Chapter 22
A TV Drama
Justin
This meetup with the team had been a mindfuck for both Mia and me.
I needed to talk to Cooper about some things the guys had said, and Mia had a problem with her son.
Arne loved skating, and for a complete beginner he did unusually well.
He had natural coordination and balance, along with a willingness to listen and learn.
If I was coaching young kids, I’d happily have Arne join my team.
Hockey camps might be filled up for the summer, but I could pull strings and get him into one. I could also cover the cost without even noticing it. But the time constraints Mia had I couldn’t help with, and Mia wouldn’t let me pay. Would her ex be able to help at all?
Worrying about that was a distraction. When we’d returned the skates and Carlos put mine back in my bag, he gave it to me, since I’d need it for on-ice workouts they’d scheduled starting next week.
Arne gave the bag a long look, and I expected a lot of questions about it.
He was quiet though. Mia checked him in the rearview mirror, so the quiet concerned her.
I was quiet too, so there wasn’t much discussion on the way back to the house.
I offered to let her leave early. I couldn’t help Mia with her upcoming hockey problem, but I could give her some free time.
She’d looked so happy skating at the rink, like she’d temporarily dropped a burden.
More like the girl I’d dated. That raised dangerous feelings.
Which was not what I was supposed to be focusing on. That old Mia was gone. Instead, she was a woman with a kid and an ex-husband, and a family still weighing down her shoulders. A woman who was not in love with me. I was a client. An old friend. No dwelling on the kiss.
I had other problems to deal with. Like what the team wanted these additional assessments for, and why they asked some of the questions they did.
If they were playing mind games with me, or if there were some real things to worry about.
The first of July was getting closer, and I wasn’t confident about what the team intended.
Once Mia and Arne were gone, I called Cooper.
“JJ!”
Someone was happy to hear from me. “Coop. How’s the leg?”
“Frustrating as hell. Callie’s threatening to work more overtime.”
I believed him. She wouldn’t take crap from anyone. Since a lot of people would bend over backward for Cooper, she was good for him.
I relaxed on the couch. “At least you can shave yourself.”
“Fuck, I hadn’t thought of that. You can’t?”
“Not without risking slicing my neck.”
He laughed. “Probably not a good idea. Are you going the lumberjack route, or have you gotten some help?”
Memories of Mia shaving me were not good, so I moved that on as quickly as possible. “A little of both. But I called about the team guys who were out here today.”
Cooper’s voice lost its teasing note. “I knew they were planning to check on you.”
“They did.”
He hmmed. “How’d it go?”
“As far as I can tell, it was fine.”
“Fine?”
I shrugged, though Cooper couldn’t see. “I couldn’t do everything they asked. I tried to hold a stick, but with the cast, no luck. Which made me wonder why the hell they’d come out when they did. They know exactly when the cast is coming off.”
“You’re asking me?”
“I wasn’t sure if they were checking me out for a trade, or for your crazy plan.”
“Ah. Right. I wish I could tell you.”
Cooper didn’t know? That wasn’t good. “They asked how I’d feel if they signed Alek and traded Ducky.” Even though Jess told me Alek wasn’t staying.
“What?” I could picture Cooper pushing himself upright, all humor gone when he heard that. “They’re trading Ducky?”
“Maybe. Or maybe they’re playing mental games with me.”
There was a pause while he worked it out. “What’d you say?”
“I gave a bullshit answer about how I’d be happy to play with either of them. But it’s got me wondering. This could be paranoia talking but maybe they want to trade me and Ducky together.” I’d imagined a few different scenarios about why they’d asked that.
“Fuck. I don’t want this team pulled apart.”
Did I? Before I’d come to PoCo, I’d have agreed with Coop. But what if I was traded here? What if there was the option of being with Mia? If we lived in the same city, roughly…
Whoa, I needed to pump the brakes on that one. She’d given no signs she was interested, other than the kiss. That could just be chemistry, the emotions on my side.
