Match Penalty (Utah Fury Hockey Book 2) Read online

  I hated seeing them like this.

  We needed news. We needed something else to focus on rather than the worst-case scenarios that were running through everyone’s heads.

  My knee kept bouncing until the doors opened. Reese jumped back before barreling forward and wrapping Chloe in his arms.

  I couldn’t hear what he said, but Chloe burst into sobs. I stood, but the guys were faster. Without communication, they gathered around her until there was a massive huddle of players.

  Mom put her arm around me and moved us closer. Chloe was able to compose herself and the group quieted.

  “He tore his MCL in his right knee. They’re waiting on the MRI to come back to see if surgery is necessary.”

  Mom sighed next to me, but I didn’t feel her relief. An MCL injury was a major deal. He would be out for weeks, longer if he needed surgery. I’d treated dozens of patients with these injuries. Not all of them got full use back. I’ve seen two athletes end their careers over injuries like this.

  That wasn’t the attitude everyone needed right now, though. I pushed back the doubt and fear and focused on supporting Chloe.

  She lifted her head from Reese’s shoulders when she met my eyes. “Madeline, you’re a doctor. What’s going to happen?”

  I opened my mouth to correct her about my title, but dad was shaking his head over her shoulder. He knew what this could mean. Like me, he wanted to keep everyone optimistic.

  “I’ve treated several patients with MCL tears. He’ll be back in a few weeks.”

  She fell against Reese and nodded. “Thanks.”

  I looked around to see if anyone could tell I was lying. Well, holding back information. But everyone seemed happy with my answer. It could be true. How much damage there was and how hard Erik was willing to work would determine what happened. Erik was tough. I knew that. This team was his entire world. He’d pull through.

  “How is he doing?” Dad broke through the group and asked Chloe.

  “He’s resting. They had a hard time keeping him awake for all the tests, so they’re letting him sleep now.”

  Dad nodded. I knew he was dying to get back to the room and see Erik for himself, but he’d have to wait.

  “Thank you all for coming, but you should get home. You guys must be exhausted.”

  There were a few grumbles, but after Dad agreed, the group thinned out until it was just me, my parents, Reese, and Hartman.

  “I’ll stay here with Chloe.” I doubted anyone was going to fight Reese on that.

  Hartman didn’t look willing to leave, but he finally gave in when Dad put his arm around him and promised they’d be able to see him in the morning.

  I hugged Chloe before leaving with Mom. “He’s going to be just fine,” Mom said. “Erik has had worse injuries over the years. He’s tough.”

  I nodded and got into the passenger seat. Sometimes it didn’t matter how tough the athlete was. Sometimes the injury was too much to come back from. I hoped for the team’s sake, and Erik’s, he would recover.

  Chapter Eight

  Erik

  On the bright side, I didn’t need surgery. On the realistic side, I was going to be out for weeks.

  Chloe has said at least a hundred times how lucky I was. How much worse it could have been.

  Right.

  Wearing a brace and needing at least four weeks of physical therapy was lucky.

  I’d kicked her out.

  She was trying to be helpful, but her eternally optimistic point of view made me want to kill her. The worst part of her the-sun-is-shining-everything-is-glorious outlook was that it was fake.

  I’d heard her crying in her room when she thought I was in the living room. I’d heard her talking to Reese about how concerned she was. She was worried I couldn’t get through this, not physically, but mentally. She thought I would give up or give in. She was wrong, and I was determined to prove her, and all of the other doubters, wrong.

  That’s why I kicked her out.

  It’s not like I was sending her out to the streets. She was staying with Reese in his penthouse. Hardly a sacrifice.

  They got to play house while I got to recover in peace. I didn’t need her reminding me when to take the pain meds. I didn’t need her counting them every night to make sure I wasn’t taking too many. I didn’t need her reminding me to stretch. To not stay stationary for too long. To ice. To rest. To breathe.

  I was a grown man.

  I could survive on my own. I was going to prove it to her.

  I would.

  As soon as I could get out of bed.

  I may have overslept.

  I also may have taken off my brace.

  I shouldn’t have done either.

  Chloe wouldn’t have let it happen.

  But I didn’t need her. I could take care of myself.

  I threw my legs over the side of my bed and stared at my knee. Stupid traitor.

  The outline of my brace sat in shadow. Opening the curtains was too much effort. Showering was way too much work. Even eating sounded like a major inconvenience.

  Maybe I shouldn’t have kicked Chloe out.

  One-two-three. I threw all of my weight on my good leg and swung for my brace. My fingers grazed it, but I missed.

  I shouldn’t have thrown it last night.

  I tried again but missed.

  I was stuck.

  Not only could I not use my other leg, but if I did, I risked more damage. That was the last thing I needed.

  Coach wanted to see me in thirty minutes and I didn’t want him to come here and see me in my current state.

  Curses ran through my mind, but that wasn’t going to help me get up.

  She was right.

  It would kill me to admit it. My ego would explode and destroy my internal organs. I knew it.

  I had no choice.

  I reached for my phone and called her.

  “Dang it,” she said.

  “What’s wrong?” She never answered the phone like that.

