Dropped Gloves (Five for Fighting #5) Read online

  Amber Lynn

  Copyright © 2016 Amber Lynn

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Dedication

  The fifth book in the Five for Fighting series is dedicated to my husband. He is the one who turned me on to the sport of hockey and who has helped solidify my obsession with it. Without him, I never would have become the fan I am today or met any of the players who have given me subtle inspirations when it comes to my writing.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  Being the new guy in town isn’t always fun, especially if you spent the better parts of the last seven years making enemies with the people you now see every day. Ryan Gulliver never thought he’d find himself playing for an opposing team, but without a no-trade clause it was easy for the Redbirds to get rid of him. Freeing up some cap space was more important than keeping a guy who’d broken his back day in and day out to make an arena full of fans scream his name a couple of times a week.

  Ryan was a little bitter about how things went down. It wasn’t like he was the star scorer or starting goaltender, but he thought he deserved a bit more than an announcement from the coach right after warmups. Clearly the move had been in the works, so it wasn’t like they couldn’t have mentioned he didn’t need to get dressed for the game that night. The looks of pity he saw on his teammates’ faces told him even some of them had gotten wind the trade was happening.

  It was almost a month later and Ryan still gritted his teeth after he stepped off the ice to head to the locker room before a game. It was after the trade deadline, so it wasn’t like he could be traded again, but that didn’t change the fact he somehow expected bad news when he got back to the locker room. With his contract up at the end of the year, he wasn’t sure where he’d end up. For the time being, he was with the Tigers and he was doing his best to fit in.

  “So,” Ryan heard a mild voice say from his left. “Are you using your X-ray vision to look at something in the hall or are you just getting in the zone for the game? I’ve watched you play for a while, so I’m pretty sure you don’t have any specific super powers, other than your impressive ability to get under people’s skin.”

  It was unclear how many minutes had passed since Ryan had sat down in his locker room stall, but a few of the other guys were already lining up to head out on the ice. Getting lost in his thoughts wasn’t uncommon. It could be a little annoying, especially when he was caught not paying attention.

  Ryan looked over to the owner of the voice. Dylan Jones’ blue eyes were staring at Ryan, while his usual patient smile waited for an answer to his question. Even when they’d played against each other, it’d been hard not to like Dylan. Of course, now that Dylan wasn’t playing anymore, it was a little easier not to want to throw him off his game, not that Ryan had been able to actually do that while they were on opposing teams.

  Dylan’s career had actually come to an end when Ryan’s was really just getting started. Everyone knew the story about Dylan almost dying after meeting the wrong end of a knife, repeatedly, and having to give up his life on the ice, but that time in his life didn’t define Dylan. Ryan was still getting to know the real Dylan, not just the guy in the papers and on television.

  “And if I say I’m using my X-ray vision, you going to ask me to see a shrink, coach? I’m sure I could come up with all sorts of amusing things I’m seeing on the other side of the wall.” A slight smile appeared across Ryan’s face, but it didn’t last long. He wasn’t particularly happy that the coach was focused on him. Before Ryan drifted into his own world, he’d done all his pregame preparations, so it wasn’t like he needed to hurry to catch up.

  As the head coach for the team, Dylan was great about knowing what was going on with his players, a fact that bothered Ryan a little. He wasn’t used to seeing concern from the person in charge of the locker room. It was Dylan’s first year coaching, so maybe he’d eventually end up the dispassionate hard-ass Ryan was used to, but he wasn’t holding his breath on that happening anytime soon.

  The team wasn’t the same one as when Dylan played, but it was like he was still one of the boys. The comradery among teammates that Ryan observed was similar for the team as a whole to what he was used to, but the coaching staff joining in was something new for him. Unless you were screwing up royally, his old coach didn’t care what was going on in your life.

  “You say that like seeing a shrink is a bad thing. I can’t say I see anyone on a regular basis, but sometimes it’s nice to get things off your chest.”

  “And sometimes it’s best to keep things to yourself,” Ryan hurried to say. Dylan seemed like he was prepared to give some kind of speech, based on the deep inhale of breath Ryan heard. Even if Ryan was into hearing whatever Dylan wanted to say, a few minutes before a game wasn’t the right time for it.

  “It may seem like that, but bottling things up isn’t always the right move either. I’ve noticed you haven’t really clicked with anyone since you’ve joined the team. Why don’t you come over to my place after the game and hang out with Casey and me?”

  Ryan was going to comment on the difficulties of clicking with a team when you’ve previously done everything you could to get everyone off their game, but the absolute silence that filled the locker room at Dylan’s words stopped him. The absence of noise took Ryan’s eyes away from Dylan to see every other set of eyes in the room on the two of them.

