Page 1 of Stick Games
1
Gabe
Three Years Ago:
* * *
“I’m going to kick his fucking ass.” I still can’t believe Millie, my best friend’s kid sister, got dumped the day of her prom. I crack my knuckles as rage fires the blood in my veins.
My best friend, Ryder, puts his hand on my shoulder and shakes his head. “No, you’re not kicking anyone’s ass.”
“The douche bag at least deserves a black eye. Tell me I can do that much.”
“You just made first line, dude. You can’t do anything to fuck up your career with the Bucks.” I open my mouth to protest, but he cuts me off. “Come on, Gabe. You don’t need the bad publicity. Just take her to the prom, dance with her, and then bring her home.” He nods toward my closet. “Now, get into your suit and let’s go tell Emilia the plan.”
He’s right, and when it comes to making my name on the team and maintaining my position, he has my best interests at heart. Unlike me, Ryder went straight to first line playing for the Los Angeles Hawks, and I’m so fucking proud of him. We might be friends, but he’s more like a brother to me, which is why every summer break we both head home to Minnesota to spend a couple of weeks together.
I pull open my closet and take out the suit I wore to my prom years ago, before I headed off to Boston. Will it even fit me? I’ve been working out hard since I last wore it.
I pull it out and examine it. It held up well, but… “I don’t think this is even going to fit me.” I glance at Ryder, who was always a little bigger than me. “Do you still have yours?”
“Yeah, if yours doesn’t fit, you can wear mine.”
I toss my suit onto my bed and scrub my face, not at all sure about any of this. “Are you sure Millie is going to want this?” Honestly, I don’t even think Millie likes me anymore. We used to always get along, until she blossomed into a beautiful young woman in her high school years. As a figure skater going to the Olympics this year, we shared the ice at our local rink, and yes, I noticed her a lot. But I certainly wasn’t going to do anything about it. Not only is she younger than me, she’s my best friend’s kid sister, and she has a career to focus on.
When I came home in the summer and we shared ice time, I’m pretty sure she watched me as much as I watched her. Hell, the chemistry between us was so hot and volatile, I was sure it was going to melt the ice.
What did I do about that?
Nothing.
Not a goddamn thing.
Okay, maybe that’s not entirely true. I did avoid her, going out of my way to keep a measure of distance. A relationship with me, the drama and conflict it would have caused with her brother and family, was the last thing she needed while getting ready to compete on the world stage. My only choice was to ignore her. Living in Boston became a blessing because I don’t have to see her every day.
At least not in my waking hours. My dreams? Well, that’s something else entirely.
Honestly, I miss her. Miss the carefree days of our youth when she was easygoing and liked to laugh. I also miss her birthdays when we all used to play the ‘yes’ game. I grin as I think about it. She loved to boss Ryder and me around, and because it was her ‘yes’ day, we had to do whatever she wanted us to. But it was all child’s play, like doing dishes or her chores. Although that one time she did enjoy making me carry her around on my shoulders all day.
I tug the jacket off the hanger and pull it on. “Maybe you should go run this by her before I show up in a suit.”
“She’s at home in her room, hell bent on staying there for the night. She’s embarrassed, Gabe, and if she has time to think about it, she’s just going to say no. If you show up dressed, I have no doubt she’ll warm to the idea of going to her prom with a famous NHL superstar, and rubbing that in the douche bag’s face.”
“I guess you know her better than I do.” I step up to my mirror and examine the suit. It’s a bit tighter than it used to be, but I think it will do. “What do you think?” I turn to face Ryder and hold out my arms.
His face softens, and while he’s a tough defenseman playing for Los Angeles, there isn’t a thing this man wouldn’t do for his sister or his friends. “I really appreciate this, Gabe.”
I nod. “You owe me.” It’s a joke and he knows it, but it’s all I can do in the face of his emotions. Hell, I care about his sister too. More than I ever want him to know, so being a smart ass is the only way I know how to mask that.
His phone pings and he pulls it from his pocket. “Okay, get dressed. We need to get a move on it.”
“Shit, I need a corsage for her.”
He tosses me a fast grin. “Already thought of it.”
“Of course you did.” I shake my head as he slides his finger across his phone and I can’t help but wonder who he’s hooking up with tonight while I take his sister to her prom. It’s going to be torturous, but I’d never tell him that.
Ryder Sullivan and I have known each other our whole lives and when one of us needs a favor, the other always steps up. Heck, his place is only two doors down from mine, and while we’d been hoping to be on the same team, we ended up on opposite sides of the country. It’s a hell of a lot of fun playing against each other, though. He actually plays with his cousin Jensen Bang, who also grew up in Minnesota. I play with Tanner Bang, another one of his cousins. There are five brothers in that family all playing in the NHL, and one sister who is a skating coach, so it’s hard not to play with, or against them.
