Chapter 3

...soundtrack for this chapter is from an awesome musician named Eric Hutchinson!! You've Got You

“We were going to put you with some of the highest paying donors,” Jill, my charity coordinator said.

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders.  “Fine, then just make sure my Grandma and the guys from the Rescue Squad are sitting at my table during the banquet part.”

“Not a problem,” she said, smiling because she got her way.

It was the morning of the golf tournament, one of my favorite days of the year because it was basically a reunion with all my buddies and the whole day was for a good cause.  Each year we raised more and more funds, this year we were hoping for the million dollar mark.  After doing a few press interviews I began making my rounds to all the golf carts to thank everyone for coming out and wish them luck out on the green.

I was walking over towards a group of people and I instantly heard Andrew Cogliano’s voice booming from the center of the group.  “No shit! You’re a chick and do that stuff with them?!”

So flippin’ professional.  He was looking at a phone that one of the people in his group was showing him.  The girl began to laugh and immediately I stopped in my tracks.  It can’t be.  No fucking way it is…Beth?  I mean, I guess it wouldn’t be too hard to figure out who I am, but to stalk me at my own golf tournament?! Now that’s just fucking creepy.  I was just debating on how I wanted to handle the situation when I felt a frail hand on my arm.  When I looked down I found my Grandma standing there with her cane, smiling up at me with her sparkling grey eyes.

“I’m afraid that I have shrunk even more since the last time I saw you,” she smiled as I bent down to hug her tightly.  She not only shrank, but it was obvious that her health and age had deteriorated her, but she still looked, sounded and smelled like my Grandma.

“You look even more beautiful,” I laughed as she whacked me in the back of the head like she always did when I said something that she determined to be a lie.

“How are you still single?!” she chirped.  “Look how handsome you are,” she continued as she took a step back from me so that she could get the full effect.

“I’m so glad you are here,” I laughed.  “Where are the guys from the squad?  I want to meet them before we head out for a day on the course,” I informed her as I looked around for people that looked like they might be with her.

“Yes, you must meet them,” she said enthusiastically as she took my hand and led me over to the exact place I had been looking to avoid.  “Jack, Taylor, Doug, Lizzie!” she called out.  The group turned around and I watched as the girl I had known as Beth just a month and a half ago turn to face me.  Never in a million years had I seen such a look of surprise, disgust and lust come over a woman’s face.

“What the hell is he doing here?!” My mind screamed.  Elsie was talking as he began shaking hands with the guys and yet all I caught was Jarret and grandson.  There he was in black shorts, black fitted polo-shirt, and a pristine white baseball hat looking just as good as he did the night we had met at the Roxy.

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

“Lizzie dear, are you ill?” Elsie asked, placing a hand on my forehead.  “You look like you just saw a ghost,” she laughed nervously.

“I can take her over to the water tent,” The man I had known as Jay said instantly, quickly taking my hand and walking us away from the group.  “Lizzie?”

“Jarret?”  I asked quietly, unable to look over at him.

“What are you doing here?”

“Obviously your grandmother invited me,” I answered with an edge of annoyance in my voice because I heard the same in his voice.

“Did you know…you know, when we…well, did you?”

“If I had known we wouldn’t have…well, you know,” I grimaced, daring to look up at him this time.

He left out a nervous laugh as he nodded, apparently taking my word.  “Well, this is definitely a surprise…”

“I don’t like you.”

“Huh?”

“I had always told myself that when I’d meet Elsie’s pompous NHL grandson, that I would slap him,” I said plainly.

“And why would you do that?” he asked, sounding slightly amused by my declaration.

“Because she dotes on you constantly, yet you never come to visit her.”

“Well, I am a little busy…”

“Oh I’m sure, like picking up girls in clubs and dating Hollywood starlets,” I scoffed.

He looked appalled at my accusations, but I stood my ground and kept narrowing my eyes at him.

“Those are some pretty nasty allegations for someone who obviously doesn’t even know me,” he said in a polite tone that seemed to annoy me even more.  “Especially since I was just going to tell you that I was happy see you again because I still found myself thinking about our night together in Vancouver, but obviously that doesn’t sound like something you want to hear from me.”

“Wow, I figured you’d have better lines than that because I’m sure this can’t be the first time you’ve seen one of your “stands,” I snipped at him.  “So just save it.”  I began walking out of the water tent when he called out.

“Beth, I’m sorry that we had to find out this way…” he called after me, actually sounding sincere, but for some reason it annoyed me even more.

