Hot Shots

Chapter 6

"Is that The Cup?" Matt's father pointed. "Dora, don't make him stand there all day. Let's bring it in the kitchen."

"Here." Matt lifted it and handed it to his father." How about you holding it for a while."

A grin split his father's face as he took the large icon from Matt's hands and carried it into the kitchen. There he set it on the table and ran his fingers over it with reverence. Matt's dad had become a big hockey fan since Matt got drafted, so he knew The Cup's significance. He looked at his son now with pride.

"Good job, kid." Then he sobered. "But you know we love you whether there's a trophy or not, right?"

Something Matt was just coming to realize, to his chagrin and dismay.

His mother couldn't seem to stop hugging him. Finally he eased himself from her grasp and sat down in one of the chairs.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Then she bit her lip. "I probably shouldn't ask, right?"

That made him feel bad. When he was raging in the hospital room, he'd told them in no uncertain terms he never wanted to discuss his injury, his surgery and his career, or more specifically, the end of it. He'd thought about that on the drive from New Orleans, and knew that was a situation that needed tending to, also.

"It's okay, Ma. And I'm okay. Really. Doing fine. You can ask any time." He wondered if he'd ever really be able to make up for the shitty way he'd treated them when they came to the hospital after his surgery. "I could sure use a cup of coffee, though."

"Okay."

"Did you get hold of Brenna?" he looked around. "Is she coming over?"

"Yes, I called her." His mother nodded. As a matter of fact, she should be here any minute."

The words were no sooner out of her mouth than the back door flew open and Brenna herself rushed in.

"Be warned," she told her brother. "Whether you like it or not, I'm going to hug you."

And she proceeded to do just that. With his arms around her, Matt had to wonder again why he'd been so crappy to all of them at the hospital. They'd been there for him every year, attending as many of his games as they could, even in the minors. Supporting him. Cheering him on. And what had he done? When adversity struck him down and ended his career, he'd taken it out on them as if it was their fault. He really wished there was a do-over in life.

And there was the question again, that had plagued him for the last couple of days, ever since his epiphany. Why had he thought he needed to separate himself from everyone? It was becoming more and more clear to him that all these years he'd had his head firmly up his ass.

Apparently that's what he'd done with Lizzie, too. His arrogance knew no bounds when he decided to put his career first and her second, expecting her to still be available when he was ready.

He looked at The Cup still sitting in the middle of the table and thought about the next part of his plan. He had possession of the trophy for one day. One twenty-four hour period. He intended to use it to his best advantage, and oh, the plans he had for it. He only hoped it worked.

"Coffee, honey." His mother pressed a mug onto his hands. "And I have cinnamon twists from Zimmerman's."

"Thanks, Ma, but just the coffee will be fine."

Brenna sat down next to him. "How long are you home for?"

"I'm home for good, Brenna. Whatever happens next, I'm here to stay."

"And do you have any idea what does happen next, Mattie?"

He wished she stop calling him that. It made him feel ten years old. But then again, the answer he had to give wasn't much more mature than that.

He shrugged. "No idea yet. I haven't really thought about it." Because he kept hoping he'd get medical clearance to play again, something he now realized was self-deluding and stupid. He frowned. "I do need to call my agent today or tomorrow. He says he has some personal appearances lined up for me, although I can't imagine who wants a has been."

"Stop that." Brenna slapped his arm. "You aren't a has been. You're a hockey star whose team won The Cup. That makes you very special. I'll bet there ate a million opportunities out there you haven't even considered."

"Even if I can't skate any more?" He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Then he mentally bit his tongue. He wasn't going to whine any more, remember?

"Matt." Brenna leaned toward him until her face was inches from his. "Hockey isn't what you are, it's what you do. What you are is what you make of yourself off the rink."

He blinked. Such a simple truth that he'd missed all this time. He'd given up, sacrificed so much, to get to this point. Had this injury been Fate's way of telling him he needed to heal the other areas of his life? He just hoped Fate didn't desert him as he put his big plan into play.

He looked at Brenna. "You know, you're exactly right. And I'm going to start on that as soon as I finish this coffee. I have a lot to make up for with you and the folks."

"You know we love you, Mattie. That never changes."

"Thank god," he breathed, and leaned over to give her a one-armed hug.

"Good." She gave him a sly look. "Are you by any chance going to see if you can mend fences with Lizzie?"

Matt felt his stomach clench with nerves. "I'm going to give it my best shot. That is, if she's not with someone else and if she'll even talk to me after everything I've done."

"She's not with anyone," Brenna confirmed. "I have a feeling if you do this right, everything else might fall into place, but that's just a guess. You'll have to fight that fight yourself."

"Don't I know it."

"Also, don't call her Lizzie," Brenna told him. "She now goes by Liz. She's not a kid any more."

"I'm sure she's not." He'd seen her grow into a mature woman over the years, and battled fierce jealousy at the thought of someone else in her life.

"And she's not at An Affair to Remember."

"She's not there?" God, he hoped she hadn't gotten fired or anything. "What happened?"

"No. She and her friend, Dara, opened their own place a year ago." Her lips curved in a sly smile. "In hear they're doing very well. In fact, they just did a special event for Shelley Crowell, the anchor on the six o'clock news. I hear it was a smashing success."

Matt wasn't sure if he was happy or not at the news. Lizzie - Liz - had definitely moved on with her life. And while his was falling to pieces, hers was taking off like an eagle. What if she didn't even want to see him? What if desure what Brenna said she was with someone else? The thought of it all made him suddenly ill.

"Mattie?" His mother frowned at him. "You okay, honey? You don't look so good all of a sudden."

He inhaled sharply and let it out through his nose.

"No, I'm fine. Fine. Really. Listen, can I get some pictures of all of us with The Cup?"

There was a furry of activity while the women primped and everyone arranged themselves in position. Matt stood in the center, holding The Cup, and held his phone out on a selfie stick. He took a bunch of pictures, just to make sure he got good ones. He also got pictures of Brenna alone with it and his parents holding it between them.

Everyone hugged and kissed him. His mother tried to pin him down for dinner but he said he'd call later. He hoped he'd be having other plans.

"And Matt?" Brenna rested her hand on his arm.

"Yeah?"

"Don't go for any grand gesture. You've got a lot of fences to mend with her and grand gestures won't do it."

"Okay." But he had a grand gesture in mind that he was sure would at least break the ice. "I'll check in later."

"With me, too," Brenna reminded him.

Everyone wanted one more hug. Then it was time to get going.