Chapter 6
Holden
As I made my way to one of the event rooms of the resort, I tried to loosen my shoulders in an effort to not be so grumpy.
I wasn’t a normally jovial person, but I didn’t consider myself a grump either.
But right now? I was feeling all kinds of grumpiness.
I blamed it on the holidays. They had never been my favorite.
Just the name of this event I was headed to had me rolling my eyes.
They couldn’t just call it a meet and greet.
No, it was the Mynt Mingle and Jingle. Barf.
But I’d go and fulfill the terms of my contract, listen to the orientation, meet some of the other athletes, sign a few autographs, take a few pictures with some of the VIP guests, and then get out of there.
Thankfully, this was for charity, and I enjoyed being a part of the Mynt to Make a Difference foundation, so it would be worth it in the end.
Even if I wasn’t a Christmas fan, I was definitely a charity fan.
I instantly went for one of the seats in the back, away from most of the people, and just as I sat down a tap on the mic sounded. I had gotten pretty good at timing things so I was never late but not so early I had to worry about making small talk with anyone.
A woman with short curly blond hair stood on the small stage. “Welcome, everyone!” Her high, lilting voice echoed through the room as she spoke into the microphone, her enthusiasm radiating so intensely that it felt suffocating to me.
“We’re thrilled to have you all here to support an incredible cause: Mynt to Make a Difference.
But I won’t say another word about that.
” She mimed locking her lips and tossing away the key before flashing a wide smile.
“I’ll leave that honor to the one and only, the amazing Founder and CEO of Mynt Athletic Clothing, as well as the owner of this resort—your sponsor and biggest fan—Barry Mynt! ”
With a dramatic flourish, she swept her arm toward Barry Mynt, who was already stepping onto the stage. He wore a dark-green suit with a tiny peppermint candy pattern. Although he looked to be in his early sixties, his hair was completely white, matching his close-trimmed beard.
I’d had the opportunity to meet Barry a few times, and although he was a bit eccentric, he was a hard guy not to like. With his green suit and white beard, I could actually see him pulling off Santa Claus, although he’d definitely need to add a pillow to his waistline to help the appearance.
“Thanks, Cindy, for that wonderful introduction,” he said to her with a smile before turning to face the crowd.
“Wow. What a group we have here. Some of the greatest athletes in the world—and I couldn’t be happier to have you be a part of Mynt Athletic Clothing.
” He smoothed down his peppermint-patterned suit coat.
“Now, I could stand up here and talk about how Mynt is all about pushing limits, breaking barriers, and making you look good while doing it. But this week isn’t about sales; it’s about giving.
And not just giving yourself an extra helping of Christmas cookies, though I fully support that decision.
” He gave an exaggerated wink. “We’re here to make a difference.
Mynt to Make a Difference—see what I did there?
But in all seriousness, this event is about using our platform and our passion to help those in need. ”
I tried to stay engaged with the rest of his remarks, but in truth, I was only half listening.
Something about the week’s schedule, the activities, the fundraising efforts, the special appearances, blah, blah, blah.
I was already itching to get out of here.
What I really wanted to do right now was be alone on the ice.
But that wasn’t going to be happening while I was here.
The resort did have an outdoor ice rink, but it was open to the public, which meant a lot of people—and I was sure more than a few of those people would recognize me.
Not that I didn’t enjoy some interaction with fans, but it could also get to be overwhelming at times.
Especially if I wasn’t prepared. Today, I knew I would be meeting with fans who had paid for a special VIP ticket to meet and greet the athletes, and I had been able to mentally prepare for the hour that was slated for us to shake hands and take photos.
All of a sudden, the word icebreaker pulled me from my thoughts.
He couldn’t be serious. We weren’t really going to do a get-to-know-you game, were we?
“For our festive icebreaker,” Barry continued, “we’ll break out into small groups. You’ll each say your name, your sport, a team if you have one, and answer a holiday question.” He was smiling so big, like this was the best idea he’d ever had.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Being forced to be social and act like you wanted to get to know someone was not what I called fun. But I guessed duty called.