“I’m pretty sure Lizzie is going to break that golf club over someone’s head,” Taylor remarked as I watched her grip her putter, knuckles white and looking totally tense.

“I thought you guys said you didn’t know Stollie,” Andrew Cogliano remarked.  The guy was really cool and the rest of us were actually having a good time, unfortunately I don’t think anyone could say that for Liz.

“He looks familiar, but I think it’s just from seeing him on TV,” I shrugged.  Every time I attempted to ask Liz, she just shot me a look that said, “Don’t even think about it.”

“Well it seems that Miss Liz and he have met before…” Andrew laughed as he pointed over at Jarret whose group was actually waiting for us to finish up.  It was obvious Jarret was watching her and it was at this point I realized she kept sneaking back glances at him after she finished the hole.  “That Stollie, such the ladies man,” Andrew joked as he shook his head and took his stance.

I looked back over at Jarret.  Something about him seemed really familiar, but I couldn’t figure out why.

I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her the whole day.  It was even worse when Grandma insisted that Beth and I sit next to each other at dinner.  I’m fairly sure the old woman was attempting to play match-maker, but her efforts were not worth the trouble because it seemed that pissy “Lizzie” was going to have nothing of it; which in truth was a shame because for the evening banquet, she once again looked like a million bucks the night I had made her cry out several times.  Personally, I wouldn’t mind reprising that evening.  I hadn’t been lying to her when I said that I thought about that night.  She was definitely one of the few girls I had been with that I had spend such an amazing night with, even if it was just all sex.  Now I had a chance to actually get to know her and as a believer in fate, I was going to make sure I took full advantage of that chance.

“Lizzie, dear.  Why don’t you ride along with Jarret, so that he knows where to go…”

“He doesn’t own a GPS?” she grumbled.

“I don’t trust those stupid things,” Grandma laughed, shooting a pleading look over at me.

“I would appreciate someone in the passenger seat,” I said smoothly.

“I’m sure Taylor…”

“Hell no, Liz.  You know I don’t trust Doug to drive my truck!” Taylor spouted off, quashing her idea before she even finished.

I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her bite her lip and frown.  “Don’t you want to ride with him?” she asked the Grandma in a last ditch effort.

“I’m sure he’d enjoy the company of a pretty lady his own age,” she smiled sweetly as she shot me a wink.  Glad to see this woman hasn’t changed one bit.

“Fine,” Lizzie pouted, not daring to even look up at me.

“You are evil,” I hissed as we walked over to his car.

“If I’m so evil, then how is it that I just donated $200,000 for a new station for the squad?” he asked with a laugh.  “Beth, you are not so tough, so stop acting like it.”

“You don’t know me and I think it’s more than a little obvious that my name is not Beth.  It’s Elizabeth and everyone calls me Liz, except for your grandma who calls me Lizzie.”

“And that is why we have a 2 hour car ride to get to know each other in a non-sexual way, Beth,” he said, completely ignoring my real name rant while taking a box of items from the day out of my hands.

I looked up at him while pursing my lips and glared.  He surprised me by leaning down and putting his lips just centimeters away from my ear as he whispered, “That feisty attitude is exactly what I loved about that night together.”

“My feisty attitude is making me want to slap you,” I bit, trying to will away the sudden flip in my stomach and the building of heat I felt between my legs.  I have been reenacting that night over and over again every time I needed a fantasy.

“I might like that just as much…”

I couldn’t help but lose my edge and just giggle.  “You probably would.”

“Ah, now that laugh sounds better than your growling,” he mused as he stood up straight once more.

I just shook my head and climbed in what looked to be a brand new Range Rover.  This just makes everything worse.  Not only did I sleep with Elsie’s grandson, but I slept with a man whose vehicle prolly cost more than what I will make in 2 years.  I was way out of bounds.

“So what do you do at the Rescue Squad?” he asked as soon as we started down the road.

As much as I wanted to play the silent card, I decided it was too long of a trip to stay quiet.  “I’m a paramedic and I’m certified in high angle rescue, ice rescue, and all kinds of other things that deal with search and rescue.  I also have a bloodhound that is a certified K9 who can help out with searches.”

“How many women are on the squad?”

“It’s just me right now,” I said quietly.

“That totally explains why you are in such good shape,” I said, causing me to blush and making me thankful it was pitch black in the car, besides the glow of the dashlights.

“I guess it’s safe to say that I know how you got your muscles…” I mumbled out, obviously not being very tactful, but then again I never learned my manners and the joke amongst the guys at the squad was that I was raised by a pack of wolves.

