Page 5 of All I Want

Chapter 2

“To Westie, andwhatever lit a fire under your ass, it better keep on burning,” Sully called out Saturday night as a few of the guys gathered to celebrate their win that afternoon.

Alex tipped his pint glass to Sully and laughed before taking a sip of his favorite IPA. Crash and Byrne was the unofficial Strikers hangout since Adam, the owner, who had played in the minors with a few of the guys had taken over his family’s bar when his father had passed. His chef, Sara, made the most amazing burgers and had finally given in and started dating Sully.

Sully had become almost bearable since they’d stopped skirting around each other. For that alone, Alex would continue to support the bar.

“So, what’s your secret?” Cheesy asked. “You doing something different with your game prep? Have to be careful changing that around. Not that it isn’t working.”

Alex grinned at Cheesy, one of the most superstitious guys in the league.

“Nah, just on a streak, I guess.” A streak that had resulted in a goal and two assists tonight, racking up his total to eight points in the last three games. Not that he’d played awful before her reappearance, but he was definitely on a hot streak since he’d seen Maggie in his suite.

He still couldn’t believe she was living in his city, working in a hospital that he visited regularly.

He planned to pay her a visit on Monday when he visited Children’s. Hopefully she was working. He’d texted her old number the other night, but someone else had responded. He shouldn’t have expected her to have the same number from five years ago, even if he kept his after he’d moved halfway across the country.

Just in case.

Dammit. He needed to figure out where his brain was with her.

“Well, your points have helped us get a five-game winning streak, so keep it up,” Cheesy said, patting Alex on the back before he turned to answer a question one of the other guys called out to him.

His teammates began talking about their upcoming game against Vancouver Tuesday night. Alex sipped his beer and replied when necessary, but his thoughts continued to go back to Maggie. It’d felt like both no time had passed and an eternity had passed since he’d last spoken to her.

“Madison on her way?” Jake asked, popping up next to Alex.

“What?”

“Didn’t think you were that serious, but you have this look on your face. Similar to the one Harty’s always sporting when anyone brings up Penny.” Jake shook his head. “Man, I knew he was done when they met in Italy, but I didn’t think you were in that deep.”

“Madison? No. We’re not,” Alex started, but anything else he’d planned to say died on his lips when she walked into the bar.

Not Madison. Maggie. He swore a butterfly took flight in his chest. No, that was ridiculous. What were the damn odds that she’d show up at C&B tonight?

She made her way to the bar, her friend calling out to Sara in greeting. Wait. That was Callie. It made sense since they both worked at the hospital.

Maggie hadn’t spotted him yet. Her dark hair was pulled back, the ends brushing her neck. A neck that he’d worshipped for years, and his fingers currently itched to trace that perfect curve along her shoulder. His mouth actually watered. Shit. He was in trouble. He was lusting over her, standing in the corner of the bar, and she’d gone out of her way to avoid him. He was a masochist. She laughed softly as Adam said something after handing her a beer.

“Who’s that?” Jake asked, pointing his beer toward Adam.

“The blonde is Callie. Sara’s sister. Sara’s engaged sister.”

“I know Callie. I’m referring to the brunette. She looks familiar.”

“That’s Maggie. She’s a new resident at Children’s Hospital.”

“Yeah. I think I’ve met her before when I went with a few of the guys at Halloween.” Jake shook his head, laughing. “Baz was Chewbacca. Barely needed a costume.”

“Of course, he didn’t,” Alex said, before tipping back the rest of his beer.

“Maggie is hot. Wonder if she’s single?” Jake continued, and Alex choked on his beer.

“You all right, man?” Jake asked, slapping Alex on the back.

“I’m fine,” he said, setting his empty bottle on the bar and not looking down the length of scarred wood to see if Maggie had witnessed his coughing fit.

“You sure? There is a doctor in the house. One I need to reintroduce myself to.”

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