Chapter 27
Caleb
“You’re worried about something,” I announce, running my fingers through Roxanne’s hair as she lies her head on my lap, soaking up the sun.
“How do you know that?” she muses with a coy grin on her lips.
“You get this cute little line on your forehead whenever you’re thinking about something too hard,” I tease before leaning down and kissing said line.
“Are you saying that I have worry wrinkles?” she admonishes with a slap on my knee, her amber eyes shimmering with mirth.
“Just one. This cute one right here.” I lean in again and pepper it with kisses.
“Stop.” She giggles. “Someone might see.”
“Not anyone that matters, love.” I shrug, unapologetic. “I say, let them watch.”
I really couldn’t give a rat’s ass who sees me kissing my woman.
Only two people know about Roxie’s secret hiding place at this park, and both of them are currently living it up in Dallas.
Thank Christ for that.
With Trent visiting Rex, my Roxie has relaxed into the girlfriend role with far better ease.
But I guess that’s to be expected.
With Trent away, too far to see what we’ve been up to, she doesn’t feel like her job is on the line every time she kisses me back.
I know the risk she’s taking in being with me.
And I don’t take it for granted.
I even told her I didn’t mind keeping our relationship on the down-low for as long as she needed. Still, I know lying—even if only by omission—doesn’t come naturally to her. Her morals and ethics just won’t allow her to keep up the facade for too long. Sooner or later, she’ll have to come clean to her boss, and I know that worries her. Trent can be somewhat of an asshole when people don’t play by his rules.
“Is that what you’re worried about? Someone spotting us together?” I ask, wondering if that’s where her head is at.
“I’m always worried about that, but no. That’s not what’s on my mind right now,” she explains, crestfallen.
“What is it, love? What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” she dismisses with a weak smile while getting up from the grass just enough to settle in between my thighs and lean her back against my chest.
I wrap my arms around her and kiss her neck.
“I know it’s not nothing. Tell me,” I insist.
“I’m worried about a patient of mine.” She lets out a sigh. “I haven’t heard from him in over two weeks. Not since he was discharged from the hospital after his unsuccessful knee surgery.”
“I’m sorry, love. Is he anyone I know?”
“Actually, yes. Lenny Walker. Does the name ring a bell?”
“Of course it does,” I retort. “I was there when he had his injury. I take it he’s not getting better then?”
She shakes her head.
“His days of professional hockey are long gone, I’m afraid.”
“For real? Fuck. I’m sorry to hear that.” I frown.
No wonder she’s worried about him.
I remember Lenny.
He was always in his head with a big chip on his shoulder.
So when a guy like that loses the one thing he’s good at, well… let’s say I’d be worried for him, too, if I was his therapist.
“I don’t know what to do. I even thought I might take a page out of your handbook and show up at his place unannounced.”
Yeah.
Like fuck that’s happening.
If Lenny is losing his shit, there’s no way I want Roxie near him right now.
“Give Lenny a couple more days, love,” I suggest, trying to get the idea of going to his place out of her head, “I’m sure he’ll turn up eventually.”
“I hope so.” She chews on her bottom lip, unable to hide her concern.
But before I’m able to kiss her frown away, the timer on her phone starts to ring out, officially ending our lunch date.
“Argh. I really wish I could just spend the afternoon here with you, but duty calls.”
She plants a tender kiss on my lips before getting to her feet.
Reluctantly, I follow her lead and get up, too.
“I also have a busy afternoon,” I reply, wrapping my arms around her.
“Oh?” she beams brightly at me.
“Yep. Just some errands I have to do before my training session with Bellamy.”
Her smile stretches at that.
“Did I tell you how proud I am for you and Bellamy being friends now? After everything that happened between the two of you.”
“No, but you can tell me now. Or better yet, why don’t you show me?” I tease, tilting my head to the underpass where we hooked up once.
