Back Check Part 16

HOCKEY GAME? WHAT?.

Where are you?

What hockey game? The Aces game?

What is going on?

WHERE ARE YOU?.

DAMMIT, WHY ARE YOU TORTURING ME LIKE THIS?.

Katelyn let out a little laugh and quickly typed in a message. Sorry, sorry. Took a shower.

She sent that one, then continued. I have a lot to tell you. We need to talk.

Her phone rang almost immediately. "What?" cried Rachel.

Katelyn laughed. "I'm on my way out. Or should I say up."

"Where are you going?"

"I have a party tonight here at the Hanc.o.c.k Center, on the ninety-fourth floor. I'm on my way there to meet the florist and the caterer."

"Let's meet for lunch, then. Can you do that?"

"Yes. How about downstairs at The Cheesecake Factory?"

"Oh, you b.i.t.c.h, I love The Cheesecake Factory, and so does my a.s.s."

Katelyn laughed. "Your a.s.s is gorgeous."

They arranged a time and she grabbed her briefcase and purse to head out.

She was lucky to be able to have the party here, because the event center had preferred vendors they used, but the Reiss family had some pull and the children were adamant they wanted to use her after she'd done bar and bat mitzvahs for three of their kids.

What she wouldn't give to be a preferred vendor.

Maybe someday. She just had to keep working hard and doing the best job she could and her business would grow.

They had the north side of the floor for the party, and it had already been set up for the hundred guests expected for the hors d'oeuvres buffet. She reviewed details with the caterer and directed the florist where to put the big arrangements of flowers-tall vases and centerpieces of pale yellow roses, white lilies, and carnations accented with elegant gold ribbons.

She located the boxes of decorations that had been delivered, and set out candles on all the tables, to be lit later. There were small gold boxes of expensive chocolates to be handed to guests later and special gold-accented flutes for the anniversary couple to drink champagne from.

Okay, all was in order and she could take off until closer to party time. She rode down to the lobby of the building and exited to descend to the outside restaurant.

It was busy there, but Rachel had already arrived and given their name.

"You know I'm dying of curiosity," Rachel said as they stood in the busy entrance. "How could you do this to me?"

Katelyn laughed nervously. "I didn't do it intentionally."

"Rachel, party of two."

"Yay. I'm starving."

They followed the server into the restaurant. Once they'd ordered coffee and lunch, Rachel folded her arms on the table and looked at her expectantly.

"Okay!" Katelyn smiled brightly. "Last night I slept with Tanner."

Rachel's jaw slackened and her eyes bugged out. She reached for a gla.s.s of water and gulped some down. "No. Way."

"Yeah. So I have to backtrack a bit..." She told Rachel about the kiss in the kitchen after the baby shower and Lovey seeing them. "I was mortified about Lovey seeing us. What if she thinks I'm after her fiance's friends because they're rich hockey players? It was so unprofessional of me."

Rachel bit her lip.

"I swore nothing more could happen and we needed to stay far away from each other, but then we ended up sitting beside each other at the dinner last night, and I'd made this stupid comment to him about wanting to be friends, for the sake of the wedding, and he started flirting with me, and things got all...hot."

"Oh my G.o.d."

"I know." Katelyn groaned. "So he walked me home from the restaurant and I invited him up to my place and...Well, that's what happened."

Rachel gulped more ice water. "Was it good?"

"Oh G.o.d, yes." She closed her eyes, her entire body flashing hot as she remembered. "So good."

"Well, nothing wrong with a little hot s.e.x once in a while."

"We talked. After." She nibbled her bottom lip. "I told him about my dad. How I couldn't leave him when Tanner was going to New York."

"Oh. How did he react to that?"

"Actually...I think he was kind of hurt. He said he could have helped, with someone to look after dad."

"He probably could have, making the kind of money he was."

"I couldn't have asked him to do that."

"I know that's how you felt...and you two were young...but that's what couples do, Kate. If things were reversed and he needed help with something, wouldn't you have wanted to do that for him?"

She eyed her friend and nodded slowly. "Yes."

"I don't mean to make you feel bad. I know what you went through back then. Well, even though I didn't know everything you were going through." Katelyn hadn't even told Rachel about her dad's Alzheimer's until she could no longer hide it from her. "And I know you thought you were doing the best thing you could at the time."

"He asked me why I never called him...after Dad died. I told him I had read he was married. Not that I would have called him anyway...after that much time had pa.s.sed, we'd both moved on. And he apologized too." Katelyn sipped her coffee. "For not sticking around long enough to talk things through and find out what was going on."

"Oh. Wow. That's very...mature of him."

