Page 33 of Playmaker

“I know it was a lot of money for you.”

“It was. But you’re right. My stuff wouldn’t have fit. And this is…actually, really nice.”

His smile lit up his face, both dimples out. He was handsome, maybe even beautiful, all the time, but this… This was relaxed and open. None of the tension I’d noticed when he was on for hockey fans.

I wanted to make him smile like that again. It felt good to have that power. No one except Darcy smiled to see me. Well, Darcy and my clients when I had good news for them relating to their tax situation. “So, are we done?”

His smile dropped. “Yeah. Won’t need to take up more of your valuable time.”

My time was valuable. I knew my billing rate. But his? His was much higher than mine. “Thank you.”

“No trouble. I enjoy that.”

“I could tell. But still, thank you for being patient, and kind. You’re not like I expected, in a good way.”

“I can say the same, Callie. It’s nice to be surprised.”

I wanted to preen—I had beautiful clothes, and I’d surprised this man, in a good way. He was letting me in, underneath the famous hockey player exterior.

It gave me a contented, warm feeling. Another surprise.

This arrangement might be one of the best decisions I’d ever made.

Chapter11

I don’t think he likes you

Cooper

With the charitydinner that we’d been required to attend over, the team had dispersed for the summer. Most of the guys had gone to see family or unwind on vacations, but there was a group of six of us who were planning to make the most of this offseason. Because next year we weren’t losing the finals.

I’d arranged for us to use the facilities at our practice rink for the summer. Team management was just as keen as we were to make next season different. Today was the first day of our workout sessions. I’d employed Scout for the last couple of offseasons for training and arranged with him to work with us to get in condition. The workouts wouldn’t be too intense until we’d had a chance to rebuild from the stress of the playoffs. But the longer we let our bodies go, the harder it would be to get back into shape.

I was the first to arrive at the rink. I changed into shorts and a T-shirt, then let Scout in and did warm-ups while he set up the exercises he would use to test our current fitness levels as a starting benchmark.

Ducky arrived next, the youngest in our group, almost bouncing in place with excitement. Petrov, the big Russian goalie, strode in with a nod. Crash and Royster carpooled together, and JJ slipped in last.

We shared an intensity that was rare for this time of year. Coach had told us to hang on to the feeling of that loss, the brutal pain, and use it to propel us in the next season. Everyone here was doing that.

Assessment took about an hour. Scout was big on flexibility and stretching, and he made sure we could do all the movements he assigned to us for the week. For the next three weeks we’d meet with him here on Monday and get our assignments. After that, in July he’d work with us Monday through Friday, upping the intensity until August, when we’d get on the ice again.

Gathered together in the locker room after our session, it was almost like the season, except there were a lot fewer of us.

“So what’s everyone doing when they’re not here?” Ducky asked.

Petrov lowered his brows. “Training. Resting. Rebuilding.”

Ducky nodded. “Cyborg life, right. But don’t you normally do all that in Russia?”

“This year I focus on hockey. Also, my family say not a good time to visit.”

Crash pulled off his T-shirt. His dark skin stretched over a broad chest. He was a hard man to get off the puck. He was the guy who’d stepped in for JJ on that last shift. If I’d just thought before I’d made that pass…

But I’d told Mitchell not to dwell on it, and I had to follow my own advice.

Crash bent over to untie his shoes. “I’ve bought a duplex—half for me, half for my mom and sister. We’re settling in, staying close this year.”

Royster grabbed a towel before heading to the showers. “I’ll go home for a week at some point, but it’s a small town and everyone is going to ask about the playoffs, so I’m just as happy to stay here.”

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