Chapter Two

“Aiden!” Kade Turner’s scream makes its way down the hall. I sigh into my third cup of coffee and close my eyes in a desperate attempt to not call him an idiot for doing exactly what I told him not to do. He wanders down the hallway with half a broken chair in one hand and the handle of a coffee mug in the other.

“I almost cracked my skull on the table! Why didn’t you tell me the chair was broken?” he asks.

I sigh and gently place my mug on the counter. The front door opens, pulling our attention before I have to tackle another communication mishap between my teammate and my Irish terminology. Evan walks in followed by Greer, but both freeze under our stares. They’ve been gone for a week visiting his family, and the entire time I’ve been putting up with Turner on my own. He’s a good lad, but a bit annoying.

A lot annoying.

“What’s wrong?” Evan asks, gaze bouncing between Turner and me. “And why are you holding a mug handle and half a chair?”

Turner’s face burns deep red and he waves the chair at me. “I asked him if I could use the office and he didn’t bother to tell me the chair was broken. I almost hit my head on the desk, I broke my favorite mug, and spilled coffee all over the inches of paperwork Mr. Gregory made me fill out for my contract renewal.”

I throw my hands in the air and growl. “I told you three times that chair was banjanxed but you didn’t listen.”

“I don’t even know what that means!” Turner shouts.

Evan runs a hand through his hair and chuckles. “Listen, we need to talk. Have you got a minute, or do you need us to come back when you’re done with this lovers’ quarrel?”

Turner throws the mug handle at Evan, but now isn’t time for playing. There’s something weighing on my friend’s mind, and I want to know what it is. Greer wiggles where she stands, a surefire sign she’s uncomfortable. I’ve gotten to know the lass even better than I did before, and I’ve fallen head over heels for her—for my friend, of course. She’s a doll, and Evan has never been happier. Which is why his frown is misplaced.

“What is it, friend?”

“Um, see, while we were on our trip we got married,” he says.

“Say again?” I lean closer over the counter, trying to make sense of what I just heard.

“We got married?” Greer says, or asks, since I can’t tell for sure based on her tone.

Silence fills the apartment. I don’t know what to say, but I’m proud of Evan. Happy for him. A laugh finally slips free from my mouth and I round the counter and head into the entryway where they still stand.

“Well don’t just stand there. Let me hug you.” I open my arms and embrace Greer, who relaxes and smiles.

“Thanks, Aiden. You know, if it weren’t for you and my friends being super annoying and setting us up on a blind date, this never would have happened. I owe you. Big time.” She pulls away and takes a step back, looking up at her husband like he hung the moon. The stars. Every celestial body in the heavens, and he soaks it all in like a man who can’t get enough of looking at his beautiful wife.

“Congratulations,” Turner says. “Guess that means Aiden’s gonna need a new roommate.”

I glare at him. If he thinks it’s going to be him, he’s sadly mistaken. I like him, but not enough to put up with him living under the same roof as me.

“Yeah, but listen, I plan on paying rent until you find someone else. This was short notice, and I don’t expect you to let me out of our agreement,” Evan says. I slap a hand on his shoulder and squeeze it.

“Nonsense. I’ve been a Dragon longer than you. I make twice your salary, kid,” I tease but he only rolls his eyes.

“Well, on that note, I’m going to head home and start rearranging things. Pizza okay for dinner tonight?” Greer asks Evan.

He leans down to kiss her and my heart aches. I’ll never have this. Never hold a woman who loves me the way Greer loves my friend. Never share quiet dinners with someone I love. I inhale and try to steady my breathing, keep them from knowing how this reminds me of every mistake I’ve ever made. They’re happy and should be. They don’t need me making a sorry show of myself bringing them down.

“Hey, we should have a party after practice. What do you think?” Turner asks.

Evan shrugs. “Sure, I could go for pizza or something from Brokedown. What do you want, babe?”

