Tending Tara (Alaska Blizzard Book 8) Read online

  “I know. It’s not your fault. I appreciate everything you’ve done.”

  “Look, think about it, okay? If you want, I can talk to Logan…”

  She shook her head. “No, if I decide to do this, I’ll talk to him.”

  “We’ll figure something out,” he said gently, bouncing Matthew on his knee.

  “I can’t imagine having to go back to Finland,” she said softly. “Especially since I haven’t even had time to do most of the things I wanted to do since moving here.”

  “You’ve been working hard,” he agreed. “You should absolutely have a little fun because you haven’t had any since you’ve been here. You could have stayed in Finland if all you were going to do was work.”

  “I have fun,” Tara protested. “I love being able to play hockey, and it’s the first time in years I can hang out with my brother regularly. I have friends and money and a wonderful place to live. What more could I ask for?”

  “There’s more to life than hockey and family.”

  “True, but in my case…what else is there?”

  “Well, the holidays are coming, and those are usually a blast. You’ve probably never celebrated American Thanksgiving, right?”

  “No.”

  “What about Halloween? The team is in town, so I’ve started planning a huge party.”

  “A Halloween party?”

  “Yes.”

  “Now that sounds like fun! We don’t really have Halloween in Finland. Some of the bigger cities do, especially on university campuses with international students, but in general, it’s not a thing, so I’m excited to experience it firsthand.”

  “There’s a game that night, but I’ll stay home to take Matthew out for a little bit, and then I’ll get him to bed by the time the party starts. The guys on the team will come over when they get done. Luckily, it’s an early game, so they won’t miss much.”

  “I’ll have to find a costume,” Tara said thoughtfully. “What should I be? And where should I go?”

  “Laurel and I are going as Belle and Beast.”

  “Oh, that’s fun. Where did you get the costume?”

  “We ordered online a couple of weeks ago. But I’m sure we can find you something.”

  “I think I want to go the Disney route, too. I’ve never been a princess before.”

  “And maybe Cinderella will find her prince at the ball.” Gage’s eyes twinkled.

  Tara rolled her eyes. “You had to ruin it.”

  Gage laughed.

  6

  Donovan had forgotten all about the team Halloween party until two days before, and he got online to see if he could find something local that he could either pick up or pay extra for overnight delivery. There wasn’t much left, which was his own fault, and he scrolled through a few pages until he got to an adult pirate costume that looked pretty good. It probably wouldn’t be as good as some of the others, but it would do, so he paid for it and asked them to hold it for him until tomorrow.

  There was a game tonight, so he was glad he’d found a costume and could relax. He wasn’t a big party-goer, but it was becoming a tradition here, and he’d never gone because it hadn’t felt right to go to a party like that without his wife. Now that they were divorced, he was going to have some fun. Hopefully, a certain hockey-playing redhead would be there.

  He’d thought about Tara more than he wanted to admit since their movie date over a week ago, no matter how many times he told himself he shouldn’t. He might get traded, but there was just as good a chance he wouldn’t, so why not enjoy himself? Especially since she seemed interested. Miikka had been dropping hints, and he figured the Halloween party was his chance to make something happen. It couldn’t hurt to take her out on a real date, spend a little time together. It’s not like it would really go anywhere, like they were going to get married or anything. He could have some fun and dip his toes back in the dating waters. That way, if he moved to another team, it’d be easier.

  Right?

  It felt weird to think about dating again. He and Jane had been together from the time they were eighteen and nineteen, so this would be the first time he dated as an adult. He’d had plenty of hook-ups, but he hadn’t asked a woman out on an official date in seven years. In a weird way, he was kind of excited about it. He and Jane had gotten serious within a couple of months, so now he had an opportunity to do it right and really get to know someone because he definitely didn’t want to make another mistake. Especially not with a teammate’s sister.

