Underneath It All (Storm Series) (11 page)

Men.
If she wasn’t so pleased that having a woman over was obviously not a frequent thing for Rob, she would’ve been ticked. Warmth spread throughout her body. He’d said she was special, but Alaina had kind of dismissed it as sweet talk. Now she wasn’t so sure.

Rob
took the stuff into the kitchen then returned. “You are too nice.” Grabbing Alaina, he twirled and dipped her before kissing her deeply while Sebastian made loud kissing noises and Sarah tried to shush him.

Alaina
thought Rob was going to let her up for air, but he pulled back only long enough to change the angle of his head, and finally, she pushed at him, chuckling when he reluctantly set her upright. Her face was flaming, yet Rob appeared perfectly comfortable. “I can’t believe you did that right in front of your friends.”

“What? They know I’m a stud.”

Both Sebastian and Sarah burst out laughing, and Rob picked up a throw cushion then lobbed the fluffy pillow at the two of them. Sebastian easily caught it, and he and Sarah held onto each other for support as they continued to laugh at Rob’s expense.

“The worst part?” Sebastian gasped out. “You were blocking the TV.”

“Oh whatever, man.” Sitting in his large recliner, he pulled Alaina down on top of him. “Did one of you guys put in the food order?”

Sarah spoke up
. “Should be here within a half hour.”

He turned Alaina’s chin
until she met his gaze. “We got Chinese. I hope that’s okay.”

“I love Chinese food. I’m really not too picky about what I eat. As long as tuna fish doesn’t enter into the equation.” She shuddered.

“What have you got against tuna fish?”

“
Tuna is gross,” Sarah said.

Alaina
faced Sarah, who held up a hand to high-five. “You don’t like the vile stuff either, I take it?”

“Ugh, hate
even the smell. I won’t let Sebastian have tuna in the house, and if he eats it somewhere else, I make him brush his teeth before he gets anywhere near me.”

Alaina elbowed Rob. “I like her.”

“Ow.” He rubbed his side then said, “Oh, hey, I forgot to ask if you wanted a drink.”

“You’re a terrible host, you know,” Sebastian
said.

Rob flipped him off as Alaina answered, “Don’t get up
, Rob. I’ll go root around for something.”

“Are you sure?”

She waved him off and went into the kitchen. He’d stocked some cola. Was that in deference to her? When they’d been out on their lunch date, Alaina had mentioned how she wasn’t a huge fan of coffee and drank cola in the afternoons to stay awake. Rob really was a thoughtful guy, as she doubted cola was a part of the Storm’s nutrition plan. The question of why a guy as great as Rob was single flitted through her mind, but she pushed the quandary to the back of her thoughts so she could focus on the here and now. The game was about to start.

It was fun to watch
the hockey game with Rob and his friends. The affection between the three of them was clear despite the almost constant bantering-slash-insult fest between Sebastian and Rob. When the game ended, Sarah and Sebastian took their leave and Alaina wasn’t sure what to do. She didn’t want to make Rob feel like he had to feed and entertain her all the time.

He
returned from seeing his friends off and said, “Don’t go anywhere. I want to talk to you about something. I’m gonna grab a drink first, though.” Rob disappeared into the kitchen then came back with a bottle of water. “You’re good?”

She motioned
to her own two-thirds-full bottle of water. She’d drunk one cola—her self-imposed limit per day—then switched to water. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Okay.
Seb’s right. I’m really a horrible host. I apologize about that.”

She waved off his concerns. “No biggie. What’s up?”

Sitting, he took a deep breath, and she frowned. Was this going to be bad news? Did he want to end their exclusivity arrangement already? They’d had a great afternoon. Why would he tell her something like that now?

Wow, paranoid much?

“I had an idea I wanted to run by you. I already talked to Sarah and Sebastian, and they thought it was worthwhile to pursue.”