Greer rubs his back and stands on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Brokedown is fine. Call me when practice is over, and I’ll meet you. I’ll call the girls and see if they can make it.” With that, Greer waves her goodbye and heads out.

Once the door is closed, Evan scrubs his hands over his face. “Listen, I really am sorry. I know you were looking forward to coming to our wedding, but when our parents met it all snowballed and before we knew it, we were in a little chapel exchanging vows.”

I scoff and smack his shoulder again. “The important thing is that you are married to the love of your life. If you name a child after me, I’ll forgive you.”

He chuckles and finally relaxes. “All joking aside, I hope you know that your part in getting us together means a lot to me. Both of you.” He looks at Turner who is still holding the chair. I shake my head. I know I’m gonna get stuck with this kid as a roommate. He’s here all the time anyway, and it would take a bloody miracle to shake him.

Not that I want to. Seems like he needs an older brother in his life, but he’ll have to deal with a few pranks and jokes along the way.

“Ready for practice?” Turner asks.

“Yep. Let’s go.”

It isn’t unusual for Mr. Gregory, the team owner, to step into a pre-practice meeting. It is unusual for him to announce a new policy—no dating Dragons staff members. Of course, he made exceptions for those who are already in relationships, but moving forward it is not allowed. He dropped this gem just before mentioning that the new Dragons’ team mascot, Ruby the Dragon, would be joining our next game with her first ever performance.

Until now, Ruby was just a cartoon character that appeared on various promotional items. When we made the playoffs, Mr. Gregory wanted to go big or go home. We all knew he planned to hire someone who could do intermission performances, but we did not anticipate it being so big.

“What do you mean, she breathes fire?” Archer asks. If Cap doesn’t know anything about it, no one will. He seems as confused as the rest of us despite Mr. Gregory mentioning an email with detailed information about the upcoming performance.

“It’s a sort of acrobatics act that includes pyrotechnics. I cannot stress enough how incredible a performer she is, but part of the performance is an air of mystery. She will remain anonymous, even to the players.”

Ah, yes. The new policy. No dating the new employee.

The entire practice went to Hades in a handcart after the meeting, primarily because Turner kept egging me about the banjanxed chair that nearly claimed his life, but also because none of us could cease our speculation about who the woman playing the part of Ruby might be.

Even now, hours later sitting in a darkened booth at Brokedown Tavern, the boys can’t stop speculating.

“I don’t think she’s here. I recognize everyone,” Archer says, glancing at Ronnie. “Do you know who she is?”

Ronnie shakes her head and adjusts her glasses. “Nope. Sure don’t, but I wouldn’t expect her to be here tonight. It’s rented out just for Evan and Greer’s party, and she just started today.”

“And there’s the fact that she wants to remain anonymous,” Greer adds. “Can’t really do that when you show up at a work function and you’re the only new face.”

“Ah, but it isn’t a work function. It’s a celebration, so let’s let it drop and enjoy our newlywedded friends, shall we?” I say, trying to shift the subject from a performer we will never meet to something more close to my heart—my beloved friends.

“You think she’s famous?” Jude asks.

Chantelle crams a carrot stick in her mouth and shrugs. I’m keeping my eye on that one. Lass always knows more than she lets on, but so does the social media manager eating celery sticks beside her like she needs to have food in her mouth or words she can’t say might slip out.

“I don’t think a famous person would be interested in doing an intermission show for a lower level pro hockey team,” Bridger says, squeezing Freya closer to him.

It’s times like these I miss Cyrus. He caused a lot of trouble, but he livened up a room while he did it. Right now, this congratulatory party is more like a wake. Joel and Gwen cut out early, something about her not being able to stay up so late, but I have a feeling it had more to do with the lifeless musings of our boring friends. I feel the urge to pull a little leprechauning—a term Evan coined after I’d pulled one too many pranks on him. I can’t help it. Boredom allows my mind to wander to places it shouldn’t, so I distract myself with childish pranks on my friends.

I should have known it would lead me down a road full of trouble. And it looks like that trouble has come home to roost.

