Winning Streak (24 page)

He nodded, and it felt like a hot knife in her chest.

She had no right to ask, but when had that ever stopped her? “Would it mean anything if I said I didn't want you to go?”

His eyes widened slightly, and he looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time. “No.”

Her heart fell, and she turned away. She was about to break that oath not to cry when his hand closed around hers and tugged her back toward him.

“Saralynn. It would mean everything.”

That was it. She cried away at least $50 of makeup, but she didn't care. Madden stood and pulled her into his arms, and she hiccupped against his chest.

He cradled her close and stroked her hair. “I'm so sorry. I did find a job in Cleveland, but I'm not going anywhere, okay?”

She wiped under her eyes even though it was useless and looked up at him. “You found a job? You're not staying here just because of me, are you?”

“I want to start a debt counseling business. Put all my mistakes to good use. There's no better place for that than Vegas. And I want to be close when Jace has the baby. Be a better uncle than the brother I've been. But those are just perks. When you find the one person who sees the real you and still wants to stick around, you do everything in your power to keep her. You're a damn good reason. You can't disagree.”

“I love you.” Her whole life, those words had stuck in her throat, but they tumbled out now, and the truth of them kept her from feeling anything but happy.

“I love you. And I will never leave you again.” He held her face in his hands and leaned down for a soft kiss. Screw that. She wound her arms around his neck and bowed into him, kicking up the heat. He smiled against her lips and took the hint, picking her up so her legs wrapped around his waist. Without breaking the kiss, he carried her into the bedroom and lay back on the mattress, taking her with him. For the next hour, she took her time making sure he had absolutely no doubts that he'd made the right decision. He gave as well as he received, and any lingering embarrassment about breaking down earlier disappeared under his gentle touch and the way he looked at her like she was the only person in the universe.

Afterward, she curled up against him with her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She traced a finger over the hard lines of his stomach.

“If you're thinking about round two, I'm gonna need a minute.”

She grinned and laid her hand flat. “What are you thinking?”

“I'm thinking that, against all odds, the most amazing woman in the world gave me three chances. Best winning streak of my life.”

“Yeah, well the sweetest man in the world chose me even though I self-destructed every previous relationship before they even started. I was a gamble.”

“But look what I won.”

“We both won.” She held him closer, and he tightened his grip too. Two long shots who hit the jackpot.

Thursday, November 27th

“Madden, come on! We gotta go.”

He rounded the corner just as Saralynn swooped by him with an aluminum pan full of shaved turkey. “I'm right behind you. Just had to finish up a budget plan for a client.”

She rolled her eyes and kissed his cheek. “It's Thanksgiving, and your sister just had a baby. I think you can take a small break.” And before he could debate that, she headed for the car.

Cole handed him a tower of Tupperware. “Here's all the sides plus plastic forks. Tell Jacey and Phlynn congrats for me.” Four years with the Sinners, two of them as replacement captain, and the kid still called Carter by his last name even though he wasn't a player anymore.

“Will do. You still going over to Reese's house?”

“Yeah, man. He said they made a big feast, so you know I'm there.”

“Tell them we'll be by later. My sister might be Wonder Woman, but I bet even she will need some sleep after this morning.”

“You got it.” Cole slapped him on the back and pushed him toward the door.

The drive to the hospital was a blur, so it was a good thing Saralynn was at the wheel. All he could think about was meeting his nephew. He was an
uncle
. Surreal. They stopped at three nurses stations before finding the maternity ward.

Saralynn stepped up to the desk. “Hi. We're looking for Jacquelyn Vaughn. She delivered this morning.”

The nurse with a name tag that said Zelda glanced down then back up. “Relation?”

Saralynn tilted her head toward Madden. “Brother. I'm a friend.”

“Well her husband is already with her, and we normally only allow two visitors at a time, but it is a holiday, and I can see you brought sustenance. Room 204.” Zelda winked.

“
Thank
you. There's plenty of food here. You're welcome to stop in and make a plate. Happy Thanksgiving.” Saralynn flashed her get-out-of-jail-free smile and headed down the hall.

