“No indication if she’s still alive?” Cooper choked on that last word, somewhat surprised that it hurt so much to say it. Regardless of what Julie had become, she was still that big sister who watched over him, baked his favorite cookies, and took him skating when his father was overseas.
Yeah, he wanted to remember Julie that way, not as a drug-addicted prostitute. She’d made her choices, but he still felt guilt over not finding her sooner and attempting to rescue her, or at least take care of Riley, and most of all about the summer that changed everything all those years ago.
He was pretty certain Riley had seen too much for his young age. He just hoped Julie managed to protect her son from some of the worst life had to offer. His stomach clenched at the possibilities, and more guilt sat heavy in his heart.
“I choose to believe she’s out there somewhere. I had a tip she’d followed a biker to Portland. That’s one of the reasons I called. Do you want me to travel out of Seattle?”
“Absolutely. Hell, if you hear she might be in Antarctica, I want it checked out.”
“Okay, boss. Later,” Russ said and promptly ended the call.
By the time Cooper returned to the film room, Brick had sent the rookies on a mission to buy pizzas—with their own money, of course. Cooper rolled his eyes and sat on the edge of a desk staring out the window, lost deep in his own troubles. Brick and Rush debated on who was the greatest goalie ever. Cooper pushed Brick’s bare feet off the table and shook his head. Neither guy noticed him.
Cedric walked in, looking around the room. He avoided Brick and Rush and sank into a chair next to Cooper. “I figured I’d find you here. Where the fuck did you go last night after the game?”
Cooper frowned. “I, uh, had Riley with me.”
“So you’re going to let a snot-nosed teenager with attitude stop you from hanging with the guys after the game?”
“He won’t be with me for long. Either I find his mother or I send him to my parents when they get back from their Europe trip in another month; then I’ll hang with the team.”
“As captain, you need to hang with us now, especially the new guys who don’t know you.”
“Like I don’t know that?” Cooper blew out a long sigh. He took his team captain duties seriously, and he knew relationships built off the ice extended to the ice. The young guys needed to bond with him, and the veterans new to the team needed to understand this was first and foremost his team.
Then there was Izzy. Where did she fit in? Where did he want her to fit in? Where did she want to fit in?
Riley might be an added complication, but that situation was temporary. It couldn’t be anything but. He didn’t have time for a kid, and Riley deserved more than he could give. He should see Izzy that way, too. Only he couldn’t. Not really.
He wondered where Izzy was tonight. He’d texted her a few times but no response.
His stomach clenched at the thought she might be with Tanner or on a party-crashing assignment. He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated by the unfounded jealousy coloring his thoughts. A woman like Izzy didn’t have that kind of mind-altering sex with a man one night and go after another guy the next night. That was not Izzy.
Cedric snapped his fingers in front of Cooper’s face. Shit, he hated when Ced did that. He shot him a glare even though he knew it would never work. The only things that affected Cedric were loose pucks, the opposing team’s goalie guarding the net, and scantily clad, hot women.
Cedric leaned back and laced his fingers behind his head, one of his patented and deceptively casual poses that were anything but. “What’s the straight story with you and Izzy?”
“Nothing,” Cooper spoke too fast and immediately Cedric’s bullshit radar went on high alert.
“You fucked her.” Cedric grinned at him. “About damn time. I was beginning to wonder about you, my man.”
“I—” Cooper started to deny the facts. Ah, hell, why bother. Cedric was already onto him. “It’s nothing serious.” He shrugged and snagged a handful of peanuts from the bowl on the table.
“Yeah? Is she doing Tanner, too?”
“No. She is not.” Cooper shot forward, getting into Cedric’s face.
“Hey, Coop, calm down.” Cedric held his hands out, palms up. “Jesus, don’t get so riled about her. Makes people think she means more than a quick lay to you.” He jerked his head toward Brick. “If dumbshit there gets wind of your interest, there’ll be no shutting him up.”
“I’m not afraid of Brick.” Cooper forced himself to relax back against the cushion, though his body was anything but relaxed. He was drawn tight and ready for a fight. Too bad they didn’t have a game tonight, except the way he was feeling, he’d spend more time in penalty box than on the ice.
“Of course, you aren’t, but you need every guy on this team to believe you’re all-in, rather than distracted by a woman who has your balls in a vise grip.”
“She doesn’t have my balls in any kind of grip.”
Cedric laughed. “Cooper, that woman knocked you on your ass the first time you laid eyes on her. Remember? I was there?”
Cooper wished like hell he could forget. Izzy had been crashing the team party and had followed him into the men’s room. She was about to go down on him when Cedric interrupted. So Cooper followed her into the ladies’ room to return the favor. She’d driven him bat-shit crazy ever since. He’d never done anything so blatant at a team function, always behaved like a team captain should behave. Yet with Izzy, all common sense was jettisoned out the nearest window.
Case in point: last night. They’d done it in the neighbors’ pool, and he’d never given much thought to security cameras or being caught by another neighbor. In fact, the danger of being discovered had only added to his sex-crazed insanity.
Even worse, he’d do it again in a heartbeat. Already his mind spun with ways to get her naked this next time.
He should be absorbed in training camp which ran concurrently with preseason games, not lusting after a woman who tied his dick in a knot so tight, he swore he’d explode if he didn’t feel her soft skin writhing under him soon. Very soon.