“Hey, I dare you to discover her identity. Hundred bucks says you can’t,” Evan says.

Greer rolls her eyes. “I think if the woman doesn’t want to be found out, she has some plan to maintain her mystery that will not be easily ruined by one of you guys.”

Evan huffs. “Do not underestimate this guy’s ability to discover information and use it against you. Remember the time he shoved a giant fake spider in Bridger’s locker?”

Bridger groans. “Yeah, I punched it so hard, I had to sit out of practice to ice my hand.”

His annoyed gaze lands on me and I sit back in the booth. “Don’t get started, mate. Already got a giving out about that. It’s in the past.”

Bridger’s dark eyes lighten a little and he chuckles. I can’t help but give them a good codding. Brothers do that sort of thing, and if I’m honest about it, the Dragons are the only family I have anymore. When Dad died in a car accident my first year playing for the Dragons, Mum went back to Ireland. I stayed in the States. It’s been a heated topic between us ever since.

Stevie, one of Greer’s close friends and another member of the Denver Darlings soccer team, stops beside our booth and leans against it. She’s bored, and like me, she’s a load of mischief when she hasn’t got anything else to keep her occupied. “Anyone feel like dancing?” she asks.

The lass is a lash, no doubt about it, but she also might be more trouble than a little. Still, if I dance with her then I’ll avoid Evan’s insistence that I discover the identity of the new mascot. It isn’t a dare I feel like takin’, especially since we were given explicit instructions to stay away from her. I ain’t lookin’ to lose my career over a team mascot wanting to remain a mystery.

“A beautiful lass like you should have a full dance card, darling,” I say, ribbing her. She flashes me that heart-stopping smile I know has half the still single guys on our team all tangled up in their trousers. Stevie has a way of tongue-tying even the most eloquent of us.

Not me, of course.

I don’t date. Haven’t since I was a teenager, and won’t again. I’m a bachelor, and will be until the day I die. Doesn’t mean I can’t have some fun dancing with a friend, especially if it gets me away from the couples table. I’m beginning to feel like a third wheel. I glance around at our friends all snuggled up. Make that a seventh wheel.

“Unfortunately, it is not full,” Stevie says with a frown. I offer my hand and earn that smile again. I’m the only single guy at the table; there’s no doubt she was asking me. Since setting up Greer and Evan, we’ve become friends. She tells me her woes and I give her my best advice, while she tries to convince me to date again. Not her, though. She’s got her eye on someone even if she won’t tell me who.

Out on the small dance floor, she manipulates me into a fitting partner.

“If the Dragons keep renting this place out for their get-togethers, I’m going to need to marry into the family just to have dinner here,” she teases.

“Ah, well, we have a few to choose from yet.” I nod toward the corner where some of the guys have joined in conversation. No less than three steal glances at us, their gaze lingering a bit too long.

Stevie chuckles as we move to the music. “Maybe. What about you? Are you going to take Evan up on his dare? I’m kind of curious myself.”

I roll my eyes and utter a low growl. “Not you, too. You’re supposed to be my escape, not more temptation to do something that could get me fired.”

She wags her eyebrows in a sultry dare of her own. The thing about Stevie? She’s flirtatious but she never backs it up. She’s as self-conscious as the next woman, and any man who takes real interest in her better be prepared to break through that brick wall she throws up when things get serious. Just like another Darling I know. I glance over my shoulder at Evan and Greer, knowing my friend won’t let his dare go unanswered.

The only question that remains is how will I unveil this mystery woman without putting my contract in jeopardy? Evan catches my gaze and offers me a single nod, but that sly grin is all I need to know he’s going to hold me to it. This is what I get for all of those practical jokes in the past. You’d think setting him up with his wife would have made us even.

“Hey, you know you can say no, right?” Stevie’s tone has shifted to something less playful. “You don’t have to accept a dare that might get you fired. Just tell them no.”

I shake my head. “No. I’m afraid I can’t, love. Not this time.”