Chapter 23
Georgia
“What are you telling me, Mark?”
Ford was agitated as hell, the phone call unexpected. He paced the lawn, moving back and forth while fisting his hand.
While he’d been much happier the last couple of weeks, enjoying the game he loved so much differently than when in competition, I could sense he was growing antsy for news about his future.
Hell, so was I.
I moved away, placing my glass of wine on one of the tables set up outside his parents’ house, searching for my phone. Roxanne had called my attention to a few posts she’d seen on the internet and I’d yet to take the time to find out what she’d been talking about.
It didn’t take me long to discover what she’d meant. One headline popped after another by a few seconds of scrolling online.
Portland Herald: Excitement Continues to Build as the Latest NHL Team Prepares for Tryouts
Seattle Sentinel: Will Ford ‘The Wolfman’ Kendrick Become a Portland Hellion Star?
Vancouver Times: Negotiations are Underway with the Vancouver Kingpins and Ford ‘The Wolfman’ Kendrick
“I consider it your loss, Mark. Thanks for nothing.”
I looked up, hearing his continued frustration. When he was about to throw the phone, I moved toward him. “Who was that?”
“My agent. I should say my former agent.”
“What?”
He nodded, squeezing the phone with enough force I could swear I heard the plastic crack. “With no offers on the table, he’s convinced I’m washed up.”
“That’s not true. You’re the best player in the AHL and it’s early.”
“It’s July, Georgia. Even Coach Stryker hasn’t said a word about continuing with my contract because the owners are skeptical.”
When he noticed I had my phone out, he pulled my hand so he could see what I was looking at.
“Don’t.” I tried to pull away but I could tell instantly that he’d read at least one headline. He even took the phone from my hand, shifting to another then another.
“Christ. The bastards. Everything the media says is a lie.”
“Just stop.” I snatched it back, offering a growl that usually brought a smile to his face.
Not this time.
“Every headline is absolute bullshit,” Ford growled after I highlighted the article I’d found online earlier than morning.
“Does that mean you haven’t had a discussion with the Vancouver team?” I slipped my phone into my purse, noticing a business card. When he backed away, I pulled it into my fingers. It took me a few seconds to realize the card was the one the reporter had left in the Velvet Roast six weeks before.
“Hell, no. I don’t know what they’re waiting on unless it has something to do with the Portland franchise.”
I thought I’d tossed the card, certain the man at the coffee shop had been a nosy reporter. Exhaling, I read the information a second time before shoving it back into my purse.
Uh-oh. I think I’d screwed up.
Oh, this was bad.
What did you do, girl?
“You need a new agent,” I told him, wincing as soon as the words slipped from my mouth.
“It’s not that easy, little Miss Know-it-all. With no offer on the table, there isn’t a chance in hell I’d get an audience. I need to face it. I’m done.” While he was teasing me, I bit my cheek to keep from making a sound.
What if the right moment had been tossed out like yesterday’s news? All my fault.
“Now I call bullshit.” My skin crawled while an idea formed in my brain. What if…
I’d need to do a little investigation, but what if the situation was accurate? Hmmm.
I gripped his arm, pulling him closer. Even a gorgeous, very hot July day hadn’t put him in a better mood. I could understand why. The Hellions had yet to extend an invitation to him and from what I knew, Vancouver hadn’t made any overtures either.
No matter what the reporters had insinuated.
That didn’t mean the regional newspapers hadn’t exacerbated the near frenzy surrounding the upcoming hockey season.
“Yeah, well, I know an end when I see one, so fuck this shit,” he gritted out before taking a long pull on his beer.
“No cursing, honey,” Margaret told him, her eyebrows raised. She’d appeared out of nowhere, although she was certainly one of the most gracious hosts I’d ever experienced in my life.
“Sorry, Mom. Just frustrated.” Ford wasn’t merely frustrated. He also wasn’t sleeping very well. I should know. I spent every night languishing over being next to his hot body.
A portion of my body shuddered in thinking about our raging passion. We definitely couldn’t get enough of each other.
“Try and enjoy the party. Please?” Everyone was frustrated now that the dog days of summer had hit the area. Not only because of the excessive heatwave but also since the entire family seemed to be walking on pins and needles. “You’ve earned a bit of relaxation.”
“You mean because my taskmaster here has taken a day off of torturing me.” He elbowed me in the side. I could tell he was doing his best to maintain some sense of a decent mood.
