Page 84 of The Playmaker

“Oh, my God,” I whisper under my breath, thinking about all the things Cole has done for me, the way he’s been showing me he cares.

“What?” Cason asks.

I glance at my brother. Cole is far more damaged than I ever realized. I never asked for more, told him I didn’t believe in happily ever after, and that no man was as good as the ones I wrote in my books. But he needs to understand that I know who he really is deep inside, and it’s that sweet, kind boy beneath the mask that I lost my heart to…many years ago.

“I need you to do something for me.”

18

Cole

What the hell is Nina doing here?

It’s the first game of the playoffs, and she’s the last person I expected to be watching, especially after the way I walked out on her, refused to return her texts. Then again, maybe she’s glad it’s over, that she doesn’t have to hang out with the likes of me any longer.

As the announcer speaks, and we all hit the ice, Cason flies past me on his skates. My thoughts shift to my best friend, who’s been acting weird around me all day. He can’t know about Nina and me, and maybe her being here is about Cason. Nina and her best friend are seated behind our bench, so he must have secured those spots for them. Still, he’s not usually so quiet around me. He had lunch with Nina yesterday. Maybe they had an argument or somethi

ng.

And maybe I need to stop thinking the whole damn world revolves around me.

Either way, it’s my first day back in the game, and I need to keep my focus. From the corner of my eye, I catch sight of Burns. The fucker is eyeing me and grinning, like he’s going to take me out again. Fuck that. Jonah, the team’s enforcer, is going to be all over his ass tonight.

The ref blows his whistle and I skate to center ice for the face off. My stomach is coiled tight, my nerves on fire, read to play, ready to defeat. I position up, face my opponent and wait for the whistle.

A second later, the puck is poised on the end of my stick, and as I take it down center ice and pass if off to Sundin, I can’t help but glance into the crowd. Is Nina taking notes? Watching Sundin, The Wingman, do his thing. I follow him down the ice but feel Burns on my heels. I skate around the net and he comes at me. I shift, and he hits the boards, and coming from behind me, Jonah hits him hard.

Burns goes down.

“Stay down, fucker,” I say, and skate off and pat Jonah on the back. I love my fucking team. Unable to help myself, I glance at Nina again, take in her big eyes. She gives me two thumbs-up, and I laugh as my heart crashes against my chest. I wish I could talk to her, tease her about wanting to take Burns out in an alleyway.

What the fuck am I doing?

It’s over between us, and I need to get my head in the game. Hockey is the most important thing in the world to me. It’s my life.

With that thought in mind, I strive to keep my focus. The game continues, and the next thing I know, we’re in the third period and the fucking clock is ticking down.

I glance at Cason, and he nods. We need this win. I need this win, to show my team I’m back in top shape and can get the job done.

Conscious of how little time we have left, I keep my eye on the Illinois Icemen’s captain as he heads toward our zone. He makes a pass, I intercept, throw off his play, and then change direction. The hometown crowd goes wild, and all I can think of is Nina, and if she’s enjoying the game. I pass to Cason, who passes to Sundin, and we all race down the ice until I’m in the house. I eye the goalie, read him, and take up position. Sundin passes to me, I pass back. The odd-man rush throws the goalie out of position and Sundin takes the shot and scores.

As the end-of-the-game horn sounds, I race to my teammate and give him a big hug, and all our teammates join in. As I hug Cason, I steal a glance at Nina, to see her jumping up and down.

When I look back at Cason, he has murder in his eyes.

What the fuck?

I push away, skate around the rink, in total Playmaker mode. Girls are shouting, holding signs up that say they want to have my baby, but the truth is, I’m played out, so fucking tired of the act. I’m completely and utterly exhausted by it, but it’s the only thing that gets me through the day, until I can go home to the sanctuary of my own place.

A string of bunnies are waiting for us as we file off the ice. Once girl pushes against me, and in an instinctive move that I’ve done a hundred times, I wrap my arm around her. She whispers in my ear, telling me all the ways she wants to play with The Playmaker, and I laugh.

I angle my head—and when I see Nina a few feet away, watching the exchange, a world of hurt on her face, my heart falls into my stomach. Over her shoulder, I see Jess, who looks like she wants to castrate me.

How many times am I going to gut her before she realizes she’s better off without me?

The bunny gives me a wet kiss on the mouth and says, “Don’t keep me waiting.”

Inside the locker room, the guys are laughing and fucking around. Cason is ignoring me, and I want to ask what’s going on when he walks past me.