Shutout (The Renegades Series Book 5) (14 page)

Hailee

Hailee had just got home from a long day of doggie baths and nail trimming. Her head hurt, and all she really wanted was to sink into the warm tub. Her phone buzzed with a message.

Dom:
Coffee with me this afternoon at Cool Beans?

He couldn’t possibly know that’s one of my favorite places, could he
? Clearly, it was coincidence.

She thought long and hard before answering. What was she supposed to say? After all, they’d agreed to be friends, right before the very cute but awkward ice skating and then the drunk at the bar incident. Not to mention waking up in his apartment. But saying yes might lead him on. Another text came in as she still pondered his invitation.

Dom:
Meet you there at three.

He was persistent. Dominic never did like taking no for an answer. Which had made leaving him so much harder. He left no room for her to say no this time. Guess that was settled; three it was. She didn’t stop to wonder why her heart lifted now that the decision was made for her.

First I need to shower, and what am I going to wear
? She stopped by her clothes rack, pondering over her wardrobe. This wasn’t a date, so she wasn’t getting dressed up. But he always looked so perfect, even in blue jeans and a hoodie, so she needed to look just as good without overdoing it.
I think I’ve finally gone mad. If anyone would’ve said I’d be standing here trying to decide what to wear to get coffee with Dominic, I’d have told them they were crazy
…

She was overthinking things. This wasn’t a date. It didn’t matter what she wore to coffee. Abandoning her clothes rack for the warm tub, she sank down to her chin, and relaxing in the hot water, she closed her eyes. Her heartbeat was fast, and her stomach twisted and turned. She didn’t know why, but she was nervous.
This is just coffee between two friends. He probably just wants to catch up and get reacquainted
. But her pulse didn’t slow, and her stomach wasn’t falling for it.

Her brain went into overdrive as she tried to take deep breaths, and it conjured up past memories that she had long tried to forget. Visions of his cheerful smile, his flirty dark eyes, sinful lips, perfect hair, and muscular arms. She had spent many nights wrapped up in those arms. Now they were covered in tattoos, from his neck to his fingers. They fit him so well, too. When they were together he had a few, and they looked good on him. Her thoughts wandered to how she would run her fingertips over them and trace the outlines. She loved those tattoos.

Her thoughts played like a movie, reminding her of all the loving times they had, the way he’d kiss the tip of her nose, or snuggle in bed with her. She felt so secure with his arms around her, as though nothing bad could happen while he held her. But that love couldn’t survive the new life that awaited her. She refused to be someone’s “little woman”, some stay at home wife who made meatloaf and timed the meal perfectly so it was ready the second her man walked in the door. She would be no one’s good little wife.

Now the bath water was cooled and her memories had turned sour. At least her nervousness had disappeared. It was time to dry off and get ready to go meet Dominic.
I guess I at least need to learn how to coexist with him if I plan on staying in Pittsburgh.
She was a big girl; this wouldn’t be a problem.

Looking through her closet, she decided on a pair of tight black cotton pants, an off the shoulder top and some strappy sandals. She quickly applied her makeup and dried her hair, leaving it straight. It was almost three and she was running out of time. Out of habit, she texted him.

Hailee:
I’m on my way, but not going to make it by three. Running late.

He responded instantly.

Dom:
I know you better than to expect you to be on time. See you when you get here.

He was still too damn cute for his own good, and obviously her own good, because his witty response brought a smile to her face.

The drive to Cool Beans was only a few minutes, and she wished it were longer. One more light, or a line of traffic might have given her a chance to catch her breath, but her damn stomach had started flopping again. She pulled up to the curb, and before she could even get out of the car, Dominic was waving at her through the window.

She jumped out of the car and slammed the door, gave a half-hearted wave back, then straightened her shoulders as she walked over and pulled open the door to the coffee shop. Dominic was sitting in the corner by the window. A coffee cup sat in front of him and there was one across the table from him.

“You waiting for someone?” she asked, as she approached.

“Yeah, you.” He nodded to the open seat.

“Who’s coffee is that?”

“Yours. I just ordered it. Café Mocha, still your favorite I hope.”

His knowing smile made the hair on her arms stand up; she silently cursed her body for its reaction to him. Thankfully, her sleeves covered most of them. He was very observant and certainly wouldn’t miss that.

Using her best nonchalant voice, she answered as she sat down, “Oh, thanks.”

“Was I right?” His eyebrow arched a bit and his eyes lit up. “Still a Café Mocha girl?”

It was scary how well he still knew her. “As a matter of a fact, I am. Thanks.” She smiled and took a sip of the hot and sweet coffee. She liked her Iced Mocha too, but Café Mocha was the same thing. “So, you’re here, I’m here and we have our coffee. Now what?” It was a dumb question, but her uneasiness made her say stupid things.

He cracked his knuckles, then stretched his large hand out on the table. He always used to do that, and she would usually meet his hand and cover it with hers. She liked his large, strong, rugged hands…

“Hello? Hailee?” Dominic waved his hand in front of her face.

Her face started to warm.
Awesome, I was daydreaming about his hands. Way to look like a fool, Hailee
. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?” Maybe he wouldn’t make a big deal out of it…

“Where were you at? Was that pretty head of yours thinking about all the times these hands”—he rubbed them together and stared heavy into her with his deep brown eyes—“ran down your—”

“Woah! Hold up there, lover-boy!” She held up her hands in defense. Was he really this cocky?

A smug laugh fell from his lips. His thin, sweet lips…
I knew this friend thing was a bad idea
.

He took a long, slow drink of his coffee before jetting his tongue out and quickly swiping it over his mouth. “You know you missed me.”

