Chapter 7
Ax
In the five years I’ve played in the pros, I’ve been hip-checked against the boards, blown up on the ice, and had one of my front chiclets knocked out.
But I have never been pummeled by a pint-sized little girl.
“Whoa there,” I say with a laugh. I stagger back on my feet, instinctively and covertly cupping my crotch to protect my balls. Once I know they’re not in danger from being badly injured, I reach down and gently grasp the shoulders of a tiny girl who barely reaches past my knees.
She looks up at me, all wide gray eyes and heart-shaped mouth, and giggles. “Oops! Saw-wie, mithter.”
It takes me a second to translate the words, giving time for Halle to speedily round the corner and push in front of me.
“Lenni! Be careful!” Halle grabs hold of the little girl’s hand and tugs her to her side, then looks at me in distress. She places a hand on my arm, offering an apology. “Dane, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
The touch sends an electric current up my spine so powerful it’s a shock to my system.
Am I okay? No, come to think of it, I’m not.
Because I’ve been knocked on my ass the last week since I learned that Halle now works for the Vikings. I’m seriously living in some kind of déjà vu Twilight Zone type of moment, and things keep getting stranger by the minute.
“Dane?” she asks again, concern in her voice. “Seriously, are you hurt?”
I chuckle. “Of course not. I’m fine. Pretty sure a kid her size can’t do much damage to a guy my size. Although it was a close call.”
Halle drops her hand, but the heat of her touch still lingers like a warm, pulsing glow over my skin.
“Good.”
The girl, sandy-blond hair swinging like a pendulum behind her, is now bouncing on her toes, holding up some paper that appears to have been colored on. “Mama, Mama! Look, Mama! Look what I made for your new desk.”
The word Mama doesn’t quite register with me the first time it’s spoken. Or the second. But by the third time, I realize it’s directed at Halle.
I blink, my attention swinging back to Halle, and the question flies out of my mouth.
“You have a kid?”
I sound like I’ve tasted something that doesn’t agree with me, but I don’t mean to. I’m just in disbelief over the idea that someone I once dated already has a kid.
I suppose Halle could be married by now. That thought gives me a sad pause.
My question—or the way it was asked—has Halle’s cheeks turning impossibly red. Cherry red.
Her tongue sweeps out over her own heart-shaped lips, and her bright teal eyes meet my gaze head-on with a look of serious determination.
“Yes. This is my daughter, Lennon.” She bends down and swoops her daughter into her arms, settling her onto her hip. “Lenni, this is Dane Axelrod. He’s a Vikings hockey player, and they call him Ax. Say hello.”
Lennon grows suddenly shy, winding her arms tightly around Halle’s neck and burrowing her face into her mother’s neck. A neck I’ve been intimately familiar with. I remember how warm and soft it was. The dainty curve of it that I traced with my tongue and kissed with my lips.
I give myself a mental shake. Get your head in the game, bro.
Lenni waves a hand that still clutches the drawing and murmurs, “Hi” from her position in Halle’s embrace. Halle lifts her eyebrows as if to say What can you do? And then pries the paper from her daughter’s hand so she can hold it out for inspection.
“My goodness. Lenni, this is so beautiful! Thank you. Do you want to tell Ax what you drew?”
She shakes her head timidly.
I tilt my head to the side, dropping my chin so I can peer into her face. “Do you mind if I take a look anyway?”
Her soft pewter eyes stare at me, and she gives a little nod of approval.
Halle tips her head up to me, her mouth curving into an appreciative smile, and I take the paper from her fingers.
A sizzle of electricity skirts up my arm the minute we touch, and I nearly snap my hand away, fumbling with the picture.
I look down at the handmade drawing. It appears to be a rendition of Lenin and her mom standing next to a house. In the top right corner are three tiny stick-figure people. There’s also a black circle that looks like a hockey puck—definitely not drawn to scale—that’s half the size of the house.
Surprisingly, the picture gives me a pretty good idea of what’s going on in Halle and Lennon’s lives. Or at least, I think I’m on the right track. I’m no kid-art expert.
I turn the picture around to face them and point to the icons. “This is a really good drawing. Is this you and your mommy and your new house?”
Lenni lifts her head and nods emphatically. I mean, I’m not too familiar with kids, but I have been known to charm a lot of women. I’m thinking same skills employed, just different audience.
