Breaking the Ice (5 page)

She was incredibly proud of him.

She worked at a local sports bar
three nights a week and went to night school the other four to earn her degree
in education.  Kenzie pulled in enough tips to pay for their living expenses
while Thadias attended classes. 

She didn’t want him to work – not
with his class load.  The fact that he was home at night while she worked and
went to school was more than she had any right to ask of a young man who should
have been having the time of his life, not worrying about his older sister. 

Thad disagreed with her need to do
everything alone.  It was the only thing they fought over. 

When she came down with
pneumonia, he insisted she call Diesel but she wouldn’t, she couldn’t.  She
fought her way through it and afterward, she knew it had been the right
decision. 

Two months after the night they’d
spent together, Kenzie could no longer pretend she wasn’t pregnant.  She hid it
for another two months until the baby moved the first time.  There was no
denying the situation then. 

She talked to Thadias first and
had to beg him not to call the LeBlancs.  There was no doubt he’d been
worried.  She was pregnant and scared, though she wouldn’t admit it to anyone,
not even herself.  He’d already gotten his acceptance to Harvard and they
figured out a game plan together. 

Next, Kenzie sat with Bob Zeller
and swore him to secrecy.  He put her to work in his back office and helped her
find a place to live in Boston.  They moved in the early summer because it was
getting harder and harder to hide the fact she was carrying Diesel LeBlanc’s
baby. 

Over that summer and fall, she
continued to handle everything for her parents’ place remotely, taking a small
salary until she had the baby and went back to work. 

As soon as she was fully on her
feet, she hired a manager to take over the running of the place and then severed
all connection with them.  The sad part was that they likely didn’t even
notice. 

None of her siblings maintained
ties to their parents.  In fact, the only person they spoke to from back home
was Bob, who called twice a week and had been out to visit several times. 

Throughout the years they’d lived
in that town, none of the Rhodes had friends outside of one another.  Their
family was too much on the fringe, too talked about for anyone their age to
take a chance at being in the center of the gossip – both real and imagined –
that surrounded them.

It wasn’t hard to leave North
Dakota.  It had been even easier to stay away.

Thadias and Bob thought her continued
silence was a mistake but she felt it was the right thing to do.  When she saw
photo after photo of Diesel with a new bombshell on his arm, she knew she’d
made the right choice to let him have his life while she maintained her own. 

He’d worked hard for his success
and he deserved to enjoy it.  She had no intentions of ruining it for him but
she didn’t want to be too close to it either.  She had limits.

Diesel had never once attempted
to contact her after he’d returned to school.  That alone had proven her
point.  She was nothing more than another woman in a long list who’d been
one-night-stands.  She’d known that before she broke down on the side of the
road that long-ago night. 

She accepted the consequences of her
decision for Diesel to be her first and didn’t have a single regret.

She knew her family thought she
was being a doormat.  They didn’t understand her reasons and she’d grown tired
of trying to explain them.

MacKenzie knew firsthand what it
was like to have your dreams taken from you. 

She wasn’t going to do that to
anyone – especially not the father of her son.  One day, far in the future,
she’d contact him for Dalton’s sake.  Until then, distance and secrecy was the
best option. 

Nothing either man said could
convince her otherwise. 

Dalton was the spitting image of
his father.  Tall for his age, black hair, and blue eyes.  He was gorgeous. 
He’d turned three a few months ago and she worked with him during the day just
as she had with her brother and sisters when they were kids. 

He was already able to write his
ABCs and was on his way to being able to read without her help.  One of his
favorite things to do was hug and Kenzie welcomed as many of them as he felt
like sharing.  He ate constantly and had a huge laugh. 

Thadias was his favorite person
to hang with and they kept one another company at night while she worked and
went to school.  Dalton had gotten so sweet about letting her catch a little
sleep.  He was a very good little boy and no matter the circumstances, she was
grateful for him.

Despite occasional struggles, Kenzie’s
life was much easier than it was when she’d lived at home.  She was in control
of her destiny now and she was moving in the right direction. 