“Same, dears.”

Madden nodded to Zelda then trailed after the woman who added much-needed order and structure to his life. She kept him going in every possible way, and after only nine short months, he couldn't imagine being without her.

When he walked into Jacey's room, he almost dropped the Tupperware. She sat propped up on pillows, happier than he'd ever seen her, staring at the bundle in her arms. She looked up at him and glowed. “Hey. Come meet your nephew. Jonathan Mario Phlynn.”

He laughed and set the food on a corner chair then stood over the bed. “Sis, I was kidding about the video game suggestions.”

Carter, who stood on the opposite side, shook his head. “Mario the hockey player, not the plumber.”

“Ahhh. Makes more sense. And Jonathan for Dad?”

“And you.” Jacey smiled. “Your middle name, Madden Jonathan.”

His heart swelled until it almost couldn't fit inside his chest.
Hold it together
. Saralynn took the spot by his side and set a hand on his back, like she knew he needed it in that moment.

“Can I hold him?”

“Sure, Uncle Maddie.” Jacey very carefully lifted the baby. Carter even held his hands out just in case, but Madden had it covered.

“You will
not
encourage that nickname.” He kept his voice soft and couldn't maintain a serious tone. She definitely would encourage it. He might as well accept that now. As he rocked his nephew side to side, Saralynn swayed with him, her head on his shoulder, and he knew. He was all in.

(From
Full Strength
by Katie Kenyhercz)

Tuesday, April 16th

Allie released a deep breath and straightened the framed degrees on the wall. Silence settled so thick, she could almost hear her heartbeat. It was hard to tell if it was a blessing or a curse being sequestered in the basement. On one hand, players would have one less excuse to avoid her because she was right next to the locker room. On the other hand, having no windows felt a little like being buried alive. The few landscape paintings at least gave the illusion of nature and made it more bearable.

A light knock on her office door made her tense, but she forced her shoulders down before she turned around to face her guest. Her heart beat double time, but it slowed when her boss stepped inside instead of her first patient.

Jacey Phlynn, owner of the Las Vegas Sinners, looked put together as usual in a black skirt suit and emerald silk blouse. As Jacey closed the door, Allie caught a glimpse of her red-soled pumps. Louboutin. She felt self-conscious in her JC Penney knockoffs, but three degrees didn't come cheap.

“Allie, I'm glad I caught you early. I know you're good on Reese's history, but I wanted to give you a heads-up—”

“He doesn't want to do this.”

Jacey's eyes widened, her mouth fell open, and she shook her head.

Allie could see her boss scrambling for a polite denial, and she laughed. “It's okay. I would have rather peeled my skin off with a cheese grater than see my first shrink after my injury.”

“That's right. I'm sorry. I'm sure you know exactly what to say. I wish I did.”

“Let me guess. He paid you a visit; tried to get out of it.”

Jacey sighed, pressed her lips together.

“It's all right. He needs this whether he knows it or not.”

“I just—he may say things. Seem uncooperative. He hasn't been himself since it happened. He's a great goalie and a huge asset to this team, but if he can't get past this, we might have to trade him, and I don't want to do that. He's surgically attached to my husband. We're talking shared organs. If separated, one or both might not survive. But now that Carter's involved with the business side of the team, he has to see things as a GM would—even if that means trading his best friend. If there's any way to avoid that, I have to try.”

Allie smiled as she remembered press pictures of Shane Reese with his best friend and ex-captain, Carter Phlynn. The two had played together their entire careers. Phlynn's had ended just last season with a concussion. Hard to believe
he
didn't need some therapy, too. “Reese's recovery will depend on him, but I'll do everything I can to get him there.”

“Bless you. We are …
I
am so glad to have you here. Thank you again for starting on such short notice.”

“I'm happy to be here. I'm excited to work with this team.”

Jacey's barely suppressed laughter wasn't reassuring. Especially when she followed it up with, “Hold that thought.”

