My mouth hung open. “Oh my God. I wasn’t telling you this to pitch it to you.”
“You said you asked previous clients, so why not me?”
“Well, because I’ve known them longer and have established a relationship with them.”
“You don’t trust me, Kendra?” He tilted his head playfully.
“I meant it the other way around. You don’t know me, so I wouldn’t ask for a favor.”
“I’m offering.”
I tried to contain my happiness, but I really couldn’t. I felt my face split into a smile so huge that my cheeks were hurting. “You’d do that? Oh, Tim will be so happy. His family is lovely, but they can’t afford too much.”
“You can count on me. I’ll talk to the guy before training begins.”
“Wow. That’s amazing. Thank you so much, Tyler.”
I couldn’t believe he was doing this.
“This seems almost personal to you,” he said quietly.
I blinked quickly, trying to hide my shock. How could he tell that?
“Well, growing up, my sister, Emma, and I relied on a lot of these programs. Mom worked herself to the bone, but there wasn’t much left after everything was paid for. I know how Tim and his friends feel.”
“Kendra, you’re—” Tyler was interrupted by the sound of the door unlocking. Jane, the administrator, welcomed us inside.
“Want to go in?” I asked.
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
The ice rink was simple and modest, nothing like what I assumed the Chicago Blades’ arena looked like, but it made the kids happy anyway. Tyler glanced around appraisingly, leaning against a handrail.
“This is a great place to train.”
“Glad you like it. So... how about you?" I asked, eager to know more about him. "How did you get yourself in this mess?"
I instantly knew it was the wrong thing to ask. His eyes darkened for the first time. His smile faltered. "You didn't see the video?"
"I did, but I think there's more to it, right? I mean, you couldn't exactly tell the context from just seeing it. It just seemed like that guy was looking for a fight, and he got it."
"Yeah. The bloody context." He laughed, but it wasn't filled with humor.
"Bloody?" I asked in a teasing tone.
“‘Fucking’ is my choice of swear word when things are moderately annoying. ‘Bloody’ is next level.”
"Interesting choice. Forget I asked. It's bothering you, so you don't have to talk about it." I leaned against the railing on the opposite side, watching him closely.
"That's fine. I think you're the first person who actually asked about what happened."
"What do you mean? Didn't your management want to know the details?"
"No, management was too pissed off because the sponsors weren't happy with me." After a brief pause, he added, "That guy was my cousin's ex-fiancé."
"Ouch. I already hate him."
That brought the real smile back. "I like you, Kendra."
"Thanks." Is that my stomach cartwheeling just because he said he liked me? Yes, yes, it is. Oh, for goodness’ sake!
"It’s not my place to say why they broke up. But they were supposed to go into business together to open a spa in a building that belonged to my grandmother. Anyway, he wanted to get on with the business after hurting my cousin, even knowing my gran didn’t want him anywhere near her building. So my whole family fought against it. He showed up there thinking... Honestly, I don't even know what he was after. But the way he spoke to my cousin... I just couldn't stand by and watch without doing anything. It was the wrong way to react, but I take full responsibility for that."
His whole demeanor changed. Even his voice sounded determined and protective, and it affected me on a visceral level. He cared a lot about his cousin and his grandmother.
And so, I couldn’t help myself. I moved from the railing, stepping up beside him, leaning slightly in, like I was sharing something in confidence. "I'll let you in on a secret, Tyler. I like you too."
He laughed, throwing his head back. "You're my kind of person, Kendra. You're the first one who has had this reaction when they hear the full story.”
“I can’t believe that. Management—”
“Was pissed, and I'm pissed in return. I love hockey more than anything in this life, but dealing with management is a pain in my ass."
A very fine ass, my brain supplied helpfully. I pressed my lips together before the words slipped out.
"What's that?" Tyler asked. "You look like you wanted to add something."
I shook my head. "No, no. Nothing."
He cocked a brow, keeping his gaze trained on me. “Kendra...”
I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the sizzle in my body. “Don’t change the subject. We were talking about you. This must be hard for you. The season starts soon. The first game is next week, right?"
"Yeah."
"Are you going to watch it?"
He nodded. "I'm going to sit in the stands."
I grimaced. "Wow. That's going to be a tough evening."
“We’ll see.”
I had the distinct impression that he didn’t want to talk about this anymore, so I didn’t prod.
The front door of the rink opened, and five kids ran toward us. Well, toward Tyler, to be honest.
"Tyler, my mom wouldn't believe it when I told her you were training us,” Tim said as soon as he was in front of Tyler. “Can you take a picture with me so I can show her later? You could email it to Kendra, and Kendra can send it to Mom."
"Sure, buddy. You’re Tim, right?"
“Yes. Ohmigosh, you remember my name.”
“It’s a cool name.” Tyler pulled out his phone without any hesitation, hugging the kid with one arm and smiling at the screen. Tim grinned brilliantly, and my heart sighed even more than it had last time. I didn't know why, but I found this incredibly attractive.
Tyler’s honest, welcoming actions were a bigger deal for the kids than he may ever know.
After Tyler took the pic, Tim ran straight to his friends. I bet he was bragging. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Tyler talking on the phone. It didn’t last long, though. He pocketed his cell as soon as Tim and the rest went into the locker room.
“I spoke to my friend. He says it’s all good. The kids can come on Thursday. Is that okay?”
“Yes, and wow, that was fast.”
“I’m good at using emotional blackmail for a good cause.”
I’m not melting. I’m not melting. Who am I kidding? I’m melting.
How was this sexy-as-hell, super successful star hockey player so amazing? So real? Boy, I had him pegged wrong.
“I’ll tell my boss about it. I have to clock in every activity I organize. I’ll probably have to come too. It states in my job profile that I have to be there for any new activity that wasn’t pre-approved.”
Tyler’s entire face lit up. His gaze turned even more intense than before.
“That’s an unexpected perk.”
“What is?” I was thoroughly confused.