Dirty Toe Drag by Toni Aleo

Chapter Ten

Wes

When my phone sounds,I glance down at it, not recognizing the number. I pause my razor at my jaw as I scrutinize the screen. It’s not a Tennessee number, nor an 800 number. I don’t know who it is, and that makes my stomach twist with ungodly pain. I place the razor on the counter beside my phone and watch it ring, unable to move or think. I have this feeling of who it could be, and there is no way in hell I am answering that call. The problem is, it could be a teammate or even someone for foundation stuff, but I let it go to voice mail. I tap my thumbnail on the counter as I wait for the voice mail to show up, but it doesn’t come. My hands are shaking, and my gut is hurting.

I don’t know if that was my dad, but for good measure, I’m going to block the number anyway. I thump my foot against the cool tile of my bathroom as I block the number. Maybe I should change my number again? If I do that, though, it will be the ninth time in three years. If anything, my dad is persistent, but I refuse to allow that man back into my life. Blood or not, he is dead to me. Has been dead to me. Sometimes I hate that my mom died and he didn’t. I would trade them in a second. No thought to it whatsoever.

God would be like, “Hey, Wes. You want your mom or dad?”

Mom, God.

Always Mom.

I place my phone back down and return to shaving. As I move the blade along my chin, I don’t allow myself to think of my dad or the life I endured with him. Loads of therapy have taught me that everything that happened was not my fault as it was made out to be. I was called a liar, I was accused of trying to ruin lives, and I was constantly ignored. At the time, I thought I was wrong. I thought I deserved what was happening to me, but I learned very quickly that wasn’t the case. I still have nightmares about it occasionally. The cops being called. Being taken into protective custody in the back seat of a cop car. The not-guilty verdict. It all haunts me, but it won’t take over my life.

I won’t let it.

As my heart rate slows, I let out a long exhale before cleaning up my neck. Once I am satisfied with the job, I throw on some aftershave and then deodorant. I head into my closet that is connected to my bathroom and pick out some clothes for today. It was a hard skate this morning and a long session of tapes, but now that I’m actually able to shower in my bathroom and get dressed, I feel more relaxed. We play the Kings tomorrow. I hate that I dread each game, but with everything so fucked up, it’s expected to feel this way.

When I’m happy with the outfit I pick out for dinner at Brooks, I head back into the bathroom to get dressed. As soon as I enter, though, my phone starts to ring, and my stomach drops. I slowly walk over to it, not wanting to see the number but knowing I need to. To my surprise, it’s Stella. I almost fall over myself trying to answer the phone.

“Hey, hey, you.”

“Hey, hey, Wes,” she teases, a beautiful lightness in her voice. God, I miss her. After being so close to her all night and then riding home without touching her, I’m dying. I wanted to kiss the shit out of her. Lay her in my bed, worship her, and then beg her to never leave my bed again. But all I know is that if things do progress the way I want them to, I want Aiden to know I was a gentleman. That I treated his sister with respect. I’m not saying I’m a douchebag, but I do tend to fall into bed with ladies without much thought. Stella, though, she has all my thoughts. “What are you up to?”

I sense a bit of nervousness in her voice as I lean into my counter. “Nothing much. Getting ready for the rest of the day.”

“Oh yeah. You had practice this morning.”

“I did,” I confirm. “You good?”

“Yeah, um, well…” She pauses, and I raise a brow. “Are you busy? I mean, I know you’re getting dressed. But after, I mean. Do you have plans?”

“I don’t.”

“Can you meet me at Dunn Brothers? The coffee shop on Fourth and Church Street?”

My heart kicks up. Hell yeah, I want to meet her, but then it dawns on me. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. I just need to talk to you.”

“You breaking this off before it starts?” She lets out a nervous laugh. “Because if so, I’m not showing up. You can dump me after our date.”

She really laughs that time, and I smile, my body tingling at the sound of her laughter. “No. I promise I’m not.”

“Okay, I’ll come. But if you start to put the brakes on, I’ll leave.”

“Duly noted.”

“See you in a bit?”

“I’ll be there in twenty.”

“Same. Be careful.”

“You too.”

We hang up, and even though I’m smiling from ear to ear because I get to see Stella outside of Brooks and before our date, I also realize I have no clue what she wants to talk to me about. If I’ll even like what she says and if it’ll put a halt to something I’ve wanted for a very long time.

Oh, well. It may be the unknown, but I’m jumping in headfirst.

* * *

Stella beatsme to the coffee shop and is seated on the patio with an iced coffee and an easy grin on her face. I hold up my hands in justification as I call to her, “In my defense, I walked.”

“I would have picked you up,” she says as I lean toward her, kissing her cheek. Jesus, she smells like jasmine and orange. So fresh. Her hair is down under a wide-brimmed black hat. She’s wearing thick black sunglasses, but her jumpsuit is a bright pink that comes to her knees before showing off some sexy calves and even sexier black heels. She looks as if she belongs in a 1920s magazine ad.

“I have a truck.”

“That you tend not to drive,” she says as I sit in front of her.

“I thought it would be faster to walk, and I wouldn’t have to deal with parking.”

“True. I’m in heels, so I’m not walking this far.”

I smile over at her. “You sure are gorgeous.”

“Suck-up.”

“You mean truth-speaker.” She snorts as I hook a thumb toward the shop. “I’m gonna run in and get something. You good?”