• • •

“Hey, Reese. You ready to talk about your feelings?”

“Shut up.” Shane Reese ignored Kevin Scott, his teammate and tormentor. Instead, he stared at the cement block wall while his friends dressed for practice. The twentieth practice he'd miss.

“Leave him alone, Scotty. Bad enough as it is.”

“Thanks, Cole. Big help.” Shane glanced at the hotshot rookie, Dylan Cole, who earned captaincy in his second NHL season and tried to rein in his anger. That's what got him into this mess in the first place. Cole gave him the innocent act and held up his hands. Nine years younger, and the kid thought he was Yoda or something.

Reese rolled his eyes and pushed off the bench. “Whatever. Guess I should get it over with.”

“Hey, before you go … got you these.” Scott turned from his locker and tossed him a box of tissues. Reese ground his teeth and threw the box back. Hard. It hit Scott between the shoulders but bounced off, harmless. The asshole was laughing.

“All right, that's enough,” Cole broke in. “Scotty, hit the ice before Coach sees you missing. If you're the last out again, she'll give you a speech that'll make your ears bleed. And mine, so spare me. Reese, go talk to the doc. It won't be that bad.”

“That's why you're captain, Cole. Your speeches are so damn inspiring.” And before he could get another one, Reese stormed from the locker room. It would have been more dramatic without the limp, and that made him angrier. High ankle sprain. It was such a stupid injury. If that ass Chekov hadn't landed on him like that, he wouldn't be indefinitely benched at the start of the playoffs.

He had to consciously unclench his fists as he stopped at the dark wood door with the newly minted plaque. Dr. Alexandra Kallen, Sports Psychologist. He could just imagine what she looked like. Gray hair in a tight bun. Librarian glasses. Judging smirk and zero idea of what he was going through. He summoned some resolve and knocked.

“It's open.”

The voice didn't
sound
old. He stepped inside, and could only stare. Alexandra Kallen was no librarian. A fitted, short sleeve, red blouse played off the coloring of dark brown hair that fell in straight layers a few inches past her shoulders. She looked more co-ed than doctor in her leg-hugging, dark denim pants and high heels that put her even with his chin. When he took her extended hand, her skin felt soft, but her grip firm. “You don't look old enough to be a doctor.”

“Thank you, but I'm twenty-eight.”

“Sure you don't mean eighteen?”

She arched a brow. “You're one to talk. You have your driver's license yet?”

“You don't sound like a doctor either.”

She laughed, and when her features relaxed, she looked even younger. “Thanks, I think. You're Shane Reese? It's nice to meet you.”

“I, uh, you too. Um, what should I call you? Dr. Kallen?”

Her full smile showed perfectly shaped, white teeth. No lipstick, just gloss. It didn't look like she wore any other makeup, but she was a striking, girl-next-door kind of pretty. “If you want. Or you can call me Allie. Whatever you're comfortable with.”

Allie
. That fit much better than Dr. Kallen. “Oh—kay.”

She pressed her lips together and looked down at their still-joined hands.

“Sorry.” He let go and looked around the room. Anywhere but at her. At least until the heat faded from his cheeks. Her office wasn't what he expected either. He thought it would be something like Jacey's—modern, minimalistic. Instead, it looked like the family room from his childhood home; pale blue paint disguising the cement-block walls, overstuffed furniture, plush cream carpet. A mini fridge sat next to the couch, and a bowl of pumpkin seeds beckoned from the coffee table. “How'd you know?”

“The pumpkin seeds? I asked around. Have a seat.” She gestured toward the couch and sat in the chair adjacent to it.

Reese hesitated but lowered himself onto the sofa. He didn't know what to think of her talking to others behind his back. It seemed … manipulative. “You gonna tell me you know the name of my first dog, too?”

“Does it bother you that I did some research?”

“This whole thing bothers me.”

“I know what you mean.” Her voice was smooth and quiet, and it gnawed on his nerves.

“All due respect, Doc, but I seriously doubt—”

“Junior year.”