Page 46 of For the Win

ARYA

“I’msorry you’re going through this.”

Harrison turns to face me more directly.“Thanks.I shouldn’t have dumped it on you.”

Truthfully, I kind of like it that he did.“I don’t mind.Talking can be helpful.”

“It was.So thanks.Should we head back?”

“Okay.”

We rise and stroll back the way we came.

“Do you have brothers and sisters?”he asks me.

“I do.I have an older sister, Grace.She’s married and still lives in Fargo.I miss her.”

“Yeah.”

“And I miss my dog sister.”

“Dog sister?”He grins.“You mean Roxy?”

“Yeah.”I smile too.“She’s so funny.And you have a brother you mentioned, and Everly...and another brother?”

“Yes.Noah.He’s younger.He plays hockey in San Diego.”

“And your nephews...they both play hockey?”

“Not exactly.JP—who you met—plays for the Golden Eagles.Théo used to play, but now he’s the general manager of the Condors.”

“Huh.He’s your boss?”

“Yep.”

“Couldn’t he just give you a permanent gig on the team?”

He laughs.“He could.But he won’t, unless I deserve it.”

“Harsh.”I pause.“I’m teasing.I’m not really a proponent of nepotism.”

“I get it.But our family has been involved in hockey forever—my dad played too, way back.Nobody ever got ahead because of our name.And none of us would want that.”

“That’s really...admirable.”

Christ on a cracker.I’m liking this man—and his family—more and more.“What did you mean when you say they’re messed up, though?”

“Long story.My dad remarried not that long after his first wife died.My mom’s twenty years younger than him.That caused some bad feelings for Mark and Matthew—his sons from his first marriage.They’ve never liked my mom.”

“Oh no.That must be hard.”

“Yeah.I wasn’t totally aware of it all when I was a kid, but as I got older I clued in.That caused tension between all of us, for a long time.Then...well, I might as well tell you, it’s not secret.The media had a feeding frenzy when it happened.My dad apparently borrowed money from Mark and Matthew, from the trust fund they inherited from their mom.He was supposed to pay it back and he hasn’t, and now they’re suing him.”

“Oh my God.Okay, yeah, that could cause some family drama.”

“You have no idea.”But he smiles.

“Do you think...his Alzheimer’s has something to do with that?”I ask hesitantly.

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