Chapter 33
Daisy
Seeing Connor on the ice was as magical as it had always been.
He played with a skill that was unmatched by most anyone else.
Daisy and Roxie watched most games from the press box after the trade deadline.
Without her enthusiasm for Connor, she worried the podcast might fizzle.
But the PR team kept reaching out to them, asking them back.
She didn’t know how long Roxie would want to continue with the podcast. It was fun, but it was always meant as a foot in the door. Now that Daisy had what she was calling ‘chemistry coaching’ it felt unnecessary.
The one bummer was that her excitement about working with the team had dulled a little without Connor.
Don’t get her wrong; she still loved everything about working with the guys.
She’d worked hard to build relationships with Hazy and Lover, but she was also on great terms with Harland and Gwen, Toma, and Seth Cross.
However, none of those players made her heart race and butterflies invade her stomach. None of them were magic like Connor.
Seeing him in yellow made her sick to her stomach. He checked Hazy into the boards, and Daisy’s hands flew to cover her mouth, her gasp drawing the attention of the entire press box.
Daisy was torn over which team to root for.
If any of the Seattle boys touched Connor, she would kick their ass, but she was also supposed to be the Freeze’s biggest fan.
That’s how she’d marketed her podcast. That’s how she’d gotten her team-building gig.
Now she was learning it was a tiny bit possible that she wasn’t the Freeze’s biggest fan. Maybe she was just Connor’s.
She rubbed at the fresh tattoo on her wrist, relieved that even if he was playing for the wrong team, his number was still represented there.
After the game, she waited for Hazy and Lover, who had offered to take her and Roxie for a late dinner.
It was an excuse to make sure she wasn’t crashing out over Connor being in town, but she didn’t care, because she did need someone to keep an eye on her.
If she wasn’t careful, she would drive to his apartment to see if he was staying there. It wouldn’t be healthy for anyone.
Hazy directed her to a quiet little bar, and they sat at the only open table, one far too big for the group.
Their food and drinks came out fast, and Daisy was too busy stuffing fries in her mouth to notice when the group went quiet.
Roxie’s hand landed on her arm, and she looked up from her food.
Connor stood at the head of the table with Casey and Evan in tow.
Her food got lodged in her throat. Roxie pounded her back while she coughed, and Valentine handed her a glass of water.
She drank slow sips to clear her throat.
Without asking, the three additional hockey players sat down.
Everyone awkwardly looked anywhere but at them, and Daisy tried to look anywhere but at him.
When the waitress came to get the orders of the new arrivals, Daisy ordered a round of shots.
She planned on drinking at least three of those, but she could pretend they were for the table.
Valentine broke the ice by reaching across the table to shake the hands of Casey and Evan.
“I’m Connor Valentine,” he said. “You played an incredible game tonight.”
A waitress delivered their drinks, delaying the conversation, and Daisy downed both her and Roxie’s shots before the waitress had left the table.
The alcohol burned in her stomach. She should eat more than a few fries, but she left her good decision-making skills at home.
Hazy and Valentine were responsible for their extra dinner guests, but she hadn’t figured out why.
Probably because she refused to talk to Connor on her own.
Connor was right to leave the way he did.
He cared for her. It was evident in the way he held her.
The way he’d loved her body and encouraged her career moves.
But they had only been seeing each other for a few weeks.
What was he supposed to do? Give up hockey?
That would be stupid on so many levels. Ask her to come with him?
Daisy would’ve gone, but if it had been her leaving, she wouldn’t have asked him to come either.
She’d had a lot more time to love him than he’d had to love her.
Moving for a partner was fiancée shit, and no way were they ready for that.
There was no good answer, so Connor had disappeared without a word.
He did it to protect them both. She didn’t have to like it, though.
Patrick being with Connor when she had called stung.
Daisy was glad Patrick was there for him when she couldn’t be.
But she also wished Patrick were comforting her instead.
The jealousy and sadness over the entire situation couldn’t be helped.
And whatever magic Patrick had used, worked.
Connor had reached out to her several times since then.
Every time his name popped up on her phone, a new hole ripped open in her chest, but she couldn’t bear to answer.
If she talked to him, he’d break her heart again.
Seeing his name on her phone was painful, but sitting across from him was a million times worse. He was so close she could reach out and touch him. He’d probably let her. But he was unattainable nonetheless.
When the waitress finished passing out orders, the table returned to introductions. Casey and Evan shook Valentine’s hand, and Evan said, “You’re developing fast. From what Connor said you’ll be surpassing us in no time.”
Daisy’s heart warmed at the mention of Valentine and Hazy’s skill. She felt responsible for them, like a proud mom, or maybe a cool older sister. Watching them grow closer and better on the ice was one of the most rewarding things she’d ever been a part of.
Casey and Evan introduced themselves to Hazy and Roxie and then looked expectantly at her. “I’m Daisy,” she told them, giving them the warmest smile she could as she shook each of their hands.
Their grins told her they knew exactly who she was. Her cheeks grew warm, but that could be the alcohol. She stole Valentine’s shot and tossed it back.
Every tool she’d developed over her life in how to handle social interactions had gone out the window as soon as Connor had entered the room.
She didn’t know what to do with her hands.
Luckily, the guys engrossed themselves in an easy conversation about hockey, and they didn’t need her input.
She listened to them chatter about their summer plans and Nashville’s chances at the Cup.
Every few minutes she would let herself glance at Connor.
He looked horrible. Normally healthy and vibrant, he now looked sick.
Dark circles formed under his eyes, his skin pale and sallow.
The stubble on his jaw was more than a five o’clock shadow, patchy and unkempt.
He didn’t join the conversation, his eyes far away.
He looked like he needed a hug. Daisy would love to give him one, but it was no longer her place.
More than anything, she needed him to be okay, but he clearly wasn’t.
Pressure built behind her eyes. She’d had enough alcohol to make it impossible to keep a rein on her emotions.
She pushed her chair back, the legs making a horrible screeching noise as they skidded along the concrete floor.
She couldn’t cry in front of these men. Hazy and Valentine?
Less than ideal, but manageable. Roxie? Yes.
Connor? Fine. But virtual strangers? Absolutely not.
“Excuse me,” she managed to say, and then she rushed toward the restroom.
She shut herself in a stall, her eyes leaking and nose running. Daisy sat on a public toilet, her face buried in her hands as she tried to get control of herself. Crying in public was unacceptable. Her red, splotchy face gave her away.
The door to the bathroom swung open, and not wanting to make someone wait, Daisy gathered herself. She wiped her eyes with the shitty one-ply toilet paper, knowing it would worsen the redness.