Chapter 20

Twenty

Tanner

I glance up into the stands and spot Maeve, Josie and Annie all sitting together. Something warm erupts inside me as they chat and wave. I give a nod and get my head back in the game when the ref drops the puck at center ice.

The Bears win possession and I reposition myself, trying to intercept as they pass it around and carry it to our end. Logan gets the puck on his blade and Gunther chases him down, stealing the puck just before he can get a shot off. Annie starts screaming as her boyfriend loses the puck.

Gunther shoots the puck to me and I skate off with it and pass it to Jesse, who shoots it to Felix, as I get around their defense, but Felix takes a shot and he scores. The alarm goes off, and a handful of people in the stands cheer, while most boo. We are on the Bears' turf, after all.

I glance up and spot Maeve and Josie jumping up and down, and Annie is glaring at me, which brings on a laugh. She always was a sore loser. With the score three to two for us, and one minute left, the Bears pull their goalie, and we face off. Fortunately, we're able to keep possession until the end, and when the alarm goes off, we celebrate.

Twenty minutes later, after I shower, I head to the locker room to get dressed. I find Felix standing by my locker waiting for me, and guilt wraps around my chest and squeezes tight.

I meet his gaze. "Great goal tonight, Felix."

He nods. "Maeve tells me you two are going out for and early dinner and a drink with your sister and Logan."

"Yeah, I thought she'd like to see New York at Christmas. Maybe do some shopping." He frowns and rubs the line forming in the center of his forehead. "Are you okay?"

He drops down onto the bench, looking a little lost, and almost defeated. "You know I worry about her, Tanner."

I sit with him, my chest heavy. "You know I worry about her too."

"She told me you're always there for her." He turns and eyes me, like he's assessing me, and I suppose he is. One day he's going to have to let his daughter go, to make her own decisions and live her own life. He did it once and we all know how that turned out. But she's older and wiser, and I'm not her ex.

"I try to be there for her," I let him know.

"That's good, Tanner. That's good." A beat of silence. "But this is New York, what if something?—"

"Nothing is going to happen to her. We're going to a restaurant close to the hotel that we were all at last night, then we'll do a bit of shopping. I'll be with her the whole time. We'll be driving back to Boston after that."

He rests his elbows on his knees. "The picture of you two…"

He doesn't say more. He doesn't need to. Those five words land like a puck to the mouth, a reminder that I'm still a rookie, a kid who needs to be taken care of, by the team, and his siblings. Look at Mom, trying to marry me off, probably because she thinks I'm not man enough, or capable enough to take care of myself. I know my siblings looked out for me because I was the youngest, but all that smothering didn't give me a chance to grow or prove myself to them or the world, which is why I went to Nova Scotia for college.

The line on Felix's forehead deepens. "We need to protect her from that."

I simply nod. He's right. I didn't protect her from that. "I'd never do anything to risk her safety."

"Being with you risks her safety, Tanner. You come from a famous family of hockey players. You can't go anywhere without getting noticed, which is the opposite of what Maeve wants or needs."

My stomach clenches so tight, I fear I'm going to vomit because everything he is saying is right. If I love her as much as I say I do, shouldn't I back away to keep her safe? I toy with the straps on my hockey bag, and note the way my hands are shaking as I second guess everything.

"I understand," is all I manage to push out past a tight throat.

Felix pats me on the shoulder, and that's when I know the conversation is over. "Great game tonight, kid."

Kid.

Another punch to the face.

He stands and walks away, and I'm not angry with him. How can I be? Hell, I'd climb the highest mountain and swim the deepest sea to protect Maeve. She's his daughter, and he's known her since the day she was born. I've only known her for a year.

With my brain buzzing and my heart hurting, I work to put on a smile. Maeve has really been looking forward to getting out of Boston and doing some shopping here in New York. We have to talk. Of that I have no doubt, but it can wait until after she has an exceptional day, and dinner with my sister and Logan.

Outside, I find her giving her father a hug before he follows the others to the parking lot. Most of the guys are going home, although some are staying for the food and shopping. I smile at Maeve when I see her. She cocks her head, clearly picking up on the anxiety I'm desperately trying to hide. I walk toward her, and pause when I hear my name.