“You know what? I agreed to be friends. This”—she pointed her finger between the two of them—“is not friendly banter. If you want to flirt, I know a whole club full of girls who will gladly let you flirt with them all night for the right price.” She put her coffee cup to her lips; with any luck, it would help her not say anything stupid.

“Nah.” He shook his head. “I’m not really into paying for it.”

His sleek grin subdued any condescending comments that were swirling around her brain, so they never made it to her lips.

“So, coffee, huh? What are you drinking these days?”
THAT was the only thing that came to mind? I’m so bad at the small talk crap
. She waited, propping her elbow up on the table and resting her chin on her palm.

“Black. I ditched the extra sugar and cream a while back. Got to watch what I’m eating. You know how it is.” He shrugged.

“So, how’s your mom and dad?”

With the quick change of subject, Dominic bowed his head towards the table, concentrating on his finger running over the rim of his cup. “Oh, Mom and Dad, yeah, they’re doing great.”

“Grandad?” She missed his family. They had really treated her as though she belonged. Well, most of them…

“He’s doing good too. Still able to play hockey in the basement with my nephews. Never did act his age.”

“What’s he, about eighty now?”

“Eighty-three. He asks about you from time to time.” Dom looked back up at her, meeting her glance. Those big brown eyes weren’t so jovial and brash anymore. “Everyone does.”

“Well, please tell them I said hello.”

“I will. We have a game coming up in Toronto. Dad and Grandad are coming to see us. I can’t wait.”

Feeling herself start to be more at ease, she shifted her weight to one side and leaned in a bit closer. She didn’t mean to be flirty, but her high-pitched fangirl voice said otherwise. “So speaking of hockey, you’re like a star goalie, huh?”

“I guess.” A bashful look crossed his face as he shrugged.

“You know you want to brag. Go ahead. Tell me about the fangirls and how you have your choice of any babe you want to attend team functions with.” She flashed back to seeing him with various girls online, and a twinge of pain ran through her.

“Eh, no not really. I mean, yeah, there are fangirls. A lot of the guys have them. Kaden tends to bring them to functions, not so much me. Did I tell you I have a cat now?”

“No you didn’t.” His quick change of subject from the fangirls to his cat didn’t go unnoticed.
Does he really not bring fangirls to team functions? He was by himself the other night, as far as I know
. The question gnawed away at her. Was he hiding info about fangirls or just really had no interest in them?

His face brightened. “His name is Smokey. He’s a good little dude.”

“Is he gray?” Assuming that’s why he was named Smokey.

“He is. I found him at a shelter. I was just going to foster him, but he was too cool not to keep. Kaden doesn’t mind having him around either. The way he’s been talking, I’m pretty sure he’s getting one soon.”

“A cat? Kaden?”

“Yeah, we rent the loft together. I call it an apartment, but it’s not like those small little things we used to rent back in Canada.”

“Well, it looked nice, what I saw of it.” She didn’t want to talk about how she had rushed out the morning after their night out, so she continued with the first thing that came to mind. “So, Kaden is the other goalie on the team, right?”

Dominic nodded. “I’m getting the feeling that you didn’t know I was playing for Pittsburgh.”

She shook her head
. As if I hadn’t made that obvious enough with my utter shock at the club that first night
.

“Mia didn’t tell you?”

Mia, her friend from back home, knew Dominic too. Her brother Johnny and Dom were buddies. “No. I, well… no, she never mentioned it.”

“Let me show you some pictures of my nephews and niece.” Dominic proudly showed her all the photos he had on his phone and his Facebook.

They talked about the kiddos and what they were into now, her parents and brother, and the upcoming game schedule he had. After a slight lull in the conversation, Dominic took a deep breath before getting into the conversation she really hoped they wouldn’t be having.

“So, do you like working at the club?”

“Eh, it’s a job. I’m sure you really don’t want to hear about it.” Especially after that night he got drunk watching her dance from table to table. “You know I felt bad the other night.”
Why do we need to talk about this
?

He tilted his head to the side, his face twisted in confusion. Then he nodded with a knowing smile. “Oh, yeah, that night. Nothing to feel bad about, sweet-tart.”

“Can you please not call me that? That was from another time, another place. It has nothing to do with where we are now.” Her heart skipped a beat every time he called her by her pet name from all those years ago. She didn’t like the way it still affected her.

“I don’t think that’s going to be possible. You may look totally different, but you’re still the same girl to me. And even though you left me the way you did, I never stopped caring about you.”

“Even the way we left things?” She remembered going off on a rant, talking about not wanting to be a good little wife and not needing to be taken care of. Her heart ached at the memory of what she’d said.

Dom shrugged. “All I know about that day is you turned me down and stormed out, yelling about not wanting anyone to take care of you.” His eyes met hers, searching her face. “Seems like you do pretty well on your own now. You are doing okay?”

Her pulse picked up. She didn’t want to be talking about this. “Yeah, I guess. I make enough for what I need. Someday I won’t have to. I hope eventually to have my own art gallery. Display and sell my paintings. Maybe help young artists.”
And that day can’t come soon enough
.

“Wow. That’s great.” His eyes twinkled, his voice laced with admiration. “And once you reach that goal, you won’t have to dance anymore? Or any of that other stuff…?”

This was too much.
Why was he so okay with what I did for a living? He didn’t even look mad when he talked about the day I left him. Why isn’t he furious with me?
Looking into those brown eyes, there wasn’t one hint of anger. Had she been wrong?
After all these years, was it a mistake for me to leave him?
Her stomach flopped and she found it hard to breathe. “You know what, I really need to go. It was great catching up again, but…” She stood up and pushed in her chair, glancing at the door.