Best Shot (Madison Howlers Book 2) Read online

  “I would always love hockey,” Blake said confidently. “There are people out there who hate working with people but still play hockey,” he added in a false-whisper, as if he was telling Thea a secret. “Though, I think most of us are used to other people. I’ve played on a team since I was five,” he explained.

  Thinking about the game, and about what Blake had said about his love for hockey, Thea pursed her lips. “Is it more than just the skating and pushing the puck into the goal that you like?” she encouraged.

  The question made Blake laugh, but he did nod. “Yeah, it’s definitely more than just the skating and pushing the puck ,” he repeated. “Shooting, that’s what we call it. I will see how well I can do at introducing ‘pushing’ as terminology instead.” That was followed by yet another smile that made Blake’s cheeks dimple.

  “But yes, it is more than that. Those aren’t the things that make hockey what it is. Shooting on goal is fun and all, but it’s not hockey , you know? Or, well, I guess you don’t. Hockey is...” There Blake paused like he was genuinely trying to find the best words, the most accurate words to explain it. “It’s the challenge. Teamwork. The fans. The progress. The ambition. It’s all of those things mixed together. And yes, skating is a pretty big part of it, but it’s more like an... ingredient than the essence.”

  Thea grinned because Blake’s answer was exactly what she’d wanted . She hadn’t known what he would say, but she’d been sure he would have an answer that explained why he wanted to play hockey, despite not necessarily finding people to be energizing.

  “And that’s what I find interesting,” she said, in answer to his own question. “You have a version of what hockey is to you . I could probably ask every person on your team, and I’d get different responses.” She gave him a grin, and added, “They might not all be as eloquent as yours, but I bet if I asked the right questions, I could show that they see it slightly differently. Even though it’s the same rules, and the same game, and even the same team .” Thea felt triumphant like she’d got her point across.

  “Does that make sense?”

  “Kind of,” Blake answered, giving a small shrug. He seemed almost apologetic because he wasn’t outright agreeing with her. “I think that for a lot of us that answer would actually be pretty much the same,” he explained. “It’s very generous of you to think there’s such great variety, but we’re pretty simple guys. We like skating fast and pushing the puck into the goal.”

  “And all the pussy!” Someone shouted passing the kitchen and Blake gave Thea a very serious look.

  “And all the pussy,” he repeated deadpan.

  Thea laughed. “See?” she teased, “there’s a difference right there. You wouldn’t have said that.” Maybe Blake had thought it, Thea couldn’t be sure. Somehow, she didn’t think so. You didn’t get onto a team when you were five because you were dreaming of all the women.

  “You definitely wouldn’t have said it to me, not if you ever want to take Doe out again.” The thought was like a cold shower, waking Thea up from the pleasant dream she’d been having. She had barely even thought of Doe. She’d gotten so wrapped up in Blake.

  Feeling suddenly awkward, Thea took a deep sip of her drink. “Maybe I should go ask the rest of the guys, just to see what they will say,” she challenged.

  “See what we’ll say about what?” Connor asked, coming up behind Blake and bumping him on the shoulder. Thea felt quite glad of the interruption. At least talking to Connor wouldn’t risk her getting in over her head.

  “About why you play hockey,” Thea answered. “What it is that you like about it so much that you wanted it to be a career?”

  Unlike Blake, Connor seemed to jump in with an answer immediately. “It’s hockey ,” he pointed out, like that should be an answer all by itself. It made Thea laugh. She could see Blake rolling his eyes, but it was fond.

  “I’ve always loved the rink,” Connor went on to add. “Once you get out on the ice, everything is simple. You focus better than you do in normal life because you don’t have a choice. You can’t be thinking about bills and what you want for dinner and what you’re going to say at the press conference. All you can think about is what you’re doing.”

  The answer was definitely a good one. Before Thea could say as much, Blake was rolling his eyes. “You have been spending too much time with Ashley. That answer almost passes for intelligent,” he informed Connor. He turned to Thea to explain, “Ashley’s Connor’s much, much smarter girlfriend.” Connor didn’t even object to that, just shrugging one shoulder.

