Sarah stepped back from the table in the banquet hall and looked around the room. She could stand there all evening listening to the soft Christmas music, soaking up the sparkle and the feeling that something exciting was about to happen.
She'd finished her clinic early and had spent the afternoon decorating the tables for the Quakes' fundraising dinner. She'd managed to transform the vision in her head into the elegant tables in front of her.
Twenty round tables covered in floor-length silver tablecloths filled the room. The chairs looked opulent draped in rich navy fabric. Each place setting had a small cellophane package tied with a navy blue ribbon. Wrapped inside was a Quakes T-shirt compressed into a small puck, a Quakes key chain, and a trading card of the player hosting the table. She couldn't wait to see people's reactions when they opened them.
Sarah owed Jordyn a huge favour for her help with the napkins. The team of volunteer high school students had finished them in record time. The navy blue and silver shimmered in the lights, and the little Quakes logo visible at the top was a classy touch.
Three glass cylindrical vases sat on a mirror at the centre of each table. Scattered around them were collections of shiny silver and opaque navy Christmas balls in a variety of sizes. Who was she kidding? She had carefully placed each ornament, balancing the size and the colour to create that scattered look. For a family affair, the effect was pretty stunning.
The rest of the room matched. The chandeliers with tiers of dangling crystals were threaded with silver and navy ribbon. How did they do that? she wondered. Across the entrance, five waist-high cylindrical columns, a metre wide and covered in mirror etched with the Quakes logo, held mouth-watering hors d'oeuvres. Real evergreen trees, each covered in reams of twinkling navy and white fairy lights, gave off a fresh pine scent. After the event, the trees would be auctioned off or donated to the city to be planted in the parks. Truly green decorations.
She'd finished the bulk of the work by four o'clock and had made a quick trip home to get changed. The navy velvet dress she'd chosen was one of her favourites, with its three-quarter-length sleeves and sweetheart neckline. She'd left her hair to fall in soft waves and had added simple silver jewellery. Even if she couldn't venture into the arena to watch the team play, she could show her support by wearing the team colours.
Sarah walked over to adjust one of the centrepieces, listening as the group of young servers, dressed smartly in black and white and radiating energy, received instructions on how to refill platters, serve the meal, and collect the dishes.
Some of the Quakes hockey players wandered into the room, looking for their tables. Time to stop fussing, she thought.
She stepped back and bumped into something solid. She stumbled forward, and a hand shot out, gripped her waist, and held her until she was steady. A zing of electricity went through her.
She turned and looked up into Mike's face. "We really have to stop bumping into each other this way."
"Sorry about that." He half smiled. "You should know better than to try and get past a goalie."
"Hah." She became aware of his body pressed against hers and the faint smell of his cologne. Mike in formal wear had her hormones humming. The thought of what was underneath that impeccably fitted suit had her mouth watering.
"You look sensational." Mike nodded into the room. "Did you have a hand in this?"
"I helped with the tables."
His eyes widened. "It's impressive."
"Thanks." She followed his eyes around the room and felt a sense of pride to be a part of it all. "This is a pretty cool thing the team is doing. For the community and for the hospital." She looked at him, her head to one side. "I also wanted to thank you for the donation to the mobile clinic. It blew me away. Thank you so much."
Mike stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "You're very welcome. It's a great clinic run by an exceptionally dedicated doctor."
Sarah felt a flush warm her cheeks. "You have a huge heart. The money will be put to good use."
The noise escalated as excited families filled the room. "Your table is at the front on the left," Sarah said. She gestured nervously in the direction. "I wasn't sure if you still wanted me to sit with you."
He frowned. "Why wouldn't I?"
"When you came to my place for dinner, you seemed upset with me when you left."
"I'm really sorry about that." His blue eyes were sincere with regret.
A woman with a clipboard called Mike's name and hurried over to greet him. "Mike, thank you for coming. Did you have any trouble finding your table?"
"I'm heading over there right now."
"Great. We'd like to get everyone seated to get the dinner started." The woman rushed off to shoo another player to his table.
Mike held out his hand to Sarah. "Coming?"
She took his hand. "You don't have enough fans?" she teased, with a grin.
"There's only one who really matters," he whispered in her ear.
Sarah's eyes darted to his as her grin faded, and her heart did a flip-flop. She wasn't a fan. Was she?
They sat down, and a family with three young daughters joined them. After a bit of compromise, it was decided that the girls would take turns sitting beside Mike as each course of the dinner was served. Mike was a gracious and entertaining host and flirted charmingly with the girls.
"You're making their night," Sarah said to Mike when the girls went to use the restroom.
"They're sweet, and they all play hockey. How can you not love that?"
Indeed. Sarah worked to keep the smile on her face.
Mike finished the last bite of his dessert. "I hear you're behind the new safety netting in the rink."
Sarah looked at him. "It doesn't interfere with your game, does it?" She hadn't thought of that.
"No, not at all. I think it's a great idea. The players are all on board with it, too. It's dangerous when a puck flies into the crowd. As a matter of fact, I'm surprised they didn't put it up when they built the rink."
"It turns out there's a new bylaw and they were going to have to install it. The email I sent just provided the push."
"Do you think it'll help you feel safer in a rink?"
"I hope so. Eventually. It may take a bit of time, though," she admitted reluctantly.
He nodded and reached out to squeeze her hand. "I have to go have my picture taken with the fans. Will you stay until I'm done? It shouldn't be too late. We could go back to my place afterward."
Her heart skipped a beat. "Are you sure?"
He leaned over and kissed her quickly on the mouth. "Yes, I'm sure. Please wait."
Sarah smiled tremulously. "I will."
The girls returned to the table and danced around Mike. When he stood, they took his hand and tugged him toward the photographer.
"I'll come find you when I'm done," Mike said to Sarah.
Sarah nodded and watched him go. Oh, to have a hockey gene.
YOU ARE READING
Between the Pipes
RomanceSarah Jain is a family doctor in a hockey-crazy town. She hates hockey. She hasn't gone anywhere near a rink in years, until her friend, the team doctor, calls in a favour. Mike Wallace is the starting goalie for the Clarington Quakes, the local pro...