2. Grey

Grey

" H ey, do you need a―Ellie?"

My son's girlfriend―the purple streak in her long brown hair clear in my car's dash lights―stared at me in frozen terror. Her face, red from the bitter cold, was so stunned, I thought she'd faint on the spot. Huge blue eyes had grown nearly twice their normal size.

Alarmed, I put my car in park, and got out. "Ellie, girl, what are you doing way out here? On foot? Where's Colton?"

I put my hands on her arms, feeling her shiver even through the heavy winter coat she wore. She stared up into my face, her mouth opening and closing with a word emerging. Fearing something terrible had happened―an accident, my son injured, or dead―I opened the door for Ellie to get in.

"Get warm," I snapped, not intending to sound so harsh. "Tell me what happened."

Ellie obeyed, shaking like a leaf in a high wind, and sat in the passenger seat. As I walked around the car to get back in, I glanced back at the way she had come, looking for emergency vehicles. Except I'd just also come from that way and seen nothing.

Seated beside her, I took her incredibly cold hand in mine.

"Ellie," I said quietly, as scared as she was. "Is Colton all right?"

She nodded, her teeth chattering so hard I knew she couldn't talk until she got warm. Still, that nod sent relief rushing through my blood. If Colton was fine, enjoying his camping trip with his friends, where was he? Why was Ellie walking along the highway, alone, in below zero weather?

"H-he-he," she managed through her clenched teeth, "d-dumped m-me."

"Colton dumped you?" I stared through the windshield, anger gnawing at me. "I thought you were getting along just fine."

I turned as Ellie shook her head.

"Is he still camping?" I asked.

She gave a nod.

Grumbling under my breath, I let go of her hand to put my car into drive. "As long as he's okay and not dying somewhere, I guess we'll go on. Christ, what an asshole thing to do."

Ellie put her hands to the car's heater. "I-I know."

"What happened?"

"He c-c-cheated on me. W-with L-Lindy."

I glanced sidelong at her. "Who's Lindy?"

Ellie opened her coat to allow the heat to penetrate her body. Her skin gradually recovered its more normal peaches-and-cream hue as her shakes slowly lessened. I admired her from the moment Colton brought her home to meet me. A real beauty, Ellie was. She owned a perfectly oval face, long brown hair, and eyes that set my soul on fire. Even when she belonged to my son, I was attracted to Ellie March.

"M-my friend." Ellie rubbed her hands together. "I wish I h-hadn't gone camping."

"So, you got mad and split?"

"Yeah."

Even though she could have easily died from such a foolish endeavor, I admired her guts for not putting up with Colton's shit. I scolded her anyway.

"Ellie, do you know how cold it is?" I glanced at the dash's temperature reading. "Minus ten. And dropping. You could have killed yourself."

Ellie shrugged. "No one gives a shit about me anyway."

"Colton knew you left, and didn't try to stop you?"

"No one else did, either." A crooked, self-hating smile creased her lovely lips. "So much for friendships."

"I should beat his stupid ass," I growled. "Yours, too. That was really stupid to leave shelter in this cold."

"I know. You can drop me off at the next town. But thanks for the ride."

"Do you have money on you? A credit card? Someone to call to pick you up?"

"No, on all counts."

"Then you're stuck with me. I'm not dropping you anywhere unless I know you're safe."

I caught her staring at me. "Why? Why would you care when no one else does?"

"Maybe I'm smarter than everyone else. You're worth caring about."

That silenced her. She shed her coat, the sweater she wore under it molded to her small breasts and flat stomach. I forced my gaze from her sexy, slim body, and focused on my driving.

I thought about what to do with her. I'm already in trouble for missing the flight, I can't take her back to her apartment. I'm headed in the opposite direction.

"Um," I said slowly. "I have to be in Boston. I don't suppose, since you no longer have plans, that you'd accompany me?"

Ellie sent me a wide-eyed look. "Boston?"

Feeling lame, I nodded. "I missed the team's commercial flight. As a result, I'm at the mercy of the powers that be."

"You were MVP two games in a row," Ellie protested.

I grinned. "You follow pro hockey?"

"Sort of. Colton bragged about you. And yeah, I've watched a few of your games."

"Even an MVP has rules to follow and bosses to answer to." I checked the mirrors for traffic and exited the two laned highway to merge onto the freeway going south. "Tomorrow, I have strategy meetings, and the game tomorrow night. I can get you a hotel room, and a VIP ticket, if you'd like."

"Sure," she replied, her enthusiasm rising. "That would be so dope."

"Even a jersey?"

Ellie glanced down at her sweater. "I don't have a change of clothes, a hairbrush or anything. Everything I brought camping is back at the cabin."

"I can help with that," I mused. "Springing for a toothbrush and a few clothes won't break the bank."

Ellie stared out her window into the deep blackness, silent, for a long moment. I saw her reflection in the glass but had no idea what she was thinking.

"Ellie?"

Offering me a wan smile, she said, "It's hard for me to accept it's all over between me and Colton. And here I am, spending the weekend in Boston with his old man."

I shrugged, helpless as to what to say to that.

"His loss," I finally commented. "He'll likely be pissed when he finds out, but I'm not gonna back out of my invitation. We can be friends, right?"