  They were in the second period, and Donovan was trying to figure out when and where to ask Tara to go to the Halloween party with him when a ruckus on the ice jerked his attention back to where it should have been all along. Someone was down, and the team’s head trainer, Ben Tremont, was already over the boards heading in that direction. He got to his feet with the rest of the team, and as he peered through the throng of players surrounding him, he realized the guy who was down was Aaron.

  His heart immediately skipped a beat, and Donovan glanced at Coach Caldwell. She looked out at the ice for a moment and then back at Donovan, giving him a slight nod.

  Shit!

  That meant he should start stretching and warming up, just in case. He’d gotten so used to not playing unless Aaron needed a day off, he hadn’t been paying attention and didn’t even know what had happened.

  “Did you see it?” he asked Sergei under his breath as he brushed past him.

  He shook his head. “Too many guys in front of the net.”

  Donovan got on the ice in front of the bench, watching what was going on with Aaron as he slowly dropped into a couple of butterflies to warm up his legs. He didn’t even have his mask on yet, but Aaron hadn’t gotten up, and Donovan’s mind was racing. He stretched one leg out in front of him, and then the other, before getting back on his feet and grabbing his mask. He yanked it on as he skated back and forth to get his blood pumping a little since he’d be in net within another minute or so. He really hadn’t been expecting to play until the next road trip, so now he was trying to find his zen, putting Tara out of his mind and focusing on hockey.

  Aaron finally got to his feet with the help of Ben and Miikka, and the crowd started to clap as they moved him toward the tunnel. He turned to Donovan for a brief moment, meeting his gaze.

  “You got this,” he said quietly.

  Donovan gave him a nod and skated to the net.

  He dropped down into a quick butterfly and then got back on his feet, scraping the ice to roughen it up a little so he wouldn’t slide too far or too fast. He blew out a breath and turned to watch the face-off, which was at center ice and just off to the right. Luckily, Miikka won the face-off, and Logan Pelletier took off with the puck, skating away from the goal. Not having to do anything was a mixed blessing because it gave him time to find his groove, but it also gave him time to stiffen up, potentially lose focus, which they couldn’t afford right now.

  The Blizzard was leading 2-1, and he didn’t want to let any goals in. The team had struggled historically, but they were in the fourth week of the season and doing pretty well. He damn sure wasn’t going to be the one to blow it.

  One of the other team’s forwards was racing toward him in a breakaway, and Donovan forgot everything but him. The skater, the puck, his body in relation to both of those other things. Then the other guy shot, and Donovan felt the sting of the puck as it connected with his glove. That was one. Hopefully, he’d stop any others that came his way tonight.

  The Blizzard won 4-1, and Donovan closed his eyes once he was in the shower. It had been a good game, and he was happy with the win, happy to be back in the thick of things again, though he hoped Aaron was okay. They hadn’t heard anything about his injury, and he looked around for someone who might know something after wrapping a towel around his hips.

  “Sergei, any news on Aaron?”

  “Looks like a groin injury. Probably out four to six weeks.”

  “Shit. At least it’s nothing too serious.”<
br />
  “Yeah.” They got dressed in silence, and Donovan grabbed his things, ready to head out until he remembered Tara. He looked around for Miikka and spotted him heading down to the family lounge, so he followed him, hoping she would be there with Charli. He could call her, but this felt more intimate and a bit more personal. Maybe he was overthinking it, but it had been a good night, and he was hoping to end it on an even better one.

  He walked into the lounge and spotted Tara hanging out with Logan. He paused for a moment, watching them together. They hung out a lot, and he wondered if there was anything between them, but when Tara had gotten hurt, Logan had hung back, letting everyone else go to her first, and there was no way a guy would just stand there if a woman he was involved with had been injured like that. At the very least, Logan would have been the one holding her hand, not Donovan. Well, he hoped so.

  “Hey, Tara.” He approached her after Logan moved off to talk to someone else, and she smiled up at him.

  “Hi, Donovan. Great game!”

