Page 106 of For the Boys
He quickly detailed his conversation with Mackenzie to her.
“She’s flying in this week, and I’m hoping you’ll help entertain her…”
“I would love to!” Berkley said. “So she’s planning on moving here. Do I need to help her search for an apartment?”
Normally, Brent would never have asked that of her. But since she’d offered… “That would actually be extremely helpful,” he said, relieved. He loved his sister, but the thought of helping her apartment hunt sounded miserable. “I’ll give the team realtor a call and have her start pulling some listings.”
“You should probably find out what she’s looking for first.”
“Looking for?” Brent asked dumbly.
“Yes, Brent,” Berkley said with a sigh. “Not all apartments are created equal. There are a million things to consider. Location, price, building amenities, parking…” She rambled on, and Brent zoned out, gaze zeroing in on his wall calendar that broke his schedule down month by month. Two weeks from now, Friday through Sunday were blacked out, no NHL games scheduled.
All-Star Weekend.
“Okay,” he said, cutting Berkley off in the middle of an explanation on the benefits of gas heat versus electric. “How about this? You call Mackenzie, put together a list of her must-haves with her, and send it to me? Then I’ll pass it on to the realtor.”
“Deal. Send me her contact info.”
Brent did as she asked, already focused on his next phone call and the plans he wanted to make.
“Okay, thank you! Bye, babe!” Berkley said and hung up.
Brent dialed as soon as the line was free, leaning back in his office chair while it rang. He placed his hands behind his head, stretching his neck side to side, and sat forward again just as the person on the other end picked up.
“This is Brent Jean calling,” he said. “I was hoping you could help me out.”
Chapter Twenty
Berkley
February dawned, bringing with it a snowstorm that blanketed the entire city in a foot of powder almost overnight. Hardly anyone left the safety and comfort of their homes, the plow trucks were working overtime, and Berkley spent two long days cooped up in her apartment.
When the storm finally broke, the first thing Berkley did was take a walk through the winter wonderland the streets had become. The boughs of trees strained under the weight of the snow they were carrying, and the air smelled fresh and clean. Berkley loved the way her feet crunched over the slick ground. It made her want to go ice skating.
Her classes Tuesday morning were cancelled, affording her several uninterrupted hours of studying. She woke early and cracked open her Bar study guides and textbooks, determined to make up for the time she’d lost in Brent’s arms over the weekend.
At noon she broke for lunch and used the time to call Mackenzie.
“Hello?” Mackenzie said. Her voice was a much more feminine version of her brother’s but with an East Coast lilt to it.
“Hi, Mackenzie, this is Berkley Daniels,” she said. “Brent’s girlfriend,” she added dumbly.
Mackenzie giggled. “Oh my God. I can’t believe B has a girlfriend and that I’m actually speaking with her.”
“Trust me,” Berkley said, “no one is more surprised than me that I’m Brent Jean’s girlfriend.”
Mackenzie made a dreamy sighing sound. “The way you say his name is just adorable. As his sister, I’m personally very happy he finally found a nice, normal girl. No offense,” she added quickly.
Berkley laughed, unaware she’d said Brent’s name any particular way. “None taken. But hey, the reason I’m calling is because Brent told me you’re planning on moving here, which I think is amazing by the way. You’re going to love Detroit. Anyway, we wanted to help you with your apartment search.”
“And by ‘we,’” Mackenzie said, “you meanyouoffered to help, right? I’m going to guess Brent didn’t even consider giving me a hand finding somewhere to live.”
Berkley grinned. She liked this girl already. “You know your brother so well. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. B has a lot of other things to worry about, namely his career. Plus, it gives you and me the chance to get to know each other.”
“Exactly,” Berkley said. “So tell me what you’re looking for in a place.”