“In confidence, Jess told me they’re not signing Alek. Though, until the deadline, anything could happen. Maybe they just wanted to see if I’d flip out again at the sound of his name.” Another one of the ideas I’d come up with.
“And did you?”
“Nah.” I was past that anger. Mostly. He wasn’t my favorite person, but Jess was happy with him. So unless he messed up, I’d try my best to get along.
“Not even slightly upset?”
Maybe, but, “Jess chose him, so…”
“Can you imagine if we had Alek and Ducky?”
“I have. But the salary cap makes that impossible.” Unless they moved a big contract. And since Cooper was the biggest, I wasn’t going to mention it. Not that he was likely to be traded—he had a no-movement clause and the city would riot if he left.
“Things are going well in BC? You’re not punching anyone?”
I sighed and settled in my chair. “So far so good. I’m talking to my therapy guy.
The biggest issues I have are from that time when the Denbrowskis left.
My parents and the way they forced me into a decision, and the girlfriend I broke up with.
I’ve talked to my dad but I need to talk to the two of them again. And I’ve got my ex working with me.”
“What the fuck, man?”
I explained the problems I’d had finding an aide. Cooper understood the whole lack of privacy problem pretty well, since he was so well known in Toronto.
“How’s that going?”
That was the question. “I don’t know. We did talk about what happened that summer, how I messed up, but there wasn’t really a good option for us. She’s divorced now, with a kid. He’s pretty cool. I’ve even met her ex-husband.”
“How the hell? It sounds like a TV drama going on out there.”
“That’s closer to the truth than you realize.” I explained that Erik had come by, and that he was acting in a TV drama. “I’d say we mutually dislike each other.”
“I’m definitely Team JJ, but I’ve been looking forward to what they do with the adaptation of that book. I enjoyed it.” Of course he had. I’d never heard of it. “But you’re over her now, right?”
Was I? “We kissed.”
Cooper swore. “Where is the JJ I’ve played with for the last five years? Honestly, what the actual fuck?”
“Only one time. There’s still chemistry between us. I’m not sure if that’s just from us being so close before or if I’m in real trouble.”
“Would you want to make it work now? You said your family was the reason you had to leave her behind.”
I rubbed my left hand through my hair. “She’s still tied to her family. Even if I was playing in Vancouver, she wouldn’t leave her home.”
“You could pay for someone to help out. Take care of her mom and the house.”
“The thought crossed my mind. More than once. I’d love to do that, even as a friend. But she’d refuse, and she wouldn’t leave. I can’t tell you exactly why, but I know she’d insist on staying in that house. And no way can I get along with her stepfather.”
“You’re playing with fire, JJ.”
“Maybe. But if her ex and her kid and her whole family can’t make me see reason, then I don’t think anything will.”
“You’re not going to ask for a trade to BC, are you?”
I wouldn’t worry him by sharing how I’d looked into Vancouver’s defense, and whether they’d be interested in me. I couldn’t do that to my team. And on what basis would I even consider it? One kiss?
“No. There’s no future, so I just need to deal with the past.”
But dealing with it wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped.
Mia
As I feared, being on skates had only increased Arne’s interest in hockey.
But he was willing to take skating lessons before playing hockey, because Mr. Justin said so.
He and Barney had an argument over it but agreed to disagree.
Barney thought skating lessons on their own were boring, while Arne planned to become such a good skater that Barney would have to agree with him once Arne had a chance to play hockey.
Future Mia’s problem. Current Mia was looking up secondhand skate sales and waiting for the autumn rec schedules to come out to sign Arne up for skating lessons.
A week later, I took Justin to get his cast removed.
I didn’t tell Arne his artwork was gone.
Justin was pleased to have the cast off but frustrated with the muscle tone he’d lost. He must have known he’d have to work on his hand, but he tried to do things as if he’d never injured it.
He’d broken a couple of mugs when his right hand didn’t have the grip strength to hold on.
