Chapter 6
SIX
Rain
“Hey, Rainy Day. Can you stop by after work? There’s something I want to run by you.”
I had picked up the call without looking at the screen, but the second I heard the woman’s voice on the other end, I started to smile.
“Oh no,” I teased Erin Wright. “You didn’t blow up your kitchen again, did you?”
“Jeez, one tiny fire, and no one lets you forget it.”
“Well, you did put it on the front page of the paper.”
“It was a slow news week, what can I say?”
I laughed at one of the people I loved most in this town. Erin had moved here about four years ago, and we’d hit it off immediately. Our type A personalities fit together like burgers and fries.
She’d come to help her grandfather, Will, shut down the small weekly newspaper and radio station he’d inherited from his grandfather. She’d ended up staying to help Will run it, very much over her parents’ objections. They didn’t talk much anymore.
More recently, she’d bought the tiny café next to the radio station/newsroom and had taken over the bakery herself. There’d been a learning curve. And there had been that one small oven fire that hadn’t entirely been her fault. But, damn, the woman’s baked goods were delicious. Between Crack One Open—I still thought the name needed work—and reporting for the newspaper and station, the woman never stopped.
Too bad she hadn’t been able to make her business profitable. Yet. Between the diner just down the street and the Dunkin’ Donuts a few miles away near the interstate interchange, there was tough competition.
“I don’t think I have anything tonight.” I grabbed my planner off the corner of my desk and flipped it to this week. I hadn’t checked my schedule yet today, and sometimes I forgot I’d added something to my calendar. Not often, but it had been known to happen. “Looks like I’m free. What’s up?”
“I’ve got an idea.”
When other people heard Erin say that, they sometimes ran in the opposite direction. I’d literally seen one of the local handymen cross the street to miss her. And Erin was so damn sweet, she didn’t even notice they were trying to avoid her. She just ran after them, strawberry-blonde hair streaming out behind her and green eyes blazing while she smiled and called out to them.
“Please tell me this doesn’t have to be done until after the carnival because my plate is full until then. And Christmas is only a week away.”
“You love all this shit with the holidays and don’t deny it, because I’m not the one who put up their office Christmas tree on November first.”
My gaze slid to said tree, twinkling in its perch of honor on its stand in the corner next to the window overlooking the arena. All the offices in the building looked out over the playing area, which meant if I walked over there now, I could watch Brian skate.
I’d been really good so far and hadn’t moved from my chair. But my legs were literally twitching with the need to get up and stand by the window like Liv Tyler in Armageddon , hyperventilating as she looked out over the control room. Probably not the best analogy, because her father had just given up his life to save the world and I was just going to watch a hot guy skate, but anyway.
“Don’t diss my tree.”
“Then come over after work and let me run this idea past you.”
I gave an exaggerated sigh, my smile spreading. “You know I will.”
“Oh good. I really think you’re going to love this one. Okay, don’t want to keep you tied up at work. See you tonight.”
I didn’t have time to respond. She was just gone.
And now my concentration was completely blown, though I couldn’t blame it all on Erin. Usually, I could ignore the faint noise from the ice. I was so used to it by now that it didn’t even register. Most days. Today was not one of those days.
I could barely hear the sound of skates gliding over the ice, or the tap of stick slapping puck, but now I got up and walked over to the window.
Brian stood at center ice, a bucketful of pucks scattered next to him. He wasn’t wearing a helmet and every time he took a shot, he stopped to shake his unusually long, for him anyway, hair out of his face.
He’d always had a hard shot, and that hadn’t changed in the time he’d been off the ice. He hadn’t lost any muscle, either, if the way he looked in his gear was any indication. He looked massive, a solid wall of muscle?—
“Rain, you here?”
I turned away from the window with a gasp, the sound of my dad shouting down the hall scaring the crap out of me. As always.
This time, I didn’t even bother to yell back, I just gritted my teeth and stomped down the hall.
“If I didn’t miraculously appear every time you yelled, what would you do?” I asked as I walked through the door of his office, not surprised to see Rowdy there. I smacked my brother on the back of the head, just because I could, as I sat in the chair next to his in front of my dad’s desk. Rowdy returned the love by ruffling my hair.
I thought about sticking my finger in his ear, but Dad gave us the look, and we both resisted the urge to continue tormenting each other. It was our love language.
