Page 18 of The Forever Game

“Hey, man! I watched the game. It was epic. Your goal at the end was perfect execution.” I grin and start to laugh. “You know how much it kills me to give your ass a compliment, bro, so you know it was good hockey.”

Ethan laughs, but the sound isn’t as bright as I was expecting.

“You okay?” I ask, holding up a finger to tell the person waiting for me that I’ll just be a minute.

“Yeah.”

I make a game show buzzer noise. “Wrong answer, folks. Contestant number one is obviously lying.”

Ethan snickers, and I can picture him shaking his head.

“You didn’t come away with some kind of delayed injury or anything, did you?”

“Nah, it’s…” He sighs and mutters, “Fuck. I just got in a fight with Mick last night. Still unresolved, and it’s eating me big-time.”

“What happened?”

“I’ll spare you the details, but we’re just… not on the same page right now.”

I frown. That’s unusual. Those two are usually so in sync. Although, Lani felt like something was a little off at the New Year’s party a few months back.

“Anything I can help with?”

“No.” Ethan’s probably shaking his head again, squaring his shoulders, ready to tough it out with zero support.

“You know I’m here for you, right? We all are. If there’s anything we can do…”

“Yeah, I know, thanks. But this is between me and Mick. We’ll figure it out. Anyways, I gotta go. Got a session with my PT.”

“Okay. Good luck with tomorrow’s game, yeah?”

“Thanks, man. I’ll catch you later.”

We hang up and I stare at my phone for a minute, troubled by the call. It’s not my business, but trouble in paradise for Mick and Ethan sucks. Those two have been solid since his junior year at college. I mean, sure, they argue and bicker like Lani and I do, but they’ve always worked through their issues. I’ve never heard Ethan so rattled before, and it’s weirding me out.

“Asher, you ready?”

I glance up and smile at my potential client, rushing over to the table and ordering us drinks before starting the initial meeting.

It goes well. I love his business idea, and I think it’s got potential. I give him some tips and guidance around starting up a small business and offer my services. He’s going to let me know next week.

Feeling confident that I’ll be taking on another client, I walk to my car with a smile and check the time. Lani should be finishing up with her classes soon, and we’re going to spend the evening together. Damn, I wish she was my wife. I’ve mentioned marriage a bunch of times, but she’s kept putting me off, telling me she needs to get through her studies first.

I get that.

I’ve been building up my business, too, and it’s all very time-consuming. The idea of planning a wedding as well is a little too much.

But damn… I wish she was my wife.

Pulling away from Main Street, I head into an older suburb of Nolan, figuring I’ll use up the last hour of my day by checking in on Baxter. He’s working a renovation on an old house that sustained some fire damage in the kitchen. Initially, when he started up Baxter’s Got You Covered, he was taking on small jobs here and there—an interior repaint, hanging wallpaper, cleaning out guttering. But after he renovated the pool house for us, I used it to his advantage, doing a marketing push, and managed to score him some bigger jobs. I think he prefers it, and it brings in a decent income for him too.

Parking behind his van, I lock the car and head inside.

“Bax, you in, man?”

“Yeah, back here!”

I follow the sound of music and find him in the kitchen, nailing in a fresh sheet of drywall. I step around his equipment and help him hold it, even though he probably doesn’t need me to, while he uses the nail gun to quickly attach the wood.

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