On the Fly (Crimson Romance) (17 page)

“Mom, we’re … ” Carter looked to Jacey for help, and she took over.

“Mrs. Phlynn — ”

His mother waved that off with a smile and a wink. “Call me Gen.”

Jacey’s expression softened. “There’s been a lot of speculation in the press, but Carter and I are just friends. He’s been really nice and showed me the ropes, but … ” She glanced at him. “That’s all there is to it.”

If his mother’s smile was any indicator, she didn’t buy it, but she didn’t push it, either. “Well, in any case, it sounds like you’ve been a good friend to my son too. And I am taking you to lunch,” she said in singsong.

“Oh, I can’t. I have so much work to do.”

“Nonsense,” his mother said with a beaming smile. “A girl’s got to eat. I’m sure the work can wait for one hour.”

Uh oh. The puppy eyes.
Carter had to hand it to her. Genevieve Phlynn could deal with the best of them. He’d had twenty-nine years to buffer him against the puppy eyes, but Jacey …

“Well … ”

“Please. Humor a mom. It would make me so happy.”

The sadness on Jacey’s face broke his heart. He knew she was thinking about her own mother. Carter shoved a hand back through his wet hair and thought fast. Given their recent press record, it would
not
be good for her to be caught on film meeting the family. He opened his mouth to let his mom down easy, but Jacey spoke first.

“That would be very nice. Thank you.”

Thank you?
What the hell was that? Right after he’d made a promise to the guys. Shit.

• • •

“It’s a little dark in here, don’t you think? Why don’t we sit out on the patio?”

“
No
.” Jacey didn’t mean it to come out so strongly, but if Carter’s mom led them onto the patio, they’d be fair game for East. And everyone else.

Mrs. Phlynn’s eyes widened at the proclamation, so Jacey amended it with a soft smile. “I’m sorry. I get migraines, and sometimes I’m sensitive to light.” Not a lie. She
did
get migraines. And the odds she’d get one before lunch was over were exceptionally high.

Linden East wanted that exclusive interview, but you couldn’t dangle a raw steak in front of a bulldog and expect it not to bite. If she were being honest, she really did want to have lunch with Carter and his mom. She missed that feeling of family. As long as they were careful, she could indulge in this one small solace. And the dark, bistro corner table was the place to do it.

Mrs. Phlynn patted her hand with a concerned, maternal frown that tugged on Jacey’s heart. “You poor dear.”

Jacey tried not to let her smile waver. Carter’s mother gave her a tight, one-armed hug before taking a seat.

Carter looked relieved as they slipped into shadow, but Jacey’s eyes burned with threatening tears, and she blinked fast. Genevieve’s kindness hit her hard after the barrage of criticism from the press, but it was more than that. Somewhere inside, an eight-year-old girl missed the mothering she’d learned to do without.

“Jacey, sit by me. I want to hear all about your adventures owning a team. I think you’re a brave inspiration.”

She bit the inside of her cheek and stifled a sniffle. Her father had been a great man and a loving parent, but running the team, he never had as much time as he’d wanted to spend with her and Madden. She wasn’t used to genuine, undivided attention. Taking a slow breath, she sat next to Mrs. Phlynn. This lunch
would
be hard. And not because of the media threat.

• • •

An hour later, they pulled into the arena’s underground parking garage for players and staff. Jacey angled out of the backseat and opened the passenger door for Carter’s mom.

“Thank you, dear. It was so nice getting to know you over lunch. You’re such a strong person. Carter’s lucky … he’s just lucky.” Mrs. Phlynn winked at her and pulled her into a hug.

Jacey swallowed hard and met Carter’s gaze over the roof of his car. His dark hazel eyes were serious, but a small smile flickered at his lips.

“It was nice getting to know you too. Thank you for lunch. Enjoy the game tonight.” Jacey waved as Genevieve Phlynn hugged her son then slid into her rental car.

When she drove off, Jacey rubbed her forehead. “Your mom looks at me like she’s sizing up my genes for grandchildren.”

Carter smirked and shrugged. “Yeah. Sorry about that. I’ve never really been a relationship guy, so the slightest hint of change … she can’t help it.”

“I like her.”

