Maggie grimaced. “He’s demanding to see Emily.”
Jake said nothing as she explained what had happened. When she finished, he swore.
“There’s nothing you can do to stop him, despite what he did to you?”
“Not really. The courts bend over backward to ensure children have access to both parents. My only hope is this dies down as quickly as it blew up. Meanwhile, I have to play along.”
“Your plan sounds perfect. It meets his demands and buys you time while you wait to see what happens.”
She savored his support. “I hope so.”
“Do you need an American lawyer? I could get one for you.”
“Thank you, but no. Even though we’re over here, Emily’s custody is governed by English law.”
“If the situation changes, let me know.”
“Definitely.” Maggie yawned. “Sorry. I don’t do well with abrupt starts to the day. I prefer to ease into wakefulness.”
“I’ll try to remember that.” Jake’s deep chuckle made her toes curl.
“So...um...why did you call?” She rolled her eyes at her teenager-like stammering.
“I wanted to say good morning.” His deep voice slid over her like a caress.
Her heart thunked. “Good morning.”
“I also wanted to make sure you haven’t changed your mind about our date.”
“Definitely not. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me, too. I’ve got to run. The defensive coach has called an extra practice to go over some plays before we fly out to Ottawa.”
“Keep your head up. I’d really like to see you in one piece on Sunday night.”
Jake laughed. “No new black eyes, I promise.”
Once she’d hung up, Maggie swiveled her office chair slowly from side to side, relishing the return of the warm, happy feeling she’d had when she woke up.
A floorboard creaked overhead, breaking up the reverie and reminding her that she had to get those dates to Samantha. With a sigh, she checked the calendar on her computer screen, grabbed a pen and started to make notes.
* * *
“IT’S NOT AS bad as it looks.”
Jake wasn’t about to admit the fifteen stitches in his right cheek, administered without anesthetic during the second period of last night’s game, hurt like hell. Even though the cut was the result of an errant high stick, rather than a fight, he didn’t want to give Maggie anything to worry about. He jammed his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and leaned against her front door.
The porch light illuminated Maggie’s face. Concern shadowed her dark eyes. “Well, it looks dreadful. I can’t believe you carried on playing.”
“It’s part of the game. Don’t let them see they’ve got to you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Have you at least taken some painkillers?” She didn’t wait for his answer. “Silly question. It would probably break some part of your precious Code.”
“Actually, I ran out of ibuprofen.”
Her lovely lips twisted wryly. “Come through to the kitchen, tough guy, and I’ll get you some tablets.”
As she led the way down the hall, she asked, “Are you okay to go out? We could order some pizza and go to Greg’s Steak House another night.”
Though that was exactly what he’d prefer, he shook his head. “That’s not the special date I’d planned.”
“A special date is one we both enjoy. You won’t enjoy eating at a fancy restaurant when you don’t feel good.”
“I’ll be fine once I’ve had those painkillers.”
“Uh-huh.” She gave him the same look she often gave her daughter. “If it helps, Tracy has taken Emily and her friend to the movies and won’t be back for a couple of hours.”
He grinned. “A cozy evening in with pizza sounds great. Sure you don’t mind?”
“Positive.” Maggie tossed him a menu. “I’ll get those tablets. Why don’t you order a couple of fully loaded pizzas? No anchovies, olives or pineapple on mine.”
“Okay.” Jake pulled out his phone and put in an order. Once they’d confirmed a delivery time, he snagged a chair and sat at the kitchen table.
He’d been worried about Maggie’s reaction to his slashed face. They’d spoken every night while he was on the road, so he knew she’d watched the Cats games on TV. He also knew that she still didn’t like the hits or the fights. She’d had plenty to say about the return bout with Stemgarder in Ottawa.
Logically, he knew she didn’t equate what he did during a game with the man he was off-ice. But, where Maggie was concerned, Jake’s mind wasn’t logical. Her disapproving expression popped into his brain at the worst times. The harder he checked, the more aggressive his play, the more she haunted him, causing him to second-guess his actions. Inevitably, he then made mistakes. It had to stop before they became costly mistakes. If he didn’t fix this craziness, his season would be a bust. That couldn’t happen.