  He was used to glares from the team as they tried to figure out what to make of him, but he wasn’t used to seeing what seemed to be fear for his well-being. It made Ryan wish he not only had X-ray vision, but also the power to disappear. He hadn’t heard any rumors about Dylan starting a weird cult, but for some reason, that was the first thing that went through Ryan’s mind when goosebumps made an odd appearance on his arms.

  “From the look on your face, I’m guessing you haven’t heard my wife considers herself a matchmaker.”

  Ryan’s gaze drifted back to Dylan, but he didn’t miss the pained looks on some of the faces. The feeling of needing to run for his life quickly welled up inside of him.

  “Are you saying she thinks she’s found my future wife?” The idea made Ryan laugh. It’d been a while since he’d had a girlfriend, and thoughts of getting married had never settled for more than a second in his mind.

  “I’m saying I love my wife very much and try to make her happy when I can. You don’t have to agree to dinner, but I promised I’d ask.”

  The words weren’t surprising, since Dylan seemed to try to get along with everyone. Ryan was curious what would happen if Casey’s plans were turned down. He’d onl
y run into the red-haired woman a couple of times, but he got the sense she didn’t like being told no. There was something in the fire of her emerald eyes that made it clear she didn’t like to be crossed.

  “Has anyone found themselves beaten and battered from one of your wife’s attempts?”

  The timing of the conversation felt a little weird, but it wasn’t like Ryan could claim he had other plans. Since moving to town, he’d basically been a homebody. Having dinner and maybe a decent conversation with other people didn’t sound like a bad idea.

  Judging by the way Dylan turned his face to the side and focused on thinking about an answer to the question, Ryan should’ve thought about the choice a little longer. The locker room was still quiet, and it didn’t seem like anyone else was going to jump in with their opinion, even though Ryan was sure the others in the room had things to share.

  That left Ryan waiting while Dylan perused his memories. It was unsettling that he couldn’t just answer no.

  “No one has ever admitted they were injured, but there have been times when guys haven’t spoken to me for a week because of the experience.” Dylan nodded as his focus returned to Ryan. His blue eyes held a little mischief, leaving Ryan to only imagine the stories he could tell.

  If Ryan had really clicked with anyone since the move, he wouldn’t have even bothered considering the offer. He was past the point in his life when he hung around bars or clubs looking for relationships and he didn’t generally run into anyone in his day-to-day life that tripped his fancy. Eventually he figured he’d find someone himself, and he was sure the woman Casey had picked out wasn’t her, but the idea that she had someone in mind was intriguing.

  “I know I’m new, but I have heard you live in a shoebox. How exactly do you have people over for dinner?”

  Dylan’s smile widened at the question. Ryan thought he heard a few groans from the peanut gallery, but he ignored them. Not saying no immediately told everyone in the room that he was considering the proposal. If any of the guys really knew him, they’d already know he’d eventually say yes. He may pretend to need his arm twisted, but he’d agree.

  “We make do. Before Cooper was born we extended the house to add a little extra space for the kids.”

  That didn’t explain anything to Ryan, since he knew Cooper was about a year old and people still complained about the small space. Ryan had only seen the Jones kids the times Casey had been around, so he didn’t know much about them other than there was a baby and a little girl who looked about five.

  “I don’t mean to step on anyone’s toes, but unless we’re going to forfeit the game, we should probably head out to the ice.” It was the starting goaltender, John Klinger, who decided to try to get them back on task.

  “Last I checked you didn’t ask my permission to do anything, Klinger, so why don’t you head out to the ice and skate around in circles for a few minutes.” It was easy to tell Dylan was just pretending to be annoyed by the interruption. The eye rolling that went along with the words helped drive that point home.

  Ryan moved to stand up, but Dylan held out a hand to keep him from getting too far. Ryan gritted his teeth together as he thought about swatting it out of his way.

  “Save it for the game, Gulliver. Staying back five seconds won’t kill you. I know you can wait to give me an answer until the end of the period, but I’d like to know whether I should tell Casey to work her magic on her end.”

  After the words were out of his mouth, Dylan stepped back to let Ryan up. It was slowly coming down to just them in the locker room.

  “I imagine I’ll regret it, but let’s see what happens.” Ryan tried to keep any emotion out of his voice, but he was happy it wasn’t going to be another night at home with takeout. There wasn’t anything wrong with his apartment, but it could get lonely.

  The pair headed down the tunnel, but Dylan wasn’t quite done with the conversation. “You asked about the way things could turn bad, as far as injuries that could be inflicted, but you didn’t ask how often Casey’s matchmaking worked out.”

  There wasn’t really a question in the statement, but it was clear Dylan expected some kind of response. Ryan waited until after he took a quick lap around their side of the ice. It always felt good when the slight chill from the ice hit him in the face.

  More than anything, it helped clear his mind and get him focused on the air as the fans screamed in the stands. For a brief second he closed his eyes just before he made it back to the bench. The fans hadn’t really warmed up to him, but it was easy to believe for just a second they were all there cheering for him.