Barry started breaking the room into groups, and once we all knew where we were going, the chattering of the crowd started as they began to answer Barry’s questions.
I slowly got up to join my group since I was sitting the farthest away. There were five of us in the group, and I reluctantly pulled my chair into the small circle and sat down.
“Hi, I guess I’ll go first,” said a girl with dark hair.
“I’m Kelly and I’m a golfer.” She glanced up at the large screen behind the stage where the questions we were supposed to answer were listed.
“Okay, so…” she said and began reading from the screen.
“If you were one of Santa’s reindeer, which one would you be and why?
” She let out a giggle. “Oh, my goodness, that’s easy.
I would totally be Prancer because everyone loves watching me on the green, and I always give a good show, bringing more viewers to the game of golf. ”
That was the question we had to answer? And was I the only one who thought it was odd that she automatically knew exactly what reindeer she would be? Although I had learned a lot about her from her answer.
“Hi everyone,” the next girl said. “I’m Juliet Morgan, and I play soccer for the US women’s team. And I guess if I had to pick a reindeer, I’d pick Rudolph, if that counts, because when I get cold, my nose turns bright red.”
The rest of the group chuckled, and she even got a small smile out of me at her answer.
“Um, hi. I’m Chloe Reynolds, and I’m a figure skater. And I guess…if I were one of Santa’s reindeer, I’d be Blitzen.” She paused, then rushed to clarify. “Because like lightning, I tend to show up out of nowhere. Like at nationals. I kind of won it by accident.” She laughed nervously.
It was now my turn, and I still didn’t know what reindeer I would be. This whole thing was ridiculous.
“I’m Holden Prescott. I play hockey for the Minnesota Wolves.
” I wanted to finish there, stand up, and walk away, but I’m pretty sure being a good sport was part of the contract.
“If I had to be a reindeer…” I racked my brain to come up with something—anything, at this point.
“I would be Comet because I’m fast on the ice. ”
A short burst of song came through the speakers that sounded a lot like “Jingle Bells,” signaling the end of the icebreaker time. Thank goodness. Saved by the bell—literally.
Then it was on to a group photo, in which all of us had to wear a Santa hat, before we were ushered over to tables where we’d sit to greet the fans.
The double doors opened on the other side of the room, and a line of people began filing in, each wearing a lanyard that held their VIP ticket.
A young boy made a beeline for my table, and I couldn’t help the small smile that escaped at his excitement. Meeting people like this kid was definitely a highlight of the job.
The boy, who looked no more than twelve years old, held my jersey in his hand.
“I’m your biggest fan,” he informed me, his words rushed.
“I’ve been a fan since you first got drafted to the New York Coyotes and…
” He paused, looking around like he lost something.
“I should have brought that jersey too,” he said more to himself than to me.
His mom stood behind him and patted him on the shoulder. “It’s okay, Sam. You have his current jersey for him to sign.”
He perked back up. “And I followed your trade last year to the Minnesota Wolves with Zeke Lawson. Sucks that he isn’t playing anymore, but it’s okay since he’s old.”
I tried to hold in my laughter at the boy’s last comment and would definitely be sharing that the next time I talked to Zeke. And the kid was right—it did suck that Zeke was no longer playing, even though his replacement, Cornell, was beginning to figure things out.
“Do you play hockey, Sam?” I asked him.
He nodded vigorously. “Yes, sir. I’m a left wingman, just like you.”
“Glad we both play the best position.” I smiled. “Are you going to be at the Holiday Hockey Shootout later this week?” It was one of the events I was scheduled to attend, where people donated to play to raise money for the charity.
“Yeah.” He then turned to look up at his mom. “We’re going to be there, right?”
She nodded.
“Then I’ll see you there, and maybe I can show you a few of my favorite tricks.”
“Really? That would be so cool.”