“How about I show you later back at my place instead?” She laughs before planting another sweet kiss on my lips that makes my heart turn to mush.
How the fuck did I get so lucky?
After I drive Roxie back to her office, I make a few calls to get Lenny’s address.
Half an hour later, I’m banging at his door.
When Lenny finally opens it, his eyes widen in anger when he finds me standing at his doorstep.
“The fuck are you doing here, Donovan?” he growls, puffing out his chest like he wants to punch me or something.
“What does it look like? I’m checking up on you,” I explain, pushing past him and stepping into his apartment, the air heavy with a mix of despair and neglect. My heart sinks as I see papers strewn across the floor, empty beer bottles piled up on the coffee table, and takeout containers settled on almost every surface of the room. A wave of sadness washes over me as I realize the extent of his struggle, and I resolve to do everything in my power to help lift him out of this dark place.
“You can’t just barge into my home, Donovan. We’re not friends.”
“True. We’re better. We’re teammates. Now go and grab a fucking shower and get dressed. I’m taking you somewhere.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Yes, you are,” I retort, keeping my voice cool and collected. “Roxanne is worried about you. And I don’t like it when she’s worried. So get fucking dressed. We leave in ten.”
He stares at me like I must have lost my goddamn mind.
And maybe I have a little.
But I meant what I said.
If Roxie is upset about something, then so am I.
Which means Lenny is shit out of luck.
“Chop, chop, Lenny! We don’t have all day. Move!”
He curses under his breath but eventually does what I ordered him to.
Fifteen minutes later, we’re in my car, driving to the poorer side of town.
“This is kidnapping, you know?” he grumbles beside me.
“Trust me, if I was ever to kidnap someone, you wouldn’t be my first choice.” I chuckle.
“You always were a smart mouth,” he accuses, stewing in his seat.
“Maybe I do talk out of my ass most of the time, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day. So how about you stop your whining and hear me out.”
I know I have Lenny’s attention when he doesn’t respond with a snide comment.
“I know life is kicking your ass right now, and as someone who has recently been in that same dark place you’re currently stuck in, I know how tough it can be to see any way out. But take it from me, things will get better. You’re not done, Lenny. Just because hockey is no longer an option doesn’t mean that’s the end of you.”
“How do you know?” he scolds. “You still have two working knees the last I checked.”
“Little good they’ll do me if I’m two stones away from getting fired.” I laugh, surprising him.
“That’s funny to you?”
“Would you rather I cry about it?” I chuckle. “Or spend my time hiding in my apartment, feeling sorry for myself?”
His nostrils flare in contempt, but he doesn’t deny it either.
“All I’m saying is that we can’t control what is out of our control. Once you get that, once that shit really sinks in, it’s really fucking freeing. So instead of wasting precious energy lamenting about what didn’t pan out, maybe your time is best served focusing on what has.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Lenny snarls.
“Whatever you say, man. Don’t take my word for it.” I smile when we arrive at our destination. “But hopefully, my new friends will change your mind about it.”
I jump out of the car and walk into the rundown building with Lenny disgruntledly following behind.
Once we step into the therapy center, I wave and smile at all the familiar faces, eyeing Lenny’s perplexed reaction.
“The fuck is this place?” he asks, bewildered as he takes in the extraordinary scene in front of him.
“This is where people who could have easily given up show the world they still have much more fight in them. People who have been dealt a shitty hand, and yet, still refuse to let the worst thing that ever happened to them define them. Define their spirit.”
I watch his gaze scan the room and become humbled by it.
“Why did you bring me here?” he stammers, true emotion starting to clog his vocal cords.
“I brought you here for the same reason I’ve been coming here since I discovered this place. Because I refuse to let the dark hole I was trapped in swallow me whole. I’d rather feel gratitude than let myself drown in my own self-pity. And because the center is in dire need of like-minded volunteers. So, are you game or not?”
Lenny wipes his watering eyes with his sleeve and nods.
