19. Sawyer

Chapter 19

Sawyer

The center for the Utah Grizzlies hurtles toward me, his body shifting left and right with each huge stride of his skates, and I tense up as I get ready to intercept him. We’re tied 1-1 with the Grizzlies, and I’m not about to let this guy score on me, even if he is as massive as the grizzly bear his team is named after.

He tries to juke around me, but he’s so big that his movements are much easier to read. I head him off, and he almost crashes into the boards trying to dodge me but manages to skid to a halt at the last second, spraying the glass with shaved ice from his skates. He passes quickly in the opposite direction to the Grizzlies’ left wing, but Theo’s on him and intercepts it like it’s nothing.

Breathing hard, I shake my head in relief as the small group of Aces fans who traveled to the Grizzlies’ arena cheer Theo on. For a second there, I really thought I was going to get bulldozed by the Grizzlies’ center, and I’m not sure I would’ve gotten through that without an injury.

The horn blares to announce Theo scoring a goal, but the Grizzlies fans aren’t happy about it—and neither are the Grizzlies as they skate furiously back to center ice and get ready for the next face off. Both teams have been playing their asses off, keeping us locked at one goal each for all of the first two periods, but with Theo’s goal just now, we’re up with about ten minutes left in the third period.

That’s great news for us, but it just means the Grizzlies are going to put up even more of a fight to make sure we don’t run away with this game. I stick to the center of the defense line, ready and eager to bolt to either side to defend Grant if one of the Grizzlies takes the puck. But Reese takes it instead and streaks off toward the Grizzlies’ goalie with the whole rest of the team hot on his skates.

There’s a scuffle for control of the puck that I can’t make out from where I’m standing, and it passes ownership several times before the Grizzlies’ center emerges from the fray with the puck and barrels toward me like a runaway train. My body tenses up all over again, and my heart hammers in my ears as the guy moves much faster toward me than anyone his size should be able.

Come on, Townsend. You’ve got this.

My eyes lock on the puck to keep track of it. I’m expecting the center to try to fake me out again, but he’s making a beeline for me instead. My hands adjust their grip on my stick, and although my throat is as dry as the ice we’re skating on, at the last second, I thrust my stick out and somehow pull off a perfect poke check, batting the puck away from the Grizzlies’ center and spinning out of his way before he runs me over.

“Goddamn it!” he bellows on his way past, and I can’t stop myself from smiling.

“Hell yeah!” Theo bellows as he zips around me and circles back to chase after Noah, who took possession of the puck after I poked it away. The rest of the Grizzlies are just as caught off guard as their center, so Noah makes it to their goalie without much resistance and I hold my breath until I hear the horn blare again.

“Yes!” I shout, pumping my stick in the air.

That makes it 3-1 in our favor, and with only five minutes left on the clock at this point, there’s next to no chance the Grizzlies are gonna be able to turn this around. They seem to know it too, because they put up much less of a fight for the final few minutes, although they keep us from scoring any more goals.

When the horn blares to signal the end of the game, I don’t miss the glare the Grizzlies’ center shoots my way, but I just meet it with a broad grin. I follow the rest of the Aces off the ice and into the locker room, all of us rowdy and drenched in sweat.

“I hope you know you fucking won us that game with that poke check, bro!” Theo says when he catches up with me, clapping the top of my head with his glove.

“Couldn’t have done it without you and Noah sinking those goals,” I counter, although I’m riding high.

I really hope Jake and Violet were watching and saw that play because it probably was one of the best I’ve made in as long as I can remember. I’ve been on the hunt for a new sports agent, and if I keep playing like this, I’ve got a good shot at signing with someone big.

“Hell yeah, boys! This is how it’s done!” Noah says as we stream into the locker room together and start stripping off our gear to hit the showers. “If we keep this energy up and take down the Mudcats in the next game, we’re sailing right to the playoffs.”

“Was there ever any doubt?” Reese asks, beaming, and the locker room echoes with whoops and hollers from the rest of us. I get out of my gear and into the shower, savoring the hot water on my aching muscles. But I can’t enjoy it for too long because the team bus is leaving to take us back to the hotel soon, so I get cleaned up quickly and dressed just as fast.

But as I’m checking my phone on the way out of the locker room, I have to stop because I’ve missed several messages from Violet. She sent me a bunch of pictures of her and Jake together, having fun. There’s a good mix between serious and cute pictures of the two of them smiling and making silly faces together. Judging from the playground and trees in the background, I’m guessing they went to the park.

A grin so widely that my cheeks hurt as I scroll through all of the pictures, but there’s one toward the end that really catches my eye.

Violet must’ve brought Jake to the butterfly pavilion not far from the park, because they’re surrounded by green leaves and brightly colored insects. She’s crouching down so that she’s level with Jake, and they’re both beaming at a beautiful, bright yellow butterfly that’s landed on her outstretched hand. The picture is a little blurry with motion around the edges, probably from the surprise of the moment, but both of their faces are crystal clear.

Violet’s hazel eyes dance with amusement, shining as if they’re lit up from inside, and Jake is smiling broadly. I can practically hear the yelp of delight he must’ve let out when he saw the butterfly land on her.

It’s not hard to see why the butterfly decided to perch on her fingertips. She seems to radiate a warm, open energy that attracts people—and apparently, nature—to her. She has the same effect on everyone she meets, and I’m not at all immune to it. She’s fucking amazing.

My thumbs tap around on their own, setting the picture as the background on my phone. I swipe back to the home screen and the smile that still hasn’t left my face gets bigger seeing the two of them there. It’s hard to put into words, but there’s something about seeing the two of them together having such a good time like this that feels right. I couldn’t imagine finding a better person to bring into Jake’s and my lives.

“That’s a really cute picture of Jake,” Reese says over my shoulder, and I jolt. I had no idea he was there, but I try my best to keep the awkward feeling writhing in my stomach off my face and turn to nod at him.

“Oh, yeah, it is. Violet just sent it.”

“I really appreciate you giving her that job, man. And I’m glad it’s working out so well for both of you.”

“That makes two of us. I wasn’t sure at first.”

Reese chuckles. “Yeah, I remember. I had to give you the pretty hard sell, but it was as much for her as you. She’d never admit it, but I know Vi would’ve been so bummed hanging out in Denver for months with nothing to do while she waited to start her new job. So I’ll thank you on her behalf.”

I nod at him despite the guilt twisting in my gut. If he had any idea about all the thoughts I’ve been having about his sister since she moved into my house, I don’t think he’d be thanking me at all. “I’m the lucky one. She’s been an amazing nanny so far.”

Reese claps me on my shoulder. “Just like I told you she would be.”

“Yeah.” I don’t know what else to say, but Reese smiles and heads out of the locker room with the rest of the guys, so I drop my phone in my pocket and follow just behind them with my mind racing. They’re talking about the game again, but their words barely even register over the conflict raging in my head.

I can’t have Violet. I never could, and I knew that going into this whole nanny thing, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting her. I thought I could handle myself, but I realize now I greatly underestimated how amazing she is—and how hard it would be to resist my attraction to that. To all of her.

And it’s not getting any easier, so what the hell do I do now? And how am I going to make it through the next couple of months without ruining a good thing?