"What was that all about, Tanner?" I turn and grin as Annie comes running up to me. She hugs me and then pokes me in the chest. "How dare you beat the Bears." I laugh and ruffle her hair and she pushes me away to get a better look at Maeve.

"Come on, Maeve," she says. "Let's walk and I can tell you all the reasons my brother is a butthead."

Maeve laughs. "Butthead?"

I shake my head. I knew those two were going to be instant friends. "Hey Logan," I call and when he comes out and we shake hands. "The girls are leaving us behind."

"That woman is going to be the death of me." He shakes his head, and it's so easy to see how much he loves her.

"I hear ya. Come on."

I see the light in Maeve's eyes after we make our way to Fifth Avenue. The women chat and window shop and take in all the decorations. Logan and I lag behind, letting them do their thing, and it's nice to see Maeve relaxed. Last Wednesday I was ready to call the police, but she didn't want to. She's sure it's her imagination playing tricks, but I don't believe that. I saw that guy in the pub. He might not have been there for her, but he sure as hell disappeared when I went to find him.

"Oh, isn't that pretty," Annie says and points to something in the display window at Tiffany's. "Did you see this, Tanner?"

"That's enough of that," I tell her, and she laughs.

"Mom's coming for you, little brother."

They keep moving and I briefly stop to see what they were admiring and naturally it's an engagement ring. As I stare at it, and think it would be perfect for Maeve, Felix's words of warning bang around inside my brain.

Soon enough, the sky grows darker and we duck into the restaurant Annie had reserved earlier. Maeve sits beside me, and Logan and Annie take chairs across from us. Logan and I talk hockey as we can't get a word in with the girls. They're too busy chatting about everything under the sun—including Santorini.

"I am so jealous," Annie tells her.

I take a breath, not even sure Santorini is a good idea, but when Maeve angles her head my way, I plaster on a smile. I don't think I'm doing a very good job of keeping my emotions in check tonight.

"Are you okay?" she asks quietly, as the server comes to take our drink order.

"Tired," I tell her. "A guy needs to recuperate after beating the Bears."

"Hey," Logan blurts out, a warning in his eyes, but his words are playful. My sister kicks me under the table.

I rub my shin. "Ow."

"That's what you deserve," she tells me, giving me the death glare. Our server comes back with the drinks, and we order our food.

Maeve pouts. "Poor Tanner." She kisses my cheek. "It must have been so much fun having siblings."

I snort out a laugh, and Annie eyes me, threatening to kick me again. "It was wonderful," I tell her. "My favorite sibling of course was Annie."

Annie grins and her head rotates like it's a bobble head. Damn pleased with herself, she is. Soon enough our food arrives and we fall into easy conversation as the night grows darker. Once our meal is done, we all head outside and I give my sister a hug, and she whispers in my ear that she loves Maeve.

Yeah, I get it. I love Maeve too. I love everything about her.

I shake Logan's hand. I've always liked the guy and I'm happy to see them happy. I'm also a little envious, because there's only one woman in the world I want, and I was just warned to stay away from her.

We go back to my truck and both Maeve and I fall silent as we drive. I suspect she has something on her mind and wants to talk too. My stomach grows tight, the blood in my veins heavy, because I'm beginning to believe her feelings run along the same line as her father's.

"Why don't you get some rest?" I tell her, and she nods, sinking back into the seat.

"T."

"Yeah?"

"When we get home, can we talk?"

Adrenaline pumps through my veins, waking me up a little more as I think about the hard conversation we're going to have. I take her hand and give it a squeeze. "Yeah, of course."

Hours later, I pull into her driveway and my heart jumps into my throat when I see her living room curtain move. I touch her leg to wake her. "Maeve," I prod quietly.

"Yeah." She blinks her eyes open and sits up. "We're here already?"

"Were you expecting company?"

She sucks in a breath, her gaze cutting to her house. "No. Why are my lights on?" the panic in her voice cuts like a serrated blade.

I open my door quietly. "You stay here, okay?"

"Tanner, no," she cries out, as the front door opens and none other than Kate comes out onto the stoop. "What the heck?"