“Yeah, Donovan. I’m game.”
“Good answer, Lenny.” I smile, throwing my arm around his shoulders and giving them a squeeze. “Good fucking answer.”
“Come on! Is that all you got?!” I shout at Bellamy as he swings another puck in my direction, only for me to kick it out of the way, preventing it from ending at the back of the net.
“Dude, I’m trying! You sure aren’t making it easy for me.” He laughs nervously, wiping the sweat off his brow.
“What kind of goalie would I be if I did that?” I throw him my winning smile.
“And what kind of forward am I if I can’t get one past you?”
“Hey, don’t beat yourself up about it. I’m just that good.”
“Arrogant, too, aren’t you?”
“He wouldn’t be a Donovan if he wasn’t,” Trent says from the sideline, alerting us of his presence.
Shit.
Shit.
I didn’t know he was back from Dallas already. Roxie is not going to like learning her boss is back in town.
“We were just wrapping up,” I mumble, taking off my gloves before unleashing my helmet.
“What Caleb meant is that he’s tired of defending all my attempts at getting a puck past him. He really has a way of humbling a man,” Bellamy adds, all smiles.
“That he does. Another Donovan trait, I’m afraid,” Trent muses more to himself than to us.
“Anyway, good practice, Caleb. I’ve got to run. Tomorrow, same time?” Bellamy asks after we’ve taken our gear off.
I nod, my words failing me since the GM’s stare insists on weighing me down.
Shit.
Does he know about me and Roxie?
Is that why he’s here?
Once Bellamy rushes out, I grab my things with the intention of following him out of the arena, but unfortunately for me, Trent has other plans.
“Do you mind if we talk for a minute?”
I nod and sit in one of the bleacher seats.
“If this is about me using the rink, then let me assure you that I got the okay from Coach Byrne. Even though I’m technically suspended and barred from practicing with the rest of the team, I didn’t want to get rusty.”
“That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Okay. So, what did you want to talk to me about?” My forehead creases.
“First of all, I want to tell you that you sure don’t make it easy on a man to like you.”
“Ditto,” I retort. “You’re no ray of sunshine either.”
“Touche.” He smiles. “Having said that, I can see how hard you have been working on getting back in my good graces. When I say I can see the effort you’ve made, trust that I mean that.”
I keep my mouth shut and let him do most of the talking.
“I’ve talked to Dr. Seymour, and she, too, thinks that you’ve come a long way in the last couple of months. And I’ve always trusted her judgment.”
“What are you trying to tell me, Trent?”
“I’m trying to tell you that if you think you’re ready for it, then I’d like nothing more than for you to return to the team.”
“For real?”
“For real.” He nods. “Still, I will keep a close eye on you, just to make sure you don’t fall back on bad habits. This team needs you in it, but only if you can be there for them, too. Do you think you’re ready for that?”
“I am,” I say with conviction.
“Good. Then, I’ll let Coach Byrne know that he should expect you for practice tomorrow morning. The Stanley Cup playoffs start in less than two weeks. You think you’re ready for that?”
“I was born ready, sir.”
“Sir?” Trent cocks a brow.
“Too much?” I throw him a sly smile.
“Just a tad.” He chuckles before turning around to head back to his office, I presume.
But before he takes more than a few steps, I hear myself call out his name.
“Trent?”
“Yes?” He turns around to face me once more.
“We need to talk.”
Once I’m done talking with Trent, I look at my phone to check the time and see that Roxie must still be holed up at work. After a quick shower, I rush over to her office, needing to give her the good news.
It’s because of her that I even got this shot to play on the team again.
When I arrive, most of the building’s lights are off. Her receptionist is nowhere to be seen, probably long gone home. I open her office door and see my Roxie lying on the couch, earphones on and eyes shut. She’s listening to one of her recordings from a session and noting things that she might have missed. Without making too much noise, I take off my jacket, pull my shirt over my head, and kick off my shoes. She’s so concentrated on her work that she doesn’t even hear me walking towards her. It’s only when I grab her ankles that she lets out a little shriek.
