Just In Time: An Alaskan Nights Novel (16 page)

“Only on special occasions.” She patted his stomach. “Now. What do you have up your sleeve? You look excited.”

“I have a little surprise.”

She felt the excitement in his frame and couldn’t hold back the smile. “Does the fact that you pulled me away mean I’m getting a sneak peak?”

“You bet.”

•   •   •

“I’ve hammered over one hundred boards and haven’t hit my thumb once.” Grier’s bright, triumphant smile showed over the top of her sandwich before she took a large bite.

Avery finished adding mayo to her ham and cheese but couldn’t resist giving her friend the eye. “You dropped that hammer on your foot twice.”

Grier was prevented from commenting because of the large bite, but Mick took up the slack as he took the seat next to her, dropping a kiss on her head before he sat. “There’s a boatload of clumsy in that small, petite frame.”

When she could finally speak again, Grier elbowed Mick and shot Avery a dirty look. “Neither was my fault. There are so many of us in here I could barely find a spot against the boards to call my own.”

“There
are
a lot of people here.” Mick eyed the room. “Wonder if we can find a way to move some of them out of here. I don’t think Roman expected quite this big a turnout.”

A large shout went up before any of them could agree with him, and Avery turned to look at the far end of the rink. A bright slice of light appeared, first narrow, then wider as the large barnlike doors at the back of the rink opened up. A loud murmuring echoed off the walls as people turned to see what the fuss was about.

“What’s going on?” Grier stood to look, her small frame stretching as she tried to get a good glimpse.

“Oh my God.” Avery breathed. “It’s a brand-new Zamboni.”

“No way.” Mick scrambled off the bleachers to get a better look. “I’ll be damned.”

The large, oversized ice-resurfacing machine came rolling through the doors of the rink, and a shout of excitement went up around the arena. Avery couldn’t hold back the smile as Julia waved from the driver’s seat.

“Would you look at her.” Avery marveled at the bright-eyed stare on Julia’s face, her arms stiff as she drove the enormous machine.

Avery shifted her gaze and sought out Roman where he stood at the heavy wooden doors that he’d opened to let his grandmother drive through. His eyes met hers and he let up a small shrug. She mimicked the movement before offering him the same salute she’d given earlier.

The heated look he offered in return hit her so hard in the stomach she felt her knees buckle. Desperate to keep her footing, she reached for the row of bleachers behind her with her hand.

How did he keep doing this to her?

And how could she possibly be all worked up over a Zamboni?

But as she watched Julia make a perfect path down the ice, a smooth layer in her wake, Avery felt her heart open, melting along with the surface of old, well-used ice.

She loved him as much as she always had.

And like the old ice that vanished as if it had never been, she couldn’t find a reason to keep clutching her old hurts.

Her old pain.

All she wanted to do was open her arms and run toward her future.

“A
re we really going to play a game?” Mike’s excited voice yammered in his ear as Roman walked the perimeter of the rink one last time.

“Yep. We’ll split you up seven and seven. We’re playing five on five, two alternates always trading in and out.” Roman pointed toward the ice his grandmother had resurfaced like a pro earlier. “We’ll only play one period’s worth, but I think you all have earned the inaugural skate on the updated rink.”

“Holy shit.”

Roman grinned at the kid’s enthusiasm and knew it was the tip of the iceberg. “Let’s go get suited up. Round up your teammates and wait in front of the locker rooms for me.”

Mike hollered to the various boys scattered around the rink before bounding outside to call up anyone who was still finishing up there.

“I’m not sure they’re going to make it through a minute, let alone twenty.” Mick’s good-natured tone greeted him as he finished circling the oval.

Avery, Mick and Grier stood waiting for him.

“They’ll calm down.”

“Around Labor Day.” Avery’s smile was warm and she pointed toward the smooth ice. “The Zamboni was a nice touch.”

“I ordered it after I was home last winter. Someone had mentioned the kids were getting a workout resurfacing the ice the old-fashioned way and I thought it might be appreciated.”

“The other one couldn’t be fixed?”

Roman thought about the old wreck that was taking up space in the back bay of the building. “Let’s just say it’s being retired to the Zamboni factory in the sky. The town bought it when my father was a kid.”

“It’s a very generous gift.”

Where he’d once thought Avery was mocking him or angry about that fact, her gentle smile ensured she meant what she said.

“I’m actually excited about a different gift. Come with me.”

The three of them followed him down the ice to where the kids huddled at the entrance to the locker rooms.

Roman saw the large boxes where he’d asked Bear to set them earlier. “You want to give me a hand with these?”

“What is it?” Mick asked. “I don’t remember seeing any of this in the hangar this week.”

“I had the guy who brought in the Zamboni bring it down.”

Roman saw where Avery stood by the boxes and he knew, without her saying anything, that she knew what was in them.

“Avery. You do the honors.”

She dove into the first box, her hands ripping the heavy packing tape off with expert movements. When she popped the top, he saw her smile falter as she lifted out a new jersey. Just as he’d asked, Stink’s shirt was on top.