“Color me intrigued.”
She wasn’t surprised that whatever this idea was, he’d gone to his friends first. They were obviously very close and Alaina was happy he had people around who supported him.

Rob paced, and Alaina
silently watched him wear a hole in the rug, knowing instinctively she needed to let him work out things in his head before speaking them aloud. He glanced over at her. “So you know how much I’ve wanted to help your school out…”

Nodding slowly, she answered, “Yes.
And you’ve already helped a ton.”

Rob went on
, “Well, I got to thinking. There are a lot of elementary schools in the city, right?”

“Yes. I’m not sure how many, but probably
a couple dozen, I would think.”

“And they’re all in the same boat as yours.”

“I would imagine so.” Where was he going with this?

“I had an idea to do something to get supplies for all of them, not just yours.”

Alaina’s eyebrows shot up. “How do you propose to do that?”

“I’m not entirely sure, to be honest.” He stopped
in front of her. “I was thinking of spearheading a one-time campaign, but Sarah, in her infinite wisdom,” Rob rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, “thinks a foundation would be more effective.”

Alaina
sat back, her body collapsing into the cushions behind her. “Seriously?” Her mind reeled. Could this really happen?

“Yeah. Some of the other guys have
set up charities for kids with cancer or other causes.”

“Who would run
this foundation? I mean, I assume you’re kind of busy with, you know, being a professional hockey player.” Did he have the commitment to see a project of this enormity through? As she regarded the steely resolve in his eyes, she believed he did. But so many questions remained.

“I’m not sure who would run it. I’d have to talk to a lawyer
first to figure out how to set the whole thing up. Ben, our captain, has had a charity since he was with New York. He does fundraising for new skating rinks in both urban and rural areas, places where ice time is at a premium because there aren’t enough public rinks in the area. I could talk to him. I think he hired somebody to handle the day-to-day operations. He’s got a huge family, and I think some cousin or other manages it.”

“A lawyer is p
robably a good place to start…” Her voice trailed off. If she was this overwhelmed, she could only imagine how Rob was feeling. “How long have you been thinking about this?”

“
Only for a couple of days. But Sarah and Sebastian will tell you, when I get something in my head I’m like a dog to a bone. I think I’ve already talked their ears off.”

She
’d wondered why he hadn’t spoken to her sooner, but he’d probably wanted to make the idea more concrete, and she couldn’t blame him for that. Plus, it was obvious he was close to Sebastian and Sarah, so it was natural he’d bring it up to them first. “I appreciate your enthusiasm. I don’t want you to take on too much, though.”

Finally he sat, leaning forward, his hands clasped in front of him. “This may not be something life-threatening like cancer, but I believe in
this cause. I really think, especially now that I know more about life in the elementary schools around here, that we could have a positive impact on the kids.”

“Oh, no doubt. These kids are behind their peers by the time
they get into secondary school, no matter how hard we as teachers work to prevent that. The gap only widens through the high school years. The city doesn’t have money for advanced classes, cool electives—the things students need to make decisions about their lives and be competitive in today’s world.” Alaina blushed, knowing she sounded like an education evangelist, but Rob nodded.

“See, that’s exactly what I mean.
You opened my eyes to that.” Running his hand through his short, dark brown hair, he said, “It’s not fair some kids have tons of advantages and others struggle.”

“I agree.”

“Oh, and I want to supplement the reading program you guys already have in place. I talked to Seb. We were thinking of buying a box or two in the Barn then rewarding kids who hit milestones with tickets to a game. What do you think?”

Alaina st
ared at him for several seconds before saying slowly, “Great. Wonderful. Unbelievable.” Those were about the only intelligent words she could force out of the mass of thoughts whirling inside her head.

“But?”

“But nothing. How could this not be a good thing? It’s just…a lot to take in.”

If he really does this…

“I know. And I’m sorry to drop all this on you at once. But I’m excited and I wanted you to be involved from the ground up. I, um, I thought maybe you could be an adviser or consultant or something. You know what these kids need better than anyone.”