He handed me his jersey, and I signed my name.
“Thank you, Holden Prescott.”
This time, a full smile crossed my lips. Funny how some fans loved to say my whole name. “You’re welcome, Sam. I’ll see you later.”
He walked away, holding up the jersey and staring at my autograph.
“I know he said he was your biggest fan, but it’s actually me.”
I looked up to find my Aunt Maggie standing in front of my table next.
I let out a small chuckle. Of course she was here supporting me. I should have known. As wealthy as she and my uncle were, she definitely had enough money to buy one of the VIP tickets.
But then Belle stepped out from behind her, and I was momentarily taken aback by her presence.
I hadn’t expected to see her. And although I preferred the look she’d had when we’d first met, she still looked beautiful today, her honey-blond hair down, sleek and straight, with a black sweater and gray dress pants.
She gave me a half-hearted wave and the briefest of smiles.
I couldn’t help my brows from furrowing as I tried to piece together why she seemed so different from our time in New York, but before I could attempt to figure anything out, Aunt Maggie was talking.
“I brought Isabelle with me because she doesn’t have a jersey signed by you.” She pulled out a jersey from her large purse. “Good thing I brought one.” She thrust it out to me, the jersey inches from my face.
I took the jersey and laid it out in front of me. “Yeah, good thing.” I mentally shook my head at her.
Aunt Maggie probably was my biggest fan.
A twinge of guilt went through my gut. I’d been horrible at keeping in touch since moving to Minnesota.
Although if I were being honest, I hadn’t done a great job of visiting her even when I had been living in New York.
She had been nothing but kind to me, and she deserved more than me ignoring her.
That was a huge reason why I’d invited her here this week, but actually spending time with her—with family—wasn’t something that came easily to me.
I signed my name and handed the jersey to Belle. “Sorry my aunt dragged you down here.”
“Oh, don’t be. I was happy to come,” she assured me with a polite smile, but she didn’t meet my gaze. “It’s surreal to be around all these professional athletes.” She looked around the bustling room.
Was she purposefully avoiding eye contact with me?
Aunt Maggie hummed in agreement. “It is rather exciting.”
I put the cap back on the marker. “Where are Alex and Uncle Paul?”
Aunt Maggie tsked, but her face held no real anger. “Working, if you can believe that.”
I could believe that. It’s all they ever did. My only memories of Uncle Paul growing up were of him working, so I wasn’t sure why Aunt Maggie sounded surprised.
I only nodded.
“We’ll let you get back to the rest of your fans,” Aunt Maggie said, glancing over her shoulder at the long line.
I watched her and Belle walk to the next line to meet another one of the athletes, my eyes tracking Belle’s movements.
And track her movements they did for the next hour as I greeted fans. I tried to be present as I talked with each person, but my eyes would eventually betray me, easily finding her in the crowd, always knowing where she was in the room.
That was frustrating all on its own, but what was even more frustrating was that not once did I ever catch her looking at me.
Almost like she had forgotten I was here.
That shouldn’t have bothered me. She had a boyfriend—my cousin.
And yes, I needed to keep reminding myself of that fun little fact.
Because as much as I knew she was off-limits, I couldn’t deny the pull I felt toward her, the desire to see if I could feel again what I’d felt for her when we’d shared a meal at Rolf’s restaurant, the longing to watch her eyes light up when she talked and her hands tried to keep up with whatever she was saying.
Except it didn’t matter if there was a pull, a desire, or a longing, because nothing could ever happen between me and her.
Plus, even if my cousin wasn’t standing in our way, and besides us living in two completely different states, I didn’t do relationships.
I didn’t get close to people. Choosing to be alone in life had served me well, and I wasn’t going to give it up for a pair of warm brown eyes and a laugh that drowned out my solitary thoughts.
Nope, I wouldn’t spare her another glance.
So when my eyes betrayed me again, I knew I was in trouble. The kind of trouble that cracked your walls and made you ache for something you swore you’d never need.