I return the nod wondering why I suddenly feel so exposed. I’ve got thirty years and a foot and a half of height on this kid. Why do I always feel intimidated in his presence? It doesn’t help that I’m in sweats and a T-shirt, not my usual armour of a well-tailored suit.
“The Coles got themselves in a lot of trouble last week.” I’m not surprised he saw the coverage of the brawl.
“They certainly did,” I agree, shaking my head. Cole Cassidy and Cole Sharkey are our rookies this season. They’re decent kids, but still a bit wet behind the ears. The media loves them and the ride or die bond they’ve formed. They are known throughout the league as “The Coles.”
Sam looks around the corner quickly before turning backto me. “What did Sharkey say to that Pittsburgh defenceman? I’m terrible at reading lips and Ben wouldn’t tell me.”
“Nothing that I can repeat in front of a minor.” Hell, what my forward said to the other player is almost foul enough to make a heartless geezer like me blush.
“Figured. How’s the session going?” Sam strikes me as an observant kid, and I can tell from the way he asks the question he already knows the answer.
“Fine,” I lie, feeling bad immediately. Lying to the child, lying to his mother. Maybe I can find some orphans or widows to lie to on the way home. “I had a busy week. Didn’t exactly follow your mom’s plan as closely as I should have.”
He nods, almost sage-like. “Been there. One great thing about my mom? She never expects you to be perfect. She just expects you to try.”
“That right?”
“Yep. When I mess up, I just say I’m sorry and that I’ll try harder next time.”
“Interesting. Anything else I should know about your mom?”
He thinks about this. “She’s allergic to pollen. So don’t buy her flowers. Almost every kind makes her sneeze.”
It’s not like I was planning on buying Elliot flowers, but I store the information away anyway.
“It makes her sad, because she loves flowers. Sometimes she buys them and just accepts the rapid-fire sneezing.” A conspiratorial smile stretches across his face. “But her sneezes are hilarious. She sounds like a cartoon character. So her sneezing fits usually trigger laugh attacks.”
I actually chuckle at that, the sound raw and unfamiliar to my own ears. Sam laughs too.
“What’s so funny?” Elliot’s eyebrows are raised as she looks between her son and me, both still shaking a little with laughter.
“Hockey,” Sam answers, and I silently corroborate his story with a nod.
His mom’s gaze shoots to me. “Please tell me you did not tell him what Cole One said to that poor Pittsburgh player.”
I arch a brow at her. “Cole One?”
It’s Sam who answers. “She calls them Cole One and Cole Two because they remind her of the Things inThe Cat in the Hat.”
“Ah. I haven’t read that one.”
“Seriously?” Sam asks. “Mom knows it by heart.”
“Only because you begged me to read it every night for years.” Her hand playfully ruffles his hair.
He rolls his eyes before changing the subject. “Can I have a cookie?”
“The fresh ones aren’t iced yet, but there are a few leftovers from the baby shower order from yesterday.”
“Sweet,” he says, stepping out of her reach. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Stetson.”
“You too, kid.”
Sam disappears down the hallway, leaving Elliot and I once again alone. The irritable tension from earlier seems to be gone as well. Now we’re just two people who don’t quite know what to say to one another.
“He seems like a great kid,” I tell her, meaning it.
She smiles warmly at that. “I think he’s the best kid ever. But I might be slightly biased.”
