“What’s the deal with the fish?” Tyler asked, wanting to steer the conversation away from Jamie’s obvious discomfort.
“We’re going to let Sully take this one,” Mitch said, grinning across the table.
Tyler looked to Jamie for an explanation. He rolled his eyes, letting out a loud sigh. “It took me about three years of being on the team before I could pronounce the full name.” He pulled out his phone, scooting closer to Tyler’s chair. “Here, check this out.”
A hard thigh pressed against his leg for a second, only to quickly retreat. Tyler sat there, in a bit of a daze, as Jamie’s body heat warmed his left side. His breaths were shallow in his chest, every part of him hyperaware of the man sitting next to him.
Physical intimacy had always been easy for Tyler, a way to form connections with other humans. Before Rowan, he had regularly found himself in the arms of strangers–dancing during concerts, or sharing kisses or touches without a second thought.
Now, with Jamie beside him, he was hesitant. Nervous, even.
He looked down at Jamie’s phone. There was a picture of a man holding a fish that had to be at least four feet long. “Holy shit,” Tyler whispered.
Jamie let out a soft, gentle laugh that had absolutely no place coming from a man Jamie’s size. “Muskie is short for muskellunge. It’s the largest member of the pike family, found in freshwater lakes in the Northern U.S.”
Tyler couldn’t help the grin that spread. “That is a mouthful.”
Jamie’s smile grew. It was an overly large smile, one nobody in their right mind would classify as attractive. But on this man, on his particular face, Tyler thought it was beautiful.
Jamie’s eyes lifted at that moment, catching Tyler’s stare. It was a quiet moment, nothing remarkable about it except for the way Tyler’s entire body stilled, waiting, anticipatingsomething.
He couldn’t breathe.
There was nothing butgreenandmossandthat fucking mustache.Nothing butgod I think I want something, someone just for me, for the first time since becoming a father.
“You guys should come check out a game sometime.” Mitch’s voice rang out, too loud across the table. Tyler glanced over, catching the pleased smiles on his and Layla’s faces.
He felt Jamie shift beside him, felt the slide of his arm across his back as he scooted his chair away. The room felt colder now, and Tyler had to suppress a shiver.
“I, um.” Jamie cleared his throat. “I’d be happy to get you some tickets.”
“You don’t have to,” Tyler rushed to say. He didn’t want Jamie doing things out of obligation.
“We get tickets for family and friends all the time,” Jamie said, and there was a glimpse of that smile again. “Think about it?”
Tyler opened his mouth to respond.
“Papa!” Rowan jogged over to the table. “Potty?”
“Down the hall on the left,” Layla said, pointing.
Tyler ushered Rowan down the hall, helping him use the step stool conveniently positioned by the toilet. As they washed his tiny hands, Rowan looked up at him. “These kids are good at playing.”
Tyler smiled at his son. “I’m so glad to hear it, bud.”
“Areyouhaving fun, Papa?”
“I am,” he replied, and he realized, meeting his son’s trusting, brave, blue eyes in the mirror, that it was the truth.
CHAPTER 7
JAMIE
THE PEOPLE’S CAPTAIN
The Daily Grind was busy, a winding line filling the front of the coffee shop. Jamie let the door close behind him, scanning the room. The team was on the road–a short trip down to play St. Louis–and while Jamie had begged to go, he’d been reminded that he had an appointment with a local specialist the team doctors had found. After doing his rehab on his hand and getting some cardio in at the practice rink, Jamie had gotten tired of pacing his house.
It was easy to pick Aaron Sharpe out of the crowd. He was as tall as Jamie, with dark brown hair he’d grown out since his retirement. It was long enough that sometimes, like now, he pulled it back in a little bun at the back of his head.Stupid bastard could pull anything off and still look good.
