The Playmaker (Fire on Ice) (4 page)

I had no idea what to talk
about with Mr. Thompson. He was a college music professor. The only thing I knew about music was that I could listen to it on the radio. Mr. Thompson knew absolutely nothing about hockey, which was my life.

We both looked at each other. Mr. Thompson picked up the bottle of
Chardonnay. “Wine?”

I nodded and handed him my wine glass. He poured two e
xtremely generous glasses filled nearly to the
top and handed one of them back to me.

He gulped down a large sip and then said, “My daughter is too good for you.”

I looked him in the eye. “I know that, Sir.”

“When I imagined a son-in-law, you weren’t exactly the image that came to mind.”

I swallowed. “I know that I’ll never be good enough for Taylor but I want you to know that I love her with all my heart and that will never change.”

He nodded and took another gulp of his wine. “I don’t want your relationship to stop her from pursuing her goals.

“I know how important earning her Ph.D. is to her. I would never stand in her way.”

He nodded.

I breathed a small sigh of relief when Taylor returned with a tray of cheese, crackers, olives and peppers. She placed the tray between me and her dad. “Is everything okay in here?” She rested her hand on my shoulder and placed a soft kiss on the top of my head.

When I glanced at her dad, he was gulping his wine again. 

“Dad?” Taylor’s dad looked up at her. “You seem to be hitting the wine pretty hard.”

He nodded and pushed the glass away. “I’m fine.” He looked anything but.

We all turned to the entrance to dining room when we heard laughing and Taylor’s sister, Zelda, nearly fell into the room. She seemed either drunk or high, maybe both. Taylor and her sister were opposites in nearly every way. Zelda was tall and curvy; Taylor was short and petite. Taylor had long and naturally wavy brown hair; Zelda’s hair was short and the color changed every time I saw her. Today, Zelda’s hair was dyed black and spikey. Taylor was classy and refined; Zelda was bold and crude.   

A guy, who looked to be in his early twenties, followed Zelda into the room.

“This is my friend, Tater Tot Tim.” Zelda laughed. “This is everyone.”

“Tim Tater,” the guy said. He seemed perfectly straight unlike Zelda, who couldn’t stop giggling.

Tim Tater looked like he just stepped out of one of those Abercrombie & Fitch ads. I have never seen a guy more perfect in every way. It was like he was airbrushed in real life. Taylor told me her sister had a lot of male friends and that all of them were friends with benefits.

Mrs. Thompson rushed over to greet Tim and my jaw dropped when she embraced him in a big h
ug. I hadn’t even scored a handshake. “We’re so glad you could make it for dinner, Tim.”

“Good to see you again. Mrs. Thompson.” He looked over at Taylor’s dad, who rose from his seat. “Mr. Thompson.” Taylor’s dad gave him an enthusiastic handshake that ended in a partial half hug.

Dog shit. That’s exactly what I was to Mr. and Mrs. Thompson. They wanted preppy rich guys like Tim Tater for their daughters not guys like me.

Tim extended his hand to me. “You must be Taylor’s bo
yfriend.”

“Kian Kavanagh.”

Tim gave me another more careful look. “Kian Kavanagh? As in the new player for Seattle? The Playmaker?” By the time he got to the end of his sentence, I swear his voice rose to little girl level.

I nodded.

He seemed so excited, I wasn’t sure he realized that he hadn’t let go of my hand yet. “This is unbelievable! I’m having dinner with Kian Kavanagh.”

When I glanced over at Mr. Thompson, his eyebrows were raised so high they were nearly at his receding hair line. He glanced over at his wife and she looked equally surprised.

Tim finally released his grip and took the seat next to mine. Zelda stumbled and fell into the seat next to him and giggled. Tim turned to her. “Babe, why didn’t you tell me your sister was dating an NHL player?”

She shrugged. “Because I don’t care about hockey.”

He shook his head. “I can’t believe it. I’m eating dinner with Kian Kavanagh.”

“
I take it you’re a hockey fan?” It wasn’t really a question.

When Taylor returned she frowned at Tim and her sister. “You two need to move down. I’m sitting next to Kian.”

Tim reluctantly moved and took the seat across the table from me instead. Zelda jumped up and yelled, “Musical chairs.” Then she plopped down next to Tim on the opposite side of the table.

