The Enforcer (42 page)

“Aw, honey. Are you okay? I mean, you’re glad right?” Lacey never considered that Jody might not want to have children.

Clearing his throat, he answered her, “Glad? Are you fucking kidding me? Lace, we’re going to have a baby! I want to shout it to the world.” He turned around to do just that. “Uh, is it okay? Can I do that? Please?” How could she ever resist him with that crooked smile of his? She nodded and gave him her permission.

He didn’t try to get everyone’s attention, he simply shouted at the top of his lungs. “I’m going to be a father! We’re having a baby!” He turned back and swept Lacey up in his arms as his teammates and everyone else clapped and hollered.

It was a great night indeed.

Jody was offered a one-year extension on his contract with the Scorpions, but he turned it down. He was at the end of his career, and he was still having slight issues from his last concussion. It was nothing major, but he really didn’t want to push his luck and possibly ruin the rest of his life.

Another pressing reason he turned down the offer was that he wanted to be around to help raise his kid. He didn’t want to be traveling while Lacey raised their child on her own. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he’d figure something out.

About a week before his and Lacey’s wedding, he got a phone call from the owner of the Scorpions.

“Hi Jody, this is Joe Clark. I hear that you turned down our extension offer.” Jody had met Mr. Clark once before, but had not talked to him much.

“Hi Mr. Clark. Yes, I did. While I appreciate the offer, I’m having a baby and have decided that I don’t want to travel and miss being a consistent father.”

“I think that’s commendable, and I‘m happy for you both. I’m not calling to try and talk you into taking that contract. I have another offer for you. I was talking to your coach and the management team. Every one of them tells me how good you are with the new players and what a great mentor you are to them. They say you’re patient and understand that hockey is a team sport. Everyone has their value.” Jody had no idea where he was going with the conversation.

“Thank you, sir. I’m glad they think so highly of me.” He wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Well, I’m starting a youth hockey school right here in San Diego. I’ll be building a smaller arena, but for now, I’m going to use our practice facility. I need someone to run it for me. I’d like to offer you a coaching job. You’d be a head coach for these kids and a positive influence on them. A lot of them come from nothing. We’ll use some of the charity money to create funding for the kids who can’t afford it. What do you think?”

What do I think?
Jody couldn’t think of anything he’d like to do more. His coach growing up in Canada did that for him. He was the father that Jody never had. It would give him a sense of purpose to be able to do that for another child. And he’d still be doing what he loved. He’d still be involved in hockey. It was a dream job!

“I think I’d like to sign on the dotted line, Mr. Clark. Count me in, and thank you. I appreciate the confidence you have in me.”

Lacey and Jody got married on the beach in front of Jody’s house. Lacey wanted a casual wedding surrounded by friends and family on the beach. And what Lacey wanted, Jody gave her.

“So, Mrs. LaGrange, is this what you had in mind?” Jody looked out at the people milling around. Some were playing volleyball, some were dancing under the tent to the beach type music that the band put out, and some were just drinking and laughing. Jody had set tables set up all around his house. Izzy was in doggie heaven with all of the attention she was getting.

“It’s perfect, Jody. I’m so glad that my parents and your sister and mother are here, too.”

Jody pulled Lacey back into him and rubbed her slight baby bump. “I think I changed my mind. I want to know the sex of the baby.”

Lacey laughed at him. She knew, but Jody said he didn’t want to know. He went back and forth almost daily. “Well, you have to make up your mind. You either do or don’t want to know. Which is it? This is your final decision.”

He sighed. “I’m weak, I want to know.”

“It’s a girl. And I’ve picked out a name for her if you like it.” Lacey’s grandmother was a very special person in Lacey’s life until the day she died. Lacey had always loved her name. It was an old-fashioned name that a lot of people didn’t even know. She also wanted to honor Jody’s family and thought Maddie’s middle name, Lea, would go nicely.

“I’m sure I’ll like anything you do, Angel. Let’s hear it.”

“Well, I’ve always loved my grandmother’s name, and I thought we could give her your mother’s middle name, also. So, what do you think of Adeline Lea LaGrange? I’d like to call her Addie.”

“Adeline. I don’t think I ever knew your grandmother’s name. I think it’s beautiful, Lace.” He got down on his knees and kissed her belly. “What do you think, Addie?” When he got no response, he said to Lacey, “Kids just don’t listen these days.”

Lacey pulled him up and kissed him, wrapping her arms around him. “Thank you for marrying me, Mr. LaGrange. And for giving me a baby to love. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’ll be forever grateful. Who would have thought that
I
would fall for the enforcer?”

That was it! The last straw. Vlad
had
to stop doing things like that!

Zoe was beside herself. That was the third guy Vlad had sent running. Zoe couldn’t even date anymore without Vlad showing up somewhere and ruining it for her. At the wedding, he told her, in front of her date no less, that he thought she might want to get checked out because an ex of his had just told him that she had had unprotected sex right before she was with him. It wasn’t true, but Vlad would do anything to keep Zoe single until she finally came to her senses.

Her date couldn’t leave fast enough. “Enough, Vlad! You can’t keep doing this. This is my life, and you need to stay out of it. Stop ruining every damn date I have. STOP INTERFERING!”

Turn the page for a peek at Zoe and Vlad’s story.

Vlad Bejsiuk (Bay-schick) was a goalie for the NHL’s San Diego Scorpions. It was mandatory for the players to go to periodic therapy sessions with a sports psychologist, which was the only reason he was standing outside Dr. Zoe Millis’ door.

He had put off going as long as he could. Christ, he hated therapy. He had just gotten used to Dr. Phillips when she quit to become a stay-at-home mom. He was happy for her but he didn’t like change.

Dr. Millis’ office was in her house, instead of at the rink where Dr. Phillips had seen patients. Taking a calming breath, he raised his hand to push the doorbell. Before he actually hit it, he got a look at the good doc through the glass.

Whoa …

She was hot. Her blonde hair was cut into a pixie style and had a faint pink streak in the front. She was on the short side, which made her even hotter in Vlad’s book. Her arms were toned, and her legs looked fucking incredible in jeans that hugged her like a second skin. And that ass. Holy hell, what he wouldn’t give to get his hands on that ass so he could pull her up against him. And he got all of that from just a quick peek at her as she walked into the room and bent down to grab something she dropped.

When she stood back up, he got a view of her head on. She jumped back when she saw him standing at her door. Even so, he couldn’t seem to make himself push the damn doorbell.

As she walked toward him, he checked out her breasts. They were small, but Vlad was more of an ass guy anyway. And hell, it must be really cold in her house because her nipples were standing at attention. He forced himself to stop ogling her and pasted on what he hoped was a friendly smile.