Page 28 of Hot for the Hockey Player
Careful not to twist too much, I gingerly tugged my shirt back over my head and joined him down on the ground.He ran me through a series of stretches, most of which I was already aware of from past back injuries.I had him for forty minutes, and by the end of it, my muscles were sore and my back was stiff.
“Take an Advil.Ice and heat, alternating.Do you have a stationary bike?Light cardio will help with circulation.”
“No, but I can order one and have it here in a few days.”
He nodded as he escorted me out to the front desk.“Do that.”
I shook his hand and thanked him.He was definitely a no-nonsense man of very few words.But I guess when you were a rehab genius in high-demand, you didn’t need to be chatty and have an exceptional bedside manner.We couldn’t be perfect at everything.I certainly wasn’t.
“Looks like you’ve already prebooked your next several appointments,” the receptionist said.“And included your billing information.So you’re free to go.”
“Awesome.Thanks so much.”I gave her a friendly smile, then headed for the door, opening it for the next person stepping inside.A short, older woman with a salt-and-pepper bob and coppery-brown eyes gawked at me like I had a cat on my head.
“Thank you,” she said, grinning up at me.“You’re new.Who are you?”
I wasn’t expecting such bluntness.“Excuse me?”
“I know everyone on this island, and I don’t recognize you.Are you new here or just visiting?”
I blinked a few times, still holding the door as she narrowed her dark brows at me, waiting for an answer.“Uh, yeah, I guess a bit of both.I’m Maverick.I’m staying in one of the cabins at the pub, but I’m visiting the Campbells.They’re old family friends.”Using my foot to hold the door, I held out my hand for her.
Her grip was firm, but her hands boney.“Jolene Dandy.It’s very nice to meet you, Maverick.”Her gaze swept up from my toes to my face, growing more appreciative and almost flirtatious with every inch she climbed.“Are you single?How do you know the Campbells?”
“Uh …”
“Get moving, or she’ll have you betrothed and your children’s names picked out in seven minutes,” the receptionist said.“Let him close the door, Jolene.That wind is cold and we’re not trying to heat the island.”
Jolene gave the receptionist a sharp glare.But I took that as my out, released her hand, and tapped her shoulder.“Lovely to meet you, Jolene, but I have a pottery class to get to.Goodbye now.”Then I was gone.
I arrived at Hugh Tapper’s pottery studio at eleven on the dot.He told me when I came the other day to just walk past the storefront around to the side entrance and not bother knocking.
I did just that.If I had knocked, Hugh definitely wouldn’t have heard me, because the man had Fleetwood Mac blasting at top volume and was humming along.He had his back to me, the red flannel of his work shirt was caked in pottery mud, as well as his baggy, worn jeans.
“Hugh?”I called out, not wanting to spook the guy.If I were to guess, I’d say he was probably about my dad’s age, maybe a bit older.Sixty or sixty-five.
No response.
“Hey, Hugh!”I yelled louder.
This time his shoulders bounced and he spun around, his blue eyes going wide.Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and turned down the music volume.“Sorry,” he murmured, as I ventured deeper into the brightly lit studio with various pots, bowls, vases, and more stacked on pallets and every conceivable surface.
“No worries.I just didn’t want to spook you.”
“I was just inspectin‘ some of these bowls that came out of the kiln yesterday.”He referred to the white, speckled pieces on a workbench.“Some are better than others.I’ll sell ’em all, but the price will change based on what’s got blemishes and such.Still need to glaze and refire ’em though.”
I stepped closer and picked up one bowl.It was wide and shallow and had a faint scalloped edge.
“My mother would love to put a summer salad in something like this,” I mused.
There were about a dozen, all the same design, but I could tell what he meant by some were better than others.
“So, you ready to throw some clay?”he asked.
“I’m ready for whatever you want to teach me, Obi-Wan.”
He huffed a laugh.“How’s your back?The wheel requires you to sit and hunch over.”
“Oh!Uh … I actually just came from Maz at Unger Wellness because I’m in rehab for a back injury.”My heart deflated at the thought of not getting to learn pottery because of my injury.What else was it going to keep me from doing?”
