Scoring Off The Ice: Ice Kings, #2 Read online

  Byron grumbles something I don’t understand but Hannah slaps his chest. “Like you mind.”

  Based on the look he gives her, something that heats me straight to my toes, regardless I didn’t hear what he said, I have a very clear understanding of what babies do to Hannah.

  Which means I’m changing the subject. Pronto. “Y’all here to see Mikah and Angelo I take it?”

  “Yep. Word has gotten out to the team, so the girlfriends and I decided we’re bombarding his place to get our snuggles in. Guys are coming, too. You should stop by. Mikah would probably love to see you again.”

  She gives me a look that makes me fight against fidgeting and pummeling her with curiosity.

  Did he tell her about Sunday?

  “Calm down, babe. You’re scaring the girl.” Byron’s not wrong.

  Hannah’s sweet but I can already tell her personality is like a powerful tornado, whipping everyone up in her orbit.

  “It’s okay,” I say. “And that’s sweet of you to offer, but I need to eat dinner and get some work done.”

  “Oh that’s okay.” She reaches down and whisks my Chipotle bag out of my grip. Chips crunch from her grip that has me cringing.

  Chipotle chips are life.

  “Mikah said he’s ordering pizza and wings for everyone. You can come eat with us. At least stay for awhile, maybe a drink and then you can get to work. We’ll probably be too loud anyway for you to get much done.”

  Since she’s holding my dinner hostage, I don’t really suppose I can argue with her.

  I’m still not sure I can keep up with her. We didn’t exactly part as new best friends last weekend.

  “Um.”

  “Better drop it,” Byron says. He shakes his head like he’s annoyed with his wife, but his smile says he’s anything but. “She’ll get her way eventually. Usually does.”

  I hold up my lunch bag and messenger bag. “Can I at least drop this off at my place first?”

  Hannah nods, all serious. “I’ll allow it.”

  “Kind of you.”

  She laughs and tosses an arm around me. “It’ll be fun. And you’ll get to see Angelo again.”

  She’s tempting me, and teasing. It’s weird how she can do both so easily like we’ve known each other longer than a five-minute interaction in which she essentially stopped by to see if I would sell gossip to blogs or whatnot. But when she’s not staring me down like there’s a possibility I could be chewed gum on the bottom of her shoe, she seems likable. In the same way Maggie is crazy and my other friend Pippa is loyal and nutty.

  “Will I get to hold him?”

  She shrugs shamelessly. “Maybe.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Mikah

  * * *

  My condo is packed with teammates. Sebastian Hendrix and his wife are here. Jude and Jason Taylor are here with Kate, Jude’s fiancée. She’s currently holding and bouncing Angelo, talking animatedly with Regan. She’s the wife of Duke Fletcher, one of our defenseman, almost as big of a guy as Byron, who I’m still waiting to arrive with Hannah and their children. My large sectional couch is heaving from the weight of the rest of my team, all settled back, watching ESPN, talking about the upcoming season with beers in their hands.

  It’s a night to celebrate.

  After calling the nanny service company Hannah recommended last week, my next and first stop was to head to the team’s medical clinic. It took me about an hour to figure out how to get Angelo ready to leave the apartment, but I was feeling pretty confident.

  Until I got to my Land Rover in the underground garage and realized the car seat Hannah ordered for me was still in its box upstairs and I remembered her saying something about how to the car seat chair clicks into a base, which I didn’t have for the seat Angela left at my door.

  I trekked back upstairs and stared at the new car seat still in its box, trying to figure out how in the hell I was going to get everything back downstairs, with Angelo, and not lose my mind.

  More than once my gaze flickered to Paisley’s apartment, but she’d told me she had school early in the morning, so I doubted she was home.

  And I couldn’t rely on her for everything. I wanted to get to know her—not treat her like help.

  By the time I dug out the car seat and base, shoved straps into the right places on the chair, and re-situated Angelo, he decided that was the perfect time to fill his diaper.