“Mm-hmm.”
Then I point to the people in the corner. “And who are these people?”
“That’s my papa.” She first points to the larger of the three stick figures and then extends her small hand to the guy now standing at my side.
My gaze follows the direction she’s pointing and I come face-to-face with Halle’s dad.
I remember meeting him a few times back in Calgary when Halle and I dated, but I can’t for the life of me remember his name.
I give him a nod but don’t say anything. Luckily, I have his granddaughter to help me out.
“And what’s your papa’s name?” I ask, deploying my stealthy spy skills.
She giggles, swinging her head first to Halle and then to her grandfather.
“Papa,” she states with certainty, and gives me a critical look like I’m some kind of idiot. Fair point. Kids her age probably don’t know first names of their immediate family members.
This earns chuckles from all of us, and I look like the fool she made me out to be.
I snicker. “Ahh, of course.”
Halle’s dad jumps in to save me from further embarrassment, giving me a clap on the back and extending his hand to shake mine. “Clint MacAlister. And it’s good to see you again, Dane. We’ve watched your career grow over the years, and I’m proud to say I knew you when.”
I peer at Halle and notice the red-tinged neck and cheeks have returned once again. I raise an eyebrow at her, and she rolls her eyes.
Turning back to Clint, I shake his hand. “Good to see you again too, Clint. Are you still in Calgary? Or here permanently?”
“Nah. I’ve just been here to help my girls get settled. I’m leaving soon, but I’m looking forward to seeing you play tonight.”
“Oh, yeah?” I pin Halle with my knowing gaze. “You’re attending the game?”
Halle shrugs indifferently.
“I really wish the two boys could be here, too, but they’re busy with school and their own hockey.”
That’s right. Halle had two younger brothers who both played hockey.
Back when I was playing juniors, they were at the rink all the time, which is how Halle wound up working part time at the concession stand.
Although she was their older sister, she’d been responsible for them after her mother died.
That always impressed me about Halle. She was far more mature than any of the other girls I’d met.
My eyes travel back to Halle, who smooths her daughter’s hair away from her face.
It’s such a tender, motherly gesture that it warms the inside of my chest with its sweetness.
I examine both of their faces. Lennon’s coloring is somewhat different from Halle’s, who has dark teal-blue eyes and reddish-brown hair.
Their mouths are the same shape, though, and their button noses are very similar.
Lennon is an adorable girl with an infectious smile and laugh.
“How are your brothers doing?”
Halle looks first to Clint and then back to me, her expression turning to sisterly love.
“Good. Zack’s playing college hockey in Utah, and Drew is a high school senior and playing juniors. Just like you did.” Her bright blue eyes flash something I can’t quite read, and she quickly turns away.
Is she thinking what I am? How she was adamant she didn’t want anything to do with me because I was a hockey boy, as she called me? How I won her over, and we spent every moment we could in that short time we had that winter?
Does she remember how intense things were between us? How good they were? So good that she gave me her virginity?
I was such a dumbass for giving it all up and walking away from her.
A wave of regret washes over me. I clear my throat, now dry from the memories that haunt me and the awkwardness of this moment.
It’s one thing to have a run-in with an ex, but then to add her dad and her child, to boot?
The longer I stay, the more likely I am to say something stupid. I need to get out of here.
“Well, hey, it was good to see you both again,” I blurt out, reaching a hand to clap Clint on the back and turning toward Halle again. I don’t know what I expected when I stopped down to say hello, but it sure wasn’t this.
She’s a mom. I itch to learn more about her life, but now isn’t the time or the place.
“I’ll see you around, Cherry. Maybe we can do lunch or coffee after practice someday soon. I’d love to properly catch up.”
I’m about to place a kiss on Halle’s cheek but stop myself, remembering where and who we are now.
Instead, I grin widely at Lennon and wiggle my fingers in front of her face. Then I bop the tip of her nose with a fingertip.
“Nice to meet you, too, Lulu Lennon. I hope you’re coming to watch my game tonight too.”
Her face contorts into a frown of protest. “My name’s not Lulu. It’s just Lenni.”
I chuckle and give Halle one final glance before I head toward the elevators.
As I wait for the doors to open, I hear Lenni ask her mom a question, and I smile.
“Mama, why did Ax call you Cherry?”