Page 99 of Ice Dance Hockey

Merc made sure there were turkey burgers for me and they’re fucking good. I don’t eat the bun. There’s lots of salad. “Yeah.”

“Definitely, then. Two patties, one bun,” he says. “And more potato salad. Also, maybe some fruit too. Fuck it, I’ll have another cob of corn as well.”

It takes a lot to feed a gorilla.

“Hey! That’s a bad word,” Theo says.

“Which I’ve heard you use several times, young man,” Rhett says with all the patience in the world.

Mercy’s manning the barbeque. I ask for more food and his eyes bulge. “Really?” he says as he plucks the burgers off the grill. “Not sure if I can remember you comin’ for seconds.”

“I’m sure I have. It’s not that big a deal.”

But by the quiet way he processes my actions, he thinks it’s a big deal. I know what he’s thinking. Rhett’s responsible for my good mood and my expanded appetite. He’s not wrong, but it’s not just Rhett. It’s all of it. I hated playing hockey, but I loved that everyone came together for me. I’m only human, though, and having the attention of a man I also desire has boosted my self-esteem. It would boost anyone’s self-esteem.

“I don’t know whether to cut him out of the picture, or make sure he never leaves.”

“I don’t know either, Merc, but I … I think I should try, right? Any chance the ban can be, uh, officially over?” I keep waiting for him to suddenly change his mind and have Rhett escorted off the premises.

His gaze finds Jack’s across the backyard. He’s got our furry-headed Stanley who’s awake and trying to look around, which is a new thing he started doing recently. Jack smiles and waves at Merc and then continues the conversation he’s having with his brother.

He turns a glower in the direction of Rhett who’s actively involved in a conversation with Theo. Theo fucking loves Rhett, and Mercy hasn’t missed that. It may even be the thing that’s impressed him.

Merc huffs. “Yeah, you should try, even if you get your damn heart broken. Ban lifted, but next time he’s gonna crash our hockey game a little warning would be nice.”

“You’re just sore because he kicked your asses.”

“Hockey is a team sport, and I was on Rhett’s team. The only asses I saw kicked were the other team’s.”

Of course.

Theo runs by, almost knocking into Merc’s legs on his way by, laughing and squealing. “Halp! Haaaalp! There’s an ogre on the loose. Lo, do something!”

Rhett follows at a pace slow enough for him to make a narrow escape. His arms, which look like they’re growing watermelons inside them, are poised as if he’s a monster come to capture little boys.

“Feed me. Feed me,” he growls.

My heart smiles.

“I have ogre food right here.” I shove the plate at him, the one with the two patties on it, and grab his hand. “This way to the potato salad, ogre.”

Satisfied with the way I handled his ogre problem, Theo races into The Backyard Wild to meet up with his sisters. I sequester Rhett for myself, leading him around the long table filled with food so that we can fill up, and then I take him around the front where it’s quiet. Casey’s off in the distance, talking to someone on his cell phone, but other than that, we’re alone. We sit on the porch swing.

There’s just enough light left to make out our surroundings, but the sun is quickly vanishing for the night. It’s a warm evening, especially for Vancouver, and the air has the constant aroma of petrichor that’s ever-present here, even when it hasn’t rained in a few days.

We eat in comfortable silence and all I can think about is that kiss we had against the very porch post we’re sitting behind.

I want to kiss Rhett some more.

I don’t really care if Scott never kisses me again and while I’ve been attracted to a handful of others, it’s not the kind of explosive attraction that it’s been with Rhett. I don’t think I need to kiss Scott anymore.

“So? When are you taking me on another date? Shouldn’t we give the internet something to talk about?”

“Oh? Am I allowed to take you out again?”

Right. I have a lot of shit “booked off”, which are really just a whole bunch of “fuck you’s” to Rhett. “You can take me out again. You might even get lucky.”

“In that case, you’re mine on Saturday.”

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