“Maybe not exactly, but you made it clear that you thought my business was only something to keep me occupied until I had a husband to look after me. Meanwhile, you chasing around after a puck was—” she used air quotes “—‘so much more important,’ even though you only had, at best, another ten years.”
He clenched his fists by his sides. “I’d make enough money in those ten years to keep you living comfortably for the rest of your life.”
“I didn’t need you to take care of me and I didn’t need your money.” Tracy worked so hard because she never wanted to be dependent on another man or his money again. “I can bloody well look after myself.”
“Yeah, you’ve made it pretty freaking clear there’s no room in your life for a man.”
“Not quite true—there’s no room in my life for you.”
“Trust me, babe, I’m glad,” he drawled. “I had a lucky escape. I get banged up enough on the ice—I don’t need a ballbuster in my bed.”
Tracy gasped at his cruel words. Then she tossed her coffee over him. She’d show him a ballbuster.
* * *
IKE SWORE AS he wiped down his sweater and jeans with his handkerchief. From the heat around his zipper, the coffee had got too close to the family jewels for comfort.
Tracy Hayden had been a major pain in his ass from the moment she’d strutted into his life on those killer legs. With a toss of her dark hair and a glint in her brown eyes, she’d challenged him in every way. Still did. Damn woman was as irritating as grit in an oyster, except he never got a pearl. That said, a coffee shower was a first.
“I should apologize.” Tracy’s crisp tone, which emphasized her still-strong English accent, was grudging.
“Why bother, if you don’t mean it?” He stripped off his sweater. Beneath it, his T-shirt was damp but wearable. “I thought the one thing we had left was honesty.”
Her gaze lingered on his chest before flicking up to meet his. Color tinged her cheeks. “You’re right. Your remark was uncalled for, but I reacted badly.”
His conscience pricked him, taking the edge off his anger. It was partly—okay, largely—his fault. One minute Tracy had been cooing over her nephew and the next she was desperately checking her phone. Since she’d just told Maggie that everything was under control, what could be so freaking important?
Ike hadn’t deliberately followed Tracy into the waiting room. The cozy family image Jake, Maggie and Joe had presented had scraped on his already raw nerves, reminding him of the life he’d once hoped he could have with Tracy and making the hospital room feel claustrophobic. He’d escaped to get some air. He’d been surprised to find Tracy by the coffee machine and had nearly turned back. But then he’d seen that damn wiggle. That sexy hip-shimmy she always did when she was happy. The one that always fired up his pulse—and his groin.
He’d barely got himself under control when she’d spilled coffee on her hand. He’d wanted to kiss the burn better. The thought of putting his lips on her had sent desire rocketing through his body once more. Frustration had fuelled his annoyance. After all this time, he hated that he was still so pathetically affected by her, while all she felt for him was aggravation. And he’d snapped.
“No harm done,” he said stiffly. “I should apologize, too.”
“Okay.” Tracy dropped her empty cup in the trash and turned back to the coffee machine.
As she tapped in her selection, Ike stifled the urge to offer to buy her a drink. He turned to go when her voice stopped him.
“I know you won’t believe this, but I wouldn’t ordinarily let business intrude on such a special occasion.”
“So why the exception?” He was pleased his question held no hint of his skepticism.
“It was a time-sensitive issue.”
“Aren’t they all?”
“I suppose so.” Tracy smiled ruefully as she collected her drink. “But in this case, it would have been a costly mistake. The Bridgers are a major client.”
He frowned, unsure how one phone call could be that important. Unless she’d been about to lose the soccer team as a client. “Is Making Your Move in trouble?”
“Not at all. In fact I’m trying to broaden the range of services we offer with the new Helping Hands package.” Tracy explained the extra support her company wanted to give players and their families.
Ike obviously had a different definition of emergency. If her company had been struggling, he’d have understood. But how could adding business when her company was already successful be more important than celebrating a new member of the family?
Don’t go there.
What was the point? It would only lead to another fight and he probably wouldn’t survive another dousing unscathed. Besides, all of this only reinforced what he already knew—the two of them would never work. He couldn’t be with someone who put work ahead of everything and everyone else. He sure as hell wouldn’t compete with a woman’s career.
Ike acknowledged that his own childhood colored his thinking. Not just the weight of responsibility that he’d carried from too young an age, but also the way his mother had worked herself to exhaustion to provide for the family after his father had walked out. Ike was determined that his future wife and children would not struggle or suffer. Which was why he firmly believed the traditional male-female roles were necessary. Men provided and supported so that women could take care of the family.
Tracy would never be that type of woman.
Now if only his body would get the message.
“So you can see why I couldn’t risk messing up and not getting the Bridgers on board.” Tracy wound up her explanation and looked at him expectantly.
He was damned if he understood. Luckily, Ike was saved from having to come up with a suitable reply when his younger brother, Kenny, ambled toward them. “So, this is where the sane people hang out. The kid’s cute and all, but do we really have to sigh over every gurgle and dribble?”
“I’m afraid so.” She patted his shoulder sympathetically. “Give it a few weeks and you’ll be doing the same. I’ve seen harder men than you going gaga over a cute baby.”
“No way.” Kenny gave an exaggerated shudder.
Tracy laughed. “Well, I’m not afraid to say I want another cuddle.”
“Good luck prying him away from the grandmas.” Kenny rolled his eyes. “I’ll grab a drink and wait until the bloodshed is over.”
“Coward.” She waggled her fingers in farewell.
Ike and his brother watched Tracy walk back down the corridor.
Kenny punched him in the arm. “I don’t know why the two of you don’t just sleep together and get it out of your system.”
Ike choked. “Where the hell did that come from?”
Kenny smiled smugly. “So you don’t deny you’re hot for her.”
“Because it’s too dumb to bother denying.”
“Ike’s got the hots for Tracy,” Kenny added in a singsong voice.
“Mom must have dropped you on your head when you were a baby. You’re seeing things that aren’t there.”
“And you’re protesting a little too much, especially since you still haven’t taken your eyes off her admittedly great legs.”
“Leave her legs out of it,” Ike growled.
Kenny held up his hands in mock surrender. “She’s