  “Besides, when is the last time you thought about bills?” Blake challenged.

  “Ashley thinks about bills,” Connor answered, seeming unapologetic about how much influence his girlfriend had on him. “They come up in conversation. You’d know if you didn’t live alone.”

  For a moment, Thea thought that it was kind of harsh. Blake laughed, a startled sort of laugh like he hadn’t expected Connor to be funny. It reminded her that he’d said they were best friends. Jokes between best friends were often very different than they were between other people.

  “Even if I didn’t live alone, I’d still not need my girlfriend to do the math for me,” Blake decided, shaking his head. He turned to smile at Thea. “This is how exciting hockey players are, we talk about bills we don’t even think about,” he teased.

  Connor frowned. “Hey!” he objected. “We’re very exciting!” The way he then paused, like he couldn’t think of any actual proof of that made Thea laugh.

  “Why were you asking about what’s good about hockey, anyway?” Connor asked her. “Are you thinking of playing?”

  Thea laughed, shaking her head. “No. No way. I’m not a team player,” she assured Connor. “I just think it’s interesting, how you all have your own spin on what you like about it.”

  Turning to Blake, Connor raised an eyebrow, “So you didn’t say you like that everything is simple, then?”

  “No,” Blake shook his head. “I said I’m in it for the pussy.” The way Blake said it, just as deadpan as when he’d informed Thea of the same was pretty funny. It was another of those random instances where Blake didn’t come across as first expected. He had been funny when Thea had first met him but it was a different sort of funny from this.

  Connor’s laugh was deep and loud. It almost seemed to be a full-body experience. Blake didn’t join in quite as dramatically, but Thea could see the amusement in his eyes. He’d known what he was doing and had known how Connor would react. That level of confident self-awareness was incredibly attractive.

  She caught Blake’s eye and felt as though something passed between them. Had Blake deliberately said what Thea had told him he wouldn’t? She wouldn’t put it past him. It made Thea feel warm to think he’d remembered what she’d said enough to prove her wrong.

  It was a warmth Thea had no right to be feeling.

  “I should go check where Doe is,” she said. She’d almost forgotten she’d left her friend chatting with almost-strangers.

  “She was talking to Remy when I last saw her,” Connor offered. That only made Thea feel worse. She’d struggled to get a conversation out of Remy, she could only imagine that Doe was finding it even more of a challenge.

  “Thanks,” she said to Connor. She gave Blake a wave and trying to ignore that it hurt a little how he turned straight to talking to Connor like he wouldn’t even miss her.

  Thea shouldn’t want him to miss her.

  Chapter Four

  The day after the party everyone was a tiny bit worse for wear at the afternoon skate. Thankfully, they didn’t have a game for a few more days. There was plenty of time to regain their strength. It wasn’t a bad training session, but Coach definitely pushed them harder than the guys would’ve wished for. By the time Blake was coming off the ice, he had aches in his muscles that made him glad tomorrow would be a day off.

  “Ashy, you up for lunch?” one of the rookies asked when Blake emerged from the shower. He
shook his head.

  “No, not today.” What Blake was up for was going home and having a nap. All of his other plans would come later. At least no one felt the need to insist. With a nod, the rookie moved on to ask someone else.

  Blake didn’t take long to change. Once he’d waved his goodbye - and been chirped for not being a team player about lunch - Blake headed for his car. Remy caught up with him before Blake had even managed to leave the building.

  “No, really, I don’t think I’m up for socializing today. I need some... well, mostly, I just need a nap,” Blake admitted, giving Remy a small shrug.

  Remy raised an eyebrow, letting a small silence settle between them before he replied. “I wasn’t actually stopping you to talk about lunch,” he said simply. “I’ll let you go nap, I promise. I just hoped you might have a few minutes?”

  When Blake didn’t stop him, Remy clearly took that as permission to carry on. “It’s about Doe. I got chatting to her at the party last night and -” Remy frowned slightly. “Well, I guess I wanted to talk to you about the reason I got chatting to her. You weren’t paying very much attention, not after you introduced her to people.”