Her siblings were good to her and
visited often.  Her brother dated regularly but was glad to step in as a
surrogate dad to his nephew. 

She worked hard, studied harder,
and tried to be the best mom she could be.  That would have to be enough
because she couldn’t afford daydreams or happily-ever-after.  Those things
weren’t made for people like her but she’d make sure her son had them.

Every Sunday, she had all day off
before she went to work at night.  That was their skating day.  They’d spend
all day on the outdoor rinks and have hot chocolate when they got cold.  Her
Devil’s sweatshirt usually earned her a few dirty looks and she’d just smile.

MacKenzie and Dalton came back
from skating with red cheeks and laughing eyes.  She drew up short when Thadias
turned to face her.  He was standing in front of the television.  She knew from
the look on his face that something big had happened. 

“He’s been traded to the Bruins,
Kenzie.”

“I like hockey, Mommy,” Dalton told
her firmly. 

“I know you do, baby.”  She took
him to games when she could and he found it fascinating.  To her brother, she
said quietly, “That’s impossible.  He has a four-year contract with the Devils,
Thad.”

“They traded their gold mine for
two key positions they’ve been shopping for.  The deal for him is outrageous. 
He just did a press conference in his new Bruins jersey.”  Thad rewound the footage
and replayed the news story. 

He looks so good. 

MacKenzie sat down hard on the
sofa, her mind spinning.  “Who dat, Mommy?” Dalton asked her bluntly. 
Oh, god…

“That’s an old friend of
Mommy’s.  His name is Diesel LeBlanc.”

“He plays hockey?”  At her nod he
said, “I like hockey.  Maybe he’d play wit’ me?” 

Just like that, her mind exploded
with possibilities.  Father and son practicing on an outdoor rink.  Diesel
being in their lives.  There was no doubt he’d be a good father if given the
chance but she
knew
she would never be part of the deal.

What the hell was happening?

MacKenzie got up and busied herself
cleaning.  The place was practically sterile by the time she had to go shower
and get ready for work.  She came out to say goodbye to the only two men in her
life.  Her brother and her son…pathetic.

“Kenzie…you should think about it.”
 Thadias was staring at her intently.

She shook her head.  There was no
way she could handle Diesel being so close.  No way should she be thinking any
of the ridiculous thoughts she had in her head. 

She wasn’t a child and this
wasn’t a fairytale. 

“I left lasagna and salad in the
fridge for dinner.  Reheat and eat.  Dalton, no sweets and no drinks after
Uncle Thad tells you bedtime, okay?  Be good and I love you.”  She bent to kiss
his soft hair and he grabbed her for a big hug.  She took it greedily and there
were tears in her eyes when she set him back on the couch.  She ruffled Thad’s
hair and blew him a kiss on her way out the door. 

The bar was packed and
everyone
was talking about the Bruins’ chances for the Stanley Cup this year now that
they’d gotten LeBlanc. 

MacKenzie was ready to crawl out
of her own skin.  Diesel’s name was on the lips of every patron, co-worker, and
supplier.

On her break, she called Thad and
got a report on Dalton.  He was already out cold.  “He had two huge servings of
lasagna, Kenzie.  That boy is either going to weigh five-hundred pounds or
become one
beast
of an athlete.  Either way, our groceries are going
faster and faster.”

She laughed and told him even he
had eaten them out of house and home as a growing boy.  They talked for a few
more minutes and she went back inside. 

Tips were excellent because
everyone seemed like they were in a great mood.  The owner put her behind the
bar since she was the fastest at hooking up the floor servers with their table
orders.  She’d filled three dozen pitchers with beer, made countless hard
liquor drinks, and mixed four batches of margaritas for a table in the back
having a bachelorette party.

She exhaled roughly as she
stepped back out on the floor.  After she checked her tables, she turned toward
the bar.  Suddenly her hand was grabbed and she was spun around. 

“MacKenzie? 
Kenzie?
  What
are you
doing
here?”

Oh holy shit…

Diesel stared down at her, shock
clearly written all over his face.  How he managed to look even
better
in person than he did on television, she couldn’t imagine. 

