Her eyes shut, not finding the humor and sobbed into my shirt. She was beyond exhausted and nearly fell to her feet. I caught her and held her tight against my chest.
Two officers came flying in with Josh and another player I recognized behind him and I pointed them to the groaning ex-hockey player on the floor.
Josh came toward us and spoke in a low tone. “Your sister called it in a few minutes ago.” He glanced at the floor. “I told them to try here first but they insisted on searching residences first.”
I shook my head lightly. “Your timing is perfect.”
I was asked to answer some questions and handed Rayne off to Josh. “Let me know when they’re home safe,” I mumbled to him before following the gentleman to my office while Max was being carried away in handcuffs.
32
I showedup at the youth hockey center to check on Marty. Okay, so maybe I had more of an agenda with the man. For what must have been a third time in the past month, I’d asked Marty to quit working long tiresome hours at the rink and to help manage the sporting goods store along with Tisch.
New York Dexters were one of the first to make an offer and they made sure it was one I couldn’t refuse. They offered me captain on day one of my return. No waiting period, no questions. Our old captain was traded earlier in the season, and they hadn’t replaced his title.
“What’s the pay like?” Marty joked.
I grinned. “Highly competitive.”
“When do I start?”
“Immediately.”
He nodded. Agreeable with the change. Then sipped on his coffee. “Wish you were stickin’ around.”
“I don’t belong in this town, Marty, but I’m glad you’re here. And Tisch. I could use your help looking after her.”
I knew this gave Marty purpose. And it probably didn’t need to be said that I’d told Tisch the same with regard to him. To look after the aging man who’d taken care of us in more ways than he needed to. And the man who was a big part of who I was today.
“How’s Jax been?” I asked after a minute.
“Kids’ having a great time out there.”
My chest ached knowing I wouldn’t be around to watch him grow and develop his skills. An image of him as a teenager creeped into my mind, gliding across the ice smoothly maneuvering a puck. “She ever stay for practice?”
“Every one of them. I think still a little shook up from when Withers pulled him out of here and nearly took off. Possibly also to make Jax feel secure. Whole thing probably did a number on the kid.”
My stomach twisted.
Max served a few days in jail and since he was in violation of their custody agreement, his attorney made him agree to a payout. I didn’t have much of the details except from Josh who got his updates from Sam. Clearly the two had been spending time together.
I never asked Rayne. But hell did I want to. The most I allowed myself was to text her the next day to see if she was okay.
She thanked me and apologized again for what went down at my store.
I laughed to myself and texted back telling her to stop apologizing.
That was two weeks ago and not another word was spoken. I wasn’t waiting for her call. I knew it wasn’t coming. Between me and Tisch, Rayne said everything she needed to. Hell those few times she tried, she left in tears from our callousness.
I still didn’t know what went down when Rayne and Tisch went driving on a wild goose chase around town, but Tisch had asked me for her number to check in. I refused it and told her to get it another way.
Between the mixed emotions of guilt, anger and hurt, I needed time too.
“You thinking of calling her?” Marty finally asked.
“No.”
He nodded as if he didn’t believe me.