“Caleb! What are you—”
“Shh, love. It’s been a hell of a long day, and I need my Roxie fix, stat.”
Her eyes soften as I kneel at her feet.
“I was just thinking about you,” she whispers as I take off her heels, one at a time.
“Is that so?”
“Hmm,” she coos as I start running my hands up and down her calves.
“And what were you thinking about?” I ask, kissing each knee before parting them open a smidge.
“About what a jackass you were in our first session.”
“That wasn’t me.” I plant a kiss on her inner thigh.
“No?” she teases, running the pad of her thumb over my chin.
“No. That was someone else.”
“It sure looked like you. Sounded like you, too,” she says, throwing a glance over at the recorder.
“Well, it wasn’t. The man I was before you came into my life was an idiot. This one… not so much. He knows just how good he has it with you in it,” I tell herwith steel conviction.
“You sure do know how to make a woman feel special.”
I shake my head at that.
“No, I don’t. You are the only woman who is and will forever be special to me. No one else. Now, enough talk, love. I’m fucking famished.”
“Do you want me to order some food?” she asks in confusion.
“Not what I’m hungry for. Open your legs for me, Roxie. Let me see what I’m about to ruin.”
Her cheeks flush, but she does as she’s told, bringing her knees up on the couch and parting her thighs just enough so I can see my prize in between them.
“There she is,” I say after pulling her panties to the side. “Such a pretty pussy. Already wet and glistening for me. Tell me, love. Were you getting wet just by the sound of my voice?”
She nods shyly.
“I like the sound of your voice.”
I run my fingers through her wet pussy and groan.
“I can tell.”
“Caleb?”
“Yes, love.”
“Put your mouth on me.”
“My fucking pleasure.”
I plant my face in between her thighs and start licking my way through her wet slit. She lets out soft, little wails as I suck and taunt her clit. I start slow at first, gradually speeding up my pace until she gets to the point where she can’t take it anymore. When I’ve made sure that she’s good and primed, I pull back, grab the nape of her neck so her forehead is pressed against mine, insert two deft fingers into her pussy, and start fucking her with them.
“Oh, my god!”
“Shh… none of that. The only name I want to hear come out of that beautiful mouth of yours is mine. No one else’s.”
“Caleb,” she moans with a cry.
“That’s it. Give it to me, love. Squeeze my fingers in that tight cunt.”
When she calls out my name as she comes undone, I almost come in my pants at the sight.
Watching my Roxie come will forever be my favorite pastime.
Nothing beats this.
When her soul returns to her body, I press a sweet kiss to her mouth, then rest my head on her lap, and just breathe her essence in.
This.
This is all that I need.
“I saw Trent this afternoon,” I tell her after my heart has synced its rhythm with hers.
“I didn’t know that he was back already from his trip,” she says, unable to hide her disappointment. “What did he want to talk to you about?”
“He wanted to tell me that I’m back on the team.”
She pulls me gently by the hair, pride swimming in her eyes.
“That’s amazing, Caleb. I’m so proud of you. Have you told your brother the good news?”
My heart swells that her mind would go there. She believes that, even in a coma, Jack can still hear me, so big news such as this should be shared with him.
“I’ll drop by the hospital before we go home.”
“Okay,” she smiles sweetly. “Though I am surprised that you came to see me first.”
“One of the lessons my brother imparted to me is that the woman you love should always come first. Before anyone else. So he’ll understand why I came to see you first instead of him.”
She opens her mouth and then closes it, only to open it up again.
“I’m not sure what you want me to say.”
“Nothing. Don’t say anything. Knowing that I love you is enough.”
When I see a sad glint in her eyes, my heart breaks.
She can’t say it back.
Not yet.
Not when there is still a room in her house paying homage to the last man she loved.