  Honestly, Blake was a little surprised that what Remy wanted to talk about was Doe . He instantly felt guilty when Remy pointed out that Blake hadn't spoken to Doe very much at the party yesterday. His first instinct was to jump in with something defensive, to try to excuse himself. Blake knew that would be kind of uncalled for. Remy wasn't trying to catch Blake out.

  After a moment's pause so Blake wouldn't say something dumb, he replied. “I didn't really realize,” he said truthfully. “I guess I just got distracted.” Yeah, by Thea , a treacherous voice in Blake's head whispered. “Did she, um, did she say I was...” Blake wasn’t even sure what. A terrible date? He definitely had been.

  “No,” Remy answered, shaking his head. The way he said it didn’t do anything to make Blake feel better . “She didn’t say anything. She just looked… a little lost, when you and her friend had both gone off and not come back.” Remy shifted his weight, his arms loosely held by his sides as he gave a shrug of one shoulder.

  “I’ve felt that way at parties before,” Remy explained. “That’s why I wanted to say something. I figured you might not realize how isolating it can be.” He gave Blake a look, his eyes bright and perceptive. “Doe seems lovely. I’m sure you didn’t mean to leave her alone for so long.”

  That surprised Blake a little. Obviously, he had noticed that Remy was quieter than some of the other guys, but Blake hadn’t imagined that he’d sometimes feel isolated . It was a pretty brave thing to do - admitting it to a new team member. Blake appreciated the openness, he truly did. Except it also made him feel bad. It highlighted just how much he wasn’t noticing things around him.

  “You’re right,” Blake said since there was hardly anything else he could say. “I’m sorry that you needed to come to me and point it out,” he added truthfully. It kind of felt like being told off, but Blake didn’t want Doe to be upset. Remy was right, she was lovely. Blake was a dick for not appreciating that more.

  Remy smiled, giving Blake’s arm a friendly shove. “No, don’t apologize,” he said. “I know I don’t know you that well, but you seem like a good guy. That’s why I wanted to come and talk to you. You seemed like someone who’d listen.” Blake supposed there was some truth to that. “You haven’t told me to fuck off and stop interfering,” Remy pointed out, with a grin.

  “No, that’s true,” Blake nodded. “I guess, I just wish you didn’t have to point out that I’ve been a dick to Doe.” Mostly, Blake just felt bad for not having realized this himself. Of course , Doe wouldn’t have liked being basically abandoned at the party that Blake had invited her to. He’d have to make it up to her, Blake decided.

  He gave Remy a smile, not wanting the other man to feel like he shouldn’t have brought it up. “Thanks,” Blake said. “And if you ever need someone to talk to at parties, just let me know? I know a lot of the other guys can be very... loud, I guess. We’ve all known each other for a long time. I get how that can be a bit intimidating.” Blake really didn’t want Remy to feel left out, he seemed like a pretty great guy.

  “It is,” Remy agreed, and it struck Blake how matter-of-fact he was about it. “I know I’ll get to know people. I don’t think it’s possible to train together as hard as we do and not bond. It’s just… strange waiting for it to happen.” He shrugged. There didn’t seem to be any anxiety on Remy’s part, just an acceptance that something which would happen in time hadn’t necessarily happened yet .

  “I’ll take you up on that offer, though,” Remy promised. “I had a good time talking to Doe. I just knew I wasn’t who she really wanted to be talking to.”

  “Yeah,” Blake drew out almost quietly. He truly had been a terrible date. He’d have to fix that. Thankfully, Doe was great company. It wasn’t like Blake would struggle to take her somewhere nice. “Thanks, Remy,” he added with a smile. “I’m going to go home and have my nap now, but how about we go out for dinner tomorrow? You, me, maybe Connor, Beau and some of the other guys?”

  If it’d mean getting Remy to bond more with the team, that was the least Blake could do. Remy was clearly a nice guy and Blake needed to step his game up.