“I’ll help you however I can.”
How could I not?

I
t meant they’d be working together potentially for a long time. Had he considered that? Alaina was excited by the prospect, but what if things didn’t work out?

Alaina smiled as she thought about what her mother would say right now
:
Don’t borrow trouble.

Rob grinned. “That’s all I’m asking.”

~ * ~

SIX

Rob never saw the guy coming. He was battling to clear the puck out of the corner in the defensive zone when a player drove him into the boards from behind. Pain lanced through him, and he crumpled to the ice, rolling from side to side, gripping his shoulder as, seemingly off in the distance, a fight erupted.

Sebastian’s angry snarl reached through the pain.
His best friend wouldn’t let a cheap shot like that stand, but Rob could barely breathe through the agony, much less decipher what was going on. He didn’t need to see a replay to know the hit had been illegal. The man had led with an elbow or shoulder to the middle of Rob’s back—right over the numbers—most likely skating into him, based on how quickly it had happened.

T
his situation was bad. That fact was about the only thing even remotely clear to Rob at the moment. There wasn’t a doubt in his agony-fogged brain that he was hurt, and this one was undoubtedly worse than any of his other shoulder injuries. Dislocated for sure, at the very least, and though the throbbing mass of hurt was excruciating, everything would still get worse when they popped the joint back in. The idea alone made him queasy and he swallowed back bile.

Colby
, the team’s trainer, was by his side in seconds. “Shoulder?”

“Pretty…sure…d
islocated,” Rob managed to get out around clenched teeth, his eyes squeezed shut as his brain worked to process the sheer magnitude of current events.

“Okay.” Colby was using his “calm the player down” voice a
s Rob tried not to puke.

He kicked out a leg to have
an outlet for the searing pain, not caring a razor-sharp blade resided at the end of that leg. A litany of swear words streamed from his mouth as he turned his face toward the ice and struggled to breathe. The referees’ whistles sounded, but Rob didn’t spare them a thought.

“We need to get you up, bud. Can you stand?”

Rob forced his eyes open. His teammate Alexei leaned over him with an expression that didn’t quite hide his worry. “Yeah.”

“I help you,” Alexei said, motioning like he was picking Rob up.

For a hockey player not to leave the ice under his own power usually took a severed limb. Rob figured this was close enough. His vision blurred as Alexei bent down on Rob’s good side and pulled him to his feet by sheer strength. Rob certainly wasn’t able to help as misery speared through his body once more.

“Lean on me.”
They began shuffling toward the door to the bench.

Colby trotted alongside them, but when Rob’s world started to fade to black,
he heard Colby command, his tone sharp, “Stay with me, Rob.”

Despite his best efforts, h
is head lolled and Alexei gripped him tighter. At the door, Jordan reached out and took some of Rob’s weight, grabbing hold of the pads at the top of his hockey pants. At least that way there was no pressure on his shoulder, though he felt a little like a rag doll being pushed here and there. Together the two of them—Alexei and Jordan—muscled their way behind the bench, where Rob was gently transferred to two assistant trainers for the walk down the tunnel to the training room.

Rob couldn’t remember ev
er feeling this level of abject torture, and when they’d lumbered partway down the hall, he swayed, nearly going to his knees, and threw up. Dry heaves shook him, sending more spirals of pain through his shoulder and down his arm. After an eternity, they arrived at the training room and the guys helped Rob sit on a treatment table, remaining close by, probably to help him remain upright after the little episode in the hallway. The team’s doctor had followed them in and began to direct the other staff.

Colby gave Rob
three ibuprofen then held a bottle of water to his lips. “I know you’re nauseous, but this will help with the swelling. We need that to go down before we can do much else.”

Rob choked down the pills.

Handing the bottle to one of his assistants, Colby looked at Rob, his expression serious. “You ready?”

“Hell no.”

