Page 7 of Broken As Puck

She snorted. “Oh, he wants to work on something, all right. It’s just that Matt Matthews wrecked your self-esteem so badly that you don’t think hot guys could be interested in you.” She stopped walking, turned to face me, and grabbed my upper arms. “You are beautiful, Chelsey. Fucking stunning, actually. If you weren’t my best friend, I’d be jealous.”

I looked around and noticed that we’d attracted some attention. “Can we not do this here?”

Layla’s hands dropped from my arms and she put them on her hips. “Fine, but you need to realize that you’re a catch.”

“I’ll try,” I said, feeling awkward as hell. “But I think you’re reading too much into things. I’m over all that stuff with Matt. It was a long time ago.”

“I call bullshit.”

I set my jaw. Why did I have to befriend someone who was like a pit bull once she got her teeth into something?

“Anyone would have been hurt by what he did to you,” Layla said, stubbornly digging in her heels. “Of course it affected you. You do remember what he said back then, right?”

“Technically, he didn’t say anything,” I pointed out.

“But he should have. And the fact he didn’t…”

Yeah. The lack of what he’d said was kind of the problem. I’d tolerated silence for too long, and when it came to him, I’d reached my limit.

Chapter Three

MATT

Nerves crowded in my gut as I knocked on Austin Harris’s front door. Austin was the team’s captain—or at least, he had been last season—and while we got along all right, we weren’t exactly what I’d call friends. I respected him, but he was hard to get a read on and tended to keep people at a distance.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t ask too many questions about the favor I’d come here for. I’d already told Nick about my history with Chelsey and preferred not to clue Austin in too. I doubted he’d blab to anyone, but the fewer who knew, the better.

The door opened to reveal Austin’s fiancée, Jane Wright. Her dark eyebrows shot toward her hairline, but she managed a small smile.

“Hi, Matt,” she said softly. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

I ran my hand through my hair and held her placid brown gaze, hoping like hell that she’d agree to help me. “Yeah, sorry I didn’t message or call before stopping by.”

She shrugged and the motion sent a curtain of brown hair spilling over her shoulders. “It’s no problem. Would you like me to get Austin? He’s in the gym.”

“Actually, it’s you I’m here to see.”

She cocked her head, obviously curious. Hardly surprising, considering we hadn’t had much to do with each other. “Come in. Would you like a coffee?”

“No, thank you. I try to limit my caffeine intake after lunch during the season, but a glass of water would be great.”

She moved aside, and I entered the foyer and removed my shoes, then set them at the end of a row of others. I shivered. It wasn’t cold inside, but it wasn’t warm either. The heating in my place was usually cranked right up during fall and winter.

Jane turned into a room on the right and I followed. I’d been in Austin’s house before but only once or twice. The kitchen was all white and black, with a white marble countertop, white walls and ceiling, and a black marble breakfast bar.

She gestured for me to sit on one of the comfy-looking padded stools in front of the breakfast bar. I complied and she opened a cabinet, pulled out two glasses, and filled each one from a water filter attached to the tap. She passed me one glass and sat with the other on one of the stools.

“What did you need to see me for?” she asked.

I set the glass down, reached into my pocket, and pulled out a puck. It was brand new and had more than enough space across its white surface for what I wanted. “Would you do me a huge favor and get your dad and uncle to sign this?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Now it makes sense.”

“I hate to ask.” I got the feeling she was used to people using her for access to her NHL-legend family members. “I have a friend who is a massive fan of theirs, and I owe them an apology. I’d really appreciate it.”

Jane took the puck and put it to the side. “Sure. I can get it back to you in a week or two. Will that do?”

I pressed my palms together in gratitude. “Thank you. I owe you. If there’s ever anything you need, let me know.”