Both teenagers jumped at the tone and spun around.
Marlie stared at her visitor taking up the doorway. “Something I can help you with, Damon?”
“Oh, am I interrupting?” He looked at the young couple with curiosity.
Simon gave him a dark look, but Jenna perked up. “Hi, Damon. We met at my aunt and uncle’s party. Piper and Grant Weston.”
Damon smiled, looking less—but not by much—like a serial killer. “Hey, Jenna. How’s Piper doing? Did she have the kids yet?”
Simon cleared his throat. “We haven’t met. I’m Simon Bragg.”
“Any relation to Bragg’s Tea House?”
“My mom’s shop. Yeah.”
Damon cheered. “Oh man. Your mom is the best.”
Marlie smothered a laugh at the boy’s confusion, sensing Simon was trying really hard not to like Damon.
Simon blinked. “Er, yeah.”
“She makes the best pie, cookies, and cocoa ever. Like, ever.” Damon moved forward and shook Simon’s hand.
Though Simon had a few inches on Marlie, he had to look up at Damon.
Then Damon paused, still holding onto the boy. “Hold on. Is Mitch Flashman your dad?”
“He is.” Simon yanked his hand away. “I heard all about some giant hockey nerd cheating the Mav’s way into a win.”
Damon, instead of taking offense, laughed his ass off. “Oh yeah. Flash blew it on the ice. He can run, but come on, he’s pathetic on skates. Now, your uncle can check a guy. Big dude with attitude. Sorry to say, your dad’s whiny.”
Jenna smothered a grin. “You know Deacon said the same thing yesterday, Simon.”
“Well, yeah, but Flash is amazing at football.”
“No doubt. I can barely hold a pigskin in these mitts.” Damon held up his large hands. “But that’s why I wear gloves and pummel guys who try to score on me. Talk about fun. Until you’ve gone toe to toe with some dickhead on ice, you don’t know what you’re missing.”
He suddenly glanced from Marlie to Jenna and flushed. “I, ah, I mean, fighting is a horrible pastime for grown men. Sports are all about being kind and sharing.”
Jenna laughed, and Marlie shook her head at him.
“Don’t worry about Coach,” Jenna told him. “She’s a terror on the court.”
“Ah, so that’s why we get along so well.”
Simon and Jenna stared from Marlie to Damon in understanding. Jenna smiled. “We have to go, Coach. Melly will be at practice, so don’t worry. She’s over the flu.”
“Thank God.” Marlie walked them to the door. “I’ll be here all week for office hours if you have more questions. Jenna, you good on your final?”
Jenna nodded. “I’m all set. See you, Damon. Oh, and Piper hasn’t had her babies yet.”
“I hope it’s an easy birth. But it being the West Wind’s twins, probably not.”
Simon snickered at that, saw Jenna glaring at him, and hastily wiped his mirth away. “See you later.”
The teens quickly departed and shut the door behind them.
“Am I interrupting?” Damon asked.