  “Thanks.”

  “I guess you’ll be starting now,” she said. “With Aaron out at least a month.”

  He nodded. “Looks that way.”

  “Will they bring in another goalie?”

  “Yeah, probably the kid from Juneau—his name’s Viktor Maslak. He’s come up a few times, like last year when Aaron had the flu and stuff like that.”

  “Oh, I think I met him,” Tara said thoughtfully. “I was here when Aaron had the flu, and I remember another goalie. Blond?”

  “Yeah, that’s him. Real tall, too. Six-five.”

  “Yes, I remember now.”

  “So, uh, I have a question.”

  “Okay.” She met my gaze with a smile.

  “Are you going to the Halloween party?”

  “Yes! It will be my first.”

  “You’ve never been to a Halloween party?”

  “Halloween isn’t a big thing in Finland.”

  “Oh, wow. Well, I was wondering if you’d like to go with me? You know, as my date.” He practically held his breath as he waited for her to answer, but she just smiled up at him.

  “I’d love to. Do you have a costume?”

  “Yeah. There wasn’t much left, so I got stuck with a pirate costume. What about you?”

  She grinned. “I get to be Cinderella!”

  She seemed so excited about it, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Does it come with glass slippers?”

  “No, but I have a pair of shoes that will work.”

  “Is Cinderella a thing in Finland?”

  “Cinderella is a thing everywhere, but getting to dress up like a princess is a thing for me because I never have.”

  “Well, is it okay if Prince Charming is a pirate for the night?”

  Her eyes twinkled. “Absolutely.”

  “Since we have a game that night, I’ll probably have to meet you there.”

  “Yes, you can meet me there. A group is coming over early to see Matthew in his costume and such.”

  “Okay.” He paused. “You, uh, want to get a drink?”

  “Sure.” She nodded. “Let me just tell Miikka you’re going to bring me home. You will, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “Give me a minute.” She went and said something to Miikka, who immediately looked in Donovan’s direction and gave him a thumb’s-up. Which made half the people in the room look over at Donovan.

  Great. That was the last thing he needed.

  “You and Tara.” Logan wiggled his eyebrows at him. “Right on.”

  “Don’t be a dick,” Donovan muttered, quickly walking over to Tara. “You ready?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s get out of here.” Donovan nodded at Miikka and Charli and then kept a hand at the small of Tara’s back as they walked out. “Where do you want to go? You hungry?”

  “I could eat,” she replied. “I can always eat.”

  “There’s a pub that has great burgers and killer IPAs.”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  Well, so much for Halloween being the first date; they were doing that right now.

  7

  Tara hadn’t expected Donovan to ask her out, not for the party and certainly not tonight, but here they were in a booth sipping beers and waiting for their burgers to arrive. She liked listening to his voice. He was telling stories again, making her laugh, and it had been a long time since anyone truly made her laugh.

  “…which made all of our jerseys turn pink, and since there was no time to wash them, we had to wear them like that.” His eyes twinkled with mirth, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Are you always so full of mischief?” she asked, shaking her head.

  “Not so much since I got to the NHL, but I try to stir things up now and then. Keeps the guys laughing and me from getting bored.”

  “I can’t imagine you’re ever bored.” She met his gaze across the table. For a moment, he didn’t react, merely watching her with those long-lashed hazel eyes. She couldn’t tell what flashed behind them, but whatever it was disappeared as quickly as it had come and was replaced with his usual sarcastic grin.

  “It doesn’t happen often, but once in a while.” He sipped his beer. “What about you? What do you do for fun?”

  “Since I’ve been here? Play hockey once a week. Other than that, I don’t have time.”

  “How come?”

  “I’m busy taking care of kids for three different families while we wait for my visa to go through so I can maybe look for a real job.”

  “You don’t have a visa yet?”

  “Not yet. I’m here legally since I can visit my brother for extended lengths of time, but we’re still waiting to hear from immigration about the status of my visa. Hopefully, any day now.”

