Page 96 of Hockey Bois
Gail mussed Terry’s hair and smiled. Terry smiled back, huge and wide like a puppy, and she rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek. “He’s here for the same reason you are.”
“He’s here to make me throw up in my mouth?”
“Hockey, dumbass. Playoff games require group gatherings at bars to drink and yell at the TV.”
“Terry doesn’t evenspeakhockey.”
“I do!” Terry said defensively. “Goalie. Hat trick. Biscuit. Dasher. Ovie. Backcheck.”
“It feels like you did a quick search of ‘hockey’ and wrote down some talking points. Also I canhearthe extra E you added on Ovi, what the fuck?!”
“So he’s a puck bunny. Leave him alone.” Gail waved over the bartender.
“OhGod,” Nick whined. “Please stop talking.”
“Sorry, bud. You got here too early. No one else is here yet,” Gail said in a voice that indicated she was in no way sorry, then turned to the bartender with a polite smile. “Can we get a couple pitchers and glasses?”
While Gail went through the menu and ordered some starters, Nick leaned back so he could see behind her chair. Terry followed suit.
“Who else is coming?” Nick asked.
Terry shrugged. “Some people from your team, I think. I invited Jenna, but she’s got a work thing or something. Gail mentioned inviting someone from her work; dunno if they’re coming.”
Nick’s heart skipped a beat.
“Who, exactly, from my team?”
Terry made a face. “Lexi, Mags, GG, maybe Donno but I think he said he might be stuck doing some family thing instead, and Brady,” Terry dutifully recited and counted off each name on his hand. He looked proud of himself for remembering them all, and then his expression withered when he saw Nick’s face. Terry never did like to be the bearer of bad news.
Shit.
Did Nick want to see Brady outside of hockey? Hell yes he did, andthat was the problem. Hockey kept things safe; bars and beer werenotsafe and invited them to fall back into old habits. Things were finally better now, and he wanted to keep them on the right track.
All of which Terry knew, the sneaky bastard.
Nick glared first at his cousin, then at Gail. “You didn’t mention this.”
“Did you really think I invited you here to hang out, just the two of us?” Gail asked.
“I—I mean— You did once before!”
“To read you the riot act. The beer was to soften the blow. This is towatch hockey. No offense, Nicki, but that’s more suited to large groups and not one on one.”
“Don’t pretend this invitation was completely on the level,” he accused.
Gail batted her eyelashes. “No idea what you mean. But let’s be honest, I saved you from worrying your pretty head over it. Aren’t you glad I spared you some moping? Now pour yourself a beer, put your big-boy pants on, and settle in. I got a feeling this game’s going to OT.”
The game hadn’t started yet and the sound wasn’t on, so there was no distraction from Nick basically being a third wheel on his cousin’s date. It gave him weird middle-school flashback vibes… except that the mean girl wasn’t bossing Terry around simply because he’d do as he was told. Gail seemed by all appearances genuinely fond of Terry.
Well, he was willing to take the hit here. He was wrong about how well they’d mesh, and he didn’t mind his temporary third-wheel status if it meant Terry was happy.
Other people slowly arrived. Lexi rolled in, grabbed a beer, and ranted about how the Presidents’ Trophy was garbage. GG was next; he chatted with Terry out of obvious curiosity and made it 100% clear that as soon as the game was on, he would find himself a quiet corner to watch and would only reappear during intermissions.
And then Brady came. Backward hat, not at all dressed for the weather, about to walk into a hockey game at any second, Brady.
Nick’s heart might have skipped a beat but thankfully he maintained a calm(ish) demeanor. Terry reacted more, not-so-subtly taking out his phone. Based on his shit-eating grin, he was texting Jenna about this small victory over their cousin.
I got to see him first :))))))