  Sweating and frustrated, I’m still pretty sure I wasn’t very nice as I grumbled and changed him. Remembered I hadn’t grabbed a diaper bag so I did that, and fortunately Hannah had said she’d pre-stocked it with everything but bottles and formula.

  So I did that.

  And holy crap, if parenting is always this hard I wasn’t sure I was capable of any of it.

  Still, I forced myself to power through when all I wanted to do was call the team doctor, tell him I’d be in another day. But I really wanted to get the blood test going so I could get my name added to Angelo’s birth certificate.

  By the time I got the base secured in the car, hopefully doing it correctly, Angelo clicked in and the diaper bag ready to go, he was a screaming, unhappy mess and he cried the entire twenty minutes to the team’s practice and medical facility.

  Where I’d missed morning workout but arrived at the exact right time for the team to be done.

  They lost their minds when I explained what happened. Some died of laughter. Some looked ready to pummel Angela on my behalf, for reasons they didn’t explain but I can imagine.

  And the others, they looked so damn scared they stepped back five feet as if me simply holding Angelo in their presence was contagious.

  It was surprisingly Hendrix who stepped forward and took Angelo’s car seat from my arm, telling me he’d watch him while I saw the doctor. He’s a good guy, so it didn’t surprise me that he offered, but because he doesn’t have kids. Still, he unclipped Angelo like he’d done it a thousand times before. He held him with the ease I hold my hockey stick, shooing me into the office.

  Overall, my first outing with a baby wasn’t the success I hoped for, but we survived.

  And I only needed one beer when I got home to wash away the nerves and stress of it all.

  Tonight we’re celebrating. The girls insisted they had to come see Angelo and my teammates are with them, even the single ones, because as of four o’clock this afternoon, it’s official.

  I am, with ninety-nine point nine percent certainty, Angelo’s father.

  I’m not sure how to feel about that except I know when I got the phone call the first thing I wanted to do was go across the hall and tell Paisley.

  It’s hours later and I still want to tell her.

  So it’s a huge shock to my system, but a complete welcome surprise, when Hannah and Byron come through my door, Silas and Sammy jumping and shouting with their usual ear-piercing volume leading the way, and Paisley trailing behind them, looking completely uncertain and pale behind them.

  “Hey.” I go to her first and ignore the choking sound Byron makes as I slap his arm and pass him. “How are you?”

  “Um. Well, Hannah stole my dinner in the elevator and insisted I come over tonight.”

  “She did what?”

  “See?” Hannah shoves a bag from Chipotle into my chest and I’m forced to grab it before it falls to the floor. “What luck, huh? We ran into Paisley in the elevator and insisted she has to come and hang out tonight. I said you ordered dinner and she’s free to eat hers here. Good idea, right?”

  “Um. I don’t have to.”

  Paisley is eyeing the bag in my hands like she’s desperate to bolt. I drop it to my side and out of her reach. If she can grab it, she might vanish. I want her here.

  “It’s a good idea. Come on in.” Since I haven’t lost all manners, I squeeze Hannah with my other arm. “Good to see you, too.”

  “Mm-hmm. Congratulations by the way.”

  “Thank you.” My grin is so big it almost splits in two. It’s been five da
ys since Angelo appeared and the bonding thing, I worried about over the weekend? That’s disappearing.

  Now I can’t imagine leaving him. Impressively, we’ve gone for two morning walks and he didn’t scream or poop, once. In fact, he seems to love being pushed in the stroller. It’s not the kind of exercise I’m used to, but it feels good to know I’m no longer trapped in my home.

  I guide Paisley farther inside since her feet are still right in the entryway, keeping her on the far side from her dinner.

  “Congratulations?” she asks so quietly I can barely hear her over the noise. Everyone is excited to see Byron apparently. More than a few curious gazes are on Paisley. I ignore them all.

  “Yes.” I set her takeout dinner onto my kitchen counter, away from the pizza so no one else thinks to eat it. “I had my blood tests done on Monday and results came in today. He’s mine.”