I turn back to Maeve. "You didn't know she was going to be here this weekend?"

"No, I guess maybe she wanted to surprise me." She frowns, like she doesn't really understand what's going on, and I think it's time we got to the bottom of matters with her so-called best friend. "She knew I was going away, though."

"Kate knows everything, huh?"

She releases her seatbelt. "Yeah, I guess. I mean she knows the team's schedule." Maeve leans forward, her eyes narrowing. "I think something's wrong. She looks…frightened. Oh, God, I hope no one was lurking around the house and scared her."

"Come on."

We both hop from the truck and when we reach the stoop, Kate grabs Maeve's hand and puts her behind her.

Maeve yelps and nearly trips on the way into the house. "Kate, what are you?—"

"It's him, Maeve," Kate blurts out, her voice almost in hysterics. "Tanner is the one who's been messing with you, and stalking you, and trying to scare you."

My pulse jumps into my throat, my blood pumping faster. "What the fuck are you talking about, Kate?"

"I started figuring it out when I went back to Florida. I wanted to come here and get proof while you were away and I found it."

Maeve's gaze lifts to mine, and I see fear there. "Found it?" she asks shakily. "Found what?"

"Maeve," I plead and shake my head. "Don't believe anything she's telling you."

"Don't listen to him Maeve. I went through his duffle bag. I found dark pants and a dark hoodie, and there were sticky notes, like the one on your car."

"Jesus, Kate. What the hell are you doing?" I make a move to reach around her and as Kate blocks me, Maeve wraps her arms around herself, clearly terrified. My throat tightens. Jesus, this can't really be happening.

I inch back and square my shoulders and calm my emotions so I can call on logic. "Kate, why did you lie about me being at The Dome?" I take deep breaths and cock my head, fighting down the rage rushing through my veins. "Why did you drag her to a place she didn't want to go and put her on stage?"

"She wanted to go, and I didn't lie." She turns to see Maeve. "He's still lying. I was as surprised to see him as you were, Maeve. He was following you, and he probably set the whole thing up."

"What whole thing up?" Maeve asks.

"That guy in the corner. I saw him." She waves a hand at me. "He probably did it to throw you off."

"I don't understand," Maeve whimpers, and my heart aches to hold her.

"He needs you to need him, that way he can control and manipulate you."

"Like you control and manipulate her, Kate?" I straight up ask as so many pieces fall into place.

She gasps and I stare at her as she comes a little undone, rattled by my confrontation. "I do not."

"Maybe you're the one who set it all up."

"That's bullshit and you know it. He's trying to drive a wedge between us, Maeve," she shouts, a new kind of urgency in her voice. "Don't listen to his lies."

In a fast movement, I move my body between the two women. Pushing Maeve a little further into the house and Kate onto the stoop.

"Look at him. He's physically and emotionally putting a barrier between us. Does that remind you of someone else?" she challenges, digging her heels in now.

I growl, "Kate?—"

"Listen to me, Maeve. You know I'm right. I'm always right. You don't make good choices, and can't see for yourself that he's up to something."

I try to talk again. "No?—"

"He's doing things that force you to rely on him—to need him. He's always right there when you need him, right? Didn't Jake do that in the beginning too, winning you over, and then he started questioning who you were going out with. Shit, Maeve, he even tried to drive a wedge between us to have you all to himself. Look at Tanner right now. He's doing the same things. He's not who you think he is. He even tried to hit on me at the clinic. I wasn't sure about working on him, but he insisted."

Maeve steps back, putting distance between us as Kate bombards her with lies.

"Okay that's enough, Kate." Honest to God, the only reason I'm keeping my cool is because Maeve hates violence and confrontation. Not that I'd physically hurt Kate, but I'm not opposed to putting her over my shoulder and dragging her off the property.

"He's going to hurt you, like Jake," she says again. "This all started up after you met him, didn't it?"

Maeve blinks and wipes tears from her face. "Yeah, but…"

"Why would I hurt her, Kate?" A little gasp escapes Maeve's lips as Kate glares hatefully at me. "I love her and only want what's best for her." I gesture to the street. "I think you need to leave."

