think you'd want to take any chances."

"I'm fine. Besides, it was my left arm. I'm right-handed. If I can't throw a couple of bowling balls, I shouldn't be playing hockey."

Kenny grunted in response then moved back to the plastic bench, wondering how long this farce was going to continue. They were on the second frame of the first game. They were supposed to break for pizza after that, then play a second game.

Once again, he looked over at the foursome across from him, noticed the way they talked quietly among themselves. Well, three of them were, anyway. Lauren was just half-sitting, half-slouching, her fingers picking at the faded denim of her torn jeans. Her hair fell around her face in loose waves, the ends flipped up in a careless wind-blown style that looked like she had just stepped off the beach. There were even some paler streaks of gold shot-through the darker brown that enhanced the impression—which was completely ridiculous, considering it was cold enough to snow outside.

And she didn't look like she was enjoying herself. In fact, everything about her, from the thoughtful frown on her face to the way she kept picking at her jeans, sent out the clear message that she'd rather be anywhere except here.

He knew the feeling.

She looked up and their eyes met. A jolt of surprise shot through him and he almost looked away, afraid he'd been caught staring. And then she scowled at him, her brows lowering in a frown, her full lips pursing in distaste.

What the hell was her problem?

She looked away and said something to the guy she was with. Kenny gritted his teeth and reached for his beer, feigning interest in the half-hearted game. A sudden idea struck him. Half-baked and completely ludicrous, but an idea nonetheless. Kenny pulled the phone from his back pocket and tapped the screen, bringing it to life. He thumbed through his contacts, frowning as he scanned the names. It had to be there, he knew he saved it—

There it was. He tapped the name then brought up the messaging app, his thumb rapidly moving over the on-screen keyboard.

Did I do something to piss you off?

He hit send then looked up, watching Lauren. A few seconds passed before she frowned and reached behind her, pulling her own phone out. Her frown deepened and she quickly glanced at him before typing something. She shoved the phone back in her pocket and turned to the side, facing away from him.

His phone vibrated in his hand and he looked down to read the message.

Sry. Wrng nmbr

Kenny frowned, shot her another look, then typed.

Really?

He waited but she didn't bother to move. He typed in another message.

Hello?

Still nothing. So he hit resend, over and over. She finally grabbed her phone with a sigh even he could hear from where he was sitting. A few seconds went by before he felt the vibration in his hand. He looked down and almost smiled.

What are you, twelve?

Twenty-five if really want to know

I don't. Leave me alone

Kenny looked over at her and bit back another smile. She was gritting her teeth, a look of sheer exasperation on her face. But she didn't put her phone away, so he took that as a good sign.

So why are you mad at me?

She looked up him, impatience flashing in her eyes as she typed without really looking at the screen.

Leave me alone

No

Her lips moved, like she was talking to herself. Kenny didn't hear her but he'd swear she just cursed. He typed another message.
So who's the guy?

Okay, so maybe that one really did make him sound like he was twelve. He didn't care.

Wouldn't you like to know?

Kenny didn't bother hiding his grin. Apparently he wasn't the only one with a streak of immaturity.