“Have you been drinking?” Taylor’s eyes narrowed as she studied her sister.

Zelda made a show of shaking her head. “I gave up drinking for Lent.”

“It’s Christmas. Lent is before Easter.”

Zelda laughed. “Then maybe I am just a little drunk.”

Tim was still grinning like a little kid who just got a shiny new bike for Christmas. “Why didn’t you tell me your boyfriend was Kian Kavanagh?”

“Do you two know each other?” Taylor asked even though she knew it was highly unlikely. How would I know a preppy rich guy like him?

“I know he’s one of the hottest new players in the NHL.”

Zelda threw her arm around Tim’s neck. “I didn’t know you were into hockey.”

“My parents are from Canada. There’s no way I couldn’t be into hockey. My family lives and breathes hockey.”

Tim jumped up from the table and removed a cell phone from his pocket. “I’ve got to get a photo with Kian. My parents will go nuts. They’ll be so jealous!” He handed the camera to Zelda. “Take a picture for me.”

Tim hurried over to my side of the table and I stood, so the two of us were next to each other. He put his arm around me like we were best friends and grinned.

“I have no idea how to work this thing,” Zelda said. “I don’t do phones.” She handed the smart phone to her dad. “You take it.”

Mr. Thompson rose and snapped a few photos of the two of us. “That should be sufficient,” he said as he handed the phone back to Tim.

“This is so awesome,” Tim exclaimed as he made his way back over to his seat.

“You’re cute when you get excited,” Zelda
teased Tim and he grabbed her hand.

“I had no idea we had a celebrity in the house,” Mrs. Thom
pson stated as she glanced at her husband.

Mr. Thompson looked at me
. “We don’t know that much about sports.”

Was that his
way of saying that maybe, just maybe, he underestimated me a bit? I knew he probably would never truly like me but at least he was beginning to respect me a little bit. Thank God for Tater Tot Tim.

Four

Taylor

Kian and I were starting to feel a little crowded at my parents
’ place so he invited me out to lunch at Jabberwocky’s, a pizza and games place, where he took me for our first official date and I kicked his butt at Skee Ball.

It was early and the restaurant wasn’t very crowded yet. Plus, it was Christmas, so I imagined most people were spending time with family. We, on the other hand, just wanted to get away from family for a while. 

Kian grabbed my hand and laced our fingers as we stepped closer to the hostess area. I liked the way his large hand enveloped mine. I felt secure and protected. Something I rarely felt unless I was with Kian. Most of the time I felt vulnerable and exposed like people could smell weakness in me when they approached. I didn’t feel that way before Austin and the sex tape scandal. But with time and distance, and Kian’s unwavering love, I was slowly starting to heal.

As soon as the young hostess laid eyes on Kian, she lit up like a Las Vegas hotel. “Kian Kavanagh!” She was practically screa
ming. I was very glad there were only a few groups of patrons in the dining area.

Kian pulled me closer but the hostess didn’t even seem to notice me. Her attention was firmly on Kian. “You’re my all-time favorite hockey player ever! Can I get a photo?”

Before Kian could even respond, the hostess whipped a camera from her pocket, stood next to my boyfriend, aimed the camera at their heads and snapped a shot. I noticed Kian had a fake smile planted on his face and he was trying hard to maintain his composure. He was squeezing my hand and the muscles in his arm had completely tensed. Kian had gotten a fair amount of attention when he was the star player of our local minor league hockey team but I imagined now that he played at the national level, the attention he received grew exponentially as well.

“Table for two,” Kian said calmly but the hostess didn’t seem to take the hint. She was looking at the photo she had just taken with Kian and grinning.

“This is fantastic! I can’t wait to show my girls this shot. I’m tweeting it right now.”

We both waited while the girl played around with her smart phone.

“What’s all the commotion?” I heard a familiar voice say. I immediately froze.

“What’s wrong?” Kian whispered.

Every muscle in my body tensed as a group of three large guys approached, obviously on their way out. I could feel myself squeezing Kian’s hand so tight, it was starting to stop the circulation in my arm.

It was the first time I had come face-to-face with Austin since the night he ruined my life. He hadn’t changed much in the three years since high school. His attention was so focused on Kian, he hadn’t even noticed me yet. Surely he would remember me. I’m not sure how he could forget. I never would.

