She gave him a sweet, soft smile. “No, I don’t think you could do that.” Her head tipped back. “Oh, Declan. You are one dangerous man.”
He didn’t know what to make of that.
“You look like such a badass, but you’re a sweetheart.” She gave him a soft smile. “Okay, so you dropped out of college to take care of him. How did you find your way back to hockey?”
“After Sam died, Kurt said I’d always have a place on the Renegades, but I told him I needed to earn a spot on his team. It’s not like I’d played or trained in eighteen months. You can’t take that much time off and expect to play in the NHL. But I’d stayed in touch with some of the guys on my college team, and one of them played for the Comets. He talked me up to the coach. They brought me out to meet with the team and wound up hiring me.”
“Hm, I’m getting the feeling you were kind of a big deal.”
He turned off the main highway and headed into a nice neighborhood.
“And you’re never going to tell me about your greatness, so I’m going to have to make up a whole story in my head.” She sat up when the training center came into view. “Whoa, this place is cool. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.”
“Kurt never did anything half-ass.” He parked, and they got out. “I won’t be long. Jaime just wants me to meet some of the guys.”
She met him on the sidewalk. “Most people would want to own a team by themselves. It would be hard to make decisions with four equal owners, but I guess he wants his friends back more than he wants power and money.”
“That sounds about right.” Declan wanted that, too. But he wasn’t about to get all twisted up over the things he couldn’t control. Like when the people you care about leave…
“What do you think you’ll do?” she asked. “Will you give up coaching?”
“That’s a tough one. As much as I want to coach, Kurt gave me this gift.” He opened the door for her. Normally, he wouldn’t share so much, but this woman pushed him to think, to face his shit. “Turning it down feels like rejecting him.”
Maybe it was because of her beauty and her generally happy spirit, but he suspected her parents and her ex didn’t really see down to the heart of her. The intelligence, the way she paid attention to details and made thoughtful decisions. The kindness, the sweetness, and the terrible pain of rejection and hurt she lived with. But he saw it. He saw all of it.
And there wasn’t anything he didn’t like.
So, when she looked at him and smiled, when he saw approval in her eyes, it made him feel like a million bucks.
“But you want to coach, and Kurt had to know that. I’m wondering if he set this all up so you could wind up coaching his team.” She made it sound like it was such a simple, obvious thing.
Once inside the rink, she crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed. He’d have to find her a sweatshirt. “Owners don’t coach. No, I think Kurt wanted the four of us to make peace with each other. It’s nothing more than that.”
She gazed up at him with pure kindness. “Well, in any event, you’ve got three weeks to decide. I’m sure the answer will be clear by then.”
As they headed for the ice, he could see the changes right away—a fancier refreshment stand, nicer bleachers, and a lot more advertising signs—but the core of the place was the same. He’d first learned to play hockey with his best friends right here. There was just something about the chill in the air, the shush of skates on ice, that got his blood pumping.
And he knew in his bones he didn’t want to watch games from the owner’s box. He wanted to be in the middle of the action, to feel the rush of air as players sped past. There was nothing more exciting for his brain and his body than strategizing plays and figuring out a teammate’s weakness. And then helping him improve it.
“You can hang out here.” He gestured to the bleachers. “You want anything to eat or drink?”
“No, I’m good. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to catch up on some emails.”
Before he stepped onto the ice, he texted Kelly, the woman who ran the skate desk.
Declan: Do you have a sweatshirt or something?
Kelly: Sure. XL?
Declan: No, it’s for the pretty woman sitting right behind me.
Kelly: Pretty, huh?
Chuckling, he pocketed his phone and looked around. Clusters of kids worked in different areas of the rink. Among the coaches, it was easy to spot the Renegades—and not just because of their jerseys. They were bigger, fitter, and a hell of a lot more agile.
The moment he stepped onto the ice, he headed over to Jamie and a few pro players. His friend pulled back, welcoming him into the circle. “Hey, man.” They shook hands. “Guys, this is Declan Cadell. He’s still the all-time point leader in college hockey.”
“You’re in college?” Luc Marchand, a recent trade from Vancouver held out a hand.
“No, I work with the Comets.”
“Cool.” Luc elbowed the man next to him. “This is Father Tom. He’s the keeper of our pipes.”
Tom Zegrebsky gave him a chin nod.
“You’ve got to see his slap shot.” Jaime patted Declan’s back.
Oh, hell, no. “I haven’t played in years.” He wasn’t going to put on a show for NHL players.
Jaime laughed. “He’s full of it. I’d bet the ranch you still scare the shit out of the Comets’ goalies.”
Declan shook his head but couldn’t fight the grin. There was some truth in that.
“Come on, let’s give the kids a show,” Jaime said.
“I didn’t bring my skates.”
“Huh. What can we do about that?” His friend made a big show of looking around the rink. “Where could we possibly find you a pair of ice skates?” He cupped a hand over his mouth. “Kelly!”
The woman behind the counter waved.
“Grab me a pair of thirteens.”
“You got it.” She disappeared down a long aisle. Hockey skates took up one section, and figure skates took up the other.
“Let me grab you a stick.” Jaime headed off the ice and into a utility room.
As Declan sat on a bench to put on his skates, he glanced back to find Luc taking control. Stopping the drills, he gathered his teammates and sent the kids to the benches in the sin-bin.
Shit like this always got him pumped. He loved playing hockey, loved coaching, loved everything about the sport.
Ready for action, he met Jaime on the blue line.
“Here you go.” Jaime handed him a stick.
“You haven’t seen me skate in ten years,” Declan said.
“Please. I know you.” He smacked Declan’s biceps. “You’re every bit as fit as the pro players. Now, come on. The kids are waiting. Show ‘em how it’s done.”
It had been ten years since he’d skated on this ice, and the squeeze of nostalgia hit him hard. It drove home why Jaime wanted the four of them to own the team together. He missed the camaraderie, the friendship. He’d never had anything like it since.
As he watched, the Renegades’ left winger dropped a neat row of pucks along the blue line. His senses sharpened, and he couldn’t help casting a glance at Phinny to see if she was watching.