  My chest aches as I say it and my grin is huge. I can feel it hurt my cheeks.

  “Wow.” Her eyes sparkle and before I can blink, her arms are around me. “That’s wonderful. Right? I mean, at least to know.”

  She’s hugging me. Silly, how good it makes me feel. I hold her tighter. “I didn’t need the test. But it’s… well, yes. It’s good.”

  She pulls back but I put pressure on my arm at her lower back, stopping her. “We went for walks this week. And I took him to the team’s practice building.”

  “You did?”

  Her pride for me sears a heat to my chest. I like that I can impress her. Perhaps I should be embarrassed but I’m needy for her affection. Her belief and confidence in me. I’ve never needed it from anyone before. Outside hockey teams, I’ve never had it before, either.

  “That’s great, Mikah. Really. And the nanny company?”

  “They’re coming tomorrow. They want to see my place, meet Angelo and talk to me so they can find the right person. I think, though, that I don’t want anyone living here.”

  “They offer that?”

  “Yeah. But that seems, weird.” I said no immediately when they offered that option. Me living alone with a nanny? Awkward. “But I will need someone who can stay when I travel. Or have night games. It’s not… the easiest schedule.”

  “I’m sure they’re used to that.”

  “Let’s Go!” I’m jolted out of my focus on Paisley as it sounds like my entire team has shouted the stupid nickname the crowds cheer for me. It makes sense, given my last name. I do not laugh as I look up to find all the men on my team who are here, ten of them, standing by the couch, beers raised.

  They do this to me all the time.

  Now this, this embarrasses me.

  “Hey Let’s Go! When are you going to introduce us all?”

  “Never. You are all animals!”

  In front of me, Paisley giggles. She flashes me a wink which I return easily.

  They throw their heads back and laugh, clink their beers together and I cringe at the thought of the glass cracking and small pieces falling into my rug. Angelo plays there.

  “Ignore them,” I say to Paisley but she’s laughing.

  “I think that’s impossible. I can handle anything they throw my way, but I think I’ll start with saying hello to Angelo.” She scans the room and shocker, finds him in Hannah’s arms. She takes a step away from me and then, to my surprise, her hand falls to my bicep. “I’m happy for you, Mikah. Make sure no one eats my dinner.”

  “I will guard it like I guard the puck.”

  “I have no idea what that means.”

  She releases her hold on my arm and steps away but before she can get too far, I call to her. “I’ll teach you.”

  She shakes her head, smiling, and I don’t know what that means. If she thinks it’s ridiculous I would offer, or that I think she might care. My gaze stays on her as she heads toward Hannah. Regan and Katie are still close by and Hannah introduces them to her.

  Unsurprisingly, Sebastian’s wife, Madison is nowhere near Angelo.

  I’ve long since stopped wondering why the two of them are together. Or at least… why she stays, unless it’s because of the money. Sebastian Hendrix is one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, and I don’t think Madison has a kind bone in her entire body.

  At least, I’ve never seen it.

  Not my problem though, and since he loves her, the team doesn’t talk about it around him. But in the last few months especially, she seems even meaner, less patient.

  I push his problems out of my mind. I have enough of my own to handle.

  And yet, I still smile when I see Hannah hand Angelo over to Paisley and as soon as she has him, she sends me a smile from across the room.

  Warmth slams into my gut like I’ve been checked into the boards.

  All over a smile.

  Fatherhood must be turning me into an emotional sap.

  I grab a beer from the fridge and rejoin my team in the living room.

  “Who’s the pretty girl?” Jason asks. He and his brother Jude are our starting wingers. Their father used to play for the New York Rangers and their older brother did as well until he retired. Jason is almost ten years older than me and a veteran on the team. At thirty-two, he’s almost a dinosaur in a game that keeps calling up younger athletes and drafting us before we finish college or recruiting us from the European leagues like they did me.