Carter laughed and slid a hand through his already tousled hair. “Yeah, well, she loves you. Of course she does.” He didn’t seem very happy about that, and Jacey frowned and folded her arms.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean … I
want
… ” Carter sighed. “Jace, you know I — ”

“But we can’t,” she interrupted. “Because — ”

“I made a promise.”

“I made a deal.” They spoke in unison then stared at each other. Jacey went first. “I went to East last week. I had to. I told her if she backed off until after the playoffs, I’d give her an exclusive interview. I didn’t know what else to do, and she agreed. As long as she didn’t see us out in public.” She gestured in the general direction of the restaurant and rolled her eyes.

“You
what?
”

“She got her own column. Our names would have a guaranteed spot in the paper every other week — ”

“You mean
your
name. That’s what you’re worried about. You’re so worried about how all of this is making
you
look — ”

“That’s not true! I’m worried about how it’s making the
team
look. I couldn’t care less what this does to me personally, but she’s disrespecting the team my father dedicated his life to.”

“Okay, fine, but you didn’t make a deal that would just involve
you
. Did you even stop to think whether or not I’d want a validated headline about how I was screwing my boss?” Carter swore under his breath. “Jacey, I’m sorry. I didn’t — ”

He took a step toward her, and she moved back.

“No. You’re right. I didn’t think about that.” Jacey took another step back, then another before turning around and walking into the building, her heels clicking hard on the pavement. She heard what she imagined was Carter slapping the side of his car before she stepped into the elevator, blinking back the evidence of how deeply he’d affected her. She knew it wasn’t fair to make a deal that included him, but what else could she do? It didn’t matter, anyway. There’d be no material for the article now.

Thursday, November 24th

“Too lumpy, right? I should have mashed them longer.”

Jacey paused in pushing the potatoes around on her plate and smiled then looked up at her brother. “No. They’re good, Mad. I’m just … ”

“I know.” He gave her temple a light peck.

They had an extravagant, gilded dining hall, but they sat side-by-side eating their Thanksgiving dinner at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. They didn’t even have all the lights on. The rest of the enormous mansion surrounded them like a dark cave. She smiled, a little bit relieved. It made her feel better about having to sell the place. Three months in the house, and they’d only really lived in thirty percent of it.

Madden’s gray eyes broadcast his guilt and regret, and she felt horrible for focusing on the negatives on a day when she should be grateful. She put her hand over his. “I’m sorry I’ve been far away lately. I’m doing the best I can with the team and the press. Honestly? I really liked him, Maddie. He’s smart and funny and dedicated, and he can be so … ”
Sweet. Gentle. Honest.
She shook her head. “But it doesn’t matter. We can’t be together. It would ruin both our careers.”

Her brother went quiet, his expression blank, but she knew that look. He was processing her words, working out a solution. Except there wasn’t one. She’d been at it from every angle, considered every possibility, and they all ended in she or Carter losing their jobs or becoming a nation-wide hockey embarrassment. She couldn’t do that to her father’s name. Wouldn’t. Jack Vaughn had worked his whole life to build his teams and trusted her to keep this one going. Not to mention Carter didn’t want the world to know he was “screwing his boss.” The words pricked her heart every time she replayed them.

“Don’t give up yet, Jace. Life has a way of surprising you.”

She smiled and arched a brow. “If Life’s name is Madden, then yeah, I think you’re right.”

He looked wounded, and she laughed and shoved at his shoulder. “Not all your surprises are bad. Like this dinner, for one. I didn’t even know you could cook.”

“Bachelor living, sis. Necessity. You think I keep this body on fast food?”

“I think you keep that body on good genetics and protein shakes.”

He scoffed and picked up his plate. “I don’t have to take this. I’m going to eat in my room.”

Jacey grinned and hugged him around the arm. “You know I love you. And your food.”

Madden put his plate back and bumped his shoulder against hers. “I love you too. I just want to see you happy. You’ve taken care of everyone your entire life. It’s your turn, Jace.”

Her eyes watered, but she blinked the tears back and brought out her encouraging, big-sister smile. “I know you want to help, Mad. But I’m just gonna to have to let this one go. I’ll be okay.”

“Will you be okay next weekend when you have to auction him off like a prize bull?”

