Page 20 of Stick Play

Her warm chuckle curls around me as she pours syrup onto her pancake and slides the fork into her mouth, and for the first time in my life, I’m jealous of a fork.

“Where should I take them sledding?” I ask, working to get my focus on something else.

“Boston Common. My car has all the booster seats so you should take that. Also, there’s a spare house key for you. It’s in that drawer.”

I open the drawer and fish out a key with a dolphin keychain. “I didn’t know you were into dolphins.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” As I examine it, she explains. “A friend at the hospital where I worked gave it to me. She knew I liked dolphins. Someday I’d like to swim with them in the wild.”

I never stopped to think about her life back in California. “Do you miss nursing, and your friends?”

She shrugs. “Sometimes, but I have a new life here.” I’m about to ask if she ever considered going back, when there’s a knock at the door. “Who the heck could be here so early in the morning?”

“Want me to get it?” She nods, and I set my coffee cup down and walk to the door just off the kitchen. A pretty girl, who looks to be in her early twenties, is standing there, a Boston Bucks jersey in her hands. That’s when I realize she must be Margot’s granddaughter.

I open the door. “You must be Callie.” She nods quickly. “Your grandmother said she’d send you over when she saw my vehicle. I had to stay the night because of the weather,” I say, not wanting to give her the wrong idea—or rather the right idea. Gina wants to keep what’s happening between us a secret and I don’t need anyone starting rumors.

“Getting here from the airport last night was scary.” She holds her hand out to me. “It’s so nice to meet you, Ash. I’m a huge fan.” I shake her hand. “Grandma said that was your truck on the road, and I wanted to come over early and catch you before you left.”

“I’ll be here this weekend. I’m helping Gina with the kids so Margot can spend time with you and your mom.”

“Nice of you.” She steps a bit closer to me. “My mother and grandmother will be doing old lady mother things. I’m not much into that.”

Old lady mother things?

She must read the question in my eyes as she goes on to explain, “You know, like bingo, shuffleboard. Cards. I’m so not into that, and I’m sure you’re not either so what I’m suggesting is, in the evenings, if you’re free, maybe you could show me some not old lady mother things.” She laughs and I turn at the sound of footsteps to find Gina coming up behind me.

“Gina, this is Callie, Margot’s granddaughter.”

“It’s great to meet you, Callie. Your grandmother is really looking forward to spending the week with you.”

“I’m thinking that might not happen.” She grins at me, before turning her attention to Gina. “Oh, it’s nice to meet you too. I heard all about you and your daughter Zoe.”

There’s a strange almost astounded look on Gina’s face, and I don’t get what’s going through her head until she speaks.

“You must be freezing.”

I quickly realize Callie’s dressed only in a tight, long-sleeved T-shirt and equally tight jeans, with sneakers. “I plan to put the jersey on after Ash signs it.” She tugs on her T-shirt, the one she’s wearing, exposing quite a bit of cleavage and I pray to fucking God she doesn’t want me to sign her breasts. Yes, we’re often asked, and no, I no longer do that. Even if I did, I think it would be highly inappropriate under the circumstance and I’m not just talking about Zoe coming down the hall to see who’s at the door.

“Hi,” Zoe says.

Callie forces a smile and steps back a bit, sort of the same way I greeted Zoe the first time she bombarded me with questions. I guess she must be afraid of kids too. “You must be Zoe.”

Zoe nods and Gina pulls her close, telling her exactly who Callie is as Callie produces a marker. I’m about to take it from her when she reaches for my arm and puts her phone number on it. “Uh, thanks,” I say for lack of anything else. She hands me the marker and I quickly sign my name to the back of her jersey.

“What are you doing, Ash?” Zoe asks.

“I’m signing my jersey for Callie.”

Just then Camryn and Tate come down the hall. “We wear our dad’s jersey to the games,” Camryn tells everyone.

Zoe glances up at Gina with hopeful eyes. “Mommy, can I get a jersey and wear it to a game?”

Camryn, being helpful, suggests, “I can probably get you one of Dad’s. Or maybe Uncle Ash can give you one of his.”

“Can I, Mommy?” She starts hopping from one foot to the other and I note Gina’s unease. I’ve only ever seen Gina at the rink once, when she came with Melanie. I’m pretty sure hockey isn’t her thing, but I’m sensing her unease is about something else entirely. “Can I?”

She pulls her daughter against her body. “We’ll see, honey.”

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