“It’s Kian Kavanagh,” one of Austin’s friends said. We also went to high school together. I couldn’t remember his given name but all the guys called him Chili and it stuck. “He got picked up by Seattle.”

Austin and the other guy nodded. They were big guys, all three of them played hockey in high school, but Kian was a little taller and bulkier than they were. I knew he was also a lot toug
her. These guys were spoiled rich kids who felt entitled to everything and anything, including me and my body.

When Austin finally glanced in my direction, it took a m
oment for recognition to set in and then his jaw dropped. The other two guys must have noticed because when they looked at me, their eyes went wide.  

I could feel a wave of anxiety surge through my body like a tsunami. Luckily, Kian had keen observation skills and quick reflexes because he whipped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me tight before my knees gave out and I dropped to the floor.

In that split second, he seemed to immediately grasp why I was so upset. “Which one?” he whispered through clenched teeth.

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even speak. I was completely i
mmobilized with fear. I could feel myself start to shake and tears began to stream down my face.

“Which one?” Kian demanded.

“You can’t,” I barely managed to squeak out.

When I looked at Austin and his friends again, they were all gawking at me. It made me nauseated to think that Austin’s buddies had probably seen the sex tape.

A small grin started to form on Austin’s face. He was just as cocky and self-assured as he had always been. And why wouldn’t he be? He was the star athlete who fucked the prom queen and took her virginity for the entire world to see. That made him a stud and me a slut. It didn’t impact his life at all and it nearly ruined mine.

Kian dropped his arm from my shoulder and stepped in front of me, shielding me from the guys. I didn’t know how it was possible but he looked even taller and more massive standing up to those guys. “Do we need to take this outside?” Kian asked. His voice was so calm it scared me.

I started to pray that Austin wouldn’t open his mouth and say something stupid because I knew Kian was capable of doing serious damage, maybe even killing him. I could see it in his eyes. He would do anything to protect me.

Austin threw up his hands. “It’s cool,
Man. We were just leaving.”

“Good,” Kian replied. His jaw
was set so tight I could see the muscles in his neck bulging. 

As Austin turned to leave, he gave another glance in my d
irection and smirked. It was just enough to set Kian off. Right before he went for Austin, I grabbed Kian’s arm and stood between him and Austin.

My eyes blazed into Austin’s and I could feel a rage boiling up inside me that I had never felt before. “He’s not worth it. He’ll never be worth anything.”

The air between us was now thick with tension. I felt like one wrong move on anyone’s part and we would all erupt.

Austin looked like he wanted to respond but he swallowed his words. He shook his head instead. “Come on.” He waved his hand at his two friends. “Let’s get out of here.”

Once the three guys exited the restaurant, I breathed a small sigh of relief. My stomach was in knots and there was no way I was even going to be able to eat.

“Are you still hungry?” Kian asked. His features had co
mpletely softened, the anger completely drained away. When his eyes met mine, they held only love. 

I shook my head.

“Me, neither. Let’s get out of here.”

***

“Where are we going?” I asked as we drove on the main highway out of town.

“I want us to be alone for a little while. I need to hold you in my arms. I want you to feel safe again.”

He was right. Seeing Austin again brought up a lot of issues that I tried desperately to forget—how easily I was manipulated, taken advantage of and how badly I was hurt. But being with Kian reminded me how much I had already healed, mostly as a result of his unwavering love for me.

“We just need to make one stop before we get there.”

Kian stopped at a gas station convenience store. The gas station and its adjoining store were the only retail establishments we’d passed for miles.

When we entered the store, I noticed it sold quite a few more items than the typical convenience store, probably because it was the only store in the area. It was kind of like what people in the old days used to call a general store.

Kian filled his arms with crackers, cheese, cookies, pretzels, chips, a few energy bars, mixed nuts and some bottled water.

“Is this some kind of junk food picnic?” I asked.

He laughed. “I guess you could say that.”

He paid for the items and then we got back on the road. 

I was surprised when Kian pulled off the highway onto an old country road that led into a dense forest of pines. The street was well worn and the pavement was missing in a number of places. I had to admit, it made me a little nervous. What could possibly be back here?

“I’m officially intrigued,” I said. “It doesn’t look like anyone comes back here at all.”

“Which is exactly why we are. You need some quiet and I need to be with you and only you.”

