The Inside Edge, page 1
Table of Contents
Blurb
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Epilogue
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Copyright
The Inside Edge
By Ashlyn Kane
What does a work-life balance look like to recently retired professional athletes?
Ex-hockey player Nate Overton is trying to find out, but dipping his toes in the gay dating scene post-divorce is a daunting prospect even without the news that his show is on thin ice. Before he can tackle either issue, he skates headfirst into another problem—his new cohost. Former figure skater Aubrey Chase is the embodiment of a spoiled rich playboy. He’s also flamboyant, sharp, and hot as sin.
Aubrey knows how important it is to get off on the right foot. He’s just not very good at it outside the rink. Having spent his life desperate for attention, he’ll do anything to get it—even the wrong kind.
For Nate and Aubrey, opposites don’t so much attract as collide at center ice. But while Nate’s everything Aubrey has scrupulously avoided—until now—Aubrey falls suddenly head over heels, and Nate’s only looking for a rebound fling. Can Aubrey convince Nate to risk his heart again, or will their unexpected connection be checked at the first sign of trouble?
For Amy.
Acknowledgments
WITH THANKS as always to the All-Star Fun crew, without whom this book would not exist; to Laura, for her insightful alpha read; to Liz, whose wonderful edits I’m finally learning to accept without ego.
And to Brandon, who’s always been my rock.
Prologue
“I, KELLY Marie Ng, take you, Caley….”
Nate Overton had been to plenty of weddings in his time. He’d even stood up in a lot of them—playing professional hockey led to the kind of intense friendship that lent itself to groomsman duties.
But this was the first time he’d held a bouquet as he stood up for a bride.
Just a few feet away, Kelly slid the ring onto Caley’s finger and wiped away a tear, her smile so bright it almost hurt to look at.
The two of them were embracing even before the officiant finished pronouncing, “You may kiss your bride.
“Please rise for the newlyweds!”
Nate let out a quiet breath that he hoped went unnoticed, and applauded with everyone else when Caley retrieved her bouquet. Then it was just the private witnessing of the certificate to get through and he could have a drink and relax.
Kelly insisted she talked enough at work, so there weren’t any speeches. Nate couldn’t say he minded, since he was in the same boat. Besides, it was nice to enjoy the meal without an hour of other people failing to prove they could’ve had a career in stand-up.
Instead, he got to ride herd on his co-bridesman, who was currently peeking up at him from under the tablecloth.
Nate bent down to speak to him in a stage whisper. “You know, there’s no green beans under the table. But there isn’t any cake either.”
Carter Ng stared back at him thoughtfully. At three and a half, he was painfully shy and just getting to that age where vegetables were the enemy.
Nate had been the favored team babysitter for the thirteen years he’d played in the NHL, and he wasn’t above bribery to keep the kid on the correct side of the table, at least until the photographers had pictures of him dancing with his mom and stepmom. Then he could get as dusty as he liked. “If you come up here and eat two more bites of vegetables, I’ll eat the rest and tell your mom you did. And then you can have cake.”
Carter considered this wordlessly for a moment before climbing back into the chair between Nate and Kelly, who threw him an amused but grateful look and then returned her attention to Caley’s great-aunt something-or-other, whose pontificating Nate had tuned out.
“So much for no speeches,” he said sotto voce to Kelly when the woman finally—blessedly—left.
On Kelly’s other side, Caley smothered a snort in her hand. He was pretty sure Kelly would’ve smacked him good-naturedly, but Carter was in the way.
“At least we’re the only ones who had to hear it,” she said, and then the emcee was calling them up for their first dance as a couple.
Nate surprised himself by making it through all of the ceremony, dinner, and the official dances—including a very short one where he swayed around the floor with a toddler giggling in his arms—without a single traumatic flashback or bittersweet memory. But when he put Carter back down, it was like he’d set down his shield against reality. He looked around quickly to ensure no one would miss him and then let himself outside for some fresh air.
Immediately he found it easier to breathe, which was stupid. He didn’t have anxiety or asthma. He didn’t have a reason to struggle with witnessing the beautiful wedding of two of his very dear friends.
Unless you counted what he had to do tomorrow.
The door behind him squeaked open, and he sighed. Caught.
“Hey,” Caley said, coming to sit next to him on the bench outside the door, heedless of her pretty white dress. “I thought I might find you here. It’s all too much, isn’t it?”
Nate tried to frown at her. “You’re missing your party. You should be celebrating.”
“I will.” She nudged closer until their shoulders bumped. “When I’m done checking on you.”
There was nothing for it; she hadn’t been the captain of multiple gold-medal-winning Olympic women’s hockey teams for nothing. He sighed. “I’m fine. I promise.”
