Page 87 of Game On

“Well, if you need anyone to test it out before it goes live, let me know,” Will said. “That’s what I do. Test websites to assess their efficacy.”

“Look at you using big words,” Holly teased.

As the siblings began ribbing each other again, Jamie winked at him in a way that said See? Told you you’d fit right in.

Dorian smiled back at him, his heart too full of emotions, and ate his breakfast.

* * *

Jamie had known his family would love Dorian, but they surpassed even his high expectations and folded him into conversations seamlessly. Dorian, for his part, had lost the stiffness and strained smiles that had followed him from Niall’s house. And now that someone other than Jamie had expressed enthusiasm over his subscription box, maybe Dorian would finally tell his own family about it.

Jamie had been right about Eleanor too—Andrew and Nikki’s oldest. When Dorian had spotted the beaded bracelets around her wrist, he’d commented on them, and now they sat together in the family room, brainstorming the perfect colour combinations for bracelets that Dorian could include in his summer box.

Peeking his head around the corner, Jamie watched from the doorway as Eleanor unveiled her box of beads—she brought it everywhere.

“These are the colours I have now, but I can get others.” Eleanor pointed at the top row. “What about shades of coral and cream for summer?”

“I love that.” Dorian picked up a coral bead. “And we can affix each bracelet to a backing that tells the buyer that a hundred percent of the proceeds went to supporting mental health initiatives in elementary schools. It’s really cool that you’re doing that, by the way. We didn’t have anything like that when I was your age.”

“Would you have needed it?”

Instead of dismissing Eleanor’s question, Dorian rolled the bead between his fingers and appeared to give the question some thought. “Maybe. Probably. But I wouldn’t have recognized that at the time.”

“Were you sad?”

“A little. I didn’t grow up in a very loving household, so I probably could’ve used some help dealing with that.”

Jamie’s heart clenched.

“You could get help now,” Eleanor said.

Dorian let out a surprised laugh. “I suppose that’s true.”

Eleanor peered into her box. “Do you think we should do a different colour bracelet for the boys who order your box?”

“Nah. Boys like bright colours too, even if some of them won’t admit it. And if they don’t like it, surely they’ll have a sibling or parent or colleague they can gift it to. Now, let’s talk money,” Dorian said, and Jamie appreciated that he treated Eleanor like the little entrepreneur she was instead of bypassing her to speak to her parents. Although, that would no doubt happen later. “What do you charge for one of these?”

Andrew appeared at Jamie’s elbow a few minutes later. “How’s it going in there?”

“Good.” Jamie joined him in the hallway. “They’ve decided on coral and cream, and your daughter just gave Dorian a hard time when it came to bulk discounts.”

Andrew’s smile was proud. “That’s my girl.” His smile dipped away. “Listen, have you got a sec?”

Wary, Jamie eyed his eldest brother. “Sure.”

He followed Andrew to Emme and Holly’s old room. Their twin beds had been removed long ago and replaced with two sets of bunk beds. Their old dressers were still there, though, holding extra clothes and pyjamas for when the kids slept over. Niall and Jamie’s old room had been similarly converted.

Andrew stopped in the middle of the room and shoved his hands in his pockets. His dark eyes—their mom’s eyes—were serious, and his smile was strained. “I know you’ve probably thought about this already, but I’m just going to say it because I’m worried about you, okay?”

Jamie’s shoulders tensed. “Okay.”

“Given what happened with the Cobras, is it wise to date your coach’s cousin?”

Shoulders loosening, Jamie huffed a laugh. “Yeah, trust me, I overthought that for a long time before I let anything happen between us. But Coach Shore isn’t John Henty, and the Orcas aren’t the Cobras. Took me a while to realize that, but they’re a great bunch of guys.”

“Yeah?” Andrew blew out a breath, and his smile came easier. “Good. You do look happier than I’ve seen you in a long time.”

“I’m in a good place, both professionally and personally.” In fact, he was in such a good place that he never would’ve imagined himself here six months ago.

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