Page 75 of One More Time

I let go of Hunter to see my brother rugged up to the nines with his own pair of skates in his hand. Jamie did like to skate, but MMA was something that he and dad could have together. It didn’t hurt that he was good at it either. I saluted him and quickly went to get changed.

I came out of my room to see Hunter flicking through the book Jamie had been reading. “Have you read all her books?”

“Nah, I uh… Only just started,” Jamie flustered. “I know they’re for adults, but it kind of makes me feel closer to her. I hear her voice and …” Jamie trailed off, cheeks fire engine red.

I scuffed his hair. “I get it, kid. I never thought of that before but maybe now I’ll start.”

I watched his face relax. Mum did tend to write… let’s be honest, it was smut. Maybe it wasn’t appropriate for someone Jamie’s age to be reading it, but I wasn’t going to be the asshole to stop him if it was the one thing that brought him some comfort.

We stepped out of Hunter’s car, greeted by the sight of an open ice rink. Families laughed and skated around, a distant melody of Christmas music filling the air. Inhaling the crisp, cold air, I took a mental snapshot of the scene before me as if I could capture it on a postcard and send it to wherever Mum might be now. Snowflakes clung to my lashes and my now too-long hair— a feature I hadn’t had the heart to trim since it was Mum’s favorite. Though the frigid weather made me miss my beard.

“It’s cold as balls,” Jamie exclaimed, rubbing his gloved hands together.

Hunter laughed. “Bloody Aussies,” playfully mimicking an Australian accent that sounded more British. I went to playfully shove him, but he caught my hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss.

“Ugh, you two are nauseatingly cute. Let’s go skate,” Jamie suggested, heading to the concession stand to get our tickets.

I paid over his shoulder, and soon we were lacing up our skates. The first glide on the ice brought a familiar sense of peace. “Mum would have loved this,” Jamie said with a mix of sadness and wonder, his gaze taking in the twinkling fairy lights above us. My hand found his shoulder and squeezed, knowing that my traitorous voice would betray the emotions I felt. Hunter’s hand squeezed mine, offering me the strength to move forward.

Nestled between my guy and my brother, we slowly circled the rink, silent witnesses to the world around us under the night sky. A couple of kids zipped past us, the sound of their skates cutting through the ice serving as music to my ears. I smiled unconsciously.

Inspired by the kids, Hunter leaned forward and locked eyes with James. “So, James: are you as quick as your Ty here?”

Jamie grinned, never one to back down from a challenge. “Not even close. But I’m faster than you.”

Hunter’s lips played with a rare smile. “Oh, yeah? Want to bet?”

Jamie raised an eyebrow, meeting Hunter’s gaze beneath his snug beanie. “If I win, I get the bedroom, and you two get the couch.”

Laughter erupted from all of us in acknowledgment of the amusing proposition. “Sure, kid. Shake on it?” Hunter said, and they sealed the bet.

I positioned them side by side, my scarf in the air. “On the count of three.”

The race began, and I leaned against the boards, watching as they dodged people in their pursuit. Hunter’s longer legs effortlessly covered distance, but my little brother showcased surprising speed with his nimble legs. I caught the moment Hunter feigned exhaustion, and Jamie took the win. With a victorious grin, Jamie declared, “I won! Sofa for you two! Just keep it down because we all know Cal is the type to peek.”

Bent over with laughter, Hunter and I enjoyed the banter. “Ah yes. But what you don’t realize, is dorm beds are all springs. So the couch is softer—and un-christened.”

Jamie’s face twisted in disgust. “Ew! Okay, can I just have a hot Milo instead?”

Hunter looked confused.

“A hot chocolate,” I explained. “But while we’re teaching you Aussie terms, we call it hot choccy.”

Hunter smiled, gliding to my side and wrapping his arm around my back. “Okay, baby, let’s get you Aussies some hot choccys.” His ‘Aussie accent' may have been terrible, but I found myself enjoying it from his lips. Unaware that I was staring at them, Hunter leaned down and kissed me, soothing me when I tensed in his arms.

“No one knows who we are here, so right now, you’re mine.”

I bit my lip in an attempt to restrain three little words from spilling out. We skated out of the rink, Hunter holding my hand under the twinkling lights. Even before the hot chocolate hit my system, I could feel the warmth of Mum watching over us. If she were here, she would be on the sidelines, a soft smile gracing her lips.

Chapter forty-two

Hunter

Ifound myself drifting around Tyler’s body in the kitchen, following his directions carefully as he walked me through what to do. I had zero skills in the kitchen, so I soaked up every word, trying to commit them to memory.

“You don’t eat carbs?” I questioned, noting the lack of any in the meal. I was fully aware of his strict diet, but it only unveiled another layer of his need for control.

“I try to avoid them. I don’t want extra shit to work off if I can avoid it. I don’t really drink either but there’s something about certain hockey parties that always gets me sloshed.”

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