“Forgive me if I’m concerned about the well-being of my friend, who’s putting on a very good front of being happy for me despite the fact that he’s about to fly to Texas tomorrow to sign divorce papers.” She leaned her head against his. “The timing sucks, I know.”
“We’ve been separated almost three years,” Nate said. Part of him thought repeating that should make it suck less, but no dice. “It’s past time. Not your fault there’s a scheduling conflict. I could’ve asked to push it back.”
“You should’ve,” Caley said darkly. “Just been conveniently busy until the delay would’ve ruined his wedding plans. I’m just saying.”
Nate smiled, tilting his head back. “I’m not going to say I didn’t think about it.”
“Pretty presumptuous planning a wedding before you’ve even got the ink dry on your divorce, if you ask me.”
Nate had suspicions about what Marty had been up to before their separation, never mind before their divorce, but he didn’t have any proof, and in the end it didn’t matter. They wouldn’t have lasted anyway. He’d only delayed filing for so long because it felt like giving up.
Nate’s parents hadn’t raised a quitter.
“I appreciate your support.”
“There’s an open bar, you know,” she told him unnecessarily. Then her voice turned teasing. “And you know, Kelly has this cousin….”
Oh no. No, Nate was not ready for that. But before he could protest, the door opened and Carter ran toward them, followed a few seconds later by Kelly.
“Uncle Naaaaaaate,” Carter said, patting Nate’s knees. “They’re doing cake!”
“Cake!” Nate said, standing and swooping Carter into his arms. He tossed him once, just a few inches, and caught him. “Cake sounds much better than this conversation. What a nice guy you are. Did you know I needed a rescue?”
Kelly indulgently watched the three of them. “I see you’ve successfully threatened him into a good mood.”
Caley grinned. “What can I say, it’s a gift.”
Nate craned his head back so he could look Carter in the face. “God help you when you’re a teenager in a sulk, kid. I’ll make sure you have my number.”
But he let Kelly and Caley flank him on the way back into the hall, and his maudlin thoughts didn’t catch up to him for the rest of the night.
THE PHONE call came in just after Aubrey finished in Makeup, but long before he had to be on set. Had it been any other day or any other person, he probably would have ignored it. He hadn’t met his co-star yet and he was supposed to be on the air in an hour. It was his first day on the job; he didn’t need to be taking calls at work. He was having a hard enough time wrapping his head around the show, which was mostly news, analysis, and women’s game coverage during the week, with a featured play-by-play on the weekend.
But it was his mother calling from home in Vancouver, and she called infrequently enough that he was inclined to take it.
And maybe a tiny part of him held some hope that she was calling to wish hi
“I’m sorry, I’ve got to take this,” he said to the makeup tech. “Thanks, though—I look great.”
The man laughed and shooed him out of the room.
Aubrey took a deep breath and answered the call. “Hi, Mom.”
“… no, I think the roses if you want traditional and the gerbera daisies if you want something a little more fun. Lilies are a bit morbid for a wedding— Oh! Aubrey?”
He could already feel his hackles rising. “Yeah, Mom. You called me, remember?”
“I’m sorry, I was distracted. I’ve been helping your cousin choose flowers for the ceremony.”
Aubrey glanced at his watch, counting down the minutes. He hoped his mom didn’t want to chat for long. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a conversation with her that didn’t end with one or both of them frustrated or angry. “It’s all right,” he said, trying to be patient. “So, why’d you call?”
Can’t a woman call to catch up with her only son? he half expected her to say. Lord knew he’d been burned by those words enough times. They inevitably led to invasive questions about his love life, followed by Mrs. Society So-and-So has a gay son about your age, or Your father and I miss you; when are you going to move back home? As if they’d ever spent time with him when he lived there.
If he was really lucky, she’d find a new facet of his life to disapprove of, like his diet or—
“Well, like I said, I’m here with Rachel, and she tells me you haven’t sent in your RSVP for the wedding yet.”
Aubrey’s stomach soured. “The wedding.”
Right. His cousin was getting married. Well, Rachel wasn’t actually his cousin. She was more like the kid his mom had always wanted, the daughter of his parents’ friends. Aubrey had won multiple Grand Prix events, two World Championship figure-skating titles, and an Olympic silver, along with a handful of junior medals. None of it had been good enough. Why did he have to go clubbing so often? Wasn’t he interested in a more rewarding long-term relationship? Didn’t he want to take some business classes so he could take over his parents’ hospitality business one day?
Why couldn’t he be more like Rachel, basically.
He’d always been jealous of Rachel’s relationship with his parents, but when her mom and dad were killed in a car accident four years ago, it added a healthy dose of self-loathing to the mix. Because how could he be jealous of an orphan?
“It’s December 23,” his mother reminded him. “RSVPs were due last week.”
“Well, we both know I can’t do anything right, so it can’t surprise you that I forgot.”