“You got some time to talk now?” Dad looked at me. “Something I want to hash out with the two of you.”
My spidey senses tingled, because my dad didn’t typically sound like this. Like he had a problem and no answer. Dad always had an answer for everything.
“I’ve already talked to your mom, but I wanted to talk to you two together.”
Rowdy and I glanced at each other with raised eyebrows. Apparently, my brother didn’t know what this was about either, and that was unusual.
“What’s up, Pop?” Rowdy asked.
Dad didn’t answer right away, looking between the two of us, as if trying to find the right words. That in itself was scary because our dad was never at a loss for words. He didn’t use a lot of them, but he always knew what he was going to say.
“Dad?” I prodded. “What’s going on?”
A few more seconds of silence, and my stomach started to do flips. Something was up, and I hated not knowing what that was.
“I got a phone call from Bill Irving about joining the ECHL.”
It took a second for the news to process through my brain. Apparently, Rowdy’s brain worked faster than mine.
“What was his pitch this time?”
My head snapped around to Rowdy, eyes narrowing. “This time? What do you mean, this time?”
Rowdy grimaced at the rising tone of my voice, flashing a look at Dad, who put up his hand, like he was stopping traffic.
“When was the first time?” My voice sounded screechy, and a little pissy. And that wasn’t good. “What did they say? What did you say? When were you going to tell me?”
Dad waited a beat before asking, “Anything else you want to ask?”
I had the childish urge to stick out my tongue but settled instead for making a face. “I reserve the right to more questions later.”
Now my dad grinned, and I knew it was because he was proud of me. And it just made me want to screech a little louder.
“Told your mom you should’ve been a lawyer.”
“Lucky you, I decided to work for the family business.”
I forced myself not to cross my arms over my chest and pout, because I wasn’t twelve anymore.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rowdy grimace. My dad’s grin spread even more. I would throw up my hands and scream in frustration, but I knew it wouldn’t get him to answer me any faster, so I started to silently chant, I love my family, I love my family, I love my family.
Finally, Dad said, “I didn’t tell you the first time because it wasn’t something I even considered. We were still building the league at that point. And I’d made a commitment to the other owners to give it ten years before we made any major changes or considered jumping ship. The ECHL put out feelers to two of our teams that year.”
My brows arched. “And neither of you took the offer? Why?”
“Because neither of us felt it was a good fit. It would mean a whole hell of a lot more regulation that we don’t have to worry about now. And there were logistical reasons. More travel. Longer travel. More expenses. We were doing well for ourselves. Why rock the boat?”
Because we were small potatoes in the grand scheme of all things hockey, and a larger professional league believed we could be more. Bigger league, more fans, more promotional opportunities. Fans from other areas coming to St. David for games. Eating at local restaurants. Shopping at local stores. The business it would bring to the town would more than overcome any cons.
Unless it didn’t. Unless we overstepped. Unless we overextended and?—
“I can see your brain sparking, Rainy,” Dad said. “And I know it sounds amazing. But there are other considerations. We’re a big fish in a small pond right now. We’d be a small fish in a bigger pond, and there’d be a whole new learning curve.” He exchanged a look with Rowdy that confirmed my sense that there was more going on than just a phone call. “Plus, I’m not sure it’s what’s best for you and your brothers.”
And then I realized what this was all about.
“Wait. This is about you retiring, isn’t it? I mean, I know you keep talking about it, but…”
I couldn’t imagine this place without my dad. He was as much a fixture here as the aging popcorn machine we refused to replace because we’d had it since opening night. Dad had bought it from the Philadelphia Colonials, who’d had it in storage after they’d built their new arena years ago.
Now, little abstract pieces of information started to click together in my brain. Duties Rowdy had taken over. New responsibilities on my plate the past couple of seasons. It hadn’t occurred to me at the time to think they were anything other than things Dad didn’t want to do.
“Are you really considering retiring?”
He paused long enough for my eyes to widen completely. “Actually, your mom and I decided this season would be my last.”
My head snapped around to Rowdy to find an almost comical dumbstruck expression on his face. I probably looked exactly the same. When he looked at me, he shook his head, reading my mind.
“I didn’t know.” Then he looked back at our dad. “Why so soon?”
Dad’s expression was bemused. “Why do you two look so surprised? I never said I was going to work ’til I die.”
