Page 5 of Grace on the Rocks

“Why aren’t the refs stopping it?” she asked, completely baffled at the scene that still continued before her. “Look at them; they’re standing right there! They can obviously see it.”

“There are numerous reasons why the refs don’t jump in, even though they should have stopped the fight before it even began,” Jeremy said, his voice tight. Emma glanced up at her father and noticed he was getting more and more upset by the minute. “A big one is that the crowds love fights, no matter what the consequences.

“You see that woman over there?”

Emma looked to where his father was pointing, away from the two players each skating to their individual penalty boxes.

“That’s Katella Hanson, Ken’s oldest granddaughter.”

“She’s the one dating Peters.”

“Yup,” Jeremy said. “She’s been to every single home game since she started dating Matt, no matter what. It didn’t matter if she had finals to study for or a girls’ night, she’s always here, even preseason.”

“She’s pretty,” Emma murmured, but even she knew that such a simple word didn’t accurately describe the woman sitting across the ice from them. Katella was smirking but her eyes seemed to be touched with worry, almost as though she loved the fight but worried about the result. Next to her sat another woman who looked nearly identical to Katella, save for a few minor differences. “So is the woman sitting next to her.”

“I think that’s the elusive Seraphina Hanson,” Jeremy said. “The two look exactly alike, don’t they? I’m glad to see that she’s here, if I’m being honest. Even though she announced that she was going to take over the team, I was worried that maybe she didn’t take it seriously. Or do everything that needs to be done, but lacking the passion for the team. I know she probably doesn’t have it just yet, but the fact that she’s here” - he pointed at Kyle Underwood, stopping himself in midsentence - “That’s the kid you have to watch Emma,” he said. “I mean, look at him play. He’s fast, he knows the team. And even though he’s been playing since he was nineteen, he still seriously enjoys the game.”

Kyle Underwood?

Emma watched Kyle for a long moment, though hockey players seemed to change every minute or so, and decided that she agreed with her father. She could make out his clear blue eyes, filled with excitement and anticipation, waiting for the ref to drop the puck after Phoenix was called for being offside. She felt herself smiling as she continued to look, and she realized that it was rather easy to get swept away by his passion for the sport he played.

The more she looked at him, the more the butterflies that had been fluttering around in her stomach began crashing into each other, into the walls of her belly. He wasn’t that attractive – well, okay, that wasn’t completely true. She figured that just looking at him, one could garner some sort of affection for him. He was tall, and that was always a plus. His eyes were so blue. His hair fit with his pale, sometimes red, skin. His lips were thin. He was toned, fit. When he smiled, his entire face lit up, and in that moment, there was nothing in the room worth looking at except for him. His voice was sweet, endearing, but also low and masculine. Then there was the passion. It was those things that were secondary physical characteristics that made him indescribably attractive to Emma. That, and the flattery she felt that he had sought her out at the beach to talk to her.

But, no. She had to stop thinking like that. Sure, Emma knew that it was okay to be attracted to him. Every girl needed eye candy if she was going to be spending long durations of her time at something that otherwise might have been boring. She couldn’t actually like him. She was relationship-celibate in order to concentrate on school, her dad, and her dancing. And Kyle Underwood would just mess that dynamic up.

Although it was silly of her to even assume he could possibly be interested in her. Surely he had a handful of girls following his every move, and those women who cleaned the ice were practically flawless. Emma knew that in terms of symmetry and aesthetics, she was pleasing to look at, and could even be beautiful. But she also knew that she wasn’t everyone’s type – more of a girl next door than a mysterious siren – and who knew what Kyle’s type was?

It doesn’t matter. Celibate, remember?

“You know, the decision to trade Randy Silverman to Canada in exchange for Underwood was one of Ken Brown’s best decisions,” Jeremy murmured, breaking Emma from her thoughts. “I say that a lot, I know. But God, what a player. I seriously hope Henry can get these players to actually play together because individually, they have so much potential. They just need to play as a team.” He frowned. “What were we talking about before?”

“Oh.” Emma had to think a minute before she was able to respond. “Seraphina. The new owner.”

“Right, right.” Though his mouth moved, his eyes were focused on the game before him. If Emma had to guess, she believed her father was now talking on autopilot. “Yeah, I think she has more going on than people give her credit for.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, she could be enjoying life, never have to work for the rest of hers,” her father explained. “Selling the team could give both sisters millions, and inheriting her grandfather’s estate would just add to that. Instead, she takes on the team even though she’ll no doubt be crucified.”

Emma paused, taking this all in. Her eyes found the subject of their conversation; she had a rigid posture, unlike most young women their age, and for the most part, her face seemed impassive. But her eyes – granted, Emma couldn’t tell what color they were from her position – spoke more so than her mouth ever could. They were filled with worry and probably anxiety, as though she wasn’t sure she could handle what she had been given.

Emma didn’t blame her for feeling this way.

“Do you think she’ll do a good job?” she asked her father, and she was surprised at the sound of hope that tainted her tone.

Jeremy sighed through his nose, silent for a long moment. Emma thought that perhaps he didn’t hear her or was too consumed in the game to give her a response, but he finally said, “She has a lot to learn. She doesn’t know anything about hockey, and that’s essential to owning and running a team. I don’t think she should have allowed Thorpe to play tonight, even though it is in preseason. I don’t think he should be allowed to play until he’s officially cleared.”

“But Dad, you said so yourself, the way Thorpe is being treated, how he’s getting booed every time he makes a save, isn’t fair,” Emma said. “Why shouldn’t he be allowed to play?”

“Honey, I think he is being treated unfairly. Absolutely. But a hockey team is a business. Fans are already split about him because he’s asking for all this money. They’re offended that he would be willing to leave the team where he built his reputation for financial reasons. Now he’s a suspect in killing Ken, and fans that weren’t sure where they stood about him have most likely decided against him. I’m sure he has fans who’ll stand behind him no matter what, but they’re few and far between. Playing him would only hurt the team’s image. Maybe the controversy will boost ticket sales, but the image, it’s all about image.”

“Then why would she keep him on the team?”

Jeremy shrugged. “Maybe she thinks he didn’t do it,” he said.

Emma looked at him. “Do you?” She wasn’t certain what she was waiting for, what she wanted her father to say, but she felt her breathing slow.

“No.” He shook his head to emphasize his point. “Thorpe’s arrogant and self-righteous, and if he’s really going to leave, he’s a jerk, but he’s not a murderer. Even so, Seraphina needs the public’s support, not only for the team but for her. She’s a young, rich girl from Newport Beach inheriting this company. Nobody is going to take her seriously. I’m not sure I do. She shouldn’t play him until he’s cleared, and even then, it might be safer to just get rid of him.” He paused, and Emma noticed an admiring sparkle in her father’s eyes as he looked at Seraphina. “But Ken was a gem. And the reason the Gulls even exist. I have to believe that she inherited his business sense in some way. And, I have to admit, that her pretty much standing behind Thorpe through all of this shows that she has balls. And that’s exactly what we need.”

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