  “I made a bet with Reese. He thought you’d break by now, but I thought you’d make it until tonight.”

  I almost hung up. Too bad I needed her.

  “Funny.”

  “Not really. I owe him dinner.”

  “I’m so sorry my pain and misery were too unbearable to last until tonight.”

  “Oh, Erik. I’m so sorry. Is it really that bad?”

  It wasn’t. I had plenty of pain meds to keep it at bay, but that wouldn’t get her to do what I wanted without having to listen to her gloat.

  “I’m surviving.”

  “I know you are. So, what can I do for you?”

  “I need to get ready for a meeting.”

  “And?”

  She was really going to make me spell it out. Stupid sisters.

  “I can’t get up.”

  “Why not? Did you fall?”

  “No.”

  “Erik. What did you do?”

  “I took off the brace.”

  She groaned. “Well, put it back on.”

  “Can’t.” I eyed it wishing I’d had more self-control the night before.

  “Why?”

  “I threw it across the room.”

  “Erik.” I could practically hear her rolling her eyes.

  “Can you just get over here?” I took a breath and reminded myself I needed her. “Please.”

  “Of course.”

  “Can you get here quick? I need to be at the arena in twenty-five minutes.”

  “Erik!”

  “Thanks.” I hung up and fell back on my bed. Feeling helpless wasn’t something I was used to and I hated it. I’ve always felt like a superhero. Indestructible. Larger than life.

  One wrong move, well one illegal move, and I’d been taken down.

  “Good morning!” Chloe burst through my door with a cup in hand.

  “How?” I took the cup she offered and sipped. She’d made my protein shake.

  “Coach texted me letting me know
when your meeting was. I got here about an hour ago to clean up. I was about to come in here to see if you were awake when you called.”

  I should be mad she came back after I asked her to leave, but she knew me better than I knew myself. She knew I was going to need her, and rather than hold it against me, she showed up. She was here for me. Like she’s always been.

  She crossed the room and picked up the brace. “Here. I picked up some crutches for you too.”

  No way. I wasn’t going to use those death traps. The brace was enough of an inconvenience.

  I strapped the brace on and stood. A bit of freedom returning. “Thanks.”

  “Hurry and shower. I’ll have your clothes laying out when you’re done.”

  I nodded and followed her instructions, finishing the shake while I turned on the water and waited for it to heat.

  When I was dressed and ready I stepped into my room. It was clean again with the curtains pulled back letting in the sunlight. She’d made my bed and picked out my clothes. She was too good to me. I knew I needed to let her go. Let her have her own life, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t ready.

  That’s what scared me about her and Reese getting closer. I knew they were headed toward marriage, but I wasn’t looking forward to it.

  I wanted her to be happy, more than anything. But she was my sister first, Reese’s girlfriend second. How could I function without her? She ran our household. She made sure the kitchen was stocked. She managed my calendar. She was the liaison between me and my agent and sponsors. She knew how much I hated dealing with them, so she stepped up.

  She did everything for me and all I did in return was throw my money at her. I paid for her college expenses, so she could graduate debt free. I bought her a car as a birthday present when I got drafted. She lived with me rent free. All things that took zero effort on my part. She took care of me, so I did what I could to return the favor. But when was the last time I went out of my way to be there for her? When had I anticipated her needs and stepped up?

  As if my day could get any worse. Now I was feeling like a selfish monster.

  I couldn’t keep expecting her to be everything for me. I couldn’t keep her to myself because I needed her.

  For the first time in our lives, I needed to put her first.

  I would.

  I would change.

  “Are you ready?” She popped her head in my doorway as I strapped the brace over my sweats.

  “Yeah.” I stood and followed her out of the apartment.

  “No complaining about my driving.”

  I rolled my eyes but kept my mouth shut. We were both taught how to drive by our dad. I have no clue how she turned out so different. She drove like everywhere she was going was a race that she had to win. Even if it was getting to a red light or turning a corner.

  It was terrifying.

  “I’ll try.”

  We made it to the parking garage with two minutes to spare.

  “Do you need any help getting to his office?”

  I knew she didn’t mean it to be insulting, but my fragile ego had already taken enough hits.

  “No, I can manage.”

  “Okay, I’ll be in my office. If you need anything, let me know.”

  I nodded and walked past her toward the locker room. Coach’s door was open, so I walked in.

  “Schultz, thanks for coming in. How are you feeling?”

  I shrugged. “I’m doing okay.”

  He watched me for a moment before continuing. “Good. I’ve met with your doctors and we’ve come up with your recovery plan.”

  Of course, they had. I hadn’t been there for them to discuss my body or my health. Not surprising, just annoying. I was their athlete. They owned me.

  “So, what’s the plan?”

  “We don’t want the severity of your injury to get out.”

  I nodded. We didn’t want other teams to know our vulnerabilities.

  “Our statement will say lower body injury. The only people that will know the full truth are people on the team. We want to keep it that way.”

  “What about the doctors?”

  “They all signed non-disclosures. We’re keeping your treatment in-house as well.”

  “How?” We had trainers and some medical people on staff, but not a physical therapist.

