Yeah. This must be it. I run into the main building and decide to focus on making this team.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
COLSEN
One would think that getting the biggest party boy I’ve ever met to go out to a club on his birthday would be an easy task.
But since the day Baety invaded Tucker’s duffel bag, and we brought her back home from the vet, Tucker has morphed into a doting, overly anxious mama duck.
Or Motherducker, like Mack, Nash, and I renamed him.
Tonight is no exception. Tucker almost bailed twice on us, trying to convince us to order takeout and stay in instead of going out. The only reason why he didn’t is that Taryn insisted.
Without her help, I would have had to explain to a furious Talia why the guest of honor of the surprise party she’s been organizing for over a week decided to stay home in his sweatpants.
“I’m sorry,” I ask as my knees hit the glove box of Taryn’s Volkswagen Beetle for the umpteenth time since we all crammed into her car. “Is there a reason why we’re going in the smallest car we have between us rather than taking my SUV or Tucker’struck? Not to be rude, but this is gonna look like a clown car when we’re gonna try to get out.”
Taryn giggles as she turns into the parking lot adjacent to the pier. “Because I figured that if you guys wanted to have a drink with the birthday boy, I could drive.”
“You could have driven one of our cars, or we could have booked a ride.” I pull on the seatbelt that’s practically cutting my air supply. This car isn’t made for people over six feet two.”
“I’m more comfortable in my own car.” Taryn objects. “I’ve never driven a truck or an SUV.”
“I agree with Col,” Mack chimes in from the back seat. “On the way back, I’m riding shotgun, you’ve all been warned.”
Tucker’s knees are digging into my back. “I’m sorry, but whose birthday are we out to celebrate? If anyone should be getting to ride shotgun, both ways, it’s me.”
“Well, fuck.” I laugh. “You snooze, you lose, buddy. Besides, you’re being rude. You’ve been on your phone since the second we stepped foot out of our apartment.”
Tucker surges forward, his arm sneaking around the seat so he can shove his phone right in front of my eyes. “I’m not being rude. I’m just making sure Baety is ok. Look, see? She’s sleeping.”
Sure enough, the screen shows Baety’s playpen where the duckling has wrapped herself in another pair of Tucker’s underwear.
“Seriously? A baby monitor?” I gawk.
Tucker slaps my shoulder with his free hand. “No, not a monitor, dipshit. A camera. I can control the app through my phone. I couldn’t come out unless I knew Baety was ok.”
He’s fucking hopeless. “Is she getting bigger?” I muse when the duck wakes up with a shake of her fluffy feathers.
“Yeah, I think she is.” Tucker’s smile is brimming with pride. “She really likes her pellets, and the vet said I could give herpeas. Those were a hit. Baby ducklings grow pretty fast, by the way. Very soon she won’t look like a baby anymore.”
“Ok, we’re here.” Taryn parks the car and gets out.
It takes me, Tucker, and Mack a few beats to detangle ourselves out of her tiny car.
“It’s a shame Nash didn’t want to join us,” Tucker muses. “I asked him, but he said he was busy. He was very curt, too.”
In reality, Nash is waiting inside the club with Talia, the rest of our teammates, and almost the whole group of cheerleaders. “People get busy and tired during summer training. You know how it is.”
“That’s right.” Tucker grunts at my comment. “I tried to ask a couple more of our teammates, and everyone was tired or busy or whatever. So I gave up. It’s the curse of being a summer baby.”
“A curse? I was born in December, and it was always too cold to do anything cool. My dad used to play for Vancouver when I was little, and it sucked big time to be stuck indoors.” Mack gripes.
Tucker, however, won’t be one upped. “Yeah? Try being born during school holidays. I could never have a birthday party that wasn’t just my siblings and extended family. All my school friends were always out of town. Even my hockey friends since it’s the offseason. And this is a tourist town, it’s beyond me why people would leave. The ones who didn’t were usually busy working because it’s high season. So I never had a decent party.”
Taryn and I exchange a smile. Tucker thinks we’re going to eat dinner at Morelli’s, that’s further down at the end of the marina. He has no idea that he’s being punked.
