Page 30 of Game On

“I take it your housemate meets your high standards, huh?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Jamie braked for a red light. “He’s my housemate. And my head coach’s cousin. And he works for the organization.”

“So?”

“So. We both remember what happened last time I dated someone associated with the team, right?”

Gio sighed. “Yeah. You won’t believe this, but ever since you left, Henty’s been all chummy with me and the other guys who supported you. Like, now that you’re gone, we can let bygones be bygones?” He scoffed. “What a douchebag. I get being supportive—I have a younger brother too—but there’s supporting his brother after a breakup and there’s throwing you under the bus for no goddamn reason.”

Jamie ran a hand through his hair and hit the gas. “Scott took the breakup hard,” he said, a pinch of guilt and sadness hitting him in the chest. He’d love Scott Henty until his dying day, but loving someone wasn’t always enough. In the end, they hadn’t been right for each other.

“You took it hard too,” Gio pointed out. “As your team captain, Henty should’ve been there for you too.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. Doesn’t matter anymore, anyway.”

“For you. You managed to escape.”

Jamie winced.

“Fuck.” Gio groaned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. Nobody blames you for leaving, trust me.”

“Just that the rest of you still have to put up with Henty’s shit,” Jamie said, guilt hitting him in the chest once again.

“Not really. Like I said, he’s trying to get all chummy again. We’ve been ignoring him, which frustrates the crap out of him but makes me super happy. So. It’s not all bad.”

Jamie dredged up a laugh.

“Although the fact that Coach Feinberg still hasn’t figured out why half his team is at odds with the other half of his team is fucking mind-boggling. Like, dude. Get your head out of the sand. At least I won’t have to deal with him or Henty after this season.”

“You’ve decided to retire?”

Gio had hinted at it in the past few months, but Jamie’s money had been on him playing another year.

“Yeah, my shoulder’s been dislocated enough times that it’s starting to strain the muscle,” Gio said. “I don’t want to end up tearing something irreparably, you know?”

“I get it.” Jamie made a right onto his brother’s street. “Hey, listen, I’m almost at my brother’s, so I’ve got to leave you. Tell everyone hi.”

“Will do. I’ll say hello to your car for you too. I’m about to take it out for its twice-a-week drive to the grocery store.”

Jamie parked at the curb in front of his brother’s bungalow. “I miss my car.”

“How you managed to fit your six-foot-two frame and all your hockey gear in a tiny Fiat is beyond me,” Gio grumbled, not for the first time.

Jamie loved his yellow Fiat, although now that he’d driven an SUV the four hours from Vancouver to Kelowna, he had to admit that the extra space was nice.

“I appreciate you looking after it for me,” he said, “as well as the rest of my stuff.”

“Of course. Anyway, I’ll let you go. Tell Niall I’ll miss seeing his ugly mug now that he won’t be visiting you in Charlotte anymore. Now, there’s a man with no standards.”

“Christ.” Jamie choked on a laugh. “There’s something I never needed to know.”

Gio cackled and hung up.

Jamie was still laughing as he grabbed his overnight bag from the passenger seat and headed up Niall’s walkway to the front door. He let himself in, calling a “Hello! Niall?” and closing the door behind him.

Mona, Niall’s aging fawn-coloured French bulldog, trotted up to him, tongue hanging out.

“Hi, cutie.” Jamie bent to love on her and accept doggie kisses. “Hi. Did you miss me? Huh? Did you?”

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