Page 145 of My Brother's Enemy
“I’m taking all of June off for hockey and training camps start mid-July, but I’ll check in with him and his team after the holiday. Touch base. We’ll go from there.”
“Are you excited to return to the NFL?”
My client had been in the first round pick for the NFL draft and he went to a team that was trying to do a rebuild. I finished my season with the Grays and agreed to help their minor league team the following year. A tier one Juniors team also asked for me to consult. I’d enjoyed going between the two. There was a different air to both levels of hockey. Freeing. Less pressure. It was contagious as soon as I walked into each arenas. But this year I got an offer to return to American football and I couldn’t pass it up.
“I am, actually. It’ll be a nice change, but I think I’ll be going back and forth between the two sports for the foreseeable future.”
“As long as it makes you happy.”
“It does.”
Mal dropped me off outside of the house I shared with Tyler. I walked in, he was yelling at the television. He’d been watching my brother’s team in their round of the playoffs, but tonight I was grateful he hadn’t invited half the team to watch with him.
They’d taken to just showing up as well, at all hours of the day and night.
“COME ON, YOU’RE FUCKING BLIND! These refs!” Tyler was on his feet, yelling at the screen as if the referees could hear him. “Connors completely high-sticked Nolan first. It was right in front of you. How did you not see it?”
I waited a beat, but the call stayed. New York took a penalty and my brother swept past the seats, hitting the partition where two fans quickly shoved their signs in his face.
One read,
You get your skating skills from your daughter. Not the other way around.
I grinned at seeing Skylar make a face at Dane.
The second sign read,
Your wife plays better than you do.
Eric was holding that one up.
The announcers were laughing and talking about the connection from Skylar, to Tyler, to me, to Dane and how it was full circle when the penalty call was against Tyler’s best friend. What the announcers didn’t know was that the whole reason Skylar was in New York for this game was because she and Nolanhad started to see each other. That was fullfullcircle, in my opinion.
Tyler was still ranting about the call so I commented, “Yelling at the television didn’t work, huh?”
Tyler and Dane’s relationship had gotten somewhat better. As had mine, but they still had a healthy dose of hatred for each other when it came to all things hockey. It was a work in progress that was at a standstill.
Tyler whipped around, a smile breaking out over his face. “You think your brother would invent some technology where we could make that happen. Your nice brother. Not your dickish brother who is not winning this game against New York.”
“Is that how it works? You say it and therefore it happens.”
He came over to me and wrapped his arms around me, lifting me up for a kiss. I was expecting a small lift, but Tyler had a different thought. He hoisted me all the way up so I wrapped my legs around his waist, and as he kissed me, he walked back to the couches. Sinking down, he kept me on his lap and patted my thigh. “You can stay right here. You will make watching this game bearable if you’re within groping distance.”
I wasn’t about to argue so I settled against his chest and watched the rest of the game in his arms.
Boston won, and with that last win, they were going to the next round where the winner would get the championship trophy.
Tyler was grumbling about the game, but I moved to the side and tilted my head to see him better. “How are you feeling about that?”
He growled.
“Are you ready to go against Boston for the Cup? Funny how that worked out this year.”
It was the first year they were going. I was doubtful it’d be their last.
“My old team couldn’t do their job, so my new team will. It’s everyone’s job to beat your brothers. I will take pleasure in doing it myself this year.”
I laughed but reached for him. Cupping his chin, I turned his head to fully look down at me. “I got a feeling the Grays are going to take it this year.”
