Reckless Player: A College Hockey Romance : Westfall U Series Read online

  RECKLESS PLAYER

  R.C. STEPHENS

  Copyright © 2022 by R.C. STEPHENS (IRENE COHEN)

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design: Okay Creations

  Editor: Barren Acres Editing

  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by R.C. STEPHENS

  PROLOGUE

  Ryse

  Age 7

  There’s a loud bang. My eyes shoot open. What was that? I lift the blankets to cover half my face. I hope it isn’t a monster. Mommy is working late, and Daddy is home watching us. I don’t like it when Daddy has to babysit. Mommy says he needs more patience with Poppy and me. I don’t know what she means, but he’s no fun. He likes to put me to bed at the same time as Poppy, even though she’s a lot smaller. I’m a big boy. I should get to stay up late. Another loud sound crashes, followed by Daddy cursing. That’s what Mommy calls it when Daddy uses bad words. Mommy doesn’t want to hear me use those words, even though it’s okay for Daddy, which I think is really unfair.

  I need to pee.

  I throw my blankets off and open the door to the bedroom I share with Poppy. The light hits my eyes and I squint and rub them as I walk to the bathroom. I don’t bother to turn on the lights, but I do remember to lift the toilet seat since Mommy gets upset when I forget. After I leave the bathroom, I walk back to my room. The loud noises from the family room make me wonder what Daddy is doing, so I walk down the hall to the family room.

  “Daddy, what are you doing?” I ask.

  Daddy has two suitcases standing next to each other and one suitcase on the floor. It looks like he is trying hard to close it, but it’s too full.

  “Huh?” Daddy turns around and glares at me, his green eyes are wide like I scared him. “Ryse, why are you awake?” he barks.

  “I heard noise and I had to pee,” I say quietly, putting my fingers in my mouth.

  “Go back to bed,” Daddy orders in that voice he uses when he means business.

  “I can’t sleep. You’re making noise.” I shrug.

  Daddy mumbles something under his breath and stands.

  “Are you going somewhere?” I ask him, staring at the open suitcase. I know those suitcases because Mommy loves them. They used to belong to Grandma before she died.

  “You need to go to sleep,” Daddy repeats, and he places a hand on my shoulder and guides me back to my room, but something feels wrong inside my stomach.

  “No.” I shrug out of Daddy’s grasp. “Are we taking a trip? That would be so much fun. Mathew’s family went on a trip, and they had the best time,” I say excitedly.

  Daddy frowns. “Damn, listen, kid…”

  “What’s wrong?” I ask Daddy. He looks like he may be sick.

  “I-I need to go away for a bit. Things aren’t working out between me and your mommy,” Daddy says.

  “Where will you go?” I ask.

  “You remember once I told you I was an engineering student when I met your mother?” he asks.

  I nod. “You were making all kinds of cool machines.” I remember Daddy telling me about the robots he used to work on.

  “That’s right.” Daddy smiles and his eyes crinkle in the corner. “Well, I have an opportunity to go back to school. I’m heading out to California. This is a good opportunity for me. Geez, you’re just a kid. You probably don’t know what I mean,” Daddy says, scratching his chin. “Look, Ryse,” he continues and kneels so we are eye to eye. Daddy and I have the same color of green in our eyes. “When I met your mommy, I wasn’t ready for a family. Thing’s kind of happened by mistake. I know that sounds harsh, but sometimes life can be harsh. We make choices. Some of those choices aren’t exactly what we want in life, but we try to make do.”

  “I don’t really understand what you mean,” I say.

  “I’m leaving, kid. I’m going to California. I’m going back to school,” Daddy explains and now he sounds angry again. I think he’s angry because I don’t understand what he is saying.

  “Are you leaving now?” I ask.

  He nods.

  My stomach starts to feel sick. “Mommy is at work. Who is going to watch me and Poppy?”

  “She will be back in a couple of hours. I need to get out of here before. Poppy is sleeping. You go back to sleep too, and before you know, morning will come and Mommy will be here to make you breakfast,” Daddy says.

  Daddy is leaving us. That makes me sad.

  “Will I see you again?” I ask as a tear runs down my face.

  Daddy shakes his head. “I’m sorry, kid. I wish things were different.” He presses his lips together.

  I nod but my lips are pulling down like a sad clown.

  “Don’t pout, Ryse, geez,” Daddy mumbles. “Look I’m going to give you some advice. You should remember exactly what I’m telling you. Can you do that?” Daddy asks and he waits.

  I nod.

  “Good.” Daddy wraps his arm around my shoulder. “You make sure to do really well in school. I’m good at math and science, and I think you have the same gift I do. Use your skills and work at them and when you become old enough, don’t make the same mistakes I made,” Daddy says.

  “What mistake did you make?” I ask Daddy.

