Chapter 7- Tate #2
I feel the weight of the loss like a stone in my gut. I really have to make it work with this team. I don’t want to be traded from team to team until my career is over. I had something good with the Dallas Stars for a long time.
I’m still in my best years of playing, but I need to lock down a long-term contract. I have to. For Matty.
I hope he’s been good for Allison. He’s a good kid and so is Hudson. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t know how they could get each other into trouble though. I grew up with three siblings. Separately we were all angels. Soon as you put us together, we’d be up to no good.
Presley was the worst of us. Especially when all she had to do was shed a dainty tear in my leather-tough father’s direction and he’d melt like ice cream in the Texas sun.
I twirl my phone in my hand as I stare out of the plane window. The sky is so dark I see more of my reflection than I do outside. I pull the cover shut.
The plane is dark and there is low murmuring from a few people talking to their wives and among each other.
Is Matty still awake? Would Alli even be awake right now? It is pretty late. I scan my teammates sitting nearby. Ripley is engulfed in whatever he’s reading with the rookie fast asleep on his shoulder.
Ronan is failing to hide his envious stare at Fitz chatting with Coach Randall, who then puts a hand on Fitz's shoulder. Ronan scoffs and takes an aggressive bite of his candy bar.
Screw it.
I put my headphones on. Her number is easy to find since she’s the only A in my contacts. I don’t hesitate to hit the facetime button.
It rings twice before she answers. Her screen is dark when she answers in a sleepy tone.
“Hello?”
“Hey, sorry to call so late.” I whisper so I’m not overheard or disturbing my teammate.
There’s a small click and then the light from her lamp illuminates her face. Her hair is in a messy bun on top of her head with pieces falling, framing her face. I’m not talking about the ones girls say is a messy bun, but it’s really styled like that on purpose- no, it’s a rat's nest on her head.
Yet somehow, it’s adorable as hell.
“It’s okay. Hold on a sec.” She whispers, her raspy voice causing chills to raise on my arms.
She’s squinting at me as she reaches past the screen for something. I’m facing the ceiling a moment before she reappears with red framed glasses on.
“Jesus Christ.” My voice comes out as a whisper. I can’t help but stare at her, soaking in every detail of her like this. No professional updo and not a speck of makeup. Like this, She's just… Allison.
Allison… who is staring at me strangely right now. I blink and clear my throat, ground myself again.
“Sorry about that. The boys are already asleep for the night.” She gives me an apologetic smile. “I can take the phone in there for you to see him though.”
Her green eyes are glossy with sleep, making them look like two glowing emeralds in the Christmas lights. Above her head the hallway is lit up with glowy Christmas garland that creates some sort of halo around her head.
She flips the camera around as she cracks the door to what I assume is Hudson’s room. It’s dark inside except for a nightlight lamp projecting a galaxy around the ceiling and walls, or what would be the walls. Instead, there are blankets strung up messily to create a fort.
She manoeuvres through the room and ducks into the fort. There are two mattresses on the ground next to each other and a battery powered lamp hanging from their makeshift roof.
She lets out a giggle and points the camera to show me her discovery.
The empty ice cream bowls they must’ve snuck up to the room. Hudson’s bowl is still on his belly as he sleeps on his back with his arms fallen to his sides.
“Busted.” I whisper.
Allison collects the bowl and tucks his arms into his blanket. Her fingers brush his hair off his face. She turns the camera to Matty on the other side of the fort.
My chest squeezes when she pulls his blanket over his shoulder and runs her fingers through his hair the same way she did to her own son a moment before.
Only Matty’s mouth upturns in a small, contended smile and burrows deeper into his pillow.
I’m stunned by the sharp pang that follows leaving me speechless. Something that rips the plaster off a giant hole in my stomach.
The camera is flipped back around the show Allison again as she snuggles into her bed, pulling the red silky sheet over her shoulder.
“You love Christmas, don’t you?” I ask, noticing all the effort and care she’s put into decorating her home. Inside and out.
“I really do. I take my job as the magic maker very seriously around here.” She gives me a very serious nod and tucks a hand between her face and her red silk pillow.
“Magic Maker. I like that. That was definitely my mom. Always keeping traditions. She even used to help decorate the house I built for Matty and I back in Texas.” I give my head a little shake at the thought of my sad scrooge of a house waiting for me.
I’m sure it looks pitiful next to Allison’s.
Our neighbourhood is one that usually requires light displays.
“She sounds great. I’m sure she really misses you.” Her voice is soft and dreamy. “Will you and Matty be going back for Christmas this week?”
“Not for Christmas, but when we play Dallas in a couple weeks for sure.”
“Do you miss it?”
“It's still early. I have to admit it does feel nice to stretch my wings a bit. It’s hard to not have that help though. I’m not sure how you’ve done it alone.
” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I regret them.
My hand rubs my forehead as if I could wipe the memory of that idiotic comment and start over.
“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insinuate you didn’t have help just because you’re divorced or— “
“No, don't be sorry. You’re not wrong.” She gives me a sad smile. “I was alone in it long before my marriage ended. It took me a while to see it. And a few lessons in tough love from Emalyn.”
