Page 105 of For the Boys
“First of all, I live in Brooklyn, not actually NYC,” she said. “Which brings me to the next part of my plan. I’m going to move to Detroit.”
“You’re going to move here,” he said flatly.
“Yeah, B,” she said, exasperated. “That’s where our company is based, so it’s where I need to be. Then I can be available for the day-to-day and take some of the pressure off you. That way when you go on the road, you don’t have to be fielding calls and dealing with shit back home when you’re trying to focus on your next game.”
Brent dropped his chin to his chest, sucking in deep breaths through his nose. He scrubbed his hands through his hair and forced himself to breathe more slowly, considering.
To be fair, he had only gone to Michigan State to play hockey. The degrees were an exclamation point on a stellar career as a collegiate athlete. He had to admit having the degrees was a sort of security blanket for him, a safety net to catch him when his playing career was over.
Nate, the future surgeon, needed college and med school. He couldn’t be who he was meant to be without it.
Mackenzie had always been a wild card. As the youngest and only Jean sibling with two X chromosomes, it made sense to Brent that she would be the one to buck tradition.
“B?” she asked, bringing his attention back to her.
“Okay, Kenz,” he said. “What do you need from me?”
“What do I—” She stopped. “I’m sorry, you’re going along with this?”
“Look, despite that and the fact that you’re not even old enough to legally drink—”
“Only for another four months,” she said under her breath.
“—you’re an adult and can make your own decisions,” Brent continued, ignoring her interruption. “As your big brother, I’m here to guide you, not force you into things you don’t want. We’ve always told you that Nate and I are the exceptions to the rule. Turns out, you are too.”
She was silent for a moment, and then she said quietly, “I love you.”
He softened, heart squeezing, wishing he could give her a hug. “I love you too.”
“Soooo…Want to tell Mom and Dad for me?”
“Fuck no,” he said. He wasn’t touching that land mine with a one hundred foot pole. “Although I don’t think it’s going to go as bad as you think.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“What’s your timeline anyway?” he asked.
“I’m hoping to get out there by the end of February. I want to be settled for the spring launch.”
“Damn,” Brent said. “So soon.”
He could practically hear Mackenzie shrug. “Why wait?”
Brent snorted. “Why, indeed.”
After hanging up with his sister, Brent made calls to the owner of the gym where the previous FLEX photoshoot had taken place, the photographer, the hair and makeup teams, and Jack at Detroit Manufacturing, getting everything on the books for Wednesday.
Finally, he placed one last call, this time to his girlfriend.
“Miss me already?” Berkley said when she answered.
“Always,” he said honestly. “But actually, I need a favor.”
“What’s up?” Papers rustled in the background, and he could picture her at her desk studying. Her hair was probably piled on top of her head in that sexy bun she wore it in sometimes, glasses she swore she didn’t need perched on the tip of her nose, looking every bit the childhood version of his hottest student-teacher fantasy come to life…
“Brent!” Berkley said loudly, snapping him back to reality. “You needed a favor?”
Blinking, he marshalled his thoughts. “Right. A favor.”
