44. Maverick
FORTY-FOUR
Emmy isthe spitting image of her dad.
Alan Hartwell has the same fiery red hair and green eyes. The same long arms and long legs, and the same snarky smile I can spot from a mile away.
When we park in the driveway of an old craftsman with a covered porch and big windows, I jump out of the driver’s seat and follow Emmy toward the wheelchair ramp that leads to the front door. She bends down to hug her dad, and I hang back so they can have a moment together.
“Hi, Dad,” she says.
“There’s my girl.” He runs his fingers through her hair, and when she pulls away, she wipes her eyes. His attention darts over to me. “And who is this?”
“Hi, sir.” I step closer and extend a hand for him to shake. “I’m Maverick. It’s great to meet you. Emmy has told me a lot about you.”
“Has she?” Alan looks over at his daughter and grins. “I haven’t heard a thing about you.”
“Did you pay him to say that?” I ask, and Emmy smirks.
“A hundred bucks.”
“Good god, Red. You could’ve bought me dinner with that.”
“Says the twelve-million-dollar man.”
Alan bats my hand away and pulls me into the same hug he gave Emmy. “It’s nice to meet you, son. Thank you for making the drive to see me.”
“Who doesn’t love Michigan in February?” I ask.
“I’d offer to give you a tour, but we’re on a time crunch,” Emmy says.
“Next time I’m going to have you show me this bar where you ate your pizza and sipped on chocolate milk.” I glance at Alan. “And I agree with you on the Jurassic Park debate, sir.”
“I like him already.”
“You’re going to be up front Dad, and I’ll sit in the back. The van isn’t as nice as Maverick’s Mercedes, but he drives it just fine.”
“A Mercedes?” Alan asks. “What model?”
“A G-Wagon. It’s not very practical for the city, but I bought it with my first paycheck when I was young and stupid and didn’t have a financial adviser. I don’t want to part with it now.”
“That’s a nice car. I never had anything that fancy, but I did have a bright red Mazda Miata back in the day. I loved to zip around in that thing.”
“I have no clue what any of these cars are,” Emmy says.
“I’m disappointed. Stick with me, Red, and I’ll teach you.” I check my phone and gesture to the car. “Do we want to get going? I don’t mean to rush us, but you know Coach is going to be pissed if we’re late for the bus.”
“Shoot, yeah.” Emmy looks at Alan. “Do you need anything from inside, Dad? I can grab it.”
“I have a bag on the kitchen table if you don’t mind getting it and locking up,” he says. “And the plastic bag with my medication on the counter.”
“Want a hand?” I ask, and she nods.
“That would be great. Thanks.” She kisses her dad’s cheek and leads me into the entryway. “Welcome to teenage Emmy’s home.”
“I like it.” I smile at the tall plant in the corner and the pictures on the wall. “How long did you live here?”
“A couple years in high school, and he’s been here ever since. It’s been remodeled since his injury. I was only making seventy thousand dollars when I was in the ECHL, so this contract with the Stars has been really helpful in planning out some long-term adjustments I’d like to make. I’ve also thought about buying a new house that’s accommodating to what he needs, but I’m not sure I can get him to part with this place. It’s finally home to him.”
I rub a hand over my chest.
I’d like a home one day. A place where you feel the years of memories. No matter how much money I throw at an interior designer to make it more comfortable, my apartment has never been like that.
I feel it when I go to Maven and Dallas’s place, though. There’s love and warmth and all the shit that comes with feeling happy and settled, and fuck, I want that.
I’ve never wanted it before, but now that I have a little of that with Emmy, I want more. I want all of it.
A wraparound porch with rocking chairs. A play set in the backyard I put together myself and a redhead watching me from the window. A fence and a bedroom we fall into together every night. Rings and cribs and goddammit.
How the hell do I make that happen?
“Hey.” Emmy touches my elbow. Her fingers press into my jacket, and I sigh. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I nod and wrap my hand around hers. “Never better, Emmy girl.”
“A suite?” Alan looks around the private box above center ice. “This is too nice for a guy like me.”
“Maverick.” Emmy puts her hands on her hips, and I love how her leather pants hug her legs. I shouldn’t be staring at the curve of her thigh, but it’s hard not to. “This wasn’t necessary.”
“I know it wasn’t. But I wanted Alan to have the best experience tonight, and what better way to do that than give him the VIP treatment?”
“You make saying no almost impossible.” Emmy huffs and glances at the dark wood walls and leather couches. “It is really nice. I’ve never been in a suite before.”
“Thank you, son. This is a wonderful surprise,” Alan says.
Son.
The pride that word brings me.
I’d like to find a way for him keep calling me that, because I like how it makes me feel.
Like I can accomplish anything I set my mind to.
Like I have someone who cares about me and wants the best for me.
Like that void of wanting a permanent father figure is filled.
“Don’t mention it.” I put my hands in the pockets of my dress slacks and smile. “I’m on a quest to make everyone’s dad like me more than they like their own kids. Upgrading you to a suite is just the start of my plan.”
“I can’t stand you,” Emmy says, but there isn’t any heat behind it. “I’m going to check in with the guy at the elevator and make sure he knows you’re here, Dad. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Let me know if you need anything,” I tell her. “We can go down to the locker room after.”
