After we finish, we head out to a driving range. Might as well start working on our golf game since we’re not making the playoffs.
As I watch the small white balls sail through the air, I think of all the balls I have up in the air. Nadiya and my parents’ insistence that I marry her. My parents’ visit in a few weeks and introducing them to Paisley. The therapy Paisley keeps demanding I go to. After today and how I felt on the ice when we were just messing around, I think maybe I should talk to someone about Armen.
What happened to my easy life? The one where I played hockey, chilled on the beach, and got laid every so often? Where my mind wasn’t consumed with a certain brunette and how our future would pan out? Those were the good old days, because I’ll never get Paisley out of my head now. She’s seared her name onto my heart like a brand whether I wanted her to or not. Now I have to figure out how to make us work for the long haul.
I’m in Mr. Gerhardt’s suite again for a home game, and I can’t get this feeling in my gut to go away. We’re playing Warner Langley’s team, and usually when the Fury plays against him, Maksim follows Langley as though he’s his shadow. I’ve heard rumors about some kind of bad blood between Ford and Langley, but I’ve never asked Maksim about it. I sit as close as I can, wishing I could be in the front row to somehow rein Maksim in.
“You’ve been busy,” Jana says, sitting right next to me.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, just give me the details so I can live vicariously through you.”
I laugh. If she only knew how many times I’ve wanted to live her life over the years. “Not much to say. Just spending a lot of time with you-know-who.”
“A lot is an understatement. Are you guys, like, living together now?” She sips her martini, then twirls her stick with three olives around in the vodka.
“No. Stop it.” I keep my gaze on the ice, waiting for the inevitable.
“You can’t even take your eyes off of him for one second.” She laughs, leaning back and crossing her legs. “Did you see this guy my dad has here tonight?”
I glance over my shoulder. “Is that Kane Burrows?”
Damn, he’s even finer than I remember. He has a full beard and chin-length brown hair that has a bit of a wave to it. Kane played professional hockey until this season, when he didn’t get signed by a team. Word is that he had something personal going on in his life and lost focus. I wonder if he’s here hoping to play for the Fury next year.
“That would be him, and man, is the guy arrogant.”
“Hot though.” I raise my eyebrows at her.
She rolls her eyes. “And he knows it.”
Just before I look away, I catch Kane glancing in Jana’s direction, his gaze lingering on her body. Huh.
Then I return my attention to the ice as Maksim nails Langley against the boards again. This results in Maksim’s second penalty of the night, and we’re only in the first period.
I continue talking to Jana a bit about Maksim, not divulging my weariness over him hiding things from me. I can’t share that much with her here for fear of someone overhearing us.
In the second period, I cringe when Maksim trips Langley, giving Maksim his third penalty of the night.
“He better watch it or he’s out for the game,” I whisper.
Jana’s hand lands on my forearm. “You know you can’t control him, right? You can’t control how he plays out there,” she says in a low voice so no one overhears.
I stare at her hand. I guess I am that transparent. “I know.”
“Then calm down. Whatever he does is his own problem.”
Oh, how nice it would be if that were true. But I care for Maksim. I want him to talk about his issues so he can enjoy hockey again and not feel pressured to right every wrong that happens out on the ice. It’s not good for him emotionally or for his career. I’m pretty sure he gets on that ice with one mission—to make sure everyone knows they can’t fuck with any of the Fury or they’ll have to answer to him.
But I saw the look on his face when he was with the Fury Juniors. When he was skating with his friends just to skate. It was a side of him I’ve never seen when he’s playing a Fury game. I understand that there are enforcers in hockey, but Maksim takes it to a different level. He needs to let go of his guilt about Armen’s death.
But I can’t force the man to seek out help he doesn’t want. Part of me thinks I should just sign off on his therapy so we can come out as a couple. I’ve been holding it over his head for so long and he’s yet to even ask for a referral.
Maybe Jana’s right. I can’t control the way he is. Either I love him for him, or I end whatever we have if I can’t deal with it.
As I’m coming to the realization that I need to stop pushing therapy on him, Maksim charges another player, earning his fourth penalty of the night. One more and he’s out of the game.
“See what I’m talking about? We’re barely in the second and there he goes again. He needs to stop giving the other team power plays,” Mr. Gerhardt says from behind me, Kane Burrows beside him.
Jana pretends not to notice Kane, which is her telltale sign that she finds him attractive. Not that I think she’ll ever admit it. He’s not her usual type—he’s much too rough around the edges and burly for that—but he is definitely nice to look at.
“That’s his job. I’m a firm believer in having an enforcer on the team. Keeps your top guys like Drake and Jacobs free of injury if he does his job right.” I like Burrows’s thought process. He shares the same one as Maksim.
Maksim gets out of the penalty box, and I see the look in his eye when I look at the Jumbotron. Even the announcers on the TV behind me say how pissed Maksim is after a bad call by the referee. I might as well just wait for him to get ejected.
Aiden has the puck down by our end and Maksim is weaving in front of Langley to make sure he can’t get to the puck.
“Here he goes,” I whisper.
Knowing Maksim’s number now, another player on Langley’s team distracts Maksim. Langley’s skates leave the ice and he clips Aiden, but the refs don’t see it. What the refs miss, Maksim doesn’t. He hip checks the guy they brought in to distract him from Langley, skating toward his original target. Maksim rises off his skates and pounds into Langley, making him fall to the ice and almost crash into the boards headfirst.
The refs blow the whistles and the crowd roars.
I close my eyes, not wanting to see what’s about to happen. Peeking one eye open, I see Maksim fling his arms out to get the hands of his teammates off him. He walks off the ice and down the hallway to the locker rooms, knowing he’s out for the game.
I blow out a breath.
“I guess therapy didn’t work, huh, Paisley?” Mr. Gerhardt puts his hand on my shoulder.
I stand and round the back of my seat. “Apparently not.”
And that’s the truth. He’s gone and gotten himself ejected. How the hell is he going to protect his boys from the locker room? I know that’s what matters to him.
“I have someone I’d like to introduce you to,” Mr. Gerhardt says to me.
I blink at his quick change of subject. “Another fix-up?”