Her lips parted to murmur some
sort of hello when the bar went crazy.  Someone recognized him and his Bruins
teammates, screaming, “LeBlanc!”  He was swarmed for autographs and photos. 
She took the chance to slip away. 

Ohmygod…ohmygod…ohmygod.  Now
what?

MacKenzie worked her ass off as the
bar filled beyond capacity.  News spread in the neighborhood that three of the
Bruins were in the building. 

She’d never felt so
simultaneously relieved and devastated when the players left.  She cashed out
and grabbed her Devils jacket, shrugging it on as she headed to her truck. 

Busy looking for her keys, she
ran right into a brick wall wearing a Bruins jersey. 

“Nice jacket, Kenzie.”  She
glanced up and smiled warily at Diesel. 

“Yeah, I knew one of the players
once.  He’s really good.”  She found her keys and stepped past him to the
driver’s side door, unlocked it, and threw her backpack inside.

He turned her to him by her
shoulders.  The movement was gentle but insistent.  “Kenzie, what the
hell
are you doing in Boston?  How long have you been here?”

“Almost four years.  Thadias got
into Harvard.”  She was ready to pass out from stress and she knew her heart
rate was through the roof.  What was she supposed to
say
?  Never had she
expected to meet him like this.  She didn’t know how to handle it.

“Harvard?  Holy
shit
, good
for Thad.  You decided to cut and run, huh?  I’m glad for you.”  He squeezed
her shoulders once and let her go.  “You look…
really
great, MacKenzie.”

“Thanks.  So do you, Diesel.” 
Kenzie’s voice was hoarse and she almost dodged past him and tore away in her
vehicle.  She cleared her throat carefully.  “Congratulations on the trade. 
Your career is going great.  I knew it would.”  She glanced around the parking
lot.  “Well, listen, I have to get home.  It was really great to see you.”

“Husband?”  She laughed loudly
before she could catch herself. “Boyfriend?  Significant other?”  She shook her
head.  “Interesting.  I find myself faced with a gorgeous, seemingly unattached
MacKenzie Rhodes and lots of bad thoughts.”

“I’m sure you do, Diesel but I’m
tired and I have an early day tomorrow.  The appearance of three Bruins in the
bar pushed me beyond my endurance for people and serving drinks with a smile.”

“Then come grab some food with
me.  I’m starving.” She laughed, not able to help herself.  “I’m always
starving, Kenzie.  I’m a big guy.  Come eat pancakes with me.  Catch me up on
everything with you.”  She meant to say
no
but nodded her head
yes
instead.  “Excellent, let me drive you.”

“No!  I’ll follow you, Diesel.”  He
quirked a brow at her and she explained.  “I can’t be out too late.  I won’t be
able to function tomorrow.  No need for you to backtrack.”

“Alrighty then.”  He gave her a
wink and ran to his Navigator.  A moment later, he was idling in front of her,
waiting for her to reverse to follow. 

She talked to herself the entire
drive.  “What are you
doing
, Kenzie?  This is a bad idea.  A
very
bad idea.  Tell him something came up. 
Get out of this.
”  But when he
pulled into a local diner, she parked and got out.  He jogged over and tugged
her to the entry door with his arm around her shoulders. 

The man smells delicious.
 
Even better than she remembered.  His hair was shorter but still shaggy.  His
eyes watched her intently as they waited to be directed to a table. 

The older woman who managed the
place glanced out of the kitchen with a smile. “Sit anywhere you like and we’ll
be right with you.  Hey!  Aren’t you the new Bruins trade?”  Diesel nodded. 
“You’re bigger in person.  I’ll fire up the grill.  You look like a
double-stack young man.”

His laugh boomed in the empty
diner and Kenzie felt her heart flip over in her chest.  He glanced down and
caught her staring.  “Thank you, ma’am.”

“Sure thing, sugar.”

He snagged Kenzie’s hand and
suddenly the feel of his huge, warm hands all over her flooded into her brain. 
Her mind was going crazy.  She
was not
equipped to deal with Diesel
LeBlanc in the 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.