Iron Range

It was a rare occasion that Matt Niskanen had a week at home to himself; the only thing on his to-do list was to stay consistent with his daily workout routines. Which wasn’t hard considering he’d run out of things to do with his free time.

Not uncommon for Virginia, Minnesota.

The last time he’d been to the 24-hour Anytime Fitness center on ninth was when he was in high school, which was over five years ago. It hadn’t changed since - the parking lot was still mostly empty and he could have sworn they hadn’t changed the flickering neon sign in the front window since his last visit. His mom had even picked up a seven-day pass for him to use there while he was home, since she’d donated his weight and training set to the local high school shortly after he left for college.

May as well put the pass to use.

He slung his gym bag over his shoulder - marked with the unfamiliar Pittsburgh Penguins logo - and locked his truck with a click of his keypad. One of the trainers working for the team had scheduled to meet with him down in the Twin Cities to monitor his off season habits, and considering the way he finished off his NHL season, he was in no position to disappoint.

The gym’s interior resembled its parking lot’s captivity - mostly empty besides a slim blonde on the treadmill. Matt slicked a hand over his hair and hoped it wasn’t sticking up like it always seemed to, lest she glance his way. But considering the unruly shape her own hair appeared to be in, he didn’t have much to worry about.

The girl had ear buds in each ear and had the flat screen on the wall tuned to a regional news station. He was sure she hadn’t noticed him come in and had no intention to change that. Matt propped his bag against the wall and dug out his gym shoes.

Halfway through tying the first one, he heard the treadmill shift into cool-down mode. The further it slowed, the more audible his company’s heavy breaths became. But he kept his back to her, no matter how much he wanted to read the distance gauge on the treadmill. Either way, he was sure he could beat it.

“Gosh, I didn’t even realize anyone came in.”

Matt finally allowed himself to abandon his shoe tying and look up. The blonde girl had sunk against the wall diagonal from him to stretch out her long, tanned legs, sipping from her pink water bottle between stretches.

Matt shrugged. “Didn’t want to bother you,” he excused, not liking the dry sound of his voice. He eyed her water bottle thirstily, wishing he’d filled up his own beforehand.

She smiled, keeping her eyes on him as she leaned forward and wrapped her fingers around the soles of her shoe. He could feel her study him, trying to place a name. Virginia wasn’t a big town, and he grew up knowing most of its citizens. Matt didn’t remember her being one of them. She’d probably heard his name dropped once or twice around town and was trying to match evidence. It wouldn’t surprise him if she couldn’t - he was used to it.

The girl’s eyes went back to the TV as she switched to the other foot. “Oh, that’s right,” she murmured quietly. He wasn’t sure if she’d been addressing him or not. “Yeo’s head coach now.” His question was answered when she turned back to him, curly ponytail bobbing against her shoulders. “Should be a good change for the Wild.”

His eyes glanced to the television for a moment, where they were covering past accomplishments of the Minnesota Wild’s new head coach Mike Yeo. “You follow hockey?” he asked, his interest perking.

She eyed him. “Minnesota thing, I suppose.”

He finished tying his shoe and sat up straight on the bench. “Any favorite players?” He couldn’t help himself.

“Depends. Koivu and Cullen were always good. Heatley should be a good addition, though.” Matt liked the way the girl talked hockey, like she actually knew what she was talking about. “I keep up with a few other players, too,” she added. “That defensemen for the Stars is pretty good. Matt Niskanen, I think?”

Bingo.

He couldn’t tell if she was playing with him or not., so he went along with it. “I think he’s with Pittsburgh now,” Matt said nonchalantly, gauging her reaction.

He couldn’t read her expression, but her words were clue enough. “I think he’s back in Minnesota for the off season,” she offered, staring him dead in the eye. The blue in her irises sparked playfully.

He took a while to respond, choosing his words carefully. She waited expectantly, heart-shaped face staying angled towards him. There was something vaguely familiar about the girl, as if he should have known who she was. He’d probably bumped into her during one of his previous summers home without realizing.

Before he got the chance to conjure a response, she jumped in for him. “The name’s pretty big around here,” she went on, same all-serious tone, “what with him being pro and all.”

Matt’s response was more automatic this time. “I may have heard the name once or twice,” he tried, waiting for her façade to break.

It was worth the wait when it did - her full lips broke with a brilliant smile and her relaxed sapphire eyes crinkled at the corners cutely. He suddenly wished he’d come to the gym earlier, maybe he could have paid more attention to the rest of her appearance.

She brushed a stray hair back and curled her sinewy legs against her chest. “I’m Conner,” she introduced, sipping from her water bottle while maintaining eye contact.

Conner. Unusual for a girl, but he liked it. “Nice meeting you, Conner.” He still wasn’t sure where she stood with her knowledge of him, so he refrained from introducing himself in return.

“You too, Matt,” she replied, stuffing her empty bottle in the equally pink bag next to her and standing. She’d answered that question of his, too - he didn’t even need to ask. “I guess I’ll be seeing you around.”

He sure hoped so.

Matt watched as she retreated from the room, finally getting a view of the body she’d been shielding. And it wasn’t a disappointment - torso just as long as those legs, every inch of her slim and taut with muscle. Her perky tits sat firmly in the black sports bra she wore, which peeked out from the sides of her white cut-off tee. And the pink running shorts did an excellent job at showcasing the apple-bottomed ass lifted high on her backside. It was obvious she was a frequent member of the gym; he was suddenly thankful for the seven-day membership his mother had gotten him.

He watched until she was out of site, hoping she hadn’t noticed his staring but knowing she had. Last time he’d come back here, his hometown friends had all gone up North for a fishing trip and he’d been stuck helping his Grandma clean out the gutters on her house. This time, he had a feeling things would happen a little differently.

Damn, it felt good to be home.