father.
When he thought about his future, he’d always assumed he’d find a woman someday. But he’d imagined her as the puck bunny type, a girl who loved him for his fame as a hockey player and not for his prospects as a husband. But Malin was different. She’d never settle for less than the very best.
He raked his fingers through his hair, then examined the purple-and-yellow tinge of an old bruise above his eye. Maybe it was best to put any ideas of seduction out of his mind right now. After all, she was right to worry about Drew saying something. Thom was dangling by a very thin thread, and if anyone on the team found out that he’d kissed Malin, he’d be out the door in a heartbeat.
Malin had offered to help him, and he’d be grateful for her advice, but it had to stop there. Thom pushed away from the counter and walked back into the bedroom, a smile on his face. “Drew said you should spend the day resting. So just stay there and relax. Watch a little television, sleep, I’ll get you something to eat and—”
“I can’t stay here,” she said. “This is your...bed.”
“For now, it’s your bed.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me. Drew said I probably didn’t have a concussion.”
“He also said to be safe, you shouldn’t stress yourself today. Now, what would you like?”
“I’d love a cup of tea. With some honey.”
“I think I can get you that.”
Thom headed for the kitchen. To his surprise, he did have tea, left over from when he was last fighting a cold. He filled the teakettle and set it on the stove. Then he searched through the cupboards and freezer. If she had to stay in bed all day, he’d have to make a trip to the store for more food.
The teakettle screamed, and he poured the water over the tea bag in the mug and carried it to her. Her attention was focused on her iPad. “Do you have a lot of work to do?”
“Some,” she said as she took the tea. “Now that the season’s over, most of the players are tweeting about their summer plans.”
Most of the team had already scattered to their hometowns across the globe. His summer plans usually swung between time spent at his cabin on Mille Lacs Lake and completing renovation projects around the firehouse. But with his future in question, he wasn’t sure what lay in store for him this summer.
“Do you want to sleep?”
“I think we should talk,” Malin suggested. She patted the mattress beside her.
Thom circled the bed and sat down on the opposite side, stretching his legs out in front of him. “Is this all right? I’m not crowding you?”
Malin nodded. “I have some opportunities for you. The team won’t be setting up any publicity events with you until a decision has been made about the trade. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get out there and shake up your image a bit.”
“What is my image? Who am I supposed to be?”
“You could start by being friendly. More approachable. So we’re going to do a little makeover.”
“Oh, no,” Thom said.
“Just a good haircut. And start shaving. The scruffy look has to go, at least for the summer. And we’re going to get you some decent clothes.”
“I have plenty of clothes.”
“Go to your closet,” she said.
Thom did as ordered, standing in the doorway. “All right.”
“Find me something that isn’t gray or black.”
“I like gray and black.”
“When you dress like that, it makes you look...scary. Mean.”
“I’m Tommy the Beast. I’m supposed to look mean.”
“Not anymore. The Beast is dead,” Malin said. “You’re Thom Quinn, Nice Guy. The guy every girl wants to marry and every guy wants to call his friend.”
“I sound like a real asshole,” Thom muttered.
“I’ve made an appointment at a salon for tomorrow, and then a stylist friend of mine has agreed to see you. She’ll have clothes for you to try on. After that, we just let you go.”
“Let me go?”
“Yeah. You walk around the city, attend events, smile and pose for
When he thought about his future, he’d always assumed he’d find a woman someday. But he’d imagined her as the puck bunny type, a girl who loved him for his fame as a hockey player and not for his prospects as a husband. But Malin was different. She’d never settle for less than the very best.
He raked his fingers through his hair, then examined the purple-and-yellow tinge of an old bruise above his eye. Maybe it was best to put any ideas of seduction out of his mind right now. After all, she was right to worry about Drew saying something. Thom was dangling by a very thin thread, and if anyone on the team found out that he’d kissed Malin, he’d be out the door in a heartbeat.
Malin had offered to help him, and he’d be grateful for her advice, but it had to stop there. Thom pushed away from the counter and walked back into the bedroom, a smile on his face. “Drew said you should spend the day resting. So just stay there and relax. Watch a little television, sleep, I’ll get you something to eat and—”
“I can’t stay here,” she said. “This is your...bed.”
“For now, it’s your bed.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me. Drew said I probably didn’t have a concussion.”
“He also said to be safe, you shouldn’t stress yourself today. Now, what would you like?”
“I’d love a cup of tea. With some honey.”
“I think I can get you that.”
Thom headed for the kitchen. To his surprise, he did have tea, left over from when he was last fighting a cold. He filled the teakettle and set it on the stove. Then he searched through the cupboards and freezer. If she had to stay in bed all day, he’d have to make a trip to the store for more food.
The teakettle screamed, and he poured the water over the tea bag in the mug and carried it to her. Her attention was focused on her iPad. “Do you have a lot of work to do?”
“Some,” she said as she took the tea. “Now that the season’s over, most of the players are tweeting about their summer plans.”
Most of the team had already scattered to their hometowns across the globe. His summer plans usually swung between time spent at his cabin on Mille Lacs Lake and completing renovation projects around the firehouse. But with his future in question, he wasn’t sure what lay in store for him this summer.
“Do you want to sleep?”
“I think we should talk,” Malin suggested. She patted the mattress beside her.
Thom circled the bed and sat down on the opposite side, stretching his legs out in front of him. “Is this all right? I’m not crowding you?”
Malin nodded. “I have some opportunities for you. The team won’t be setting up any publicity events with you until a decision has been made about the trade. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get out there and shake up your image a bit.”
“What is my image? Who am I supposed to be?”
“You could start by being friendly. More approachable. So we’re going to do a little makeover.”
“Oh, no,” Thom said.
“Just a good haircut. And start shaving. The scruffy look has to go, at least for the summer. And we’re going to get you some decent clothes.”
“I have plenty of clothes.”
“Go to your closet,” she said.
Thom did as ordered, standing in the doorway. “All right.”
“Find me something that isn’t gray or black.”
“I like gray and black.”
“When you dress like that, it makes you look...scary. Mean.”
“I’m Tommy the Beast. I’m supposed to look mean.”
“Not anymore. The Beast is dead,” Malin said. “You’re Thom Quinn, Nice Guy. The guy every girl wants to marry and every guy wants to call his friend.”
“I sound like a real asshole,” Thom muttered.
“I’ve made an appointment at a salon for tomorrow, and then a stylist friend of mine has agreed to see you. She’ll have clothes for you to try on. After that, we just let you go.”
“Let me go?”
“Yeah. You walk around the city, attend events, smile and pose for
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