Page 3 of Spencer and the Younger Girl
The girl brushed bangs out of her face and surveyed him for a moment longer. With a shake of her head, she walked away to join her friend.
Spencer pushed the rude girl from his mind as he stepped up to the counter and ordered a Root Beer, a drink he’d missed over the last few months spent in Australia.
Sipping it, he sighed. Yeah, there were some things being home was good for. Like the food. He’d dreamed about his mom’s cooking—not like she was inclined to cook anything for him at the moment.
Climbing the steps into the stands, he rejoined his parents. They both looked at him like they didn’t know what to say.
Well, join the club.
“This place doesn’t change.” He scanned the rink from the ice to the rafters. When he was a sophomore, an ex-NHL player bought it and revamped the entire arena. Since then, it remained the same, a central part of the Gulf City social scene. “How is the team this year?” Years ago, the high school team was unbeatable. He’d had a few hockey-playing friends and their talent was unreal.
His parents shared a look.
“What?” Spencer scanned the faces down on the ice as they went through their warm-ups. He recognized a few guys like Jesse Carrigan and Roman Sullivan who’d been underclassmen when he graduated.
His dad leaned back in his seat. “They didn’t win a game for the first half of the season.”
Spencer cringed for his brother, knowing how much that would have bothered the perfectionist he was. “And now?”
“Well, they brought in a ringer, and she’s changed everything for them.”
“She?”
His mom broke her silence. “This girl came in and took your brother’s spot on the first line.”
“Dear, she earned it.”
“But it was his spot.” His mom had always been protective of her children.
His dad was the realist in the family. He laughed. “Don’t you worry, darlin’. With all these seniors graduating, Damien will lead next year’s team.”
Spencer found his brother down on the ice and thought of the last email he’d sent him. It was part of the reason he’d jumped on a plane so last minute, leaving his life of few cares behind in Australia.
Spence,
I’m so confused. I just wish it was easy for me, that I could know who I am and be done with it.
There was a lot more, but that line got to him. Damien always claimed he hadn’t told his parents they emailed weekly. Spencer didn’t know why he couldn’t call home. Maybe he was afraid of hearing their disappointment, or maybe he missed them too much.
Either way, he’d been a coward and knew he hurt them.
But Damien… no, he couldn’t hurt his brother.
The game started and Spencer tracked his brother’s every move. When he shot on net, he pictured him practicing against a target Spencer drew on the side of the barn.
When he sped down the ice, Spencer imagined the two of them racing across the pastures.
He wasn’t ready to come home, not yet, but when his brother needed him, there was nowhere else he’d rather be.
Damien scored the tying goal in the third before the girl Spencer’s mom mentioned won it for them in the final seconds. A smile stretched across Spencer’s face, not because he was a Gulf City Hurricane fan, but because he was a Damien Lee fan.
Always would be.
He followed the crowd out into the concourse.
“Spence?”
He cringed at the sound of that voice. His mom turned before he did. “Victoria.” Her voice lightened. “What a wonderful surprise.”