She smiles a genuine smile at whatever memory that brings to her mind.
“Y’all seem close.”
“Of course, she's like, my soulmate.” Allison grins at that as she watches for my reaction. I just shake my head with a small huff.
“Ronan seems to think that position is taken.”
That gets a glorious giggle from her. One that has her throwing her head back and displaying her perfectly straight teeth.
That sound just does something to calm the buzzing in my ear.
It’s satisfying. Like that feeling after the Zamboni has polished over new ice and you’re the first one to skate on it.
New slices in the ice on each glide of your skates.
Or the perfect sound of a stick hitting the puck into the net and the lighting of the net signalling a goal.
“Tate? Did you hear me?” She asks, that angel soft voice of hers flowing through my headphones.
I realised for the second time I was in a trance.
“Oh uh...” I scramble for an explanation for my staring. She’ll either think I'm rude or a creep.
“Sorry, I was just thinking I could really use some help planning team dinner tomorrow. Apparently, it’s supposed to be a Christmas team dinner. They conveniently left that out when they stuck it on me.”
“Oh, I used to love doing that!” She sighs wistfully. Then waves her hand through the air dismissing whatever nostalgia was remaining. “I could get your house all set up and catered dinner if you’d like.”
“Cater? They want me to barbecue.” I scoff. “I didn’t know catering was allowed. Even if it was, I'm sure my momma would be disappointed in me if I wasn't a good host. I mostly need help to keep it from getting… I don't know, boring, I guess.”
“Geez, I haven’t had any barbecue in so long. I used to really love these pulled pork baked potatoes that this restaurant in the city sold. I’d drive in the middle of the night to get them when I was pregnant.” She gets a glint in her eye that has me grinning.
I love a woman passionate about food, even if she tries to mute it.
“Well, then, you’re gonna love what I'm whipping up. You’ll have to stay for dinner too. And help me keep these jerks entertained.” I try to hide my excitement at Alli being in my house. Staying for team dinner and helping me plan it.
I’ve never brought women around, never brought anyone home. There were lots of guys in my old team who had families though. Their wives would be serving wine and greeting all the guests.
I never felt like I was missing out exactly.
Matty came first, then my career only because it provided for my son.
Anything and everything else came after.
Something was shifting inside me since the move.
Maybe I could see that for myself someday with…
someone. Or maybe I was too set in my ways.
Not many women want a man who not only has a son but also travels so often for work.
“Hey, one of those jerks is her little brother!” Ronan scares the shit out of me when he leans across the aisle and the empty aisle seat next to me just to grin at the screen. He gives Allison a wink. A pink flush appears across her cheeks and down her neck.
“So? I know you’re a hooligan.” Her face twists into a playful outrage, though she’s hiding her smile. “Not to mention, he was only my foster brother for like 6 months because he almost burned the house down.”
“What’d she say?” Ronan asks pulling at my headphones like that will help him. I swat his hand and he swats mine back like we are teenage girls instead of professional hockey players.
“They’re not that kind of headphones, idiot.” I roll my eyes. Apparently, I hit a nerve because Ronan gasps dramatically with a hand on his chest. I hear someone mutter “here we go” from in front of me. Maybe Fitz. Or Ripley.
“I’ll have you know” Ronan stabs a finger into my chest. Hard.
I rub at it with a slight pout. Allison giggles on the video call, melting my heart.
“Just because I didn’t graduate high school doesn’t make me an idiot.
Plenty of successful people have GEDs. Matter of fact, there are plenty of successful high school and college dropouts… ”
His rant continues, talking about the start some people get in life, how not everyone can be born on a farm like a precious spring lamb. That earns a scoff and an eye roll from me.
“You’re preaching to the choir, man.” I wave a hand dismissively. Ronan's gaze turns assessing. I ignore him in hopes of getting back to a conversation with the gorgeous woman on the phone, but when I look back at the screen, her eyes are closed.
She must’ve propped me up on a pillow because she has both hands under her cheek now. She’s breathing softly, her chest rising and falling in each breath. I say goodnight anyway and hang up.
Ronan. that little shit. He’s already vacated the seat he was in a moment ago. I lean forward to glance behind me and across the aisle, looking to give him a piece of my mind, when my eyes snag on someone glaring at me from under a bushy eyebrow frown. TJ.
He’s sitting diagonal from my seat and probably saw my phone screen the whole time. Protectiveness flares hot through my body. He obviously saw Allison on the video call and heard Ronan, because let’s be honest— who couldn’t?
I don’t waver under his scrutiny. I hold his stare until he shakes his head and scoffs, looking away first. I hope that doesn't cause Alli any grief.
Does she even still deal with him now that they're divorced?
Hudson said he was gone but that could just mean gone from the house for all I know.
It's probably not a good idea to base anything off the word of a nine-year-old. Surely TJ still sees Hudson.
I've heard of plenty of hockey men having to split weekends and trade holidays with their kids. Something about Hudson being carted off between homes like that breaks my heart.
I rest my head back against the seat and close my eyes. My thoughts drift to more exciting things, like Alli coming over for the team dinner tomorrow.
The perfect excuse to have her in my kitchen, filling the space with her sweet perfume.