“Do you really want me to talk about torture?” I threw back. In the last few weeks, I’d become immersed in the world of hockey and with Ford’s family. They’d been nothing but gracious and not only because I continued to work with Ford in requiring him to take care of himself.
I chuckled inwardly from the thought. I’d even had him swimming laps at the local YMCA.
“I can always take your beer away and make you run laps.” When I reached for his beer, he pulled me closer, enough so he could whisper in my ear.
“If you do, I guess I’ll need to punish you tonight. In fact, you are overdue for a nice… long… spanking.”
Having his mother within hearing distance created a wave of embarrassment.
“Don’t you dare mistreat her, Ford. She has you in tiptop shape.”
“Thank you very much,” I told her. “Your son can be difficult.”
“Tell me about it,” she answered.
I enjoyed spending time with Ford’s family, even though I missed my father terribly. How many times had I almost picked up the phone to call him?
Ford grimaced. “You’re both difficult women.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” his mother said.
“The party is wonderful, Mrs. Kendrick,” I told her while offering my own admonishing glare to my hunky companion.
Both Cole and Beck were making their way to us after grabbing drinks from the bar. Their parents had gone all out for a summer blowout party. I’d been to their house a number of times, the sprawling Spanish-style ranch fronting woods on one side and a lake on the other. The setting was incredible.
And huge.
I’d even been introduced to other pack members, finally realizing how closely knit North Bend truly was as a town.
But not just the wolves. The humans who lived in town felt the same sense of longing to protect them as I did.
After the night in the rain, I’d sensed there were shifters keeping watch over everyone in town.
There’d been nothing overt, just an innate feeling that I was safe in my surroundings. That had allowed me to become more comfortable, even to forget I was possibly living in a bubble.
At least until the last couple of weeks, the headlines had remained quiet.
I had a feeling they were about to explode and I knew in my heart Ford was ready for anything.
“It’s Margaret, dear. You’re family now. I do wonder when I’m going to hear wedding bells.” She patted Ford on the shoulder before moving away.
“Mom!” Ford laughed, the bad mood broken for now.
“Is Mom pushing you two to get married again?” Beck asked.
“As usual.” Ford grimaced. “Not until I get my shit together.”
I smacked him in the stomach.
“What happened?” Beck glanced in my direction.
Ford hung his head as if embarrassed. “My agent bailed.”
“He wasn’t worth shit anyway.” Beck snorted. “Dickhead.”
“No, but now, I’m out of options. Did you see the latest headlines?”
Cole nodded first. “Yeah, I saw them. You know how excited everyone gets around this time of year. You’ll get a call.” He had a shit-eating grin on his face. “It happens when you least expect it.”
Beck and Ford looked at each other.
“What do you have up your sleeve?” Beck leaned in, lifting his eyebrows.
All they seemed to talk about when they were together was hockey. I’d gotten used to it. I’d been told more than once that’s what happened when there were three boys who played hockey in a family. However, when we were alone, everything was different.
In the weeks we’d known each other, Ford and I had chosen to ignore our respective pasts.
While I wanted to know what had occurred years before, the outcome turning him into a grump, he was entirely different than when I’d met him.
He was much happier, even if I continued to feel a dark vibe running through him.
“Well, you might want to ask Coach Stryker when you see him.”
“No!” Ford said, excited, but I could see how hard he was trying to hide his disappointment.
I was angry with the entire game of hockey, but the idea I had was digging its way into my brain. I’d read enough on the subject to feel more confident in what I was talking about. Maybe that would help. Or maybe the man behind the designer suit would laugh at me.
Cole shrugged, looking sheepish. “I hope you don’t mind, but I was offered a spot on the Seattle Wild.”
“Mind?” Ford lifted his beer, genuinely happy for his brother. “About damn time. It was the hockey camp. Wasn’t it?”
Cole shrugged. “Maybe coaching over the summer had a little to do with it. You know the captain is a man of few words.”
“Give me a bear hug, bro. That’s fantastic.” Beck grinned.
There was something very special about seeing their connection, but I had a feeling they would give each other shit any time the situation called for it.
“At least you know what the hell is going on,” Ford grumbled. “I don’t have a professional tryout agreement and merely a handshake that I’m coming back to Seattle. Now, with Mark bailing and last year’s performance, I might be tossed back to the ECHL. Sorry, Beck.”
“Hey, man. I get that the NHL is important to you.” Beck turned toward me, offering a nod that spoke volumes.
He was up to something.