Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
WADE
I shouldn’t have walked out on Bree like that last night.
My plan had been to take her dinner and ask if she was getting back together with Chase.
If that’s what she wanted, I’d find a way to be okay with it, even though the thought of him touching her drives me out of my mind.
Like full-on anger that makes me want to tie the dude to the pipes and shoot pucks at him until he begs for mercy.
Better yet, begs Bree to forgive him for treating her so poorly.
But when she asked if I was willing to give up hockey to keep the ranch, I couldn’t give her an answer, which pissed me off.
Do I want to keep playing? Hell, yeah. Being a goaltender was always my dream. But I also don’t want to give up our family home, the place I’d imagined landing after hockey.
Bree thinks I’m not interested in taking over the ranch, but the truth is, I am.
I just never shared that with her because I always pictured us both there one day, running it together as business partners…
and more, if I had my way. Like I’ve said before, a guy can dream, and I’ve had lots of time over the years to indulge my fantasies.
I know I can’t be in two places at once, but I also know I can’t ask Nana to give up on her chance to live the life she’s always wanted.
I just thought I’d have more time. More time to play hockey, more time to make plans, and more time to show Bree how I truly feel about her.
Now it feels like there’s a ticking time bomb on all of it.
Elias and Ethan’s voices precede them before they walk into the locker room.
“No way, man. You’re on your own.” Ethan tosses over his shoulder as he walks in.
“But you said you’d be my wingman.” Elias tails him like a dog hungry for his attention.
The image makes me chuckle, which feels good, actually. After tossing and turning all night, I gave up trying to sleep at four in the morning. I went for a jog, then got to the arena for an early skate before practice—all that to clear my head.
“That was before I got married, dude.”
“Which makes you an even better wingman now. As soon as the ladies find out you’re married, all eyes will be on me.” Elias wags his brows.
“Sounds more like you’ll be his decoy,” Mason titters behind his hand to Zayne, who snorts in agreement.
Ethan points, wagging his finger between Mason and Zayne. “Just take one of those jokers with you.” When he notices I’m here, he does a double-take, then glares at me. “Why are you sweaty already?”
“Just getting a head start,” I growl, keeping my head down.
“Liar,” Luke grumbles as he saunters in. He sits down on the bench in front of his stall and pulls off his shoes.
Mathéo walks in. “What’s the drama today, pinheads?”
Elias smacks him in the gut. “Nice to see you, too, pinhead.”
Mathéo smirks. “That’s the best you can do?”
“Didn’t want you to feel left out,” Elias shoots back.
“Burn!” Zayne cackles.
Patience thinner than the ice in springtime, I jump to my feet. “Enough already!”
All eyes land on me, most the size of the pucks we smack around the rink. I’m usually the calm one who keeps the peace in this place, not the one who blows his top.
I’m mostly geared up except for my glove, blocker, and mask. I gather them and my stick. “I’ll see you out there.”
As I brush by them, Bree’s voice stops me in my tracks.
“Everyone decent?” She steps into the doorway, a hand shielding her eyes.
She’s in those wide-leg jeans with the fancy buttons along the pockets and that bright blue top that makes her eyes pop—at least, it would if I could see them.
What I can see is the strip of skin at her midriff, exposed by her raised arm.
The kiss we shared floods back in a rush of heat as I remember the feel of her there as I held her.
“Define decent.” Zayne snickers from behind me.
I swivel my head, intending to put him in his place, but Mason elbows him in the side and says with a snarl, “Cut it, man.”
He and Zayne have been a constant stream of pranks and snark up until recently. But Mason has shut him down more often than not lately and shown more maturity toward the team overall.
“All clear, Bree,” Luke barks.
Standing five feet in front of me, Bree lowers her hand. “Wade. Just the person I was looking for.”
I’m sure she’s here on business, but her words still bring a rush of warmth to my chest.
I tip the brim of a nonexistent Stetson. “At your service, ma’am.”
She gestures to my gear. “Leave those for now. I need you to come with me.”
Her smile falters. That’s when I notice the nervousness in her eyes. Something’s up.
“Sure thing.” I stow my stick, glove, and catcher in my stall before following her out of the locker room to the elevator. “What’s going on, Bree? Why are you taking me upstairs?”
