Marek (Cold Fury Hockey #11)(55)

“Cool.” I grin at her, and nod toward the pan. “Can you finish that up?”

“On it,” she says cheerily.

I turn my back on her and start walking toward my bedroom for some privacy. I’m able to answer by the third ring. “Jimmy…you got something to report?”

Jimmy Schaeffer is my local attorney. He’s helped me close the loan paperwork on my house when I bought it, as well as reviewed any number of contracts and endorsement deals that I’ve been offered over the last few years. He was the first person I called when I got back to North Carolina after finding out I had a daughter, as I needed to know what my rights were.

“I just got off the phone with Mr. Waller,” he says.

“And?”

“He understands your concerns and assured me he’d have a talk with his son,” Jimmy reports smugly.

I had Jimmy reach out to Owen’s father to pass on my concerns that his behavior was turning stalkerish. I also wanted to share the information that the Moores would not be selling their property to Owen, so he needed to quit bothering them about it as well as bothering their daughter. He also made some veiled threats about restraining orders or going to the press about Owen’s creepy ways, but apparently his father understood the urgency.

“The senior Mr. Waller assured me that Owen would not be a problem for the Moore family again and wanted to offer apologies to Miss Moore and her parents.”

I snicker as I walk into my bedroom. I’ve got to get my workout gear and practice bag together. “And about their loan,” I prompt him.

“As per your request, I asked Mr. Waller to consider extending the loan until the sale of their property went through, or alternatively, I told him you’d gladly pay off the note to remove the pressure from the Moores. Again, Mr. Waller assured us that there was no problem in getting an extension on the note and that he would work personally with the Moores.”

“I assume you’re confirming this all in writing?”

“But of course,” Jimmy answers with a laugh. “It will go out today.”

“Okay, buddy. Thanks for jumping on that for me. Send me your bill.”

“Oh, I will,” he says almost ominously, but whatever he charges me is well worth the peace of mind knowing that I don’t have to worry about Owen anymore. Once I realized that he was really just after the Moore’s property and using Gracen as a pawn, I was pretty confident he wouldn’t be coming around her again after he learned the property was out of play for him. Still, it was just added insurance bringing his father into it, figuring the elder Mr. Waller would be more concerned about propriety than anything and that definitely paid off well, so I’d gladly pay Jimmy’s attorney fee for that call and letter.

I say goodbye to Jimmy and throw my shit into a duffel bag. I’ve got just enough time to sit down with Lilly and Gracen for breakfast, and then it’s off to work I go.





Chapter 22


    Gracen


I’ve been to hundreds and hundreds of hockey games. Whether it was watching Marek play travel hockey in the summer, or pond hockey in the winter, watching my man out there was always special. I went to every game I could manage when he played at Boston College. I’ve even been to professional hockey games with Marek before he became a professional player himself. But this is the first time I’ve ever sat in an arena and watched Marek as an NHL player. There’s no way to truly describe how it makes me feel. My nerves seem to be popping and I can barely sit still in my seat.

“Girl, I think you are more nervous than I am,” Josie says from my left.

I peel my eyes off the ice where I’d been watching the Cold Fury—correction, watching Marek—warm up before the game starts. Josie is wearing an Olson jersey and her cheeks were flushed when she told me earlier that Reed had given it to her just this morning.

“I feel like I was just asked to go steady and he gave me his varsity letter jacket,” she had said, giggling.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wish I were wearing a Fabritis jersey right now. But Marek didn’t think to get me one, nor did I expect him to. I certainly can’t afford to splurge on something like that for myself.

“So how are things going?” Josie asks. We’ve both been so busy at work, sometimes working different shifts, that we’ve not had real “girl” time to talk.

“It’s going well,” I say, my eyes cutting between the ice and her. “The nurses in L and D are all really great to work with.”

Josie gives me a soft elbow that makes me laugh. “I’m not talking about work. How’s it going with Marek?”

“I know what you were talking about,” I reply, still chuckling. “But it’s going…weirdly. Good, but weird.”

“How so?”

“Well, Owen showed up at the house on Saturday.”

“What?” Josie exclaims so loudly the people to her left turn to look at her. She ignores them and leans in closer to me. “He showed up at the house?”

I nod, look back briefly to the ice where I take in Marek skating around to loosen his legs, then back to Josie. I decide to just get it all out so she can ask her questions and then we can enjoy the game. “Owen showed up. Threatened me. Marek punched him. Owen left. My reasons for marrying Owen came to light after Marek called my parents. Turns out, my parents didn’t need my help, so I made a fool out of myself for nothing.”