Aubrey winced. That was a little more combative than he’d meant to be, but he couldn’t take it back now.
His mother sighed. “For God’s sake, Aubrey. Just tell me if you’re coming. Your father and I would like to see you.”
“Sorry, I don’t think so. The NHL plays until the twenty-third. I’ll probably have a game to cover.”
“Fine,” she said, her tone frosty. “Was that so hard?”
Aubrey gritted his teeth. He’d even reminded her about his new job, which was starting today, and she couldn’t take two seconds to wish him luck? “I’ve got to go, Mom. I’m needed on set. Unless there was something else?”
“No, that was all.” She sounded resigned. At least he wasn’t the only one. “Goodbye, Aubrey.”
The call disconnected before he could say anything else. “Goodbye,” he said to dead air, fighting the urge to bang his head against the wall. Next time she called, maybe he could do that instead. It would be less painful.
For now, though, he had a job to do. He summoned all the good cheer he could muster and headed toward the sound stage. His mother might consider him beneath her notice, but Aubrey could get the attention he thrived on elsewhere. All he had to do was show up and be charming. And charm was something that came very naturally to him—as long as his mother wasn’t around to see it.
Chapter One
NATE TIPPED his driver extra; the guy had made it from O’Hare in record time. He sidestepped around the office workers in the plaza like they were opposing defenders and entered the enormous revolving door as the big lobby clock struck the hour. It almost felt like beating the buzzer—he was going to just barely make it in time for makeup and a brief rundown, but barely was good enough and far better than he’d hoped, after spending an hour waiting for a gate at the airport. The stress of being late—Nate hated tardiness in himself as much as in others—was only eclipsed by the situation at the network.
“Don’t worry about it; it’s handled,” Jess had told him in their too-brief call before the flight took off. That didn’t make him feel better. The few subsequent messages they exchanged during the flight hadn’t helped, especially as it felt like he was also getting texts from everyone he’d ever met—all variations of the theme: So what the hell is up with John Plum? Not that he’d answered. Nate had already gotten a very firm, if unnecessary, voicemail form his agent that he should not, under penalty of torture, say anything but “no comment” about the situation.
What would he even say? Sorry my cohost is a xenophobic misogynist douchebag with no control over his basest impulses? Silence was the better part of valor.
“You’re late,” Gina the PA told him, falling into step next to him as he beelined for Makeup. “I sent a rundown of tonight’s show to your phone. You have time to look at it?”
Nate shook his head. “It died halfway through the flight. Too much Candy Crush. Forgot the charging cord in my hotel room.” He glanced around as they walked. “Is Jess around? She told me not to worry, but—”
“Yeah, on second thought, maybe I better let her tell you in person. I think she’s with—uh.” Gina pasted on a smile. Good thing her work was mostly behind the camera, because she didn’t convince Nate. “You know what? I’ll just go tell her to find you.”
That didn’t inspire confidence, but Nate didn’t have a lot of time to argue. He had a call in… well, basically now. “All right,” he agreed, but Gina was already scampering down the hallway, talking on her headset.
Jess didn’t come in while he was in Makeup, and the usual chatter was suspiciously free of office gossip and sports talk, focusing exclusively on the relative merits of different varieties of Girl Scout cookies. Nate happily shared his opinion (Samoas best, the peanut butter ones disappointing), but he found it weird that no one was even referring to the elephant that was no longer in the room, and that made him feel wrong-footed. Someone had passed him a portable charger for his phone, so he was able to read through the rundown he was now expected to do by himself. It might be a little flat with just one body behind the desk, but they were going to cut away to the game in Brampton, and Kelly was always good. Maybe they’d use this as an excuse to give a little extra time to the women’s game. John would hate that. Nate couldn’t resist smiling at the image of him fuming about it.
“You’re done.” Samira batted him on the shoulder as she finished. “Now get out of my chair and y’all have a great show.”
Y’all. Plural. Was that significant? Nate turned to ask, but Samira had already scooted out of the room.
Something strange was definitely going on.
“Nate Overton to the set.” The voice over the PA made it clear he didn’t have any more time to wonder. In fact, he barely had time to change—he unbuttoned his shirt on the way to Wardrobe, where Tony was already waiting to help him into its replacement.
“Little behind today?” he asked, turning to grab the jacket and tie—helpfully already tied—while Nate buttoned up.
“O’Hare,” Nate said grimly.
“Say no more.” Tony held the jacket for him. “Not going to miss your old cohost’s wardrobe peculiarities, you know?”
Nate figured Tony wouldn’t miss him, period. “Maybe his replacement will be easier on the eyes.”
Tony opened his mouth to say something, but Nate didn’t have time. He took the tie to go, waving his thanks over his shoulder.
“Cutting it a little close,” their primary camera operator commented as Nate stepped onto the soundstage.
