AGAINST THE ICE

Chapter21

4,798 times. That is how many times the offensive tweet had been retweeted. Who was Hockey Gurl and why did she dislike me so much? I tossed my phone on my desk. It wasn’t public knowledge I worked for the Wolves, so I suspected that this tweet was from someone who worked in our club.

Nepotism is the worst, and I blamed no one for resenting my position, but I wasn’t strutting around, acting like a queen bee and making nefarious demands of people. I only wanted to get through this year unscathed.

I packed up my office. Dad stepped in.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Hey,” he was vibrating with energy. I did not understand where he got it. This place drained me.

He looked thoughtful. “Your mom is waiting in the car. She’s bound and determined to have one last weekend getaway before the regular season gets underway. You want to come? We’ve booked a house on the water outside Seattle.”

“Thanks, but I have plans with Ola tonight.”

He winked at me. “Well, make sure you enjoy your last weekend of freedom. Once the regular season starts, you will not have a life.”

Wow. That sounded like so much fun. Not.

“I guess the same advice goes to you. Enjoy your freedom.”

He put his hands in his pockets. “We’re taking the car this weekend. Are you going to be okay without a ride?”

I found it ridiculous that my dad insisted we get driven everywhere. In New York, I had only used the subway. “I can take a cab.”

“Okay,” he nodded. “Have a good weekend.”

“You too.”

He turned to go. “Max.”

My head whipped up. Max was passing by my office, and at the sound of my father saying his name, he stopped in the doorway.

“Mr. Ashford.”

Icy blue eyes glanced at me for a nanosecond before focusing back at my dad.

“You have homework.”

My dad had his polite tone. The one he saved for people he was about to crush. I got anxious.

Max considered the package in his hand. “Coach wants me to watch some videos from last season.”

My dad rocked on his heels, but didn’t speak.

To Max’s credit, he didn’t react. He lifted his eyes up to Dad with a benign expression on his face.

“Do you feel you’re learning a lot?” My father’s tone patronized.

I felt myself go still. Like a deer standing between two wary wolves.

“Yes, sir,” Max used the word sir, but there wasn’t an ounce of respect in his voice. How he sounded insolent and amused with only two words was beyond me.

“That’s great,” I interjected, trying to defuse. Max’s eyes moved to my face.

Dad made a noise in his throat. I recognized that noise. He wanted to pick a fight.

What was going on? What was Max triggering in him?

I needed to break up this conversation before it escalated. “Well, I hope you enjoy watching those videos.”

Max held onto my father’s gaze for a moment too long. There was a challenge in his gaze. Two alphas, sizing each other up. Together they would make an incredible team. Pitted against each other, they had the potential to destroy each other.

Max broke his gaze with my dad and he glanced at me. His eyes dropped to my mouth.

I widened my eyes at him, telling him to obey.

Dad’s voice patronized. “Our regular season game is Monday. Make sure you’re rested.”

Translation. Don’t party this weekend. Which was insane because this was notoriously the biggest party weekend for all the hockey teams. The last hurrah before the season started.

“I’ll be rested.” Annoyance replaced the calm expression on Max’s face.

Before my father could say anything, I stepped closer and worked to calm down Dad. “I can’t wait until the regular season starts.”

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

My comment distracted Dad. He turned towards me with a smile on his face. “Really?”

“Really. We have such a strong team this year. I think we can go all the way.”

I could see Dad relax. He loved talking about winning. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

I flashed my gaze at Max, needing to get him out of here. “I hope you have a nice weekend, Max.”

You’re dismissed.

His blue eyes looked between my father and me. Seeing far too much. “Have a nice weekend.”

Without letting either of us reply, he stepped back and disappeared.

A long moment passed before I had the nerve to speak.

“Dad, what was that about?”

“What?”

I blinked at him in disbelief. “Why were you goading one of our players?”

My dad flushed. “I wasn’t.”

“Yes. You were goading Max Logan and trying to get a reaction out of him. I want to know why?”

“Why do you care?” he threw back. My dad had a hairline trigger.

“Because you gave him to me as a project. I don’t appreciate you taking shots at him and setting him up to fail.”

My dad stared at me for a long moment and then a smile broke over his face. “God, you remind me of your mother some days.”

Thinking about Baxter, I replied, “He’s got enough coming against him.”

Dad’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

But a call from Mom interrupted us. He kissed me on the cheek and then I was alone.

Ola, one of my best friends from grade school, met me for dinner in Gastown. After dinner, we walked down the street to a high-end bar that promoted subtle glam and yet had the same buzz as a New York bar. The decor was black with muted lighting, low couches, and secretive booths and beautiful waitresses. We found seats in a curved booth that overlooked the entire bar and ordered over-priced cocktails.

We caught up on life and although I didn’t tell her about Max, I shared how tough it was to work for my dad. I even elaborated on some of my less fortunate run-ins with Katrina.

“She sounds awful.”

“From the moment I met her, she seemed to dislike me.”

I pulled out my phone and showed her the Hockey Gurl tweet.

“Who would write that?” Anger flashed in her eyes. “Do you think it’s this Katrina chick?”

“I don’t know, but if it is, how do I prove it? If I can make it through this season, I can move on. I won’t be anyone’s daughter. I’ll just be a person making it on my own.”

Ola’s phone rang. “Sorry. This is my boss. I’ll answer outside.”

Waiting, I sipped my drink and almost choked as I watched a group of huge men walk into the bar.

It was the Vancouver Wolves.

Holy s**t.

My eyes sought out Max. He walked between two of his teammates and laughed at something they said. He looked beyond sexy, with his black button shirt and a pair of dark jeans. He reminded me of the Max I had noticed in the airport bar. Expensive and confident.

The group sprawled out in a reserved section of low couches and glass coffee tables. They attracted a lot of interest from the rest of the bar patrons and no less than four waitresses appeared in front of the team to take their drink orders. I leaned back, so the shadows obscured me. The last thing I wanted was for them to notice me.