Her lips parted, and a small, dry sound rattled in her throat. The bachelor auction. Work had been so crazy, the team’s schedule so packed — not to mention she’d spent so much time trying
not
to think about Carter that it defeated the purpose — the auction had completely slipped her mind.
Fantastic
. “I’ll be fine.”

“Very convincing. A woman never means it when she says that.”

“This woman does.”

“Does ‘this woman’ have a date? I’d offer to go with you, but I’m afraid that’d be a little too much like taking your cousin to the prom.”

“Ha. Ha. I … ” Heat flooded her cheeks as she remembered another little detail she’d forgotten, and she dipped her head to pick at her corn. “I actually do have a date.”
Please just drop it. Please just —

“And that would be … ”

“Dylan Cole.” She said it under her breath, hoped he didn’t hear.

“The
rookie
? The
kid
? You don’t think seeing Phlynn was bad enough press?”

“I’m not
seeing
Cole. He stopped by my office last week and asked. He hasn’t met anyone here yet. It’s a big city. He’s shy. It’s not even like he’ll be my date. More like an escort.”

“That sounds way worse,” he said around a mouthful of turkey loaf.

“Come on, Mad. You know what I mean. He’s walking me in the door. That’s it.”

Madden washed down his food with a swig of milk from one of the wine glasses he’d picked for their place settings. She admired his choice to cut back on alcohol and smiled at his white liquid moustache.

His face reddened, and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Okay, fine. But I will be around with my own date if you need some moral support.”

“You’re not bringing — ”

“Uh, no. Haven’t spoken to her since the column.” All expression fell off his face as he stared at his plate. He poked at his last piece of turkey but didn’t eat it.

“You really like her.”

“I thought maybe … but after what she did? Take advantage of our night to hang you and Phlynn out to dry? I don’t want to be with someone like that.”

She didn’t want him to be with someone like that, either. Madden talked a smooth game, but she knew a vulnerable romantic hid beneath. And she loved him for it. But she couldn’t remember seeing him this upset over anyone else. She swallowed a sigh.

“If it makes any difference, I don’t think it was personal. She saw a story, and she wrote it. That doesn’t mean it reflects on how she feels about you.”

“It’s not even that. You’re my family, Jace. She messes with one Vaughn, she takes them all on.”

Jacey smiled and leaned her head on her brother’s shoulder. “I appreciate that, but … don’t give up yet. Life has a way of surprising you.”

“A really wise man said that once.”

“Wise
ass
.”

He stood up with his plate again, and she almost fell off her stool laughing. Maybe she did have something to be thankful for. Too bad the bachelor auction hung like a black cloud on the horizon.

Saturday, December 3rd

“Where is she? Isn’t she supposed to be running this thing?” Carter’s heart beat like it meant to escape his chest. In the past few weeks he’d only seen Jacey before games when she came to wish the team luck, and she never met his eyes. It wouldn’t be any easier to get close to her tonight, but damn if he didn’t want to try. Just to explain. Apologize. Stop the burning guilt and pain that kept eating away at him like emotional cancer.

“Man, I’m sure she’ll be here. And I’m saying this brother to brother — maybe you don’t want to look so hot to see your boss and make another headline. Especially when you’ll be another woman’s date in fifteen minutes.” Reese looked at him like he was a five-year-old.

Lips pressed together, Carter exhaled through his nose. Reese was only trying to help. And he was right. But where was Jacey?

“Hey listen, why don’t we … ” His friend trailed off, staring over Carter’s shoulder. He went mannequin still except for his mouth, which dropped open.

“What?”

Reese blinked and angled himself quickly. “Uh, nothing. Nothing. Let’s hit up the bar before the auction starts.” Reese grabbed Carter’s shoulder, tried to steer him forward, but Carter pulled away and turned around. And saw her. With Dylan Cole, the rookie.

Carter wasn’t even aware he’d started moving until a hand grabbed his arm and jerked him to a hard stop. “
Phlynn
. Turn around and let it go.” Reese kept his voice low and slung an arm around Carter’s shoulders. People looked at them. He faked a laugh then smiled, talking through his teeth. “You know they’re not together.
Let. It. Go.
”