Page 23 of Crossed Sticks

HARPER: Yes, I’ll be there by 3.

“Sorry about that,” I told Luca. “I got so excited talking to you, I forgot my appointment. She’s busy all day tomorrow, so I need to go.”

“That’s okay. I’ve enjoyed this a lot. Can we talk again later?”

“For sure. I’ll text tonight as soon as I can, if that’s all right.”

“Good plan. Be careful driving. Don’t be reckless just because you’re late.”

“Yes,Mom.” I moved the phone close to my face so he could see me roll my eyes. “I’ll be in touch later.”

He winked and gave me a thumbs-up. “I’ll be waiting.”

Before we disconnected, his searching eyes caught mine, and a powerful longing washed over me as we stared into ourphones. I briefly wondered why I was in D.C. when Luca was waiting for me back home. I had important things to do here, but I wanted to be with him. The night we met, I imagined he was the bad boy from school who’d tempt me into ditching class so we could have fun. Now, in real life, he was tempting me to ditch responsibilities so we could be together.Responsibilities,I reminded myself.Responsibilities.

His warm, dark eyes bore into mine, and we still didn’t disconnect. For the entire time we talked, I hadn’t worried about anything. We kidded each other and laughed, then discovered a common interest I’d never shared with a guy I liked. Luca and I might have an even better time than I’d imagined.

Nick and Jacob had invited two other Barracudas for dinner, Kev Moore and his husband, Tyler Jensen. Kev was one of the league’s leading defensemen as well as an alternate captain for the Cudas. Tyler was an all-star right winger who had been one of Nick’s teammates in high school. Nick grilled steaks, and after the meal, we all sat around talking.

“How’s it going so far?” Kev asked. “Met any of the boys yet?”

“Some of them took me out for drinks one night, and we played shinny a few days later. They’re aggressive on the ice, but otherwise they’re great guys. I think I’ll fit in well.”

Nick set his beer on the coffee table. “How are Gabe and Logan? You’ll be the third gay player there, so you can use their support.”

“Gabe’s one of the team’s leaders, and he’s been friendly. Logan’s more laid-back, but he’s been nice, too.”

“How about Jax?” Ty asked. “He was great when we all had drinks after we beat them last winter.”

“Jax is cool.” I took a pull of my beer, and when no one said anything, I added, “He seems like a good leader, but he’s no Stick.” Stick was Nick’s nickname throughout the hockey world.

A pang of sadness sliced through me as I remembered the countless games I’d played with the Cudas. Nick, besides being one of the best players in the league, was a phenomenal captain who was always there for everyone. I’d learned so much from him, about hockeyandlife, and I was going to miss him.

“Go, Stick,” Kev said, wearing a big grin.

“Nobody like Nicky,” Ty said. “If he ever leaves, the Cudas will go to shit.”

Nick shook his head. “That isn’t true. The Cudas are a fantastic team, with or without me. But I’m not going anywhere. I’d like to retire here if I can.”

Kev scooted forward in his chair. “Don’t even talk about that. You’re way too young to retire, and even if the team could go on without you, I wouldn’t want to be a part of it.”

“I didn’t mean soon, just that I’d like to play here for my entire career.” He smiled and shifted his gaze to me. “Tell you all one thing, though. It’ll be a lot harder beating the Warriors now that they’ve got Harpy.”

I waved him off. “I don’t know about that. I’m just one man.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Nick said. “You’re amazing on the ice, but you never got a fair shot here. If the Warriors have a lick of sense, they’ll put you on the first line, and you can really strut your stuff. I’m not looking forward to playing against you.”

Images of centering the first line in a packed arena lit up my mind. Nick had always believed in me, even when others hadn’t. “Thanks, Stick. I’ll give it a hundred percent.”

My phone buzzed. Looking to see if it was Luca might be rude, but I didn’t want to ignore him, either. The guys with meright then were my friends connected to the past, and Luca was my… something… connected to the future. I was the common denominator, and I wanted to take care of myself for a change.

“Excuse me, boys. I need to check who this is.” After pulling the phone out of my pocket, I couldn’t stop a big smile from exploding across my face.

LUCA: How’s it going, handsome? You’re probably busy, but I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed talking this afternoon. Just finished some lemon chicken and turned on my Nintendo. Think I’ll play Elden Ring until I hear from you.

HARPER: I had a great time with you, too. Nick invited some guys over and we had steaks, but I’ll get away as soon as I can.

LUCA: Nick?

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