Power Play (64 page)

770

“Don’t let Talmadge molest you,” Jax countered with a grin.

He already has and then some
. “Get some sleep, Jax; it’s late over there.”

“Goodnight, sweetheart. Put Anastazie to bed before she falls out of your lap.”

***

771

Chapter 122

“Would you believe Jax had the nerve to complain about you staying here after that picture of him posing with blondes in a Prague nightclub emerged online?” Alex asked.

Troy raised a quizzical eyebrow. “How did he know? I didn’t tell anyone except Jon, Boris, my family, and Preacher. None of them would’ve said anything.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Skinny or Digger spotted you running one morning, put together two and two, and emailed Jax.”

“Great, outed by two big mouth hippies. Now I’ll face certain death by a mad old Czech before the season gets underway.”

“Not on my shift you won’t. I already made it clear to Jax that you didn’t want me and Anna alone practically in the middle of nowhere.”

772

“Damn right I don’t. If your husband was thinking clearly, you’d stay at the main house in town while he was gone. What if something happened to you or the baby?”

Alex pinched one of his cheeks. “You’re so cute when you act like a worrywart.”

“I’m now a godfather; that alone should give me reasons for concern.”

“Yes and your actions have not gone unnoticed. Let me go check on Anna. She should be awake by now.”

“When are you coming back to the team?” Troy shouted.

“Are you kidding? I’m not yet in rink shape, Anna’s not even two months old, and she’s far from weaned. I don’t see a possible return happening before mid-season.”

“I’m available if you need a trainer.”

“Can’t say I’m surprised.”

Alex returned with Anna and placed her in his arms. “Someone wants to say hello.”

773

“Hey pretty princess,” Troy cooed at Anna. “Did you have a nice nap?”

“You’re such a natural. Jax sometimes holds her like a sack of potatoes.”

Troy laughed. “I can almost imagine him changing diapers.”

“He wasn’t home long enough to venture that far.”

“When is Jax returning to Pittsburgh?”

“He told me on Skype within the next couple weeks since preseason’s starting soon.”

“I better start packing and make myself scarce.”

“You still have plenty of time, Troy.”

He put Anna in her bassinet. “Right you are, now let’s get to work on your training. I want you in top on-ice shape soon as possible.”

***

774

Chapter 123

Six months later:

“Everyone needs to stop devaluing Troy Talmadge’s talent because a few new kids have arrived,” Alex said during a radio interview shortly before she was scheduled to resume playing with the Rebels. “He has one Princeton Trophy and lots of great players can't say they have that much. Troy does a great job as a team leader and player. The last couple of seasons were rough, but the team as a whole gave their all to make the playoffs. The Rebels are having a stronger run this season with their new acquisitions and will continue to do so if everyone remains healthy. Maybe I’m biased, but am confident Troy will lead us to another Princeton.”

“Any idea when we’ll once again see you in action?” the female interviewer asked.

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“That’s a question I’ve often been asked since taking maternity leave. I don’t have an exact date, but management wants to bring me back within the next week or two at a home game.”

“How does Jax feel about you returning to the ice?”

“He prefers I continue staying home with Anna, but she’s completely weaned and we have a wonderful nanny to look after her while we’re on the road. I miss playing hockey and can’t wait to reunite with my teammates. I also want to show our daughter she can have best of both worlds. I’ll probably get backlash for saying this, but I think some women who married or dated athletes never had careers of their own. There are handfuls that did and still do, but they’re exceptions and not the rule. I don't get arguments about who takes care of the kids because that’s an issue for everyone and most can't afford the help players’ wives and significant others have. I personally would feel lost giving up my career altogether, especially after so much time and money invested in me becoming a Rebel.”

“Will it be awkward for you to skate alongside your husband?”

“No, he’s a teammate like the other guys.”

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“How are preparations for your return progressing between motherly duties? I understand Troy’s helped you prepare in the last several months.”

“Yes, and some days drove me nuts to the point I wanted to beat the life out of him, but overall grateful for his input. He was also a great help before the Rebels drafted me, so you could say I learned from the best.”

“Sounds like you’re being whipped into shape.”

“You can certainly say that! I’ve also seemed to pick up some of his odd habits.”

“Is Troy eccentric as many people tend to think?”