After several miles we came to a clearing with five rustic ca
bins and a larger bungalow. We were lucky that the sun was shining and it had been unseasonably warm. When the sun went down, however, I had a feeling the cabins would be freezing cold.

“Are those cabins heated?” I wondered as we hopped out of the car.

Kian laughed. “If they aren’t, I am. I can keep you warm.”

I looked around as I took in a deep breath of the pines we were surrounded by. “How do you know about this place?”

“Runt told me about it. Three girls brought him out here once.” He shook his head. “Not a story you need to hear. Anyway, the place always stuck in my mind.”

As we walked over to the bungalow
, an old man emerged to greet us. He was short and bony but he looked even smaller because he was hunched over. His face was weatherworn and wrinkled, probably from years of hard work in the sun. 

“Need a cabin?” he asked. When he smiled, I noticed he had lost all but a few of his teeth.

“Just for the night,” Kian offered.

“Thirty dollars. I only take cash. I just stocked cabin three with some fresh fire wood. You’ll probably need it when the sun goes down.”

Kian removed money from his front pocket and handed the old man three tens.

“Don’t expect anyone else will be here, with it being the hol
idays and off season. We got most of our guests in the warmer months. But if you need anything, just knock on my door. I usually fall asleep by eight but if you really pound, you might be able to wake me.” The man gave a hearty laugh. “You kids enjoy yourselves.”

As the old man turned and lumbered back into his bungalow, Kian and I looked at each other.

“I guess that means it’s not locked?” I asked. “He didn’t give us a key.”

Kian shrugged. “One way to find out.”

I grabbed our bag of gas station munchies out of the rental car and locked it although I’m not sure why. I think the old man was right when he said we’d be alone out here.

The cabin was definitely rustic. I wasn’t surprised he didn’t keep it locked, there was really nothing worth stealing. The furnishings—an old bed, couch, rocking chair and a few tables—were dilapidated and dusty.

“I’d better phone my mom and dad and tell them not to worry. Should I tell them we won’t be back until morning? I don’t have a change of clothing or a toothbrush or anything.”

“Tell them I’ll have you back by morning. You can go for one night without brushing your teeth.”

I phoned mom and dad and left a message then I quickly turned off my phone so we wouldn’t be disturbed. I was sure they’d want a long explanation about why we weren’t coming back for the evening and I wasn’t in the mood to give them one. They could wait until we got back.

Kian was putting wood and kindling in the fireplace. “Starting it so early? It’s not that cold yet.”

He gave me one of his sexy grins. “It will be when we’re naked.”

“Okay, then, carry on.”

I had to admit the warmth of the fire did feel good against the chill I still seemed to be feeling
from the events of the day. After Austin left town for college, I didn’t think much about seeing him again. And after going so long not seeing him, I guess I wasn’t emotionally prepared for the day it would inevitably happen. His parents still lived in town. Of course he would come home for the Christmas holiday. The town wasn’t that big. I was bound to run into him someday. Part of me was glad it was a day Kian was with me. Another part of me wished Kian would have never seen him. It probably made the ordeal even more real for Kian. He told me he had never seen the video. He had read some news reports about it but he’d known about it mainly from my retelling of the events.

Kian stretched out on the lumpy bed and invited me to join him. The bed had just two flat pillows in flowered cases and was covered with a threadbare comforter.

As soon as I made my way over to Kian, he pulled me close. “I’m sorry you had to see that asshole again.”

“It’s not your fault. I guess he was home for Christmas.”

“I wanted to kill him. I wanted to hurt him as badly as he hurt you. I wanted to make him suffer for hurting you.”

“I know how you feel—”

Kian shook his head. “No, you don’t. You have no idea how I feel. It’s my job to protect you. When that prick looked at you and smirked, I wanted to punch the smirk right off of his dirty face. I don’t want that asshole anywhere near you ever again. I don’t want him looking at you or talking to you.”

I placed my hands on Kian’s face. His cheeks were hot with anger. I wanted him to calm down. “He’s not going to hurt me again. He can’t. I won’t let him. I know you feel the need to protect me. I want you to protect me. I feel safe when I’m with you and it’s one of the few places I feel completely safe. I don’t want you to stop being who you are. But I also don’t want you to be my avenger. There’s a difference between protection and revenge.”

“It’s really hard to look at him standing there, looking at you with that smirk on his face, knowing what he did to you.”