  He is also one of the guys who enjoys attention of puck bunnies, always having fun on and off the road. He’s one of the best men I’ve ever met.

  He’s still not getting anywhere near Paisley if I can help it.

  “Neighbor, and that is all you need to know.”

  He throws back his head, laughing. “Calm man, I don’t steal what’s already taken. She’s the one who found Angelo?”

  I’ve told them all the entire story although Byron spilled most of it. I don’t mind. There are usually no secrets on our team. We’re a family, and the Ice Kings are a much better family than my blood one.

  “Yes. Paisley. She goes to school here.”

  “She’s sweet. She know you’re interested?”

  “I think given the way we met that she might be scared of me.”

  “Nah. She’s got baby-lover written all over her. Look.”

  As if I’ve stopped looking at her. I understand what he means. She holds Angelo so naturally, he could be hers. She’s doing her hip sway bounce move, smiling at something Katie is saying to her. They both laugh, looking down at Angelo sleeping in her arms.

  It’s a pretty sight, her holding my son so nice.

  “I’m not sure how to make a move,” I admit and it burns in my throat.

  “Oh, Lutzgo.” Jason slaps my shoulder, shoving me forward. At six-one, I’m a tall guy. Jason’s bigger and stronger too. He might be a dinosaur in the league, but he still has the strength and speed to beat anyone. “Young grasshopper. Let me teach you everything I know.”

  “What do grasshoppers have to do with anything?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Paisley

  * * *

  I can’t believe it’s ten o’clock and I’m still in Mikah’s apartment. At this point, I’m not sure wild horses could ever drag me away from another meeting with his teammates, especially their wives and girlfriends. I’ve met so many people tonight that most of the guy’s names have blended together, but the few women who are here have been fun.

  There’s Debbie, who arrived later, with her husband whose name I forgot as soon as I met him. And Regan and Katie. Another woman, Madison, I think, convinced her husband to leave shortly after I arrived but I was only introduced to her on their way out. She didn’t talk to any of the women for long and I don’t think anyone was sad to see her go.

  She’s apparently not very nice. Not that anyone said much, but what they implied was enough. I get the sense they’re being cautious around me, still treating me like someone on the outer edge.

  It shouldn’t bother me so much especially given I understand. They’re not going to gossip about the guys on the team or th
e women involved with them until they know me.

  Hannah and Byron took off with their kids a couple hours ago claiming they had to get the little ones to bed so they weren’t too tired for school in the morning.

  The longer I stay here, the harder it is to remember why I shouldn’t be.

  I like Mikah. I like the way the tips of his ears turn pink every time the guys scream his nickname. I like how even when he’s not holding Angelo, he always seems to have one eye on him. He might have doubts about how he’s doing but you can see how much he loves him already.

  There are still a half-dozen people left, the beer mostly gone, or the players have switched to water. I haven’t had a thing to drink and I’m craving a snack since it seems like yesterday when I finally managed to eat my burrito bowl, talking with Katie about her job as a physical therapist in between bites.

  She moved down here last Christmas from Chicago and moved in with Jude right away.

  He’s barely left her side all night, constantly checking to see if she needs anything. Kissing her. Touching her. Patting her ass a couple times and making her jump and swear at him.

  I like them.

  But it’s late, and I really need to head home. I still have work to do and it’s best I get on it before I fall asleep.

  “I should go.” I nudge Mikah’s leg with my finger where he’s sitting next to me on the couch. He forced Katie to move down from her spot next to me after he put Angelo down to sleep earlier. The baby monitor sits on the table in front of us. “I have work to do.”

  “I’ll walk you out.”

  “That’s not necessary,” I say, but he’s already standing and holding out his hand for me to take.

  I slide mine into his without thinking, like it’s the most natural thing to do, and when I do, Katie winks at me.

  They’re being silly. Treating me like we’re together instead of neighbors slash mostly strangers slash almost sort of friends. I roll my eyes at her and squeeze her hand as I pass by.

  “We’ll do that shopping trip soon?”