He laughed out loud at this.  “Yeah, I guess so.”  There was a slight pause before he spoke again.  “I’m kind of sorry that I didn’t tell you who I was that night…it just seemed like we were both okay with only knowing each other intimately,” he said honestly.

“Heh,” I laughed out nervously.  “Yeah, I was okay with that.”

I watched out of the corner of my eye as he ran his hand through his hair and smiled.  “This is totally crazy!”

“That it is.”

Somewhere along the way home I feel asleep and I jumped when I felt his hand touch my thigh.  “Beth?”

“Huh?” I answered to the nickname I hadn’t been called since my mom died.

“Which way do I turn to get to your place?”

“Shit, we are already here!” I sat up suddenly.  “Why didn’t you wake me earlier?”

“I figured you were tired cause I’m sure you guys got up early to get to Saskatoon.”

“Well I guess you still remembered your way here after all.”

“I will never forget how to get here,” he said with a smile that kind of made me feel bad for accusing him of being a bad grandson.

“Just make a left up here,” I said, pointing to my street.  It suddenly dawned on me that he was now going to see the tiny house I called my home.  It was a total mess in need of major repairs, but I never had enough time or money to fix it.  “Um, actually just drop me off here.”

“Is this it?” he asked skeptically, stopping in front of the town Mayor’s house which was this beautiful old brick home.

“Uh, yup,” I said quickly unhooking my seatbelt and reaching in the back seat to grab my bag.

“Nice place.”

“I like it.”

“You live there by yourself?”

“Yes,” I said, getting slightly annoyed with all his questions.  “Thanks for the ride and thank you again for the generous donation, Jaaaay.” I said, drawing out the name he had given me that night in Vancouver.

“Not a problem, Beth,” he chuckled.  “I’ll see you soon, I’m sure.”

Lucky me.

I was more than annoyed that Liz ended up with Jarret for the ride home, especially since she didn’t seem overly keen about it.  However, I could never step in between Elsie and her demands.

“You’re mad that I sent her home with Jarret,” Elsie said after a few quiet miles on the road.

I looked over at her and then back out the windshield.  “I just don’t think Liz was very comfortable with the decision…”

“I know you care for her, Jack.”

“She’s my best friend,” I said, speaking the words like the broken record they were.

“How do you think it effects her seeing you pimp yourself out to every woman in the province?” Elsie asked bluntly.  She never was the type to not say what was on her mind.

“She doesn’t care for me that way,” I bit.

“Then you are a dumber man than I took you for, Jack.”

“No, I’m a smart man who wants to keep my career.”

“Then why have you been acting all jealous since you kids got back from Vancouver?  What happened?”

Now I was more than annoyed, unable to hold my tongue anymore, especially since it finally clicked where I had seen Jarret before.  “Do you really want to know, Elsie?”

“I do,” she said, raising her voice to meet mine.

“Because she had a one-night stand with your Grandson and I had to basically watch it all unfold on the dance floor and then be up all night worried to death that something bad would happen to her,” I threw out, gripping the steering wheel so hard that my knuckles were as white as Liz’s early today out on the course.

Elsie blew out a whistle as she sat back in her seat.  “Well now isn’t that the story of the year,” she said quietly.

“From Liz’s actions today when you introduced them today, I’m thinking neither of them had a clue whom the other person was,” I continued a lot calmer.

“Now that changes things a bit,” Elsie said quietly and I could have sworn I heard the gears turning in her head.  “So then I guess I have to ask you…”

“What?”

“Are you going to make a move on her or not?”

My jaw dropped a bit as I scoffed at her question.  I cleared my throat before speaking.  “Like I said before, I want to keep my career and I’m sure that is how Liz feels too, if not more so,” I spoke honestly.

“Fine.  Then I’m going forward with my plan,” Elsie said, sounding set in her idea.

“What would that be?”

“Well, my grandson needs a good woman and since you can’t shit or get off the pot, I’m going forward with my ultimate plan so I can die knowing that 2 of the people I care the most about on this planet are happy.”

I couldn’t help but snort at this declaration.  “Well, have fun making that work, because from the way Liz was acting around him today, I can’t see her falling for him…”

“Jack, when you get to my age, you can see who is going to work together and who isn’t.  Believe me, the way Jarret looked at her today and the way Liz reacted around him, I’m thinking that night they spent together in Vancouver will not be hard for them to reenact.”

“Sex isn’t the issue, Elsie.  You need to have that connection…”

“All I have to say is, you’ve been warned.  So if you plan on doing something about your feelings for Lizzie, then you better act now because this woman ain’t going to live forever.”