  “Then what happens?”

  “If I don’t get a visa, I have to go back to Finland.”

  “Oh.” He looked startled. “So you might have to leave?”

  “I might, but I’m trying to think positive.” She smiled but was distinctly uncomfortable mentioning the idea of finding someone to marry her so she could stay. In fact, it was beginning to sound like a terrible idea.

  “You can’t work without a visa or green card, right?”

  “Right,” she said. “Which is why I’m unofficially doing the nanny thing right now.”

  “What will you do when you get the visa?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe teach English somewhere. I’ve been looking online to see what’s out there.”

  “Does teaching make you happy?”

  “I don’t know—I never had a teaching job, so I haven’t been able to try it.”

  “What about coaching?”

  “What?”

  Their burgers arrived and interrupted the conversation, which worked for Tara since it had taken a serious turn and she wanted to enjoy his company. Thinking about what she wanted to do for a living tended to put a damper on her mood.

  “Hey, guys.” Logan sank down in an empty chair across from Tara, snatching up one of her fries. “Whatcha doin’?”

  Donovan gave him a look. “We’re out on a date. You knew that. Leave.”

  “Oh, don’t be a drag,” Logan protested. “I’ve got a date, too. She’ll be here any minute.”

  “And you had to sit here to wait?” Donovan asked wryly.

  “Well, I’m not gonna sit alone while I wait. Duh.” He took another fry.

  “Sorry,” Donovan mouthed to Tara.

  She just smiled, amused as Logan started talking about his date.

  “Is this your first time going out with her?” Tara asked politely.

  “Yeah. She was hanging out after the game, and it looked like she was interested in hooking up. Since I knew you guys would be here—”

  “How the hell did you know we’d be here?” Donovan demanded. “We didn’t even know where we were going.”

  “You love the burgers here,” Logan said in confusion. “Where else would you go a
fter a game?”

  Donovan looked like he was going to say something but just took another bite of his burger. “Get off my fries,” he muttered.

  “I’m out.” Logan grabbed one more as he jumped up. “My lady awaits.”

  Tara glanced in that direction, taking in the pretty blonde who’d just walked in and waved to Logan. He slid an arm around her shoulders, and they moved to the bar.

  “He’s impressive,” Donovan said, shaking his head. “I was married at his age, but I don’t think I had his game… I mean, it’s a different one every damn night.”

  “I don’t know if I could do that,” Tara said thoughtfully. “Sleep with a different man every time I had sex. Not for moral reasons or anything, but I’d get attached. Sex is powerful. At least, good sex is, and why would you sleep with someone a second time if the sex was bad, right?” She dipped a fry in ketchup and peered over at Donovan.

  “Sex is definitely powerful,” Donovan agreed. “I stayed with my ex longer than I should have, and a lot of it had to with how good the sex was.”

  “Same.” She smiled. “Me and my ex, I mean. Until he slept with someone else. That was the final straw for me.”

  “Oh, if Jane had cheated that would’ve been the end, no matter how good the sex was.”

  “I’m not fond of cheaters, either.” She popped another fry in her mouth. “That was one of many reasons I left home. I needed a fresh start, you know?”

  “Jane wouldn’t come with me,” he said simply. “She hated being married to an athlete, all the travel and games and practices, not to mention moving from place to place. She just wasn’t cut out for it, I guess.”

  “But didn’t she love you?” Tara asked in confusion. “She married you, so she must have, right?”

  “I don’t think she understood how hard it would be. I think she expected it to be some version of nine-to-five, but the reality was too much for her. She hated being away from her family, and she didn’t like being alone. At all.”

  “I wasn’t sure I’d like being away from my family, but sometimes it’s part of growing up. You leave the home you grew up in, then you leave your hometown for work or love or something else, and sometimes you even leave your country. I can’t imagine arranging my life according to how close to my family I should be.”