Chapter 12
Being subtle wasn’t working, but it had established a timeline for my relationship with Jeremy. Now I needed to get the word out. As I sat at my desk, staring out my window, I thought of Oliver. From what I’d gathered, he had a huge circle of friends that included many hockey fans. If I could find a way to use him to post some pictures …
So far, I’d determined that my staff could be trusted. Whitney had kept the secret safe, so now was the time to bring them in, but not before letting Jeremy know my plan. I pulled out my phone to text him.
It’s time to up our game. I’m going to let my staff know. You okay with that?
While I waited for his reply, I formulated an email requesting a meeting with my team. I wasn’t going to send it until Jeremy gave me the go-ahead. In the meantime, I needed to come up with some ideas for us to go out socially. Hanging out with the wives and girlfriends was one idea, but like Jeremy had so astutely noticed, I hated it. Maybe I could orchestrate some pictures with Ethan and Tangi. The four of us having fun. That would probably work.
My phone chimed.
Go for it.
I waited a second and hit send on my email. I knew everyone was in the building, and an hour later we were all meeting in my office. I shut the door as they all crowded around. My office wasn’t big, but it could accommodate my desk and three additional chairs. As I took a seat behind my desk after closing the door, three faces stared at me intently.
“I have some personal news, and I want you all to be the first to know. I’m dating Jeremy Vaughn.” I realized as I said it that I sounded like I’d just made a deal for a sponsor rather than announcing a boyfriend, but I pressed on. “Normally, I wouldn’t go on about my personal life, but I feel this is important because he is a member of the Kodiaks. Just so we’re clear, Clay has given the relationship his blessing.”
By the look on Zane’s face, he wasn’t buying it. While Whitney and Oliver both smiled and congratulated me, his expression didn’t change. In fact, he was eyeing me suspiciously. I needed to go into damage control and convince him otherwise. If I couldn’t fool my staff into thinking Jeremy and I were an item, how could I convince anyone else? But I had to be careful. If I tried too hard, I could risk losing the others. I had to keep it cool and natural.
“I wanted you all to know first. I certainly didn’t expect it to happen, but I got to know him through my best friend Tangi. She’s Ethan Grant’s fiancée, and Ethan is Jeremy’s best friend. It’s early days, and nothing may come of it, but in case it starts to get out, I wanted there to be no surprises.”
Oliver nodded. “Funny you mention that. I have a friend who works in the team lounge, and she mentioned that you left with Vaughn, Grant, and his fiancée. Makes sense now.”
What luck!“Yes. Like I said, early days.”
Zane seemed less suspicious now thanks to Oliver’s revelation, and finally had something to say. “As long as Clay is good with it, no one else should have a problem. I do worry about Vaughn’s reputation. Is this really a good thing?”
“Who knows where it will lead, so I haven’t thought that far ahead. I know he made a huge mistake, but that shouldn’t define him for the rest of his life, right?”
Zane’s face contorted in confusion. Shit. I was selling this too hard and not being myself. They’d known me long enough that I didn’t see bright sides. Okay, time to dial it back again.
“Of course he used terrible judgment, and he should have probably got his ass traded out of town, but he’s a decent guy. So far, anyway.” Yes, better. Zane was back to buying it.
“My only advice is not to get embroiled in his mess. You don’t deserve that.”
“Noted. Thank you, Zane. And how is your workload? Any better?”
His face brightened. “Yes, it is. Thank you. I was getting a little burned out, but I’m able to breathe again.”
“Now we just have to manage Mark.”
Zane laughed. “Good luck with that.”
Zane and Whitney headed out, but I asked Oliver to stay behind. He looked a little concerned to be held back, and I was well aware that he was a little scared of me. I supposed I had that effect on people, but I needed Oliver, so I had to find a way past that.
“Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble,” I said. “I wanted to ask you some advice.” Yes, that seemed like the right way to put him at ease. “Since I’m new in town and starting out this new relationship, I thought you’d be the perfect person to ask about places to go around the city.”
Relief swept over him, and he smiled and let out a breath. “Oh sure, I know tons of places. If you like live music, I know where to go. Or if it’s just hanging out, I know a few great places. I’ll come up with a list and text it to you.”
“Great. That would be nice. I know people are still giving Jeremy some grief, so I’m trying to find ways to rehabilitate his image as well. Any ideas on that?”
