Ryker (Cold Fury Hockey 4)

I take a deep breath and step toward Hensley. It takes all of my strength to speak calmly to her. "We have nothing, Hensley. And our daughters do not deserve two people who have nothing together. They don't deserve to grow up in a house based on lies. Get a clue. We are done."

The tears immediately dry up and I see my mistake right away. Hensley's eyes narrow and her voice drips with venom. "I bet the press would love to get wind of this. Goalie star and general manager fucking each other. Talk about impropriety. They'll have a field day with this."

And that's where she made her mistake.

Threatening Gray.

I'm back on her so fast she doesn't even get what's happening. I take her by the elbow, drag her to the door, and push her out. I step right out and shut it behind me so that Gray never hears this. I don't ever want her to know what a prick I can be.

Leaning down toward Hensley, I murmur to her, "If you so much as whisper one word of this to anyone, you will never see your daughters again. I will use every penny and every resource I have to keep you away from them forever. And if you doubt one word that I'm saying, you'd be a fool. I'll make it happen, Hensley, if you do anything to ruin this for me or Gray."

Hensley shrinks backward, her face going pale. "You wouldn't. You couldn't keep me away from them."

"You have no idea what measures I'll take to protect those I care about," I tell her simply.

She engages in a staring war with me, but within seconds she's dropping her gaze. Without a word, she spins on her heels and heads down the porch steps. I watch her until she gets into her car and drives away.

With a sigh, I walk back into my house and find Gray fully dressed, her ass perched on the edge of the couch. She looks worried...for me, for her, for us? All of the above?

She stands as I walk toward her and I give her an encouraging smile. "It's fine. She won't say anything."

"Are you sure?" she asks, her eyes darting back to the door as if she expects Hensley to walk back in.

"I'm positive," I say as I reach out and pull her to me. Wrapping my arms around her, I just hold on tight while I can feel the frantic beating of her heart.

After several moments, Gray pulls away from me. Her look is no less serious...worried. "Am I a home wrecker?"

I jerk in surprise over the question...the torture in her voice. "What? No, of course not."

"But she said--"

"Gray," I say with a little bark to my words. I take her by the shoulders. "There is no home with Hensley to wreck. I left that marriage mentally and physically a year ago. I've been waiting for you that entire time. Any of this shit that happened here today, that's Hensley trying to wreck what you and I are building, and fuck if I'm going to let her do that."

"But--"

I kiss her.

Hard to shut her doubts up.

Tearing my lips away, I tell her, "I've fallen in love with you, Gray, and I know things are tough right now, but I can feel it...deep in my gut. Can't you? How good this is between us?"

I'm relieved when she whispers, "Yes. I feel it."

"Then fuck Hensley and the rest of the world. We keep pushing forward, okay?"

"Okay." Her words are whisper soft as she stares at me. And then she gives me the sweetest words ever. "And I love you too."

Chapter 24

Gray

It's been three days since I've last seen Ryker and I am absolutely miserable. And it's my own fault. I'm purposely withholding myself from him, because I'm terrified that at any moment the proverbial other shoe may drop. I'm waiting for Frank to come busting in my office, waving a newspaper in my face with a lurid headline that says something like, COLD FURY GM BANGING HER PLAYER.

I shudder at the thought.

Hensley busted Ryker and me on Friday morning. From then until Sunday, he had the girls and there was no way we could see each other. I was partially relieved not to have to push him away because I don't want to hurt him.

Besides, I'm not really sure I want to push him away.

I'm just...terribly worried.

Confused.

Afraid.

On Sunday, the Cold Fury hit the road with a game in Nashville. I chose to stay behind, telling my dad, Frank, and Ryker that I needed to do some last-minute work on the trade deals that would be finalized this week. My dad and Frank bought my lie--hook, line, and sinker.

Ryker I think was skeptical when I told him over the phone on Saturday night. When he asked me point blank if I was avoiding him, I had to give him a truth.

"I just need a few days," I had said carefully. "I'd like us to lie low and make sure Hensley doesn't do anything."

He sighed into the phone, but I know this man that I just told I loved three days ago. He wouldn't refuse me anything that gave me peace of mind. He might push at me, but if it's something I need, he won't refuse.

Before we hung up, I told him another truth. "I love you."

I could hear the smile in his voice when he said, "I love you too."

A small knock on my door and my secretary pokes her head in. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but Ryker Evans's wife, Hensley, is here to see you. She says it's urgent."

Immediately, my heart starts jackhammering as I think something has happened to the girls. The team plane should have landed almost an hour ago, so I know Ryker has to be back in Raleigh.

Maybe she can't get in touch with him and decided to come here instead?

I jump up from my desk and brush past her, seeing Hensley standing there looking nervous. I wave my hand at her, beckoning her to come into my office.

"What's wrong?" I ask worriedly as soon as my office door is shut, and I head for my chair behind my desk. I motion for Hensley to take one of my guest chairs and she sits primly on the edge, balancing her purse on her lap.

"I was hoping you and I could talk," she says bluntly.

"Wait a minute," I say with confusion. "Are the girls okay?"

"Of course they're okay," she says, also with confusion. "Why wouldn't they be?"

I shake my head and try to clear out the discombobulation. I'm truly thrown for a loop Ryker's wife is sitting in my office right now.

"I'm sorry," I sa

y with a polite smile. "I just thought something had happened to one of the girls. I guess I don't understand why you would come to see me otherwise."

Hensley's lips flatten a little, and while she's trying to remain calm, her voice is bitter. "You don't think I have reason to come and talk to the woman who is standing in the way of me fixing my marriage."

"Hensley--"

"Four years ago, Ryker lost his father. Heart attack. Do you know who was there for him? Me. He turned to me in his grief, and I was there for him. I helped him mourn and get past it."

"I don't know--"

"Ryker and I built a massive playhouse for the girls in our backyard back near Boston," she continues, rolling right over me. "That project took us almost a month of weekends and early evening work, but together we built this really beautiful wooden, life-size dollhouse for the girls to play in. And both Ryker and I would sit up there with them and have tea parties. He'd let Violet paint his nails and Ruby would insist he wear a tiara, and well...I wish you could have seen how much love was on his face when he looked across that tiny table at me and grinned."

Nausea slams into me like a tidal wave as I listen to her. She doesn't pause for breath but just lets it all come out.

"And he was so great when I was pregnant. Treated me like a queen. And during the births...just the excitement and love on his face when each of those girls was born. He would crawl into the hospital bed and lie beside me while we held one of our baby daughters."

Tears prick at my eyes as I listen to all the ways in which Ryker was in love with his wife. All the ways in which he provided for her. Built a home with her. Relied on her. Had babies with her.

Hensley's not making any of this up. I can tell each story is true, and with every word she utters, I can feel him slipping away from me.

Finally, she reaches into her purse and pulls out a stack of photos. She stands and starts placing photo after photo on my desk for me to look at.

Ryker and Hensley's wedding...him delicately feeding her cake.

Ryker giving Hensley a piggyback ride in the snow.

Hensley holding a baby while Ryker takes a selfie as he sits beside her, grinning big.

Every single photo with Ryker grinning big.

So very fucking happy with his family.

"Stop," I croak, and then reach for the bottle of water sitting on my desk.