Page 112 of Ice Dance Hockey

I skip down the stairs, alive with the deviousness of my plan, but halt at the entryway to the kitchen. Theo’s little timer is set on the table near where Rhett’s working, but Theo has returned to his “bite Rhett’s ankles” mission. He’s crawled under and is sizing up his bare flesh.

What will Rhett do? You’d peg a guy like Rhett as the kind to tell a kid off and I wait for the scolding to come, holding my breath. Before Theo can sink his teeth into him, large hands reach under and Theo blinks as he realizes he’s atop Rhett’s massive lap.

“Hey!”

“I need your help with a decision,” Rhett says.

“You do?”

“Yes. I’m going to invest in one of these businesses. One is a collagen-based face cream used to prevent wrinkles, the other is a line of sports supplements.”

Theo’s face scrunches. “They both sound boring as fuck.”

“Language. The first keeps you young, the second makes you like a superhero.”

“Superhero,” Theo says without hesitation.

“Okay, give me a second.” Theo’s quiet and still—two things that I’m not sure I’ve ever seen from him during his waking hours—while Rhett types up his email.

“Congratulations. You just made your first business decision.”

“I have?” Rhett nods. “What happens now?”

“I’m going to give them some money and they’re going to build their business.”

Theo thinks about that. “Can you give me some money for a business?”

“What’s your business?”

He shrugs. “I dunno.”

“I’ll give you some money for a business if you convince me why I should invest. I’m going to need the specifics. How do you plan to make money? How much will you need for start-up costs?”

There are a few more instructions Rhett has to give Theo before Theo’s racing off again, but this time he’s alive with a mission to convince Rhett to invest in whatever business he dreams up.

Earlier, they were cute, but this is kid-wrangling on a whole other level, and I’m hit with a tidal wave realization. That’s what I wanted when I was Theo’s age but couldn’t articulate it. Someone who would take that kind of time with me. Who would redirect my wild energy. It’s too late for little Logan who’s all grown up, but it could be there for some other child.

Rhett needs to be a dad.

There’s a tug on my coveralls. Lorelei’s there. “C’n you help me? I’m making a flower for Rhett for the wall. I need to know what color. Pink or yellow?”

He’s earned his flower? Yeah, I guess he has. Mercy’s still not his number-one fan, but the kids love him. “Yellow,” I say.

She grabs for the yellow construction paper. “Will you help me spell his name later?”

“I will.”

Up to my own mischief, I want to test his attention to surroundings. Will his all-star periphery notice me if I walk by?

Quietly padding across the linoleum, I attempt to move past him. He snatches me from thin air, and I find myself in his lap. Not surprised. “Did you think you were leaving without kissing me goodbye?”

I laugh, pressing my smiling lips against the side of his forehead. “Not really, but I wanted to see if you’d notice me.”

“Always, Logan. Always.”

* * *

The timing couldn’t be more perfect. The prankster Gods of the universe are on my side.

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