“I can suggest a great one. Once a month a group of friends go down to Mainland Pantry. It’s a nonprofit food bank that sorts and distributes food packages to those in need. It’s rewarding and pretty fun. And at the end, we all take photos.”
A thought struck me. “Have the Kodiaks ever participated in something like that?”
“John, your predecessor, suggested it once and got no response. He didn’t try again.”
How unfortunate. I’d file the idea away for now. In the meantime, if Jeremy and I did something like that with a few of the other guys and their partners, it would be a great photo op, and it would help the community. A double win.
“Thank you for that. I’m going to look into it. If you have any other ideas, please let me know.”
He nearly skipped out of my office, and that’s when I knew we needed more team bonding. For whatever reason, John had been too busy pleasing Mark to care about his own team, and when the opportunity for a better job came up, he’d bolted, or at least that’s what I’d been told. Good for him. Now I would clean up his mess. If I’d learned anything from the train wreck that was Richardson’s, I wasn’t going to take my staff for granted.
Before the Kodiaks first road trip of the season, Jeremy and I went out on a coffee date. For me, it was another chance to get to know him, but for him, it was really a first time venturing out on a date since the Orla affair. I could see the tension in his face and the way his chiseled jaw set when we walked inside. Did he expect people to pelt him with stones? I headed for the counter, putting my arm through his, hoping that would put him at ease. I didn’t think people would care that he’d moved on with his life.
“Chai latte for me,” I said. “What do you want?”
“Large black coffee,” he said.
The barista didn’t recognize him, which I think was a relief to him? With our drinks in hand, we sat on some comfy chairs in the corner, but I took the window seat so that no one staring in would see him. The idea today was for the two of us to be seen, for me to post some pics on social media, and then for me to tag him. That was a huge relationship step.
“Have you heard of Mainland Pantry?” I said, pouring some sugar into my tea.
“I think so. A food bank?”
“Yes. I was thinking that you and I would volunteer there. Maybe drag Tangi and Ethan along. Some of your other teammates? Mainland Pantry prefer groups of ten, and since I know no one here, you’d have to recruit. It would show a lot of good PR, and I’m sure we can have Mainland Pantry plug the event. It wouldn’t hurt to also make a donation.”
“Not a bad idea.”
He glanced around every once in a while, his back ramrod straight as if he’d make a mad dash if he had to. I really had to get him to relax.
“Are you expecting someone to say something to you?”
He set his gaze on me, his steely blue eyes trying to read me. I had to admit that he’d grown on me, and he was totally gorgeous if that mattered, which it didn’t. I was having a hard time disliking him anymore. Interesting development. “Is it that obvious? I just don’t want a scene.”
“It won’t happen. People are brave when they don’t have to say and do something to your face. Think of all those keyboard warriors.”
“I suppose.”
“Besides, you could kick their asses.”
He laughed. “You do have a sense of humor.”
“We’re getting to know each other, so I’m letting my shield down. Doesn’t mean you get a pass or anything.”
He pulled his chair in closer and let his guard down a little. He even pulled off his jacket and revealed his muscled arms and rock-hard chest in the black polo shirt he had on. My pulse rate quickened. I could see the man had a great body, but why all the warm fuzzy feelings? I hadn’t felt those in years.
“So why be so crusty all the time? Why not let out the real Jill once in a while?”
“When I do that, people take advantage of the real Jill. And I’m fairly confident I’m past that point with you.”
His thoughtful expression warmed me up inside, and I didn’t like that feeling. It left me exposed. I kept telling myself this was the same doofus who’d slept with all the hot chicks and had dared to fool around with a much-loved teammate’s wife. I didn’t want to feel anything for him, because he was dangerous.
“Who screwed you over, Jill? You’re way too bitter about something.”
Like I’d ever tell him, even if his dreamy eyes were watching me intently. “I’ve had my fair of challenges. I also don’t make millions of dollars a year to ease my worries.”
“Are you sure you haven’t played hockey? That was a great deflection.”
I sipped my tea and scalded my mouth. Shit. I set it back down and shrugged. “Do we need to get into personal details?”
“I think we do. What if people ask me? I should know things about my new girlfriend.”
Now he was totally full of shit. “No one is going to ask you. No one is going to care about me.”
“Look, I should know if you have siblings, kids, or if you were married before. These are basics.”
“All a no.”
