Rubbing my eyes, I feel the haze of sleep fade away. “It’s okay. I would rather we talk and spend the day together.”
That remark earns me a smirk. “If you don’t mind, I’m just going to spend the day with Bo. I want to make up for yesterday not being here, and Harlow suggested we meet for coffee.”
She’s avoiding me. It isn’t rocket science.
“Sure. Want me to get Bo dressed?”
Summer is already standing and zipping up her jeans. “It’s okay, he’s just in his crib playing around with his stuffed monkey.”
“That little dude can scare away all of his bad dreams.”
Her closed-mouth smile feels promising. “Doesn’t change the fact it’s a freaky little thing.”
She quickly leans down to give me a peck on the lips. “We can meet later.”
I grab her wrist before she can escape. “Are you avoiding me? Is that what this is?”
Her lips press together. “Maybe. I just want a little more time to clear my head, you know? Plus, you probably need it too.”
Reluctantly letting her wrist free, I don’t debate her. “Okay.”
The good news as she walks out the door is that she doesn’t seem to be as down as yesterday, but the bad news is that she still needs time.
My eyes drift to the drawer where somehow, I’ve occupied with my things in such a short period. Items in a drawer that hide a solution she doesn’t realize.
Shaking my head, I throw the sheet hanging around my waist off. I’ll head to the ice rink to wear off some tension. It’s been a week since the Dizzy Duck management meeting on the ice. Today, I just want to skate alone.
An hour later,I’m on the ice, but I don’t get my wish to be alone.
“Seriously, I thought Lori was going to throw her phone at me. She flipped out, and Lexi just watched like it was some reality show,” Holden explains as he slowly skates next to me.
I have to laugh. “Who the fuck tells their teenager that they’re in charge of taking the group of friends to the movie theater and that they are staying to chaperone? If I were her, I would have thrown a lot more. Let them be and make sure they’re home by eleven.”
We pass the puck gently between us with our sticks, well aware that there are a few other people on the ice, including a few kids. “Trust me, when you’re a dad, you’ll understand the protective overboard nature.” Holden immediately pauses when he realizes his choice of words. To be honest, I don’t even know how to interpret it. “I mean, it’s not that you’re not a da— You’re an uncle, but you’re…” He winces, as he must feel as though he is sinking into a melting pile of ice.
“It’s fine. I’m not even sure how to label this. Of course, I’m protective of Bo, I just need to figure out how to navigate the role without replacing a piece, you know? It’s one of the reasons why Summer has been freaking out lately. Not helped by my dad being a complete jackass.”
“That bad, huh?”
My head cocks to the side slightly, but I don’t need much time to evaluate. “A shitshow, to be honest. Summer went to visit her brother yesterday to escape. Now, we haven’t really spoken since the other day.” I lift the puck with my stick and begin to toss it in the air. “It doesn’t seem to be bad for me, but I’m not sure.”
“It will come around.” Holden gently touches my arm toprevent me from skating forward. “And hey, about the parent thing. Maybe slightly different, but Lexi treats my kids as her own. The parenting dynamic comes in different shapes but something feels as though it isn’t the greatest issue.”
I begin to skate in a circle around him. “It’s not. For fleeting moments, I remind myself that I’m a greedy asshole and should probably give Summer space, nor should I have led us down this path. I mean, what kind of brother am I? Stealing his wife after he’s barely been laid to rest. But then… everything indicates that I’m right where I should be. I’m already confident about that. I’ve just been waiting for Summer to catch up. I don’t want her with me for the wrong reasons. But my patience sometimes runs thin.”
“What’s the next step?”
“She wants to talk tonight. That’s a good thing, except… I might have something to make everything go away…” Because I’ve been hiding something from her all along.
Holden seems puzzled. “Be honest with her. Don’t do something stupid. I learned my lesson the hard way.” We skate toward the exit, and Holden groans. “Shit. Principal Johnson. How can I not escape that woman? Even when my kids are well behaved. She must be visiting her daughter who is back from college.”
I glance to my side. “You have horrible luck.”
Then he gets a devious look on his face. “Nah, I think it will change. I’m saying hi then mentioning that you’re sticking around and that you two should chat.” He winks at me before skating off, not giving me a chance to protest.
I smile tightly when Principal Johnson approaches the exit of the ice, ready to pounce with her over-the-top grimace. “What a lovely surprise. I’ve mentioned that Lake Spark Academy is…”
What the hell, I have some time to kill. I might as well humor everyone for the next thirty minutes.
