“Careful,” he said. “You’re gonna throw your back out. I asked for help getting all the gear packed up, not a free trip to the emergency room in the back of an ambulance.”
“You’re hilarious,” I shot back, but I couldn’t help grinning.
It was hard work, packing up everything the teams would need for their away game this weekend, but it was also good. Moving around in a space that smelled like ice and sweat, the silence filled with the easy rhythm of work that still came like second nature.
Gage chuckled. “Why, thank you. Iamhilarious, but I’m also serious. Don’t hurt yourself. Our insurance won’t cover you if you injure yourself on duty.”
“Yours might not, but mine will,” I said without even really thinking about it, but then I found myself wondering about Maisie and Brody.
That had been happening a lot in the past few days. No matter what I was doing, my brain somehow found a way to connect whatever was going on to them.Do they have health insurance? Is it any good? Will she let me add them to my plan?
Somehow, I doubted she would, but I moved the questions to the mental list I’d been making to bring up when I saw her again. In the meantime, Gage and I had fallen into step, packing up tape, jerseys, and pads, and neatly adding them to the team bags open on the benches.
“Has she told him yet?” he asked, as if he could tell by whatever look I had on my face that I was thinking about Brody and Maisie again. “Part of me really hopes not. We can’t afford for him to be distracted this weekend.”
I didn’t need to ask who or what he was talking about. “I’m not sure, but last I heard, she hadn’t told him. She said she wasn’t sure how to do it, and I get it. It seems like one of those conversations that can go sideways fast.”
Shoving another helmet into a bag, he looked over at me, dark eyes blinking like he was suddenly confused. “Sideways? Why?”
“Uh, I don’t know. How about the fact that he’s a seven-year-old about to be told that his mom’s friend, who he didn’t know two weeks ago, is about to become his stepdad? Is that enough of a reason to be cautious?”
Gage straightened up and leaned a shoulder against the locker beside him. “If it was any other seven-year-old, then sure. I might’ve been worried about a bad reaction, but not Brody.”
“Why not?” I arched an eyebrow as I grabbed another roll of tape and tucked it into a side pocket. “He might be tall and maybe he’s a little wise for his age, but he’s still only seven. That’s really young. Plus, you just said you couldn’t afford for him to be distracted.”
“Sure, but Brody is a real guys’ guy. The kid loves men. Especially men who love sports. Trust me, man, he’s not going to flip out or hate you for stepping up. I meant distracted in a good way, like being excited about you moving in and being around them twenty-four-seven.”
I let out a dry laugh, but I couldn’t help it. I was actually really nervous about how this was all going to go down with him. “You sound awfully confident about that.”
“Because Iknowhim,” Gage said as if it was the simplest thing ever. “You’ve seen how he is with the older boys. He’s thriving with them, keeping up with every drill and every scrimmage, and they’re just kids who are a year older than him. Can you imagine how much more he’s going to thrive if there’s an actual man in his life he can look up to?”
I didn’t say anything, but it turned out Gage wasn’t done yet anyhow. “Hell, you’re the one who decided we were bumping him up, remember? I told you Maisie wasn’t sure about it and you saw him play, what, one time before you realized it was the right thing for him? You’re going to be good for him and I think he knows that.”
He wasn’t wrong. I’d been proud as hell when the kid didn’t just keep pace, but fit in like he belonged out there with those older boys. Still, skating alongside kids a little older than you and finding out your mom’s friend is about to be your stepdad wasn’t the same thing.
“Maybe,” I said finally, tugging the zipper closed on the gear bag. “I just don’t want to screw this up. Not with them.”
“Then don’t fuck it up. But trust me, Cal, he’s going to take it better than you think.” Gage clapped me on the back before bending over to zip up another packed bag. “Have a little faith in him. He deserves it.”
I let out a long, slow breath, wondering how other people dealt with being nervous every damn day of their lives. Gage dida quick count of whatever was in the bag open in front of him, then glanced over at me.
“Why don’t come with us this weekend?”
“What?”
“You heard me,” he said, still peering into the bag as if he wasn’t entirely sure it was ready to be zipped up. Despite his distraction, however, his voice was firm and confident. “Come with us. It’s only a three-hour drive and this is a big game for Brody. It’ll be his first game on the ice with these boys. I bet it wouldn’t hurt for him to see you there.”
“You want me to go away with you and the team for the weekend?” I repeated dumbly. “Me?”
“Yep.” He grinned and brushed his palms off on his jeans after finally zipping up the bag. “Why not, right? It’ll be fun and you’d get to see him in action. Maisie is coming too, so you’d be able to spend some time with her and I could use an extra pair of hands.”
I narrowed my eyes, suspicion suddenly creeping through me. “What do you need more hands for?”
“Away games are like herding cats for us as coaches. The players’ parents don’t all make the trip, so it’s a handful keeping track of ‘em. No one will question my reasons for inviting you and it’ll mean a lot to Brody if you’re there.”
Now that he’d laid it all out for me, the idea of being there for Brody felt a lot more solid than I would’ve expected. My mom would give me hell for missing another family dinner, but I was sure she would understand if I explained the circumstances.
Either way, the truth was that I’d rather be with Maisie. If I had the opportunity to show up for Brody at the same time, it just made the thought that much sweeter.