  “I let a beautiful woman charm me. She got pregnant with you. I thought I could stick around for this, but I’m drowning.” I’m a little confused about what Daddy is saying because I learned I can drown in a swimming pool, and right now, me and Daddy aren’t swimming. “Just take care of Poppy. You’re the man of the house now,” Daddy says, and he ruffles the hair on my head. Daddy goes back to sitting on his suitcase and trying to get the zipper closed. Again, he uses curse words. He finally gets it closed and places it next to the other two suitcases. He grabs his raincoat and puts it on. Then he lines the suitcases up by the door.

  “Are you going to say bye to Poppy?” I ask.

  Daddy shakes his head. “She’s young she probably won’t even remember me.”

  Daddy opens the door and I feel nauseous. “Wait,” I scream and run for the door. “Don’t go.”
r />   “Ryse,” he says as I hang on to his thigh. “You got to let me go, kid. It’ll be better for you in the long run. I need to get out of here before your mommy comes home and then things will be even messier.”

  I release his leg. There’s nothing I can do. I watch Daddy roll his suitcases out of the door. I bite on my nails. I don’t know what I can say to bring him back, probably nothing. Daddy is stubborn. That’s what Mommy says. Daddy leaves and I climb back into bed, but I can’t fall asleep. Light pours in from my window and I watch how the night sky becomes lighter. I hear Mommy coming through the door. She works late nights at a bar. I don’t know what that means but she makes good money there. She calls them tips.

  She opens the door to my bedroom, and she gasps. “Oh, thank goodness.” She holds her heart with her hand.

  “Daddy’s gone,” I say.

  She waves a white paper in front of me. “Yeah.” She’s crying so I get out of bed and hug her. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “Daddy said he made a mistake. That he let a woman charm him,” I say.

  Mommy looks down at me and her brows bunch together. “What?”

  “I don’t know, Daddy told me to remember what he said but I didn’t really understand. He said I was the man of the house now. I have to take care of you and Poppy,” I inform her. Daddy never told me to take care of Mommy, but if I’m taking care of Poppy then I need to take care of Mommy too.

  “Oh, Ryse,” Mommy cries and she hugs me. “Everything is going to be okay.”

  ONE

  Ryse

  Present

  The alarm blares and I curse. It’s too early to wake up on a Sunday, but I promised Paris.

  “What the fuck?” I hear a female voice beside me and remember last night’s mistake.

  “Sorry, I need to go,” I say, looking over at Cheyenne. Brown eyes gaze back at me narrowed to slits. I rub sleep from my eyes, wondering why I find myself in this predicament.

  “Why? It’s Sunday,” Cheyenne whines, pushing out her lower lip.

  I don’t feel the need to explain that I don’t have practice. It’s none of her business. We had a little party at the house last night. Cheyenne wouldn’t stop hitting on me. I kissed her and somehow, she guided us to my room, but I wasn’t feeling it. Apparently, telling a puck bunny you’re tired and just want to go to sleep translates to something else in their mind.

  “You need to leave,” I say dryly. She was pushy. Too pushy.

  “Seriously, Ryse, maybe we can you know. . .” she waggles her brows.

  “I have somewhere to be,” I clarify, feeling like I am getting close to losing my cool.

  “We can just get each other off quickly,” she offers. “Don’t tell me you aren’t into it.”

  My teeth dig into my lower lip. I’m all about getting off, but lately something weird has been happening. I don’t want the usual chicks who hit on me. I want my female version of a best friend—Paris. She is in the definite no-fly zone though because I like her as a human, and there is no way I would want to ruin our friendship. Besides, I’m pretty sure Paris doesn’t have those kinds of feelings for me.

  “Cheyenne, I’m sorry. I need to go. If you want to stay and sleep a bit more, fine. But I have a lot of schoolwork I need to get done. I need you out sooner rather than later.” Please take my not-so-subtle hints. She was coming on strong last night and I had a few drinks because it was a Saturday night, and I was chilling with the guys at home. Chilling in the hockey house involves random chicks stopping by with the intent to bed at least one of us.

  “Ach! Whatever.” Cheyenne whips the covers off her. She is fully dressed in a cropped top and tight pair of jeans. Couldn’t have been comfortable to sleep that way. I hooked up with her at some point last year. I never make it a habit to go for a second round. I don’t want to risk attachment.

  Cheyenne gets out of bed and stretches, and I appreciate her female form and wonder if I’ve lost my mind. I have a willing chick right in front of me, and for some damn reason I am pining over my best friend. A girl who is very off-limits for a list of reasons. One being she is a single mom. Having grown up with a single mom, I know it is not something to be messed with. My mom was all about Poppy and me. There was no way she was allowing some dude to intrude on our lives. I really like Paris’s son, Max, so I feel like there’s some sort of bro code of me not wanting to tap his mom.