“Oh, Roman.”

“What is it?” Grier moved toward the next box and began the process of unpacking it.

“He got the kids new equipment.”

“Oh.” Grier pulled the tape off her box and saw the heavy padding layered under the flaps. “Oh wow.”

Avery stood straight up, Stink’s jersey still tight in her fists, the heavy white letters of his last name stiff under her fingers. “Let’s show them.”

•   •   •

The wave of emotion threatened to pull her under once more and it took every measure of cool Avery possessed to keep dragging jersey after jersey out of the box.

“Miss Avery! Is that mine?”

She tossed Mike his jersey, then dove back into the box.

After fourteen jerseys, pads and brand-new sticks were produced from the boxes, she couldn’t keep a lone tear from falling.

“Hey. There’s no crying in hockey.” Roman hip-bumped her before picking up one of the empty boxes and turning it over to rip the tape off the bottom.

“There is when you do something like this.” She leaned up and pressed her cheek to his ear. “This was for Stink, wasn’t it?”

Roman shrugged, but she saw the answer flash in his gaze.

“The kids needed some new stuff and I had the means to do it. And the manufacturer was more than happy to help out when I called.”

“You got this for free?”

“I told the owner I’d donate my time to an upcoming ad shoot. My agent worked it out with him and the owner thought it was a more than fair trade.”

Way
more than fair. While the equipment was expensive, Avery knew an afternoon of his time was worth far more. She was touched he’d think to do it and had to acknowledge she’d been a terribly harsh critic.

He’d given so much of himself to the kids throughout this process.

But it was the look on Stink’s face when he walked to the locker room—the new pads clutched tight in his arms—that had her reaching for Roman’s hand, linking their fingers. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“No, really. Thank you.” She reached up and placed a hand on either side of his face, pulling him close for a kiss. “This means so much to them.”

Their lips met and he pulled her close, his arms wrapping around her in a crushing hold. Dimly, she heard someone let up a cheer but she ignored it as his mouth plundered hers.

What she’d intended as a quick kiss of thanks turned heated and carnal, flashing over into overwhelming need in mere seconds.

“Wow.” She murmured against his mouth, not entirely sure what had just happened.

He grinned at her as he pulled his lips back from hers, then put a few steps of distance between them. “I’ll take that for luck.”

“You’re coaching both sides.”

He gave her one quick smacking kiss on the lips before he headed off toward the locker room. Over his shoulder, he hollered in her direction. “See? Lucky. I’m sure of winning.”

Avery watched him go, unable to do anything but admire the firm lines of his butt where it filled out his jeans.

“That is one delightfully awesome specimen of a man.” Grier whispered the words as Roman disappeared through the locker room doors.

“He’s a professional athlete.”

“He’s got the body of a Greek god. And this is coming from a woman who likes her man’s body way more than just okay.” Grier patted her arm. “But you don’t really see any of that, do you?”

“Of course I see it. He’s gorgeous.”

“But it’s not what you see first.”

Avery turned toward her friend. “He’s just Roman.”

“Well, let’s go grab a seat and watch Just Roman whip those kids into shape.”

•   •   •

The game ended up going two periods, but the assembled crowd didn’t seem to mind. Everyone cheered on the kids, half of whom were disappointed the coin toss meant they had to wear their old jerseys so they could tell who played for what team.

Avery was secretly glad Stink was able to proudly wear his new jersey.

The teams were evenly matched and it also didn’t escape Avery’s notice that a few days with Roman had already improved the kids’ technique. She couldn’t imagine how unstoppable they’d be with a real coach who knew how to develop players.

“That was quite a game.”

“It was.” Avery turned to see Stink’s mom, Candy, sidle up next to her. The name “Stink” was nearly out of her mouth before she caught herself. “Mark looks like he’s died and gone to heaven.”

“He has. All he can talk about is Roman this and Roman that. He nearly died when Roman showed up the other night to talk to him.”

“Roman did what?”

Candy nodded and she looked momentarily embarrassed before she continued. “Mark came home from practice upset about being told to take a few days off and Roman came over to talk to him about some drills to run on his own.”

“I was there. At practice.”

“Heard that’s where you got that shiner.”

Avery touched her fingers to her cheek. “Very few secrets in Indigo.”

“And since it happened in front of a group of teenage boys, you’d have better luck hiding it from a reporter.”

The two of them laughed at that before Candy pointed toward the ice. “This means a lot to a lot of people.”

“It does.”

“Look. I hope I’m not overstepping here.” Candy worked the strap of her purse where it was slung over her arm. “But that man’s crazy about you.”

“He and I have a lot of history.”

“I know.” Candy stared at the frayed purse strap. “I know what it’s like to lose someone you love. And it’s even harder when they don’t come back. But. Well. People can change. I believe that. And maybe he’s worth a second look.”

Her son came running over, and Candy didn’t say anything else as her boy stood, towering over her. “I got the assist on that last goal.”