  “Madeline.”

  I shook my head. What did his daughter have to do with anything?

  “Madi has agreed to take you on as a private client. She looked over the training rooms and said we already have most of what she needs, and she can bring in the rest.”

  “So, she’s going to treat me here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why not just go to her office?”

  “Too many eyes.”

  Geez. They were really going to the extremes for this.

  “And Madeline’s okay with this?”

  She’d avoided me at the kids’ event last week. I doubted she wanted to spend alone time with me after the incident in Chloe’s office.

  “She agreed.”

  Of course. She’s his daughter. It’s not like she’d refuse him. She had a stake in the team, too.

  “Okay.”

  He nodded and leaned back. “Thanks for agreeing. We’re hoping to have you back on the ice in eight weeks.”

  Two months? That was going to creep by. We’d be close to the playoffs by then. The team needed me for that.

  I’d be worthless to them in my current condition, though. I needed to get back in shape, so I could be there at the end of the season.

  “I’ll be ready.”

  “Good to hear. Your sessions will start this afternoon. She’ll be here at three.”

  “Thanks, Coach.”

  Chapter Nine

  Madeline

  The anticipation was killing me. This was worse than waiting for Christmas.

  It wasn’t so much that I wanted to see him. It was more the uncertainty. How would he react to me? Would he listen? Was he in the mindset to get better? How was I going to spend two hours alone with him?

  Yeah. I was going crazy, and there was still another hour left before I had to head over. My boss was surprisingly okay with me taking a private client. She said it was fairly common with professional athletes. She was actually happy I already had someone request me. She didn’t need to know it was my dad. She told me to take whatever I needed and to make sure I represented the office well.

  Did staring at the client count? I’d have to make sure I didn’t leave my hands on him for a second longer than necessary. Maybe I could make him wear a mask. How could I spin that?

  I blew out a breath and thought about Clark. My boyfriend. We were probably going to get engaged soon. Our future was solid. He’d work his way up in the government, run for office one day. Become senator. I’d be by his side.

  It was time. Ready or not, I had to get to the arena. I waved bye to the receptionist and hurried to my car. Maybe if I focused on the possibility of being late I would forget about what I was going to do when I got there.

  The drive was too short.

  I got out and grabbed my clipboard with Erik’s chart and hurried in. The team’s training room was well equipped with foam rollers, towels, and stretch bands, so I wouldn’t need to bring anything for our sessions, at least not yet.

  I walked into the empty room and looked for the light switch. I found it the moment the set of doors on the opposite side opened.

  I hit the lights as Erik stepped into the room wearing only shorts.

  His hair was wet and sticking up in all directions. It was the most unkempt I’d ever seen him and all I wanted was to run across the room and run my fingers through his hair.

  No.

  What was wrong with me?

  He’s Chloe’s brother.

  He’s a player.

  He’s one of Dad’s players.

  He’s not Clark.

  That was the most important point.

  It didn’t matter how good his abs look
ed.

  I was with Clark.

  I hadn’t seen him in a week, but we were together.

  I cleared my throat and moved to the center of the room where mats were laid out. “Hi, Erik.”

  He grabbed a towel from a nearby shelf and ran it over his body.

  Perfect.

  I looked away, pretending to be interested in my paperwork.

  Ah, yes. There it was. I was an idiot.

  I never should have agreed to this.

  I hadn’t wanted to, but Dad convinced me. We couldn’t let the injury get out. The best way to keep it from leaking was to keep it within the family. Literally, in this case.

  I peeked at him and nearly swore.

  “Where do you want me?”

  “Uh.” I turned to him. What? How did he know what I was thinking?

  “On a bench or the floor?”

  Either.

  “Wherever is most comfortable.”

  Get it together, Madi. You’re a professional. You’ve worked with incredibly hot men before. This was no different. He was a patient.

  He sat on a bench. That wasn’t a good sign.

  “How’s the pain?” It had only been a few days since the accident, so I wasn’t expecting him to say he was healed, but I hoped he would be improving.

  “It’s manageable.”

  “Are you taking painkillers?”

  He nodded. I wrote it down.

  “What’s the pain at?”

  He looked around the room, avoiding me. This wasn’t good either.

  “A six.”

  I wrote it down, but I doubted he was being honest. This wasn’t going to work if he wasn’t upfront with me. If we went too hard too fast, there’d be more damage, likely irreversible.

  “Let’s see what we’re working with.” I set my clipboard down and moved next to him. “Go ahead and stand.” He followed my directions. “Start with your leg as straight as you can then bend it as far as you can.”

  I watched his body for shaking or any other signs of discomfort. Was he in more pain? How bad was his injury?

  He stopped at about sixty degrees and I wrote it down. It wasn’t great, but it was a starting point. “Keep doing that. I want three sets of ten.”

  I watched as he extended his leg and bent over and over again. The brace was keeping his knee straight, which was good. His muscles flexed, drawing my eyes away from his knee. He was all power and strength. His body was a machine, and it killed me that it was broken at the moment. Someone like him, who did everything right, shouldn’t be injured. At least the idiot that hit him got a three-game suspension. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.