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Authors: Diana Fisher
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out, too. Of course, I would pay her for her work.”
“Don’t you even think about touching her—”
“Keri,” I bit at her. Accusing everyone of being monsters wasn’t right. I could see her point in wanting to protect the girl, but not everyone was out to hurt her. “I would never do that. I figured that while she was here, I could pay her for taking down my notes while I coached. Give her something to do, only if she doesn’t have any homework. But Jordan … I think he really wants to play.”
“I don’t know if I can do that. I looked at what it would cost and…” Shame crawled up her throat, turning her neck to a soft shade of pink. It was only her; otherwise she wouldn’t have cared. Maybe she was the only one working in the house, but just the desperation that was coating her eyes turned my gut. Never in a million years would I ever want anything to do with a woman who had kids. I didn’t want them, and I sure in the hell didn’t have any. I just didn’t want the trouble. But, those three people grabbed hold of me for some reason.
“I could help with that. Each year, the rink sponsors a kid, and if he really does want to and has what it takes, I can make the arrangements.” Why the hell not? If Jordan wanted to play, he should. And I could understand Keri’s monetary worry as playing hockey was the most expensive sport available to Jordan, not to count playing a goaltender position.
“No. I don’t need anyone’s help. I can do this myself.” Shaking her head, she looked down the tunnel while trying to pull her tears back. “I just need a little time to adjust, but we will be fine.” The crack in her voice stopped my heart. It was like her hand reached right into my chest and grabbed the damn thing and squeezed until it couldn’t beat anymore. “I’ll take a look at some things tonight and I will see.”
“I’m serious, Keri. The rink will sponsor him—”
“I said no. I will work it out if he wants to.” The numbers were flashing over her face as the bite of reality pinched her brows together. There wasn’t a way she could afford it on her salary alone unless she took on a second job. And I didn’t see her dong such a thing either with having the two kids under her care.
“But—”
“No! I can do this by myself!” The hurt had slapped me in the face. I never met a woman like her before. Not one that strong and independent. Women loved money, and they loved a man with lots of it even more. Not once had I ever offered to help a woman out, nor would I. The women I wanted ended that night and nothing more. That was just the way I was and the way they were. A night.
Keri wasn’t that kind of woman. She covered more of her body than the women I went for. Her blouses were conservative, yet classy on a decent salary, but nothing that was expensive. She couldn’t have made a lot of money, but before the kids came into her life, it was a comforting one. Now, with two teenagers and maybe a deadbeat at home, her salary alone wasn’t enough to support them. Not without stretching every cent that she had.
But, I had to let it go. If I pushed, she would take the kids and not come back. That was something that I couldn’t risk. Not yet, anyway. I had to make sure that those two were being taken care of and treated right first.
With the way that I grew up in that house with two drunken drug addicts and the physical abuse that I went through, I vowed to not allow that to happen to anyone under my watch. That was why I donated a lot of money to helping children in those kinds of homes, and why I spent most of my time at the rink during the week. My rink was a safe place for kids to run to if there was someone hurting them, and me being here meant that I could help someone if they did show up.
But Keri Borelli . I thought it was an act when she first stormed into my office like she did. Some people do act that way when they are around the watchful eye, but behind closed doors, it
“Don’t you even think about touching her—”
“Keri,” I bit at her. Accusing everyone of being monsters wasn’t right. I could see her point in wanting to protect the girl, but not everyone was out to hurt her. “I would never do that. I figured that while she was here, I could pay her for taking down my notes while I coached. Give her something to do, only if she doesn’t have any homework. But Jordan … I think he really wants to play.”
“I don’t know if I can do that. I looked at what it would cost and…” Shame crawled up her throat, turning her neck to a soft shade of pink. It was only her; otherwise she wouldn’t have cared. Maybe she was the only one working in the house, but just the desperation that was coating her eyes turned my gut. Never in a million years would I ever want anything to do with a woman who had kids. I didn’t want them, and I sure in the hell didn’t have any. I just didn’t want the trouble. But, those three people grabbed hold of me for some reason.
“I could help with that. Each year, the rink sponsors a kid, and if he really does want to and has what it takes, I can make the arrangements.” Why the hell not? If Jordan wanted to play, he should. And I could understand Keri’s monetary worry as playing hockey was the most expensive sport available to Jordan, not to count playing a goaltender position.
“No. I don’t need anyone’s help. I can do this myself.” Shaking her head, she looked down the tunnel while trying to pull her tears back. “I just need a little time to adjust, but we will be fine.” The crack in her voice stopped my heart. It was like her hand reached right into my chest and grabbed the damn thing and squeezed until it couldn’t beat anymore. “I’ll take a look at some things tonight and I will see.”
“I’m serious, Keri. The rink will sponsor him—”
“I said no. I will work it out if he wants to.” The numbers were flashing over her face as the bite of reality pinched her brows together. There wasn’t a way she could afford it on her salary alone unless she took on a second job. And I didn’t see her dong such a thing either with having the two kids under her care.
“But—”
“No! I can do this by myself!” The hurt had slapped me in the face. I never met a woman like her before. Not one that strong and independent. Women loved money, and they loved a man with lots of it even more. Not once had I ever offered to help a woman out, nor would I. The women I wanted ended that night and nothing more. That was just the way I was and the way they were. A night.
Keri wasn’t that kind of woman. She covered more of her body than the women I went for. Her blouses were conservative, yet classy on a decent salary, but nothing that was expensive. She couldn’t have made a lot of money, but before the kids came into her life, it was a comforting one. Now, with two teenagers and maybe a deadbeat at home, her salary alone wasn’t enough to support them. Not without stretching every cent that she had.
But, I had to let it go. If I pushed, she would take the kids and not come back. That was something that I couldn’t risk. Not yet, anyway. I had to make sure that those two were being taken care of and treated right first.
With the way that I grew up in that house with two drunken drug addicts and the physical abuse that I went through, I vowed to not allow that to happen to anyone under my watch. That was why I donated a lot of money to helping children in those kinds of homes, and why I spent most of my time at the rink during the week. My rink was a safe place for kids to run to if there was someone hurting them, and me being here meant that I could help someone if they did show up.
But Keri Borelli . I thought it was an act when she first stormed into my office like she did. Some people do act that way when they are around the watchful eye, but behind closed doors, it
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