Baby Under The Christmas Tree. Teresa Carpenter

      When The Beast chose to party, everyone wanted to party with him.

      But it was a subdued, somewhat sheepish crew turned over to her an hour later. Usually they were still full of themselves, boasting over their deeds and conquests of the night. But there was little chatter as they walked the few blocks to the bond office.

      “That’s a pretty nasty cut, Hank.” She eyed the goalie, who sported a crude butterfly bandage over a slash on his cheek. “You should stop at an emergency room on the way home.”

      “Nah.” He cleared his throat. “It’s just a scratch.”

      “Hmm.” Though his was the worst, all six of the burly men showed battle scars. Her gaze skipped over Max to land on the youngest of the group. At six-six and two-twenty, Jaden was hardly a child, but his downcast eyes and hunched shoulders gave him the look of a sulky teenager. “Happy birthday, Jaden.”

      He shrugged. “Thanks.”

      “Be nice, Grier.” Max cut the younger man with a cold glare. “She just bailed your butt out of jail.”

      “I said thanks,” Jaden snarled back. A slight slur revealed that a couple of hours and a visit to the slammer hadn’t cleared all the alcohol from his system. He sent Elle a sideways look. “I got your card.”

      She nodded. Her mother had taught her the power of the greeting card, and Elle plied it zealously. Her goal was to build up a personal connection with the players, because it made it harder for them to turn her down when she needed them for special events. Since she’d joined the team, she’d given every player a card on his birthday. Except Max.

      Cringing slightly she justified the inaction by reminding herself she hadn’t thought of the cards until after his birthday the first year, and last year the team had been out of town. She’d meant to give him his card; she’d just never got around to it.

      And then he hadn’t deserved a card.

      Still, her mother would call shame on her.

      “This night had bad news written all over it from the moment we arrived at the bar and saw junior here had started to party without us.” A voice grumbled from the back. “Kid, you need to learn to pace yourself.”

      “I’m not a kid.” Jaden whirled to confront the other man, momentum and unsteadiness putting him right in the defenseman’s face. “I’m an adult.”

      “You’re a punk.” The defenseman brought his arm up to brush Jaden aside.

      Elle cringed as she saw it developing, and sure enough Jaden pushed back and a shoving match broke out.

      No time. She had no time to intervene. No time to get out of the way.

      Feeling like a child among giants, Elle expected to be crushed even as she tried to scurry backward.

      Suddenly a hard arm swept around her waist, and Max swung them in a one-eighty so he took the brunt of the six-foot-five, two-hundred-seventy-pound wingman smashing into them.

      Protected by his bulk she had the impression of massive strength, a hard body, a whiff of spicy aftershave and a huge impact. He didn’t even grunt.

      But he cursed a red-white-and-blue streak after setting her safely aside and wading into the center of the fray.

      “Idiots. You almost took out Elle. Get your heads straight.” He gave Jaden a hard-eyed stare. “We’ve already put on enough of a show tonight. Get your rides and go home.”

      The men quickly dispersed.

      Shaken, Elle straightened her jacket and brushed her hands over her hair, ensuring her sleek ponytail was intact.

      Max homed in on her. “You okay?”

      She shuddered under his direct regard, but lifted her chin and answered smoothly. “Of course.”

      His dark gaze ran over her, checking her out for himself. He nodded. “Let’s go.”

      “My car is at the bar.” Jaden managed to slur and whine at the same time. Not an easy feat.

      “And you can thank your lucky ass for that. If I ever hear of you driving drunk, I’ll make sure your butt rides the bench for the whole season.”

      “No, huh,” Jaden blustered. “You don’t have that kind of say-so.”

      “No.” Max’s smile held an edge of malice. “But you can’t play with your leg in a cast.”

      Jaden paled. “Don’t be joking, man. A break can end a career.”

      “And driving drunk can end a life. I have no problem making that decision for you.”

      “Gentlemen.” Elle stepped forward, intent on taking control of the situation. “It’s three-fifteen in the morning. Can you put the equipment away so we can go home? One of us has to work in a few hours.”

      Max waved his arm in an after-you gesture. “Lead the way. You don’t mind giving us a ride, right?”

      “I’m going to tell coach.” Jaden stomped ahead of them. Then he stopped and swung around, his unsure balance almost tripping him up. “You’re my witness Ms. A. You heard him threaten me.”

      “No,” she denied and looked both ways before crossing the street to her car. “I heard him offer you a life lesson.” And, oh, how it hurt to defend the man. “If you have two licks of sense, you’ll listen to him. And you’ll be benched before he can ever get to you if you mention this incident to Coach.”

      She unlocked her red car and they all climbed in. Reaching for her seat belt, she glanced at Max and saw he had anchored himself in. She nodded when she heard Jaden’s belt click and only then did she start the car.

      “Drop Jaden first.” Max directed her once they reached the five freeway. And then he turned to the man in the backseat. “You better tell her the rest.”

      Elle got a bad feeling and her gaze flicked to the rearview mirror. Jaden was one big scowl. He muttered something under his breath.

      “What?”

      “I may have—” He cleared his throat. “I kind of, ah, could have—” Cough. “Thrown the first punch.”

      “Jaden, Jaden.” She sighed as her mind raced. The news was as bad as she feared. She could only hope the damage was minimal to both man and property. “That’s an automatic ten-thousand-dollar penalty.”

      Narrowing her eyes at Max, she reached past him for the digital recorder in the glove box. “This is your fault.”

      “How do you figure?” His gaze rose from her cleavage to meet her eyes. And he lifted one dark brow.

      “You took him drinking.”

      “It wasn’t only me. Plus he’s his own man now. Didn’t you hear him?”

      She ground her teeth together. Of course he took no responsibility. She turned her attention to Jaden, demanding he tell her everything he remembered.

      He protested that it had happened too fast and he didn’t remember anything, but she kept after him until he told the whole story. By then they were at his place. She turned to face him before he got out.

      “Tomorrow I want you to go through it again, write it down. And be in my office at ten o’clock.”

      He groaned but nodded, and then climbed from the car. She watched until he was safely inside.

      Luckily the fifteen-minute ride from Jaden’s Fashion Valley condo to Max’s Mount Helix home concluded in silence. In fact, Elle thought Max had dozed off, but it appeared he had nothing more to say to her than she had to say to him because he immediately opened his eyes and reached for the door latch when she pulled into the driveway next to his vehicle.

      She rolled her eyes and sighed, ready for the night to be over. The dash clock read