Page 32 of Game On

“It’s beautiful,” Jamie said, in awe of his sister’s talent. “Makes me want to go paddle boarding at sunset.” It was the perfect piece to replace the contemporary monstrosity in Dorian’s office that he hated. Jamie had known Holly would come through.

“I call it Shifting Sunset Over the Salish Sea,” she said. “It’s a giclee print of an original acrylic painting laminated onto birch plywood. I figured we’d start with a print. If Dorian likes it enough, he can buy the original off me if he wants, though it’s currently selling for several thousand.”

Niall whistled again. “No friend-and-family discount for the housemate?”

“Pfft. I don’t know the guy.”

Jamie crouched in front of the couch to look at the print. The Salish Sea was in the foreground, the water done so realistically that Jamie expected to get his hand wet when he touched it. In the background were silhouettes of mountains, but the sky was the centrepiece of Holly’s work, taking up three-quarters of the print. The sunset was done in blues, oranges, purples, and reds, painted in a wavy pattern that really did make it seem like the sky was shifting.

“What do you think?” Holly asked. She removed her wool coat and tossed it over the back of Niall’s armchair, leaving her in jeans and a lavender turtleneck. “When you described what Dorian’s office looked like, I thought something peaceful might help offset the chaos.”

Jamie straightened. “I love it. What do I owe you for it?”

Holly threaded her arm around his elbow. “See if he likes it first, then we’ll talk. If he does like it, I take payment in the form of NHL tickets.”

He stared at the top of her head. “I don’t get comp seats for NHL games.”

She batted her eyelashes. “You’ll make it happen.”

“Rude,” was Niall’s opinion on that. “You don’t want to see your own brother play?”

“Sure I do. But I can get Orcas tickets for thirty bucks. Decent NHL tickets go for hundreds.”

Jamie met Niall’s gaze and tried not to laugh. “Sorry, but how much did you say the original painting of this print was selling for?”

“Don’t get bratty with me, Jamie, or I won’t pay for your lunch.”

Niall raised an eyebrow. “Are we going somewhere?”

“Yes, because I want something that’s not frozen pizza.”

“Hey.” Another pout from Niall. “I also have leftover spaghetti and meatballs.”

“I want sushi.”

Niall brightened. “I could have sushi. Let’s go to that place on Richter so I can bring Mona. The owners always bring her special dog-friendly sushi rolls.”

Jamie’s phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket only to squint at the unknown number. A telemarketer or scam most likely, but it could also be one of his new teammates whose phone numbers he didn’t have in his phone yet. The number had a Vancouver area code, after all.

He waggled the phone at his siblings. “Give me a sec.” And went into the second bedroom for privacy. “Hello?”

“Hi there. Is this Jamie Jamieson?”

He hesitated at the female voice he didn’t recognize. “Who’s asking?”

“My name’s Kathleen Greer. I got your number from Marjorie in Charlotte. She and I used to work together.”

Marjorie was the head of the dog rescue organization that Jamie used to foster for.

“Okay?” Jamie said. “What can I do for you? If it’s about fostering, I’m no longer in Charlotte.”

“Oh, I know. Marjorie said you’re in Vancouver now, which is why I’m hoping you might be able to help. I run a shelter in Burnaby and I’m desperate for help for a Shih-poo.”

Shih-poos. Ugh. Jamie loved little dogs. “Help by fostering?” A surge of excitement swept through him, quickly followed by a crash down to earth. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have my own place right now, and I’m not in a position to take in any dogs.”

“Can I tell you the situation? If you can’t help, perhaps you know someone who might?”

Biting his lip, he thought of Dorian’s no-pets rule. But hearing Kathleen out wasn’t a commitment to anything.

---