“That’s not—I mean—” I stumbled around for words. “I didn’t— Well, shit, Dad.”
“What she said.” Rowdy shook his head. “Wait. Why isn’t Rebel here?”
“Because I wanted to tell you two first. You’re going to be the most affected. Rebel’s never made any noise about a front office position, and he’s been clear about the fact that he’s not ready to leave the ice.”
“And Rowdy is?” I shot my brother another look. “Is something wrong with you? Are you dying? Why didn’t you tell me you wanted off the ice?”
Rowdy rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I’m not ready to give up playing completely, but I’m not getting any younger, and I don’t want to play forever. But I’m not sure I’m ready to completely take over the team yet either.”
“That’s why I’m not retiring until the end of the season. I want you and Rain to get more involved with the day-to-day stuff. And Rainy, I want to know if you’re okay with Rowdy getting the GM title and if you want more responsibilities.”
My mouth opened in shock then shut with a snap.
“What do you mean, more responsibilities?”
“I mean, do you want more of a leadership role with the team? Obviously, I’m not looking for an answer now. Take some time. Think about it. We’ve got a few months to figure it out.”
My brain sputtered, trying to get a handle on what my dad was proposing. I looked at Rowdy, wondering if he’d be pissed off at the possibility of having to share the team with me. And feeling fizzy excitement building at the thought.
Rowdy stared at me with raised eyebrows. Not angry, just curious.
“I don’t know that I ever really gave any thought to who would run the team after you were gone,” I said honestly. “I just assumed it’d be Rowdy.”
“That would be kind of sexist, wouldn’t it?” Rowdy gave me a challenging smirk. “I always considered this team as our team. A family team, and that includes you. No, you’re not on the ice, but we wouldn’t have butts in seats without you.”
I didn’t have a comeback to that. I mean, I could’ve said something snarky, but Rowdy was being serious. I didn’t know how to deal with a serious Rowdy. So I just stared at him until he frowned.
“What?” He frowned at me. “Do I have something on my face or what?”
“No. I just…never considered that you…”
“That I what? Value what you do?”
“Well, maybe ‘value’ isn’t the word I’d use.”
Rowdy’s brows rose, and he gave me a look I knew he’d learned from Dad. “So what word would you use?”
I huffed and rolled my eyes, not bothering to look at Dad for help. He was probably enjoying the show.
“I guess I just figured you were oblivious to what I did.”
Rowdy rolled his eyes, making me think of Maddy. And then, of course, Brian. Which wasn’t helpful right now.
“Or maybe,” he said, “I just trusted you to do your job because I know you’re good at it.”
After a second, I stuck my tongue out at him, which wasn’t very mature, I know. But it made him grin, which was what I wanted.
“Okay, maybe you’re not just a brainless hockey player.”
Rowdy’s laughter busted out. “And you’re not just a pain in my ass.”
I pulled another face at him, which morphed into a smile. I did love my brothers, though they drove me to distraction much of the time and especially when they ganged up against me.
“So, Rainy, what are your initial thoughts?” Dad asked. “Right off the top of your head.”
Like he’d flicked a switch, my brain started to churn again.
And words flowed out of my mouth.
“So you hated everything I said, didn’t you?”
Rowdy shook his head as we walked down the hall to my office. “I didn’t have time to digest half of what you said, so excuse me if I’m still trying to process it. And no, I didn’t hate anything you said. Hell, I’m trying to decide if I’m pissed off because I didn’t think of some of it.”
I shrugged. “Our brains just work differently. I’m sure you’ll come up with a whole bunch of stuff I would never think of.”
He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Hell, I’m still trying to get a handle on some of the shit Dad deals with on a daily basis. I mean, I know how trades work, but the fucking paperwork is gonna kill me, I swear.”
“You’ll figure it out. You always do.”
He looked at me with a crooked smile. “Now, you’re just trying to butter me up. You must want something.”
We’d reached my office, and I motioned him inside with my hand. I knew he was going to be late for practice, but I said, “Just for a second. I want to run something by you.”
His smile widened. “I knew you wanted something. But you know you don’t have to ask my permission. If it’s gonna cost money, you just need to ask Pop.”
“I just want your opinion on something.”
When he walked in, I shut the door behind him, earning a narrow-eyed look from my brother.