I was helping him with his exercises when the doorbell rang.
“Want me to get that?”
“Would you mind? It’s probably another reporter.”
I put on my best no-nonsense face as I climbed the stairs to the main floor and straightened my shoulders to tell whoever it was to get lost. But when I opened the door, my mouth dropped open and words wouldn’t come. This was no reporter. Just Cooper, wearing a suit and a walking cast.
“JJ around?” he asked.
Justin’s voice made its way up the stairs. “Coop?”
I stood aside so Cooper could enter the house, followed by the sounds of Justin’s feet pounding on the steps as he raced up. They man-hugged, thumping backs before they stepped apart.
“Damn, it’s good to see you,” Justin said, a big smile lighting up his face.
“What’s with the beard?”
“I told you I couldn’t shave. Mia helped trim it, so at least it’s under control.”
“Not too bad.” Cooper turned to look at me. “You must be Mia.”
By now I’d regained some self-control. “Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Cooper shot a glance at Justin. “You a hockey fan, Mia?”
I rocked my hand. “I don’t have a lot of time these days, but my team is Vancouver.”
He raised his brows. “Really? Even when JJ is playing here?”
I shrugged. “Sorry.” But Cooper must have a good reason to have come out here. “You two want to talk. Can I get you something to drink?”
Justin answered. “You don’t need to do that.”
I raised my brows. “Who broke a glass this morning?”
Cooper grinned. “Not going so well, JJ?”
Justin huffed. “It’s impossible, how much muscle disappears in six weeks.”
Cooper looked down. “At least you don’t have to get your whole damn leg back in shape.”
I waited while they made their way to the living room then went to the kitchen to get them something to drink. Justin wasn’t going to be doing more rehab exercises for a while.
The weather was warmer, so we’d stocked up on sparkling water, flavored fizzy waters, and homemade lemonade. I put all the options on a tray, with some ice and glasses.
The two men were talking about teammates when I came back into the room.
Justin smiled. “Thanks, Mia. That’s great.”
Cooper flashed me a grin that probably had women dropping at his feet. “Thank you, Mia. You’ve been keeping JJ in line while he’s been here?”
“It’s been a struggle.” I was getting over the shock of seeing one of hockey’s superstars in person.
Justin’s brows drew together. “Hey…”
Cooper laughed. “He’s been a handful?”
“You don’t know him if you’re asking that.”
Cooper picked up a glass and poured lemonade. “Has he left the house?”
It was my turn to laugh. “You do know him.”
I returned to the kitchen to do up the lunch dishes.
Soon, the kitchen was clean. If Justin planned to finish his rehab exercises, I should probably stick around, but otherwise I might as well leave the two men on their own.
I couldn’t help overhearing their conversation when I started down the hallway to ask.
“You’re staying in Toronto, right? I’m working hard with the team, but if you ask to be traded, they’re going to look at the rebuilding option.” That was Cooper.
“I told you, I’m in.”
“Sorry, things are getting to me. The team is asking whether I’ll lose speed after I rehab the leg.
Wondering about your shot next season, and if you’re likely to attack a teammate again.
Just when I think I’ve convinced them to keep the core together next season for a chance at the Cup, they come up with something else—like those questions they threw at you. ”
“The Alek situation was a one-time thing. Jess is going to go with him wherever he plays, and I’m good with that. I want her to be happy. And I won’t let you down. I’ll be there for your camp—”
“I think of it as more of a retreat.”
Justin snorted. “And I’ll be on the ice for training camp. As good as—no, better than I was. This year, we’re doing it.”
I stepped back to the kitchen. Something dark poked at my brain. Of course Justin was going back to Toronto. Soon. He’d be playing with the Blaze. They supported him, and he supported them.
Justin might miss Jess in Toronto, but there was no chance he’d be anywhere in BC this fall. I’d known that, and expected it. So why did the thought make me want to drop another one of the mugs?