Breaking the Ice by Shayne McClendon Read Free Book Online

flesh. 
     
    MacKenzie Rhodes…in the flesh.  They
slid into opposite sides of a booth and she shrugged off the jacket that
sported his old team’s name.  He glanced at the familiar logo and wondered at
the way things happened sometimes.  A year ago, he’d have never considered
going to another team.  
    Last month, it suddenly seemed
right. 
    And here he sat, across from a
woman that had haunted his dreams more nights than he cared to admit.  He
stared at her openly, taking in her black bar tank top and snug jeans.  Her
dark hair was pulled back on top, held in small clips, the rest fell loose down
her back, a little longer than he remembered. 
    There was something about
her…something that made her even lovelier than she’d been years ago. 
    He rested one arm along the back
of the booth and watched her eyes take him in for just a moment.  He laid his
hand flat on the table and she followed the movement.  It was when he rubbed
his thumb against his fingers, and her lips parted, that he realized she was
pretending a disinterest she didn’t feel.
    “You’re lovelier than ever,
Kenzie.  You look exhausted though.”
    “I told you I was.  I keep a lot
of plates spinning.” 
    She started to talk and asked him
how he was.  He answered like a man accustomed to talking about himself.  The
more he answered, the more she asked.  He tried to ask questions about her life,
and she told him a little, but he felt like she was not saying more than
she was saying.  She quickly turned the conversation back to him.
    They ordered their food and the
owner asked him to sign an autograph and he did.  The woman thanked him and
left them alone.  Kenzie was focused on the table. 
    “Where do you live, Kenzie?”
    Her eyes jumped to his.  “Here in
Cambridge,” she said quietly.
    “Funny how I figured that.  I
meant where ?”
    “Why, Diesel?” 
    There was no way he was imagining
her distress.  “I want to see your house…you’ve seen mine before.”  He watched
her every expression intently.
    “No.  Thad has classes all day
during the week and…he’s sleeping.”  She stumbled over the last part and he fixed
on it.  Kenzie glanced through the window to her truck.  Suddenly, she seemed
desperate to escape him. 
    He stared at her in silence for a
long time.  “There it was again.  That strange hesitation, like you’re
censoring yourself.  What aren’t you telling me, MacKenzie?”
    She leaned forward.  “Diesel,
this situation makes me nervous.  I haven’t seen you in four years.  I’ve grown
up and changed a lot.  I’m not interested in playing with you, or in you
playing with me for that matter.  I’m not the same person I was.”
    “I’ll make you a deal,
MacKenzie.  Tonight we’ll catch up on unimportant topics and keep things light.” 
He leaned forward.  
    “For tonight, I’ll be satisfied
to talk to you and watch you…I’m hoping to make you smile because you look like
you need to, like you don’t have enough chances to smile.  Looks like we’re
going to be living near one another again, Kenzie.  Like old times.  And I’m
going to figure out this little thing…whatever it is you’re keeping from me.”
    She committed to nothing but
their food came and she watched him dig into his pancakes.  She picked at her
club sandwich.  “How is your jaw?”
    Diesel’s smile was smug as he
swallowed and took a sip of his coffee.  “You really have been paying
attention, haven’t you?”  That pleased him far more than it should have.  “It’s
good.  Thankfully, it was the last game of the season, so I didn’t have to go
on the injured list.  I’m doing pretty good overall right now.”  He pointed to
his teeth.  “These three are implants.”
    “I know, I saw the post-game
footage.  That had to hurt.”
    “Kenzie, tell me you’ll see me
again so I don’t have to stalk you.”
    “Diesel, that’s a really horrible
idea.  You’re doing so well.