A Perfect Distraction(60)
Jake had endured another of Ike’s lectures until Tru had told his brother to back off. His tone, rather than his words, had ended the rant. This time.
There wouldn’t be a next time.
“Move it, Bad Boy. I’ve got to lock up,” the equipment manager called out.
Looking up, Jake realized how long he’d stood there, delaying. Damn it. His folks must be wondering where he was. He grabbed his gear, then pulled open the door to face the small crowd gathered nearby.
“You did good, Jakey.” As she had since his first game, his mom pulled his head down to kiss his forehead.
Aunt Karina pinched his cheek. “You shoulda broken Stemgarder’s nose.”
His dad slapped him on the back. “You made me proud. All you boys did. You play like that the rest of the season and you’ll win the Cup.”
“I’m proud of you, too, Mr. Jake.” The grinning seven-year-old choked him up.
“Well done.”
His gaze swung to meet Maggie’s. Wariness tempered the warm glow in her brown eyes.
His shoulders tensed. “Thanks. So you enjoyed the game?”
Before she could answer, Emily interrupted, “It was awesome.”
“Great.” He kept his eyes fixed on Maggie, waiting for a response.
“It was entertaining,” she allowed. “Much more intense than the last one.”
The unspoken message wasn’t hard to understand.
“Yeah.” He tried to keep his tone casual. “We’re playing for real now.”
“But it’s only the first game of the season.”
Her comment irritated him. Like she’d have cared less about a fight in April, than October. “Every win takes you two points closer to guaranteeing a play-off spot.”
“I suppose so.”
His body’s postgame aches and stiffness seemed worse in the silence that followed.
“Are we gonna stand here talking all night or can we go eat?” Tru said loudly. “I’m starving.”
A chorus of approval echoed in the empty hall.
“Come on, everyone.” Jake’s dad began to herd people toward the exit. “We have a table booked at the boys’ favorite restaurant.”
“We should be getting home,” Maggie said briskly. “Congratulations on the win.”
“You aren’t coming to the dinner?” He couldn’t keep the disappointment from his voice.
“We don’t want to intrude. This is your special night—you’ll want to celebrate with your family. Thank you for the tickets. We all enjoyed ourselves, especially Emily.”
“You won’t be intruding. My folks would want you to join us. I want you to join us. Unless you have other plans.”
“No. We’ve no other plans.”
“Can’t we go, Mummy? Please.” Emily turned her big brown eyes on her mother. “I promise I’ll go straight to bed when we get home.”
“Now, there’s an offer I can’t refuse.” Maggie smiled. “In that case, we’d be happy to join you.”
“Yay!” Emily jumped up and down.
“Then let’s go.” He slung his bag over his shoulder. “I’m starving, too.”
He glanced at her as she walked quietly beside him out of the arena toward the parking lot. Her body language was contradictory. Though she held herself stiffly, she wasn’t acting like he had the plague. Maybe things weren’t as bad as he thought.
The heavy arena door slammed behind them. Maggie shot him a nervous look as the sharp retort of locks being thrown echoed through the chilly night air. Her reaction made him wonder how much ground he’d lost because of the fight.
Her trust had clearly been shaken. Even as irritation pricked him that she didn’t seem to know him well enough to separate him from his job, he wondered how to repair the damage. He should explain what had happened. Make it clear he hadn’t wanted to fight, but he’d had to protect his honor.
Jake sneaked another peek at her profile, then let his gaze drop down the length of her body. His blood heated. It was definitely worth a shot.
He knew at some point he’d have to think about the effect her disapproval had on his play. Affecting his game was not acceptable. There could be no compromise when it came to winning the Cup. If it came down to a choice, there was only one right answer. His gut twisted. No matter how much he’d hate it, he’d do what he had to.
He owed Adam that much.
Rubbing the lucky penny, he pushed aside the whisper of concern that lingered. He’d worry about that another time.
Tonight was for celebrating. He was back. The Cats had won. Whatever other doubts he had, he was sure about one thing. He wanted to share tonight’s triumph with Maggie.