“He’s superstitious like a lot of athletes. He likes to put equipment on his right side, won’t let anyone touch his stick after it’s been taped, and has other little routines that have to be done in a specific order. Sometimes he gives me hell if my sweater’s not hung ‘right’ or I toss my skates on the top shelf instead of placing them so the blades are facing a certain direction. I can see how he can get on some people’s nerves, but those little quirks are part of his charm.”

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“He’s matured over the last decade; do you agree?”

“Absolutely. He still takes a lot of abuse yet handles everything like a gentleman. Troy has had shortcomings, especially during his early career. People honestly think he's gay, call him a girl as if that was the world’s most horrible thing, and make other disparaging remarks. Some Liberty fans were giddy when Troy got hurt a few years back, and I can’t fathom why anyone would feel such a way. When players go on the ice every night before thousands of fans chanting ‘You suck!’ and making other nasty comments, that's something to be admired. Troy takes everything in stride and it is one of his traits I greatly respect. I’m not saying he’s perfect; he still has heated debates with referees and gets into physical fights with opposing players now and then. Sure he tended to be a whiny child in early years, but people tend to forget Troy was still a teenager when he first entered the AHC. He’s long since grown up, learned from his mistakes, and truly a class act.”

“Does it bother you or any other of his fellow players when women objectify Troy?”

Alex laughed. “I tease him all the time. He doesn’t understand why anyone finds him attractive. He’s like an awkward teenager stuck in a grown man’s body. Some guys with superstar status have acted like jerks, but Troy’s one of the most humble people I know.”

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“What’s the funniest thing he’s done or said?”

“The most memorable was when Troy accidently mooned the cameras during locker room interviews. He was so embarrassed, but not before viewers got eyefuls of the famous Talmadge butt. I’m sure many girls had sweet dreams about him that night!”

“Well, he seems more the shy, quiet, and loner type than an overt exhibitionist.”

“I prefer to say Troy’s more awkward than shy, particularly around strangers. I wish he could have a normal life but his widespread notoriety makes things difficult. His sister once said he’s an old soul and I couldn’t agree more. He doesn’t do social media, misses his old Palm Treo smartphone, likes to go fishing alone in the summer, and does his own grocery shopping. Troy once said he’s not about to let the AHC tell him he's old and needs a wife or girlfriend. The whole ‘married to hockey’ thing is his story until he retires or - God forbid - something unexpected happens. Troy seems to live by the Oscar Wilde quote
‘I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.’
That accurately describes one facet of his personality.”

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“The two of you appear to get along well.”

Oh lady, if you only knew.
“We’ve had our share of disagreements,” Alex replied, “but yes, I consider Troy one of my closest friends.”

“We are almost out of time for today. Thank you for visiting, Alex. Congratulations on your new daughter and we look forward to your return to the Rebels.”

“My pleasure. Thank you for having me on the show.”

***

“You blabbed on the air about press cameras catching my bare ass on TV?” Troy gasped with a red face. “Jesus, Al!”

“The interviewer asked about the funniest thing I thought you said or did, and your inadvertent mooning was first thing that popped into my mind.”

“That was embarrassing as fuck and I’d hoped people since forgot.”

“Not in the Internet age. I don’t know why you’re still mortified. Almost everyone says you have the best butt in hockey.”

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“I’m not going
au naturale
for the world again, be it an accident or otherwise.”

“Too bad;
Man Candy
magazine would love featuring you in their sports issue.”

“Don’t even go there, Al.”

She laughed and hugged his waist. “I sometimes wonder if you
are
the shy type.”

Troy placed an arm around her. “Not around select people.”

“Hmm, of course. Think we could have another training session before I head home to Anna and her daddy? I could use the extra practice.”

He pulled Alex close and deeply kissed her. “Since you were keen on my naked ass earlier, I have a better idea.”

“Oooh,” she purred as they headed towards his bedroom. “Good thing I failed to mention the bad boy many don’t have the opportunity of seeing.”

***

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Chapter 124

“Alex!” Davy greeted her before a team meeting the following Monday. “About time you came back to work, love.”

She gave him a quick hug. “I’ve looked forward to this day since Anna’s birth. I had the good fortune of finding an amazing nanny before returning to the ice.”

“How’s the beautiful little lass?”

“Anna’s growing up fast; hard to believe she’s already eight months old.” Alex handed him a photo. “This is her latest.”

Davy studied the picture. “Ivanka’s her pater all right.”

Alex chuckled. “She looks more like him every day.”

“Better keep an eye on the tyke. She’ll have all the chaps lined up at her front door.”