Page 60 of Game On

“I can, can I?” Jamie asked, a smirk tilting his lips up.

“What? Why do you say it like that?”

“It’s telling that you don’t want me to contribute to the groceries or the heating bill or even to cooking. Instead, you want me to help the dog.”

Dorian scowled. “Don’t read too much into it, hotshot.”

“It’s way too late for that. Now come on.” Jamie stood and tugged Dorian up with him. “Let’s go watch a bad movie and eat bad crackers and you can tell me all about how the heck you got a background check incorporated into your app. Is that to make sure the people helping the seniors are on the up and up and the seniors don’t get taken advantage of?”

Dorian gazed at his corkboard and his computer with its email inbox open and almost declined.

In the end, he went with Jamie, unsurprised when Poppy awoke and followed them into the living room, where she sat between them while they watched a bad movie and ate bad crackers and talked about Dorian’s app.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Hey, wait up.”

Jamie paused on his way out of the arena, Archie at his side, and waited for Brawsiski to catch up. With practice and strategy sessions over with, his plan for this afternoon was to nap before the game against Henderson. Archie was his ride home since he lived near Dorian’s place, a reminder that Jamie desperately needed his own set of wheels. Problem was, it didn’t make sense to buy a new car when he had a perfectly good one in Charlotte, and besides—Archie didn’t seem to mind being his chauffeur.

“Hey,” Brawsiski said when he caught up, clapping Archie on the shoulder. “I can take JJ home. Charlie’s visiting with Dorian and I’m meeting him there.”

“Sure,” Archie said with an easy shrug as they continued outside. He offered them each a fist bump. “See you in a few hours.”

“I appreciate the lift,” Jamie said, climbing into the passenger side of Brawsiski’s SUV.

“I was heading there anyway. Two birds, one stone, and all that.”

“What are Dorian and Charlie up to?” Was it possible that Dorian was telling Charlie about Fir & Pine?

“No idea.” Brawsiski navigated out of the parking lot. “Probably sitting around eating cake jars. Charlie tried a new recipe he wanted to run by Dorian—a Nanaimo bar cake jar.”

Jamie’s stomach rolled in hunger. “Did he bring some for the rest of the house?”

Brawsiski chuckled. “No idea.”

“Do you get to taste test his baked goods?”

“Most of the time.”

“That must be a nice perk.”

“Can’t complain,” Brawsiski said, grinning.

They chatted on the drive, and it was easy and comfortable. The same as it had ever been with Gio Vitone. When he’d first landed in Vancouver, that thought would’ve made him long for his old life in Charlotte. Now it made him grateful to be on a new team with lots of Gio Vitones.

Though he suspected none of the Orcas had slept with his brother.

As Brawsiski approached Dorian’s neighbourhood, Jamie’s phone rang, Kathleen Greer’s name popping onto the screen—the woman who’d placed Poppy with him and Dorian.

“Do you mind if I take this?”

Brawsiski shook his head. “Go for it.”

The rolling hunger in Jamie’s belly turned into rolling knots as he answered. “Hi, Kathleen.”

“Oh, Jamie!” she said, surprise in her voice, as though she’d forgotten who she’d dialled or she hadn’t expected him to pick up. “I’m so glad you answered. Listen, are you home? I have a couple on their way to meet Poppy. They have two kids at home—eight and ten—and they’ve been wanting to adopt a well-trained older dog to add to their family for a while. When I told them about Poppy, they insisted on going right over, so they’re on their way now. They don’t live far from you, so they should be arriving shortly.”

“Uh...” His belly cramped. God, he didn’t want to think about not coming home to Poppy. He’d fostered many dogs over the years, and he’d always been happy to see them go to their forever home.

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