"Sure." She looked out the window again. "I need a friend right now."

"Count me in." I took her hand, resting it on the console between us. "He's an idiot if he doesn't care for you. He's too much like me when I was his age." I squeezed her fingers lightly. "I was dumb and arrogant at twenty-two. I learned the hard way that you reap what you sow. He'll wish he hadn't tossed you aside."

"I doubt it," Ellie said softly. "He fell out of love with me. Got bored. He'll do the same to Lindy."

"He might. And you know what? One day, he'll have his heart busted in all the wrong ways. Then he'll grow up, become a real man. Someday."

***

We reached the Boston metro area a few hours later after crossing from Vermont and into New Hampshire. Ellie had fallen asleep somewhere in western Massachusetts. Hungry, I stopped at a freeway truck stop, but didn't want to leave her alone while I ate a quick meal. I reluctantly woke her, watching as Ellie blearily gazed around, looking at the bright lights and rumbling semis.

"Hungry?" I asked. "Let's get a bite and maybe some coffee."

Nodding without speaking, Ellie donned her heavy coat, and stepped from the warm car and into the frigid night. Her hands shook as she zipped up the front, hunching her shoulders as she stuck them in her pockets.

I opened the diner's door for her, my hand on the small of her back. At that late hour, only a few truckers were at the tables drinking coffee. A tired looking waitress sat us in a booth, unconcerned about a big athletic guy like me being with a girl half my age. Ellie may easily pass as my daughter.

"Want breakfast?" I asked as the waitress poured us both coffees.

Ellie tried to hide a yawn behind her hands. "Yeah, sounds good."

She drank her coffee black, as I did, yet the caffeine failed to rouse her by much. Keeping her eyes down, she ate only half of what she'd ordered, and apologized.

"Sorry," she murmured. "I thought I was hungry."

"Look, you went through a hard time tonight. I get it. Don't worry. I'm not judging you."

She smiled faintly. "Thanks. That's the last thing I need, a judgement."

Taking my wallet from my jeans pocket, I took out a couple hundred in cash. I put the money in her hand before she could refuse.

"I'll get you a room to sleep," I murmured, not letting go of her fingers. "I have to get to my meetings, but you use this. Tomorrow, get a cab, get whatever you need. Clothes, whatnot. Grab breakfast, or lunch. I should be back around four in the afternoon. Sound okay?"

Her face flushed pink, Ellie nodded, and stuffed the money into her coat. "Thanks, Mr. Aldine."

"Grey," I said automatically. "I don't go by Mr. anything. Got it?"

Smiling, Ellie looked at me over the rim of her cup. "Grey. That's an awesome name."

"Blame my mother." I picked up my own mug. "She picked it. Wouldn't let my dad change it."

"It's still dope. Unique. Like you."

I glanced away from the admiration in her bluer-than-blue eyes. Heat creeping from my neck to my face informed me I blushed.

Good Christ, you blush like a kid at her simple compliment.

"Thanks." I cleared my throat, finding anything to look at except her exquisite face. "You're a really nice girl, Ellie."

She set her mug down. "Nice doesn't get you anywhere. I discovered that the hard way tonight."

"Don't let what Colton did change you." I caressed the back of her hand. "You're sweet, kind, warm, exceptionally beautiful. Don't permit bitterness and anger to change your nature."

"I'll try," she murmured, staring down at my fingers. "You're not what I thought you were."

Surprised, I withdrew my hand. "You've met me before."

"And never spent more than five minutes in your company," she replied. "You used to scare me."

"I did?"

"Yeah. Your tattoos, your reputation as killer player, your size." Ellie flushed a deep red. "Your good looks."

"Oh."

"I've never met anyone like you before," she admitted. "So strong, you look like you'd crunch your opponents with one bite and spit out the bones."

I laughed. "That's for the other teams to think."

"And here you are, going out of your way for your kid's ex-girlfriend. Being kind, gentle, sweet." She lightly touched the back of my hand. "Giving. I can tell that you're a person who gives more than he takes."

"Stop it," I chuckled. "Someone might hear you say that, and my rep's burned."

"It's true. I can tell. Colton is in awe of you. He wants to be just like you."

"Nah. He only likes me because I'm a famous hockey player. My money. I love him, he's my kid. But he doesn't always feel the same way."

Ellie chose not to argue. "We'd better get going. You need sleep before tomorrow."

Now I chose not to argue.

I drove us into Boston's West End and found a decent hotel near TD Garden. I signed us both in, Ellie as my daughter, with separate rooms not far from one another. I had my small satchel, but Ellie carried nothing. She unlocked her room with her key card, then turned to me, holding the door open.

"Thank you," she said simply. "I mean it."

"I know."

Wishing I could take her into my arms, hold her, kiss her, make sweet love to her, I let her stand on tiptoe to kiss my cheek.

You're too old for her, dummy, I warned myself. No good could come of sleeping with her. She's Colton's ex, for God's sake.

Ellie smiled before she closed the door. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah."

I stared at the shut door for too long before I slowly walked two rooms down the hall from hers. Letting myself in, I sat on the massive bed, and thought of Ellie. Her beauty, her smile, and most of all…her eyes.

Stop it. She's not for you.