"I'm not leaving you here with her," she shoots back. Her gaze flies to Maeve, desperation in her eyes. "Maeve, what about the guy outside book club that night? Tanner was the only one who knew where you'd be that night. Knew where Josie lived. He had to be behind it."

I turn to Maeve and she frowns. "Kate, I never told you about that night."

"What?" She blinks rapidly. "I uh…" She shakes her head, caught up in her own lies. "Yeah, you did. I remember."

Maeve stumbles back a bit. "No, I didn't. We haven't talked…"

"Were you behind that, Kate?" I ask, anger surging through me.

She throws shaky hands into the air and stumbles a bit. "It couldn't have been me. I wasn't even here, and how would I know where Josie lived?"

"You looked at the message on my phone. In the car that night. You looked at the message with her address before you dropped my phone into my purse," Maeve tells her.

"No. I didn't…what are you talking about?" She blinks and rubs her forehead. "Tanner is behind all this." Wide-eyed and trying to backtrack, she blurts out, "Or wait, I think Josie said something about you seeing a guy outside her house when we all met her at Kilting Around, after the paparazzi incident."

Okay, she's really panicking now and getting her lies mixed up. "Timeline doesn't mesh up, Kate," I tell her. "The book club was long after that."

With uncertainty on Maeve's face, and still giving Kate the benefit of doubt, she asks, "How do we know it's not Jake?" She tightens her arms around herself. "My picture was in the paper. He could have seen it. I mean, sure you found Tanner's black clothes, but a lot of people wear black clothes." She looks at the floor and gestures to my duffle bag sitting there, and I feel a measure of relief that she doesn't believe it was me, at least not fully. But the truth is, she did believe it for a minute, and that's why we can never have a future together.

Unless…

"Because Jake moved to Canada," Kate blurts out, as she becomes even more unraveled. The second she realizes what she said—admitted—she gasps, and covers her mouth. "I mean…

Maeve grows so pale I fear she could faint. "Kate, what the hell? What do you know? You've been talking to Jake?"

"No, it's Tanner. He's behind all this. Remember you told me he never seemed to mind staying in with you. It's because he wants to keep you isolated and all to himself. And remember how fast he was to always show up. It's because he was never far. Don't you see?"

"I see. I see a lot," Maeve whispers, and goes deathly quiet for a second as she stares at her best friend. "It's you, Kate," she finally states, her voice laced with so much pain, hurt and fear, I could fucking sob. "You're the one who's been behind all the scares." She sniffs as she struggles to keep back the tears. "Why?"

Kate's demeanor changes so quickly, it almost gives me whiplash. She grows cold and stiff, hate radiating off her entire body. "Why?" She blurts out, spit coming out of the corners of her mouth. "You have the nerve to fucking ask me why, Maeve?"

"Is it because of Jake?" Maeve asks quietly, and I see guilt there that she doesn't deserve to feel.

"How about the fact that you took my spot at the modeling agency? I could have been a superstar, but no, you came along and got discovered. Then after you stole Jake, and all that happened with that, you follow me into physiotherapy. Again, that was my thing." Kate pokes her own chest. "Then you go after Tanner when I said I liked him, and how about your cushy job? You wouldn't even have it if it wasn't for your daddy. Don't you remember me telling you I'd like to work for the team, back in college?" She sucks in a breath and throws her arms out. "I figured it was time I took a few things from you."

"I'm sorry, Kate." Tears fall down Maeve's face. "I guess I've made bad decisions. I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you."

Jesus, I can't stand to see Maeve hurt like this. "Maeve, call your father."

"What?" she asks, her confusion growing.

"Right now, you don't know who to trust and I want you to be with the one man you never question."

I take Kate's arm and walk her to my truck. I put her in the passenger seat, with the full intention of driving her to the airport so she doesn't dare ever set eyes on Maeve again. I walk over to Maeve as she stands inside her door, and pull her into my arms. She cries into my shoulder and when she tries to speak, and can't, I soothe her. I hold her until her father shows up, and he's confused as I hand her to him. He takes her into his arms, and I walk to my truck, climb in and drive out of Maeve's life.