“Why does this conversation need a closed door?”
“Because I want it to be private, okay? Jeez, you sound scared.”
“Not scared. Just rightly cautious. What’s going on?”
I moved around my desk to sprawl in my chair, while Rowdy did the same across from me.
“Tell me honestly. How long have you known about the ECHL thing?”
Rowdy shook his head, his face screwing up in a frown. “Honestly, I didn’t. But I got suspicious when I walked in on Pop talking to Joe McGinty at the Bigfoots. He couldn’t get off the phone fast enough. But I heard him mention the ECHL commissioner’s name before he knew I was there. It took me a day or two to realize who they were talking about. And when I did, I figured…I don’t know, they were just shooting the shit.”
Rowdy looked as perplexed as I felt, and he’d never been able to lie worth a damn, at least not to me. We sat in silence for a few long seconds, which was remarkable on both our parts.
“So what do you think?” I asked.
He didn’t answer right away, and I could tell he was really giving some thought to what he wanted to say. For Rowdy, that was surprising. Usually, he opened his mouth first and considered his words second.
But since he and Tressy and her daughter, Krista, had started living together, he’d actually, dare I say, grown up.
Finally he sighed and ran a hand through his already messy hair, making it even more wild. “I think it’s going to be a shit-ton of work and a metric fuck-ton of headaches. Part of me wants it. And part of me thinks it’s the worst fucking idea ever.”
I let out a relieved sigh. “Then we’re on the same page.”
“Thank fuck for that.” Rowdy shook his head, blowing out a huge sigh. “So what the fuck are we going to do?”
“Luckily, we have a few weeks to think about it. And we’re going to have to bring Rebel and Rocky in on this. Damn, I think that’s why Dad told us first. So he didn’t have to deal with Rebel. Boss move.”
“I’m not sure that’s enough time.”
I took a harder look at Rowdy, at the worry lines on his forehead and the way he kept shaking his head.
“You know, if this is something you don’t even want to consider, I’m with you.”
His lips curved, and I swear he wanted to reach across the desk and ruffle my hair again, like he used to when we were kids. It’d always annoyed the ever-living fuck out of me, but I realized now it was his way of showing affection. I’d been a feral kid, definitely not a girly girl who loved sparkles and wanted to be a cheerleader. I’d grown up with three brothers. After I turned five, my mom didn’t even bother buying me dresses because I’d end up in my denim overalls and sneakers anyway.
And to their credit, my brothers had never treated me like a weak, giggly idiot. But I wasn’t an athlete. I loved our team, and I loved my job, but hockey wasn’t my identity. I mean, this team meant the world to me, but for Rowdy and Rebel, it was who they were.
I loved the creative aspects of what I did. I loved seeing people have fun with the promotions or compliment me on the designs for the sweaters. I loved getting butts in seats for games and organizing events to raise money for the various charities in the area. The Devils allowed me to do that.
Rowdy loved to play hockey.
“I know,” Rowdy finally said. “And I appreciate it. But it goes the other way too. If this is something you want to do, or don’t want to do, I’m with you, Rainbow Brite.”
Grinning, I threw a pen at him for using that nickname. He caught it out of the air like he was a ninja master. Damn him.
“Okay, we’re on the same page. Let’s circle back to this after Christmas. Rocky’ll be home and maybe Rebel will be softened by the holiday spirit.”
We looked at each other and simultaneously said, “Nah.”
Laughing, I waved my hands at him, making a shooing noise. “Now go to practice so I can get some work done.”
He chuckled and got up, heading for the door. But before he left, he turned. “Hey, thanks for helping Brian and his niece get settled. I knew you’d be able to handle that better than me. I appreciate it, and I know he does too.”
For some stupid reason, my cheeks felt hot, but I nodded and smiled. “Of course. He’s a member of the team.”
Rowdy nodded, still staring at me like he could read my mind. And I really didn’t want him to read my mind, because whenever I thought about Brian, my thoughts got x-rated. Which was both inconvenient and stupid, because that definitely wasn’t happening.
When he opened his mouth again, I thought for sure he was going to tease me about Brian. Something stupid about me having a crush. I was ready to shut him down when he said, “If you and Brian are finally gonna do something about the fact that you both stare at each other like lovestruck teenagers, I don’t need to know.”