Page 40 of Rebel Secrets
“You’re not any trouble, Ian.Just leave already.I’ll see you when you get here.”
Another pause.“Thanks, Reb.I really… Yeah, I really appreciate this.”
“No problem.See you then.”
I hung up before the kid could start thanking me again.
Pop’s raised eyebrows asked the question.
“My roommate needs a place to stay for a while.”
My dad had been in the hockey business for more years than I’d been alive.And while he’d never played, he knew hockey players inside and out.They had their plans for the offseason set before the end of the season.
“How old?”
“Just turned twenty-two.”
“Can’t go home or doesn’t want to?”
I didn’t know much about Ian’s parents.He didn’t talk about them a lot, but I got the feeling there was some tension there.“Little of both, I think.”
Pop nodded, gaze sliding to the beds I’d been working on.His brain always had about five browser windows open at the same time.
“You better get that purslane outta there now or you’ll never get ahead of it.”He pointed at something in the garden bed before he paused for a second.“I don’t think this is the plus one your mom was hoping for.”
He said it so deadpan, it took a second for my brain to catch up.But when it did, I nearly choked on a laugh.
“Not sure he’s gonna be here that long, but, damn, Pop, you do have a sense of humor.”
“Only when it’s called for.”
We grinned at each other, knowing we were thinking the exact same thing.
Rowdy had inherited Pop’s ability to schmooze.Rain had inherited his business sense.Rocky… Well, Rocky seemed to have gotten more than his share of intelligence from both of our parents.
Pop and I were a lot alike when it came to what we considered funny.Most people thought we didn’t have a sense of humor.Totally untrue.Most people just never understood how dry it was.
“So, what’s up?”
Rowdy, Rain and I were used to Mom checking in randomly.We joked among ourselves that it was to make sure we hadn’t secretly moved away, but Pop had never made a habit of it.Which meant he had something on his mind now.
“You know your sister’s been on me about getting this youth program up and running, and with the wedding, we’re not going to be able to manage it this year.But I just got a call from the high school team’s coach.They always run a two-week camp in July at the arena, but he’s having surgery he didn’t expect, and the assistant coach’s wife is pregnant and due around that time.
“Coach asked if we had someone willing to the run the camp.A few of our guys usually volunteer for a day or two, but most of them have jobs over the summer and can’t take the time off.”Pop’s lips quirked.“And I wouldn’t trust most of them to run the camp by themselves.”
And since he was standing here, I knew who he was nominating to run the camp.
“Pop—”
“I think it’ll be good for you.”
I didn’t say anything else.I knew it wouldn’t do any good.Pop had made up his mind.It wasn’t open for debate.
“Camp doesn’t start ’til the week after the wedding.You can run drills with the kids with your eyes closed.”
Yeah, I could.And it would get my mind off?—
“You wanna tell me what you’ve got on your mind, son?”