The doctor spoke. “Rob, we need to put that shoulder back in as soon as possible, but we also have to proceed with caution. First we’ll do an X-ray, so we can see what we’re working with.”

The doctor directed one of the guys to put the portable machine into place
, and then all of them donned anti-radiation vests. As best they could, they draped Rob’s over his torso and his other arm. The men stepped away and Rob heard the whir of the X-ray machine. He did his best to grit his teeth and wait for the doctor to check over the X-ray.

When they were finally ready
to maneuver the joint back into place, the doctor injected some ketamine to numb the area. They helped Rob lie down, which would help the doctor as he manipulated the shoulder. One of the assistants placed a towel underneath the dislocated joint, and then the doctor slowly worked Rob’s arm, grasping at the wrist and elbow. Rob swore freely as more pain radiated from his injury, but the doctor doggedly continued.

Finally, the man said,
“There. The joint is back in place, but not at all stable. You’ll need to wear a sling home, and I’d advise you to go see an orthopedist at your earliest opportunity.”

Rob was
lethargic and dizzy. The pain had been reduced to something he could handle though. He’d be stacking pillows on his bed to avoid turning onto the injured shoulder, and yet the freaking thing would still hurt like a bitch all night and probably for several days more. “Why? Did you see something on the X-ray you didn’t tell me about?” Cold dread snaked up his spine.

“No, but considering your history
of injuries to both shoulders, the possibility of damage should be addressed. I never make guarantees, but I’d be willing to say with a good level of certainty the joint
will
pop out again without surgical intervention. You’re still young. Take care of this now, rather than waiting and hoping everything will heal on its own.” Rob began to speak but the doctor held up his hand and continued, “I can’t say anything for sure, which is why I want you to go see an ortho specialist. I wouldn’t be surprised if they decided to go ahead with surgery right away.”

Rob
groaned. Surgery meant months of rehab. It was only mid-November, and the season had a long way to go. He didn’t relish missing a big chunk of games. Even as he spoke, deep down he knew the answer to his question, but he had to ask. “Can I wait until the season is over?”

“You’d have to talk to the
specialist. The joint is unstable, and another good jolt could dislocate it again. And next time you might not be so lucky.”

“Lucky?”
Is this guy nuts?

“Yes, lucky. The shoulder is a crucial joint and
one you shouldn’t mess around with. Not dealing with the problem could mean the end of your NHL career.”

Nodding,
Rob stared at the ceiling, his eyes filling with tears. He had no choice, but the thought of missing months of playing was downright depressing, and he didn’t even know who’d hit him. Rob had enemies in the league because of his playing style, but he wasn’t a dirty player.

That hit had been illegal.
Rob was sure of that to the marrow of his bones, and he hoped the player at least got his comeuppance. There was no room for disrespect like that in the league. He couldn’t recall who’d been on the ice for the other team, but not many guys would blatantly headhunt like the man had.

The doctor patted his leg. “I’ll leave you alone now. You can sleep tonight and go to the doctor tomorrow. I’ve left some meds for you in case you get sore.”

Sore?
Rob snorted.
What a nice word for this excruciating pain.
“Thanks, doc.”

He looked down at himself
. He was still in full gear with the exception of his skates. Trying to recollect when they’d been removed, Rob frowned. He wasn’t surprised they’d taken them off considering how easily someone could be cut, but he didn’t like knowing he’d been so out of it he couldn’t remember a simple thing such as that. After helping him very gingerly divest himself of his uniform and pads, Colby packed his shoulder in ice.

Several moments later
, as he lay on the table in a thin Storm T-shirt and shorts, not even feeling the ice too much due to the ketamine, he suddenly remembered Alaina. He had no idea if she’d been watching, but undoubtedly if she had, she was freaking out. Worry about her reaction brought him out of his brooding over the injury and back to reality.

Calling out to one of the assistant trainers, Rob asked, “Can you get Sebastian for me?”
It was between periods and Sebastian should be around.