  Ryan took his spot on the bench next to his linemates, putting his gloves down on the bench and taking off his helmet as he rocked back and forth for a second to get his footing. Paul and August had warmed up to him about as much as the fans had. They tolerated a new guy on the line, but they’d played three games against him earlier in the season and had made it clear they didn’t appreciate his agitating.

  Dylan stood directly behind him, somewhat patiently waiting for Ryan’s reply. The lights in the arena had dimmed for the national anthem, so Ryan continued to ignore him. Instead of talking, he turned towards the giant flags hanging in the rafters. It was hard to miss all the championship banners also hanging up there.

  The woman who started singing had a pleasant voice, something Ryan appreciated coming from a team that was in search of a new anthem singer after the previous one had quit. While they worked on figuring out who would get the starring role, there had been a few people he’d heard that seemed to crack under the pressure.

  That wasn’t the case for the Tigers’ singer. Ryan found himself closing his eyes every time she started up as he listened and mouthed the words. He wasn’t hip on altos and sopranos, or whatever the different terms are for female voices, but he liked what he was hearing. She didn’t do a ton of trilling or prolonging notes, but she sang with emotion that Ryan could feel.

  The song was over before he was ready for it, but the bright lights in the arena were enough to get his eyes open and focused on the game. Ryan put his helmet back on his head and grabbed his gloves before sitting down.

  Paul remained on his feet as he waited for the puck to drop, but August sat down on Ryan’s left. He’d hoped both of them would’ve stayed up so he could lean back and finish the conversation with Dylan without extra ears.

  “Are you going to tell me someone’s actually married thanks to your wife’s meddling?” If anyone on the other team heard what Ryan was talking about on the bench, they would’ve died laughing.

  “Shockingly enough there’s more than one, and whether he likes to admit it or not, Klinger is one of them.”

  Ryan didn’t say anything in response, but he did turn his head so Dylan could see his raised eyebrow and general look of disbelief. There weren’t many people out there who didn’t know who Klinger’s wife was and what she’d done for a living before she settled down with the goaltender and started a family. It seemed there was always talk about how some new actress starting out was the next Jasmine Truedel, but no one Ryan had seen had the same onscreen presence.

  Dylan shrugged as his eyes turned to center ice where the puck was finally going to be dropped. Ryan did the same, but his mind was trying to decide whether he should figure out a way to back out of the dinner plans. He still didn’t think Casey was likely to pick out someone perfect for him. After looking for himself for over a decade, Ryan was certain that woman didn’t exist.

  “All I’m going to say is that you’re braver than I am,” August leaned over to whisper.

  The play on the ice moved towards their end. Ryan’s fists curled as he silently urged the guys on his side to gain control of the puck.

  “So you haven’t been set up on a mystery date?” Ryan had gotten the feeling there wasn’t a guy on the team who hadn’t had the honor. August had only been on the team for the season, but that should have been plenty of time for an expert matchmaker.

  “I’ve
heard once you allow Casey in, she won’t stop until you’re married. I’m twenty-two, so I’d prefer to live a little more before getting too serious.”

  “What if you don’t mesh with whoever she tries to set you up with? She doesn’t know a thing about me, so I highly doubt she’s found someone who shares my interests.”

  The second line switched places with the first. With the action, Ryan had to scoot down the bench. Since he was on the fourth line, it wasn’t a sure bet he’d be seeing ice time anytime soon. For most games he was lucky if he saw seven minutes of ice time.

  “From what I hear, she doesn’t mind experimenting. I’ve heard there are some guys who try to get traded to escape the pressure of finding someone.”

  That sounded promising, Ryan thought to himself sarcastically. Dylan came up behind Ryan and clapped his hands on his shoulders. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you won’t be one of those guys. And really there’s only been two people who’ve left the city and lost our number. Gully, Pete, Smitty, you guys are up.”

  Dylan had started off quietly, but ended up yelling his last words. Ryan was pretty sure the move to put his line out on the ice was to keep him from getting cold feet. That worked out fine for Ryan. Maybe if he kept bringing the topic up on the bench, he’d see more ice time. As he skated towards the guy on the other team controlling the puck, he put all the weirdness going on out of his mind and got into the action.

  Chapter Two

  “Why in the world do you insist I need to find a hockey player to settle down with?” Lisa Barnes stared at Casey Jones like the other woman had grown an extra head. There were times Lisa didn’t doubt Casey was some kind of witch who could transform herself that way.

  The two women rarely butted heads, but when Casey tried to play matchmaker, Lisa immediately sought out the nearest exit. Over the two years they’d known each other, Lisa had been nice enough to take the red-haired devil up on her offer once. Having a nice dinner at the Jones’ house didn’t initially sound like a horrible idea, and Casey had conveniently forgotten to mention Dylan had invited one of the forwards.