  I throw on a pair of joggers and a T-shirt. Cheyenne watches me appreciatively. I know this because she licks her lips, and her eyes tell me she thinks I look good enough to eat. Honestly, it’s a little uncomfortable that she’s still here and not taking the hint. Sometimes it feels like these puck bunnies are a little overenthusiastic about us. I hate to give this analogy, but it’s not like our shit doesn’t smell as bad as the next guy’s.

  Once I’m dressed, I take my keys and grab my glasses. Paris is waiting for me to tutor her in organic chemistry, and I don’t want to be late for her because she mentioned having a busy day, which includes Max trying out for the Peewee league. I grab a hoodie and jacket, just in case I decide to head to the arena with them.

  “That’s it?” Cheyenne says as I reach for the doorknob.

  I turn and contemplate. “Look, I wasn’t really looking to hook up. We kissed and that was it. I don’t want to take things further. I hope you can understand.”

  I use my calm and compassionate tone, hoping it will work.

  “Ohmigawd. Are you sick or something?” Cheyenne’s jaw drops.

  “What?” My face scrunches. “No,” I say like I have a bad taste in my mouth. I’ve also lost my patience with this girl. She slept in my bed uninvited. Was too pushy and aggressive. She needs to know what no means. “You need to leave now, Cheyenne. You and I aren’t going to happen.”

  Her brows furrow and she huffs. I think she’s finally getting it.

  She turns out of my room, and I exhale a long slow breath, but not even a moment later she turns back into my room. WTF? She walks around my bed, picks up her sneakers, and huffs at me again. She tilts her chin up to the sky and finally leaves. This time I follow her out and close my door behind me, locking it. I follow her down the stairs. Bozeman is standing at the end of the staircase and watches Cheyenne’s angry steps.

  He smirks and raises his brows.

  I shrug.

  Cheyenne heads for the door and slips on her sneakers. She then turns back to me and if looks could kill, I’d be a dead man. She pulls the knob of the door abruptly and leaves, smacking the door behind her.

  “What the fuck did you do to her?” Bozeman asks. His shoulders rise and fall with his laughter.

  “It’s more like what I didn’t do. I wasn’t feeling it.” I shrug.

  His brows raise high on his forehead. “Seriously? She’s hot.”

  “I know.” I’m clearly not blind.

  “What was the problem?” he asks.

  “I’m not sure,” I admit.

  “Cut the crap,” Bozeman says. We’ve been playing on the same team for three years. He’s a good friend and we spend most of our free time together.

  “I may be thinking of someone else, but it doesn’t matter because it isn’t going to happen,” I reply, heading to the kitchen.

  Bozeman follows me and I pour myself a glass of orange juice.

  “You can’t leave me hanging with that statement.” He waits expectantly.

  I walk over to the counter, take a bagel, and pop it into the toaster oven.

  “Does it really matter?” I cross my arms over my chest. “It’s freaking early for a Sunday. What are you doing up at this time?”

  He shakes his head. “You’re not changing the subject.”

  My bagel pops out of the toaster, and I grab some cream cheese from the fridge. I slather on the cream cheese, put the two parts of the bagel together, and walk out of the kitchen.

  “Asshole,” I hear him shout behind me.

  I chuckle and shove the bagel in my mouth. I’m late for Paris’
s tutoring session.

  I laugh as I leave through the door. Besides, if I admitted to Bozeman I had a naked dream about my best friend, and since haven’t been able to get her out of my head, he would have a field day with me. All the guys in the house know she’s off-limits. Cole made sure of it since he is with Paris’s sister, Holland. Heck, I’m scolding myself for my brain conjuring up such a ridiculous dream. But as the dream filters through my mind, I remember the visual of Paris naked in the shower, warm water glistening down her tanned skin, and I gulp. My dick hardens. Then I give my head a good shake and will my dick to chill out. There’s no point in rehashing the dream because it’s so far-fetched. I would never put a move on Paris.

  TWO

  Paris

  “Max, I need to spend an hour with Ryse studying. I need you to play on the Switch and keep a low volume,” I say.

  Max nods. “Okay, Mommy.”

  Our basement apartment is a much smaller space than we had living with Rebel and Blossom at their house. Now, our living space is made up of a main room that’s basically a small family room area with a puny kitchen along one wall. Blossom brought most of the furniture from her house, so we have a small kitchen table that seats four off to the side. This apartment was cheap and close to campus, so Blossom figured it was worth it for her to rent her house out to students this year and use the rent money toward her tuition. For me, it made sense too since I’m living off the money Mom left me, and I need to make it last as long as possible. So here we are, Max and I living with Blossom in this tiny space, making the best of it. When Blossom and I began our search for new living arrangements, I never dreamed the house next door to the hockey house would be available. Blossom was wary at first because the house is known as party central, and we are both serious about our studies, but it hasn’t been too bad. There’s only been one really loud party and we went to stay with my sister for the night. Overall, this new place has been a blessing. The guys in the hockey house are really great with Max, and having one of my best friends as a neighbor has had its perks too.