“Thanks.” She squeezes my arm and heads for the door. I watch her walk away, and when she looks back and smiles at me, I grin.
Alan clears his throat, and I jump, sheepishly running my hand through my hair. “Hudson Hayes’s dad, Duke, will be here in a few minutes,” I say, breaking the silence. “He’s fairly quiet like his son until the game gets going, then he’s the most enthusiastic fan I’ve ever seen. If you need anything, he’ll be happy to help.”
“I’m sure we’ll get along just fine. Is Hudson one of your friends?”
“Yeah.” I sit on the couch across from him and stretch out my legs. My quads are tight from being in the van for so long, but I’d do the long round trip drive again. “All my teammates are great, but I’ve connected the most with Hudson. If I needed anything, he’d be there in a second to help. I’d do the same for him.”
“That kind of friendship is special, especially in sports. It’s hard to know what the future holds as an athlete, and to have someone in your corner you respect and trust is important.”
“Emmy told me you played college hockey. Where did you go? Michigan?”
“I’m a Boston College boy. Had the time of my life playing there.”
“Ethan’s from the Northeast. He went to BC too,” I say.
“Richardson? I like that guy. He’s a scrappy center, isn’t he?” Alan asks.
“And a total pain in my ass,” I joke, and he laughs.
“How are you feeling about tonight? You’re getting into the last stretch of the season. I’m sure the pressure is amping up.”
“It is. I feel good, though. Detroit has been sneaky the last couple of weeks. They went from out of the playoff hunt to the seventh spot in the East, and you don’t do that without grit. We have to keep our eye on them, especially as the season winds down. I have a feeling they’re going to sneak in as a Wild Card, and I sure as hell don’t want to play them with the kind of momentum they’ve had as of late.”
“If I have to root for anyone besides my hometown Blades, I’m glad it’ll be Emmy on the Stars.” Alan smiles. “You’ve had a good career in DC.”
“Thank you, sir. It’s not as good as I would’ve liked, but we’re getting there. The last few months have been a game changer for us, and your daughter has played a big role in that. Emmy is a talented athlete, and we’re lucky to have her on our team.”
“She’s good, isn’t she? I remember when she got her first pair of skates. After she figured out how to make it around the pond behind our house without falling over, I couldn’t pry her away from the ice. I knew then she was going to be a special player.”
“Very special,” I agree.
“How long have you been in love with her?” Alan asks, and I blink.
“Pardon?”
“How long have you been in love with my daughter?” he asks again, and the room feels like it’s a thousand degrees.
“Um. I’m not…” I clear my throat and look at the door behind him. I wonder if I can escape and make up an excuse for my disappearance. A sudden illness forcing me to evacuate the premises immediately. It wouldn’t be a total lie. My skin is clammy. I feel nauseous, and there’s sweat on my forehead. I wipe it away with the back of my hand. “We’re not?—”
“You’re clearly something if you’re going to all this effort for her old man. It’s definitely not to impress her; she’s already smitten with you too.”
“She is?” I ask. I can see it in her eyes and the way her hand always finds mine, but it’s nice to hear it from someone else. “That’s good to know.”
Alan grins. “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot, and it’s okay if you haven’t figured it out yet. Sometimes it takes us a while to put a word to the feelings we have.”
I scratch my ear.
Love?
Do I love her?
What the hell does love even mean?
I’ve only ever used that word with my friends, but I don’t feel that way about Emmy. It’s deeper, like someone reaches into my chest and squeezes my heart whenever she’s nearby. I get warm and tingly when she touches me, and every time she laughs, I swear to god I’m floating.
Is that love?
“I, uh, care about her very much,” I mumble. I’ve never been more confused, and all the wheels in my head have decided to turn at the same time. Love. Love. Love. I say it a dozen times, and I’m still not sure. “I like her a lot.”
“Like who a lot?” Emmy asks, and she looks at me from the door.
Love.
I love her?
The blood drains from my face and I pinch the bridge of my nose.
Oh, god.
I love her.
I fucking love her.
I love her, and I’d do anything for her.
There’s no way she loves me back, is there?
Except… when she looks at me, she brightens up. Her smile is wide and her eyes twinkle.
That has to mean something, right?
“You,” I say. “I was telling your dad how much I care about you. How important you are to me.”
“Oh.” Her smile matches the one she gives me late at night. When she’s half asleep and curled around me, refusing to let go. “I care about you, too, pretty boy.”
I huff out a laugh and stand up. “We’ve got to head out, sir, but we’ll see you after the game,” I tell Alan.
“You two play hard out there. And take your time with finding the words, Maverick. She’s worth the wait,” he says with a wink.
“Why do I feel like you two have a secret?” Emmy asks, and I drape my arm around her shoulder.
“Maybe we do, Red, and one day I’ll tell you all about it.”
I love you, I think, when we head to the locker room.
I love you, I think, when we celebrate her goal in the first period.
I love you,I think, when we win the game and she jumps in my arms.
I love you,I think, when she rests her head on my shoulder in the hotel elevator after we get back from dropping Alan off in Lansing.
I love you, I love you, I love you, I want to scream.
When she kisses my chest before we fall asleep, I think she loves me too.