A few minu
tes later, his friend waddled into the room and Rob’s eyes narrowed. Sebastian’s cheek was beginning to puff up, the corner of his mouth was cut, and one eye was closing. “Geez. What does the other guy look like?”

Sebastian began to smile, but then reached up and touched his face. “
Ow. Don’t make me laugh. It hurts.”

“I bet my boo-boo hurts worse than yours.”

“The boo-boo can’t be that bad if you’re making jokes.”

“
I’m so hopped up on drugs I can hardly feel a thing.”

“They threw Kapilette out
of the game,” Sebastian said as he reached Rob’s side.

Rob frowned. “Kapilette
hit me?” That didn’t make sense. Kapilette was a good kid from everything Rob knew about him.

Sebastian nodded. “
I don’t think he was trying to hurt you. He probably went to check you and lost control.”

“Weird.”
With his good arm, he gestured toward Sebastian’s face. “So who did that to you?”

“Freaking Mansell. I went after Kapilette
, and the kid turtled.”

Rob’s lips twitched at Sebastian’s use of “kid
,” as if Sebastian was an old veteran. Sure, he had four or five years on the teenaged Kapilette, but still.

“Then Mansell came
over and sucker punched me. Ben took him out.”

“Took him out? Ben?”
Their esteemed captain was many things, but a fighter wasn’t one of them.

“Yeah. I was surprised too.
One punch and the guy was down. I bet Rick was proud.”

Rob wished he’d been there to see it; then he wouldn’t be here.
“Can you do me a favor?”

“Sure.”

“Take my phone and send Alaina a quick text that I’m okay? Even if she isn’t watching the game, she might hear about the hit somehow. I don’t want her to worry.”

Sebastian looked him up and down. “Yeah, you look okay for sure.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yes
. I will go text her.”

“Thanks, man. And thanks for trying to defend me.”

“Trying? I
did
defend you.”

Sebastian
seemed so indignant Rob would’ve laughed had he not been in pain. Yeah, he shouldn’t make fun of Sebastian, but he hadn’t been able to resist a dig. “We all know you’re a lover, not a fighter.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Sebastian left and Rob shifted, grimacing as the sensation obviously had returned to his arm. Even his fingernails hurt.

The team’s PR director stuck his head in the room. “
What happened was pretty obvious, but we’re going with the normal ‘upper body injury, will not return, day to day’ line.”

Rob waved him off with his good arm.
“Do what you’ve gotta do, dude.” What the press was told was the least of his problems.

A minute later
, Sarah arrived. “I don’t want to bug you, but I needed to see for myself that you were all right.” She stared at his shoulder, still encased in ice, her brow furrowing. “Do you need someone to take you to the ER? Did they call an ambulance?”

With more movement, though unconscious on his part,
what had been twinges of pain morphed into something more. Yeah, the drugs were definitely starting to wear off, but he wanted to wait until he was ready for sleep to take more. “They said I can see an orthopedist tomorrow.”

Sarah met his gaze and said,
“I’ll drive you.”

“Okay
. That would be great if you can. Trying to maneuver a steering wheel with your arm in a sling isn’t easy.”

“I can imagine. One of us will take you home
tonight in your car while the other follows. Will you be okay through one more period? Maybe they’d let me leave, and then Sebastian could pick me up at your house, or we could find someone else.”

“
I can wait. I should be taking the ice off soon, and I’ll lie here and rest, trying not to swear a blue streak loud enough to be heard in the upper bowl, since the feeling is coming back. The damn thing would hurt less if a giant tried to rip my arm off.”

“
Well, take it easy. Don’t harass the nursing staff.”

One of the assistant trainers, who’d been across the room taping one of Rob’s teammate
’s ankles, looked up and gave Sarah a mock frown. “Nurses,” the guy muttered as his teammate tried his damndest to keep a straight face.