“Yup. Want me to come with you?”

“Nah. This is a good spot. Don’t lose it.”

She snickers as I head inside and order myself a drink. While I wait, I watch her as the breeze moves her hair along her shoulders. She looks incredible, so beautiful. I can’t believe she asked me here, but damn, I’m grateful. When my phone sounds in my back pocket, I reach for it, a little dread in my gut at the potential of it being the same number from before, even though I know I blocked it. It’s not, but my stomach still drops.

It’s Aiden.

“Hey, bro. What’s up?” I say as I answer very calmly and evenly.

“Nothing much. What’re you doing? Want to meet up at Topgolf?”

I pause. “I’m actually out already.”

“Oh, okay. Wanna meet up after?”

“Maybe. Let me see how long I’ll be here.”

“Where?”

“Um, excuse me, Mom. I am a big boy.”

He laughs. “You’re good, though?”

“Yeah, fine.”

“On a date?”

I chuckle softly. “Kinda. She wants to talk.”

“Talk? And you went?”

“Yeah. She’s special.”

“Wow,” he draws out. “Someone has finally caught your eye?”

“Eh, she’s had it.”

“Interesting. When you’re ready, let me know. Shelli and I would love to meet her.”

I glance back out at his sister. Stella has her head tipped back, warming her face with the sun. “For sure, dude.”

“Awesome. Well, enjoy, and if you want to meet us, we’re all heading out in an hour for Topgolf.”

“Sounds good. I’ll probably swing through.”

We say goodbye just as my name is called for my coffee. I grab it, smile a thanks to the barista, and then head outside. Stella looks up as I approach, her lips tipping up on one side, and I know she’s looking me over. I can’t see her eyes, but her smile tells me everything I need to know. Fuck, she makes me hot. “Your brother called me.”

She nods, her grin not faltering. “What did he want?”

“Invited me to golf. But I told him I was out on a hot coffee date.”

Her brows rise above her glasses. “You tell him you were with me?”

“Nope. Left that part out since I’m not sure why you asked me here.”

She laughs around the straw she has against her lips. “How do you plan on going about that?”

I shrug as I lean on my elbows. “Straight up with him—once I know you want to see where this goes.”

“Where are you wanting it to go?”

“I mean, I like the idea of us. But until I know if we’re compatible, I don’t want to scare either of us.”

“Smart.”

“Not my first rodeo, Stella.”

“Oh, really?”

“I’m sure this is hard to believe, but I have been in a serious relationship or two.”

“That is hard to believe. I was told you were a love ’em hard and leave ’em guy.”

“Oh, I am, but I know special when I see it.”

Her cheeks fill with the softest, rosiest color. “Interesting.”

I reach toward her, removing her sunglasses, and she lets me with no hesitation. “I want to see your eyes.”

“Satisfied?”

“Not even in the slightest. But damn, those are some pretty eyes.”

She grins. “What ended those serious relationships?”

I take a long sip of my coffee, my gaze burning into hers. “I’m sure you know being with a hockey player is a lot.”

“I’m no stranger to the life.”

“Exactly. So you know you gotta trust each other completely. And unfortunately, the one I gave all my trust to fucked me over. And then, after her, I held back since I was nervous, but she wouldn’t get it out of her head that I was cheating on her, when I wasn’t.”

Something moves in her eyes, but before I can ask about it, she says, “That is unfortunate.”

“It is,” I agree with a shrug. “But you learn and move on. How about you?”

“I was in a very serious relationship in high school, had plans for marriage and all that jazz, but then he moved, so I had to deal. Dated a bit in college, but nothing like him. I thought he was a hubby.”

“But you were a kid.”

She eyes me. “Kid or not, those feelings are real.”

“Touché.” We hold each other’s gazes, and I’m enraptured by hers.

She’s so exceedingly lovely. She doesn’t look away, but I don’t think she’s looking in my eyes as she moves her finger along the top of her iced coffee. The silence tortures me as I search her face. I don’t know what she’s thinking or what she’s feeling.

“So, actually…since we’re on the topic of honesty, that’s why I asked you here.”

“Okay,” I drawl. “Hit me.”

I can see she’s instantly uncomfortable. She squirms in her seat as she looks away, taking in a deep breath. “So, earlier, when we were talking…when I told you I was at the gym?”

I eye her. “Yeah, off with another suitor?”

She scoffs. “No, not at all.” She hesitates before looking back at me.

She’s struggling, and I don’t know why. It’s killing me. I don’t want it to be hard for her to talk to me. Though, I have a feeling this has nothing to do with me and it’s her battle. I move closer, sliding my fingers along hers before threading ours together. Her breath catches, and a smile moves across my lips. “You can tell me, Stella.”

She nods, knowing it’s the truth, but still, she asks, “Don’t tell anyone?”

“Okay,” I say, confused. This is weird. “You’ve got me worried.”

Why are her eyes filling with tears? What in the hell is going on? “Sweetheart, spit it out.” She laughs as she squeezes my fingers. I smile as I squeeze back. “Come on. Ready? On the count of three.”

She nods. “Okay.”

“One,” I say, her eyes dancing with mine, trying to lighten the situation. “Two.” She is bouncing in her seat, basically holding my hand like a life preserver. “Three!”

“I was making cupcakes.”

I blink. “Huh?”

“I make cupcakes.”

Again, I ask, “Huh?”