Free The Penalty Box by Deirdre Martin Page B

few weeks. Tuck’s very excited.”
    â€œI think it’s great that he’s with your mom,” said Bitsy. “God knows your sister—” Denise shot her a sharp look and Bitsy clamped her mouth shut. She looked mortified.
    â€œI’m sorry,” said Bitsy. “I didn’t mean—”
    â€œIt’s okay,” Katie assured her quietly.
    â€œSo, what are you doing back in Didsbury?” Denise asked Katie.
    Katie told them about her sabbatical from Fallowfield College to work on her book. Both women looked impressed.
    â€œI knew you were a professor or something,” said Denise.
    â€œHow?”
    â€œThe way you dress: kinda LL Beanie. Plus that book bag you’ve been dragging around.”
    Katie glanced down at the large canvas tote at her feet. Not only did it serve as her purse, but it also contained her laptop as well as several books and papers. Without it she felt naked.
    â€œGuilty,” she said with a smile.
    â€œAre you going to talk to Paul van Dorn for the book?” Bitsy asked.
    â€œI was planning to,” Katie said carefully. “Why?”
    Bitsy shrugged. “No reason. Frank says he’s real moody, that’s all.”
    â€œI’d be moody, too, if my career blew up in my face before I was even thirty,” said Denise.
    Moody. Katie filed that one away. She turned to Bitsy. “You must be happy Liz is back in town,” she made herself say.
    Bitsy made a sour face. “Liz and I fell out years ago.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œShe was scandalized when I got pregnant with Christopher and had to—excuse me, chose to—marry Frank. Apparently marrying someone who earns less than three mill a year is bogus, dahling.”
    â€œI never liked her,” Denise sniffed.
    â€œMe, either,” Katie confessed.
    Bitsy giggled. “Me, either! But I was so desperate to be popular, I was willing to trail behind her like a puppy dog and do whatever she said.” She shook her head. “Pathetic.”
    â€œI can’t wait to see how long it takes her to lure Paul van Dorn back into her web,” said Denise.
    â€œYou think?” Katie asked, trying to sound offhanded.
    â€œOh, please.” Denise stole a piece of Katie’s cake. “If it has money and a dick that works, Liz is there. I just hope Paul isn’t that stupid or depressed.”

CHAPTER 05
    Katie felt anxious walking into the Penalty Box. For someone who prided herself on holding the attention of a hall full of students, having lunch with an ex-jock should have been a piece of cake. Instead, she felt as if she were going to meet her parole officer.
    The place was packed. Katie had never been here when it was Cuffy’s, but even she could tell Paul had made the Penalty Box his own: There was hockey memorabilia everywhere, much of it personal. A game of tabletop hockey in the corner was generating loud whoops and shouts from the four businessmen who were playing. Katie recognized two of them; one had graduated the year before she and Paul, the other headed up the insurance company in town. Once again, Didsbury’s insularity was brought home to her. In Fallowfield, it was possible to walk down the street or go out to lunch and not see anyone you knew, or even recognized. Not here.
    Katie was surprised at the variety of people having lunch; everyone from hard hats to suits to moms with kids in tow.
    And in the middle of it all, loving every second of the attention he was being paid, was Paul.
    Katie had no doubt Paul loved the hum of conversation in the Penalty Box. It probably reminded him of the sound of the crowd, the background music to so much of his life. Surrounded by tangible signs of his glory days (photos, trophies, jerseys, banners, signed pucks, battered sticks, skates) and a clientele who loved hearing his stories about the NHL, it would be easy for him to forget what had happened. Night after night, he was the