  “I’d like that,” Remy agreed, taking a step back to let Blake get to his car. “Try not to beat yourself up about the party,” he added and then grinned. “Definitely don’t lose sleep over it. You’ll need your rest if you’re going to keep up tomorrow.”

  That made Blake laugh and he nodded. “Well, I have been trying to go off for a nap for ages,” he pointed out but it was definitely teasing. Remy seemed to get that and laughed in turn, before letting Blake go.

  On the drive home, Blake’s thoughts kept returning to Doe. He needed to do better. It was unfair of him to not treat her well when all she had done was be absolutely lovely. On the way home, he decided what they could do for their next date. He texted Doe once inside and by the time Blake woke up from his much-awaited nap, Doe had agreed to see him again in a few day’s time.

  This time Blake would do better.

  The restaurant that Blake had selected was both different and not that different from the previous one they’d gone to. It was still a very fancy restaurant. The food, Blake had been told, was amazing. As was, they found out once they got there, the interior. The restaurant was in a converted cinema, which gave it an unusual feel.

  “It’s lovely,” Doe proclaimed, spinning around to see all the different decorations better.

  “It is,” Blake agreed. It wasn’t a decor he would have expected but it was definitely very well done.

  Once they were shown to their table and offered drinks, Blake gave Doe a smile. “I’m glad you like it,” he said truthfully. “I haven’t been here before, but Hayden promised me the food is absolutely worth it.” It wasn’t like Blake couldn’t afford it, so he figured he might as well.

  Doe seemed to appreciate the effort, which made it even more worthwhile.

  “Do you guys often share tips on where to go on dates?” Doe asked. Blake could tell that there was at least a little bit of teasing in her tone. He hadn’t known Doe for long but the more he got to know her, the more Blake learned of those little... edges, he supposed. It was like Doe showed him something new about herself every time they spoke.

  It was surprisingly enjoyable. Like reading a new book and never knowing what might be around the corner for the main character.

  “It depends. I’d trust some of them, others maybe not so much. Devon took a girl to a funeral as a first date once, said it showed he could be emotional. Most of us argued that it just showed that he was weird.” Which Devon was , but then, most goalies were.

  That made Doe laugh. Blake smiled at her across the table. He liked the way her face lit up when she laughed. Doe always seemed happy but when she laughed it all seemed to come to life.

  “I don’t know what I’d make of it if a guy took me to a f
uneral as a date,” she admitted.

  “Right?” Blake nodded. “That’s why I ask Hayden and not Devon.” Though, Devon had pointed out that there was usually nice food at wakes.

  “The worst first date I ever had was when a guy spent three hours just driving around with me. I thought we were meant to be going somewhere, but he just... dropped me off at home again,” Doe told Blake, making his eyes widen. That sounded... kind of creepy if he was honest. Doe seemed to read his thoughts because she gave a hard nod. “Yeah, I didn’t go on a second date with him.”

  “Probably for the best. Hopefully, the restaurant makes a nice change?” He teased lightly. Doe smiled.

  “It does. You pick very good recommendations!” The praise made Blake laugh, but he accepted it anyway. “And you don’t make jokes about The Sound of Music ,” she added making Blake frown.

  “Pardon?”

  “The guy with the car, he kept making references to the song.” She explained except it didn’t feel much like an explanation. The deepening frown on Blake’s face seemed to convey that message, making Doe laugh. “Because my name’s ‘Doe’? Like... doe, a deer, a female deer?”

  That made Blake’s eyes widen. Sure, he had thought how Doe was an unusual name but he hadn’t thought of Julie Andrews singing about it. That seemed to just make Doe laugh more. Blake wasn’t sure if he was meant to apologize or not.

  “You’re not,” Doe assured him. ‘Doe’ is just something my parents started calling me when I was little, it’s not my actual name.” Somehow Blake hadn’t thought about that either. He wondered if that just showed how little attention he truly paid to Doe. That thought instantly made him feel bad.

  Rather than dwelling on that, Blake gave Doe a smile. “I honestly hadn’t thought of that,” he told her truthfully. Doe just smiled, like it wasn’t a problem. “So what is it? Your ‘actual’ name?”