When the doors slide open, she steps inside, then turns around. “There’s something I need to speak to you, Rebecca, and Zach about.”
I swallow down the sudden lump in my throat—I can only think of one thing that would make her want to talk to all three of us at once. Is she quitting her job to go back to Texas so she can be with him?
The thought freezes me in place. Getting on that elevator feels like admitting defeat, as if I’m taking the first step in letting her go. And I don’t know if I can do that. Not again…
The doors start to close, but Bree catches them with her hand. “Please, Wade. It’s important.”
Her imploring blue eyes glitter with fear, which knocks every cell in my body into protective mode. She’s afraid.
Seeing her like this shifts something in me.
I push aside my feelings and hustle to her side, silently cursing all this goalie padding for making it damn near impossible to pull her close.
So I do the next best thing—I hook my index finger around her dangling hand and close the loop with my thumb, like I’m lassoing a moment I’m not ready to let go of.
Because what if it’s the last one I get with her?
“Whatever you need, Bree-bear.” As much as I want to know what has her so scared, I don’t want her to doubt that I’m here for her, no matter what.
She blows out a breath as if to steady herself. “Promise me you won’t lose your cool, Wade.”
I swivel my head to stare at her. “What’s going on?”
She keeps her eyes on the elevator doors. “Just promise me.”
That’s enough confirmation for me to know I’m right.
She knows how I feel about Chase. I just can’t believe she’d go back to the scumbag, especially after how he treated her.
Bree’s better than that. Langston must have some kind of hold over her.
If that’s the case, then I have a new mission in life—find out what this guy has done to her and make sure he never sets eyes on Bree again.
But until then, I’ll keep my word and do whatever she needs. “Fine. I promise.”
“Good.” The elevator doors open, and she launches out like an opponent making a breakaway with the puck. Except Bree isn’t the enemy—Chase is.
With my skates adding a few inches to my height, I duck my head to walk into Rebecca’s office. She and Zach are sitting on the small sofa, laptops open. Rebecca sets hers aside as Zach closes his and slips it onto the coffee table.
Rebecca gestures to one chair for Bree, then frowns at the other. “Sorry, Wade, we didn’t think you’d be in your gear already.”
“I got here early. No worries. I can stand.”
Arms crossed, Bree holds her tablet against her chest. “I’d rather stand, too.”
She glances at me before facing Rebecca and Zach again. “We might have a problem with one of the goalie sign-ups.”
Zach grabs his laptop again and opens it, consternation masking his features. “I was just checking the list, but I didn’t see anything off.”
“That’s because you don’t know the whole story. Chase Langston is the one I’m concerned about.”
“Langston? But he’s not a goaltender,” I blurt out. Seems like a simple mistake, but that doesn’t stop the heat riding up my neck, making my head break out in a sweat.
Bree dips her chin, then looks up at me. “He recently changed positions.”
The perspiration running down my back feels like ice now. What game is this guy playing, for real?
Rebecca shifts her gaze between us before landing on Bree. “Take your time and tell us everything. Zach and I are here to help.”
The obvious tension Bree’s carrying seems to lessen with Rebecca’s reassurance.
Bree launches into some details about her relationship with Langston, how things changed over time, and what led her to quit and ultimately move here.
I can tell she’s trying to stay calm, but I know my Bree-bear.
I can hear the underlying fear in her voice, so maybe I have it all wrong about her getting back together with him.
“But last month, he sent me this with a threat.” She opens her tablet, then holds it out to Rebecca and Zach. “It’s not me. Lily was able to confirm the photo was altered to look like me. And the player in the picture is Chase. I recognized the piece of a tattoo that was left below his arm.”
Rebecca’s face flushes with anger as she hands over the tablet. “This is unacceptable.”
Zach gets to his feet and starts pacing. “We’ll reject his application.”
“And tell him what?” Bree glances at my outstretched hand, reluctant to give it to me. “Trust me, he’ll twist your words to make it look like he’s the one being slighted.”
I reach for the tablet again. “Bree, show me.”
Tears spring up in her eyes as she whispers, “Remember, you promised.”
My first look at the picture sucks the air out of my lungs. Then the rage hits like the worst gut punch of my career. Now I understand why she made me promise to keep my cool, but it takes every bit of strength in my body not to throw the tablet across the room and storm out like a bull seeing red.