“You were fantastic.”

“I knew the good-luck charm would work. Just like Roman said he wears his.” The boy proudly dragged out a white pointed tooth from around his neck, hanging on a thin black cord. “Mine’s not a horseshoe, but a wolf’s tooth means lucky to me.”

For the second time that day, Avery felt her knees buckle from underneath her. “Horseshoe?”

“Yep. Roman wears his every time he plays. Says it’s the only thing lucky he carries. The rest of the time he just works his ass off.”

Candy reached up and swatted the back of her son’s head. “Language. Please.”

Stink blushed. “Anyway, me and the boys want to go to the diner. You okay with that?”

“Go.”

Candy watched her son go, pride filling her face so the lines and stress faded away. “He’s going to float through the next week.”

“An assist’s a big deal.” The words came from outside herself and Avery fought the urge to sit down.

“And we will dissect each and every moment of the play at each and every meal.” Candy smiled. “Which means I should go home and enjoy my quiet evening.”

Avery felt the gentle pat on her arm before Candy walked away.

And as the loud shouts continued to echo through the cavernous space, Avery couldn’t erase the mental image of a small horseshoe charm she’d lovingly wrapped up and given to Roman on his sixteenth birthday.

•   •   •

Roman had agreed to go to the diner for burgers after the game and had assumed Avery would find her way along. He’d been sorely disappointed to sit through a meal alone, especially after the moments they’d shared at the rink.

Fortunately, the boys had been so involved recounting every moment of their game that he was able to sneak out as soon as he’d finished his burger and assured them that they would have at least two more games before he had to leave and go back to New York.

His mother had gone out with friends, and one of the girls who took shifts for Avery was on the desk when he walked back into the hotel so he couldn’t even find her there. Where the hell had she gone?

The urge to go to her apartment was strong, but he headed for his own. Clearly she wasn’t interested in seeing him this evening, especially with her disappearing act after the game.

He’d be damned if he was going to go chasing her.

A hot shower didn’t do much for his mood, but at least he’d washed off the funk of the day. He headed for the fridge and snagged a beer, determined to drown his shitty attitude in a Mariners-Yankees game.

He was screaming at the umpire’s crappy-ass call when a knock on his door interrupted him midbellow.

“Yelling at the game?” Avery stood on the other side of the door, clad in a long, flowy dress and bare feet. He ached as he took her in, the long lines and slender strength of her body calling to him with that particular siren’s song that was 100 percent Avery.

“Occupational hazard. I hate shitty calls, no matter the sport.”

“That umpire can’t see to save his life. He’s already screwed the Mariners on two plays.”

“Come on now. You mean you’re not a Yankees fan? Aren’t they sort of the America’s team of baseball?”

“And root for a team from the same city you live in?” Her smile was full of mischief and a note of something more seductive that reached out for him with sly fingers. “Never.”

“Right.”

“So?” She peeked past him and into the room. “Are you going to invite me in?”

“Oh. Yeah.” He stood back and let her through, closing the door behind her.

She crossed to the couch and picked up the remote. “Are you that involved with the game?”

“No. It passes the time.”

“Good.”

Roman watched her point the remote at the TV. Heard the sound wink out before the flash of the screen that discolored her skin tone with its neon wash followed.

He still felt like he was missing something.

“How was dinner?”

“Fine.”

She lifted her eyebrow in a deliberate gesture. “Just fine?”

“It was burgers, not a gourmet meal. Besides, I thought you were going to join me.”

She gently laid the remote on the coffee table. “I had other things I needed to see to.”

“Oh. It just seemed funny you didn’t say anything.”

“I couldn’t say anything.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because then I wouldn’t have been able to get my nerve up.”

The sensation of walking through water surrounded him but underneath the sluggish confusion the heady stamp of arousal began to beat in his veins. With a smile, he took a few steps toward her. “Your nerve?”

“That’s right.”

“What do you need to get your nerve up for, Avery?”

“For this.”

Before he could reach her, she had the material of the dress fisted in her hands and up and over her body. He saw her gorgeous legs first, then nearly lost his breath when he saw the small triangle of hair at the apex of her thighs.

The proof she was naked under the dress broadcast to his cock in a wave of need and longing so intense he would have gladly walked over broken glass to possess her.

Clearly, though, she wasn’t done with him.

Her sinuous movements continued as she dragged the silky material over her body until her small breasts filled his gaze. Then the dress was over her head, floating lightly toward the floor.

And then she was there, moving into him, wrapping her hands around his neck as he pulled her into his arms.

The only thing he could see was Avery. The only thing on earth he knew was Avery. The only thing he needed besides the breath that filled his lungs was Avery.

“I needed time to get ready for this, Roman.”

“You could have told me.”

She pressed closer. “Like you could have told me about the Zamboni?

“Or the hockey equipment?”

And then the last. “Or the charm you still wear around your neck for luck that I gave you when you were sixteen?”