"Yeah." Her lips quivered a bit as emotion swamped her, but she got it under control. "Anyway, we talked quite a bit, and it was nice...and he said maybe we could try things again."

Rachel covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes big. "Really?"

"Yes."

"What about all those trade rumors, though?" Concern shadowed Rachel's eyes. "What if he ends up leaving?"

"I asked him about it...and he explained everything. Yeah, he could be traded."

"Oh s.h.i.t."

"Right? But even so...I kind of want to try it."

Rachel grimaced. "Oh, Katelyn. Are you sure? He left you once before and it nearly killed you."

Katelyn bit her lip "I know."

"Also, you have a tendency to rush into relationships."

This was also true.

"I just don't want you to get hurt again."

"I don't either." She lifted her chin. "I know I've made mistakes with men in the past. Gotten too serious, too fast. But I know better now. I can handle being with Tanner."

"So you're going to see him again." Rachel's forehead was still creased with worry.

"Yes. Monday, probably, because I'm busy today and he has a game tomorrow. Which he will get us tickets for...if you want to come with me."

"Of course I do. Didn't I say we should go to a game?"

"Yes."

"Okay. We have a date."

Chapter 13.

For the first time ever, Tanner couldn't fall asleep for his game-day nap.

He'd kept himself busy, too busy to think about Katelyn, but for some reason now she crowded back into his mind. The story she'd told him about her dad and why she hadn't been able to leave was playing over and over.

It made him feel like his heart was splitting open, when he thought back to how they'd parted-how p.i.s.sed he'd been at her for being what he'd thought was afraid. When really she'd been being brave. Braver than he could even imagine. To stay with her father, helping him like that so he could retain his dignity, so he could retire with his career and reputation intact...and then caring for him as his disease progressed.

Christ. She'd sacrificed her life for her father. She'd sacrificed them for her father. And she'd sacrificed them for him.

He squeezed his burning eyes shut, remembering.

He'd been such a d.i.c.k-shouting, raging, Katelyn crying. He'd wanted her with him.

He'd been hurt. Because it had happened again. Someone he cared for was being taken away from him. He'd let himself care about her more than anyone, and holy f.u.c.k, it had hurt.

He rolled to his stomach and buried his face in the cool pillow.

He'd signed that contract, gone to training camp, worked his a.s.s off. The first year had been back and forth between New York and Bridgeport, and all he'd focused on was playing hockey. When he'd finally made it to a steady place on the roster, his focus had expanded to women and partying. Living in the Big Apple made it easy to meet lots of beautiful women and he'd soon met Presley. Tall, blond, and gorgeous, she worked as a model for a top agency and had big ambitions. She liked fame and attention, and one of her ambitions was to marry a rich man and have a huge wedding. He wasn't even that rich then, compared to some of the guys. Whatever. She'd wanted him and he'd gone along for the expensive ride.

During those years, he'd thought of Katelyn sometimes but hardened his heart against those thoughts because they were done. She'd made her choice and he'd made his and they'd gone their separate ways.

Now she was back in his life.

She was coming to his game tonight.

He ached for all the wasted years they'd been apart. If only he'd known the truth. If only he'd never married Presley. If only Katelyn had known about his divorce.

But like Katelyn had said, there was no point going over and over all those if-onlys because you couldn't go back and change what was.

A few hours later, he stood in the tunnel holding his stick, shifting from one foot to the other, energy pulsing through his body despite the minimal sleep he'd had that afternoon. Duper was doing the complicated fist-b.u.mp/high-five combo he did with some of the guys, Ronner was smacking everyone on the a.s.s with his stick. Lights flashed in the dark arena, music blasted, and then the announcer called, "And here they aaaaare....yoooooour Chicago Aaaaaaaces!"

Duper was always the first one on the ice with a flying leap, followed closely by Army, Ronner, and Boosh. Tanner stepped onto the ice and took off at a run to do a few pre-game laps around their own end as the crowd cheered.

What a f.u.c.king rush.

Every time.

He loved it.

The Stars came onto the ice and circled the other end.

"Here's tonight's starting lineup for your Chicago Aaaaaaaces! Starting at center...number nineteen, your captain, Maaaaarc Dupuis!"

Stoykers was in the crease, sc.r.a.ping up the blue paint to his liking.

"On left wing...number eighteen, Julien Boooouuucheeeeer!"

The ice crew made adjustments to the carpet they'd rolled out for Amos Gallo, who almost always sang the national anthems at Aces games.

"Starting on right wing...number forty...Jaaaaared Ruuuuup!"

The three forwards lined up on the blue line.

"On defense...number two...Taaaaaanner Beeeenneeet! And number forty-four...An-drew Ross!"

The other guys were on the bench and the crowd was still cheering.