Because I want blood—Chase’s, to be exact.
I bite the inside of my mouth until I taste my own, keeping my face schooled as much as possible, as I return it. I’m furious to say the least, but I’m also relieved that she’s not getting back together with that vile excuse of a human being.
Bree won’t even look at me as she takes the tablet. She rushes to swipe away the picture, her face contorted with disgust.
“I did something I think will help.” Her voice shakes as she speaks. “I probably should have run it by you first, but at the time, I had no idea Chase would sign up for the event.”
She launches into another story about Sophie interviewing Chase for an article that will actually be an exposé. “I’d planned to put the article link on the website along with his player stats. But if you feel that would compromise the event, I’ll understand.”
No longer pacing, Zach starts to say something, but then looks at Rebecca. “What do you think, boss?”
Rebecca rises to her feet and approaches Bree. “Put the link on the website, but also send it to me. I will make sure it gets into the right hands.”
Bree nods. “The article won’t be live until the weekend of the event, which is less than a week away. I don’t know what else to do. I’m so sorry.”
Rebecca pulls her into a hug, which is what I should be doing. But instead, I’m trying to keep my anger in check behind a wall of padding.
“Don’t be sorry, Bree. You didn’t do anything wrong.
And you shouldn’t have to deal with this on your own.
You’re as much a part of this team as the players, and we have each other’s backs.
” Rebecca leans back to look her in the face.
“I wish you’d come to us sooner so we could have helped you, but I’m so glad to hear you have such an amazing group of friends who have been there for you. ”
Rebecca gives me a pointed look as she pulls Bree into another hug, almost like a reprimand. She must see how I’m holding back. Call me chagrined. As much as I want to renew my commitment to see Langston suffer and pay for what he’s done, Bree needs her best friend more.
I acknowledge Rebecca’s unspoken command with a nod. “We’ve got your back, Bree. All of us. I’ll talk to the team so they know what’s going on.”
Zach raises his brows. “Make it crystal clear that they can’t instigate anything. Langston will go down for this, but we have to ensure the Sun Kings’ reputation doesn’t get tarnished by some misguided heroics that come off more like vigilantism. Clear?”
I nod again. “I’ll make it clear.”
After more reassurances from Rebecca and Zach, I follow Bree to the elevator. When she goes to push the button for the first floor, I grab her hand and pull her into an awkward hug, again cursing the gear that protects me but creates a barrier between us.
Clinging to me, she sobs against my jersey. “I should have never come to Florida.”
The anger over what that scumbag has put her through eats at me from within like acid. Sophie’s article will likely get Langston suspended or, even better, expelled from the league, but in my mind, that’s not enough punishment for what he’s done to her.
“Moving here was the best thing you could have done, Bree-bear.” I run a hand over her hair, then drop a kiss at her hairline, inhaling her sweet floral scent. That familiar ache hits me harder than ever, mixed with a ferocity to protect her at all costs.
Who am I kidding? What made me think I could ever get over her? I’ve spent more of my life in love with this woman than not, and I’ll spend the rest of my days loving her, even if it has to be from afar.
A hum of pleasure escapes her lips, as if my touch surprises and comforts her all at once. She turns her head to stare up at me, eyes full of doubts and questions roiling like a storm.
“I’m such an idiot.” Something deeper flashes behind her gorgeous blue irises, but slips away before I can identify it.
“No, you’re not. Don’t let that jerk make you feel responsible for his depravity.”
She lifts herself onto her toes, wrapping her hands behind my neck to pull me down into a hug. “Thank you for keeping your promise.”
A slight tremble runs through her as I tighten my hold, as if my strength could wash away all the fear and trepidation she’s feeling.
If she only knew how much it’s taking not to turn into a raging beast on a rampage, out for vengeance.
In all honesty, the only thing helping me stay calm at this point is her proximity.
I close my eyes at the sensation of her warmth against me. Her sweet scent fills my nostrils again. My lips rest against the side of her neck, and the temptation to kiss that soft patch of skin just below her ear almost overwhelms me.
No matter how much I hate Langston, I have to hold it together. For her.
But once this all blows over, all bets are off.