“I have an older sister and a younger brother. One is in Junior, and the other is a real estate agent. I have no kids that I know of and no former wives. Tell me about your parents.”
Now we were getting into dicey territory. Did I want to reveal any of that to him? Could I trust him not to throw it in my face later? But why would he? He wasn’t Eli. Eli had always looked down on me as the woman who came up the ranks against all the odds. I’d started working at Richardson’s the minute I could, starting with Saturdays only. Then I’d pick up hours in the evening to be away from my mother. After that, when I realized she wasn’t going to help me through school, I worked there full time during the summer break, and almost full time while at school. I barely had time for anything else. Eventually, I’d become a supervisor in the shoe department, then the manager. By the time I’d finished school, I was in middle management. A touching little story, but Eli felt sorry for me, and made it clear that he was always better than I was—he better-educated and with the pedigree, while I was the former sales associate.
“They divorced when I was young.”
“Let me guess, no relationship with him? That would explain some of your issues.”
My back went up. “My issues? Excuse me?”
“You’re on the defensive all the time. Maybe not having a dad around contributed to that. Is that so far-fetched?”
“I didn’t have a mother around either,” I muttered, loud enough for him to hear, which I regretted immediately.
He frowned. “Did you grow up in foster care for a while?” he asked, his voice dripping with pity.
I stared down at my chai latte, wondering how far down this road I wanted to go. “No, she was around enough to prevent that from happening. Let’s just say my mom was distant. She did the bare minimum, and once I hit my early teens, I took care of myself and her. She provided a roof over my head and bought the groceries, so there was that. But she didn’t want to be a mom. She was busy working, watching TV, hanging out with her friends, dating, and living her life. I went to school, cooked meals, cleaned the house, and when I got a job, I had the privilege of helping pay the bills, and then she made me pay rent. Imagine a fifteen-year-old having to pay part of the mortgage and car payments. More than half my paycheck went to her, and she was always quick to remind me. At least she didn’t bring sleazy boyfriends around, but she often disappeared for a week here or there on holidays with her boyfriend. She wasn’t a mom. She was a shitty roommate.”
“Oh. Man.” He didn’t have anything else to say. What could he say?
“I didn’t get to play team sports or musical instruments because I couldn’t pin her down to sign off on them. And she certainly wasn’t going to pay for it. I vowed when I turned eighteen I’d move out, and I did. I got a full-time job, went to school, got my business degree, finished my MBA while I was with Richardson’s, and now I’m paying down my student loans.”
And that one hundred grand from Clay, the money I’d turned down, would have covered it.
Jeremy looked a little shell-shocked, but he’d asked for it. “I’m sorry for being an asshole. And for bringing this up. I get that it hurts.”
“It’s fine,” I said, mustering up a pathetic smile. “And don’t feel sorry for me. I’ve made something of myself. She’s still an asshole.”
“You are a badass, Jill. You’re head of PR for a professional hockey team, and you’re not even thirty. I’d call that a success.”
He meant it. I knew that, but it was so hard taking the compliment. “Anyway, let’s take a few selfies so I can post them on IG. I’m going to tag you, and we’ll see how that goes.”
Something changed on his face. Was it because I’d gone back to the all-business side of me? I didn’t care. I was done sharing and needed to get back into work mode. And despite the somber chat we’d just had, we’d plastered on some authentic smiles for the selfies, and when he pulled me onto his lap, I squealed, and he took the picture. It turned out to be the cutest.
“All right,” I said, finishing off my latte. “I think we are good. I hope your road trip is a success.”
He grabbed my hand when I tried to leave. “You aren’t going to leave me here. A girlfriend wouldn’t do that. I’ll walk you back to your condo.”
“It’s not nec?—”
“Yes, it is.”
Less than ten minutes later, we were at my building. He’d spent the time talking about Vancouver and what I should get around to seeing and doing. I let him talk because it was the easiest thing to do.
“I’ll catch up with you when I get back. Why don’t you set up something with Mainland Pantry? I’ll secure the guys and a date. I’ll text you with the details.”
“Okay, I’ll do that.”
He hugged me this time, thankfully forgoing any kind of kiss. I walked to the door, and he walked away, and I couldn’t help looking back at him. He really wasn’t so bad, but I had to protect my heart. The poor thing had been battered so many times, and there was no way I was going to let him do it too.