Page 59 of Mr. Charming

“We have to skate, control a small puck with a stick, and body check. It’s not easy, my friend.”

“Last time I checked, you sat your ass in front of a net and had a huge stick and pads to block the pucks. Doesn’t seem that hard.” Decker picks up his coffee from whatever café he and Tedi stopped at before this, since they have matching cups.

What a couple-y thing to do.

“You sit your ass in the dirt and wait for a ball to dribble over to you,” Conor argues.

I keep my eyes on the rink, waiting for this game to start so it can be over and I can leave. They can all do whatever they want to do afterward. I’ll find something else. I don’t have to witness her being happy every damn time I’m with my friends.

“Dribble? You try catching a ball going one hundred miles per hour and then throw it to first before the runner gets there.”

Conor laughs. “And what was the Colts’ record last year? I’m thinking you missed a lot of those hundred-mile-an-hour balls.”

Decker shakes his head, but there’s a smile on his lips. “I didn’t get the Golden Glove award two years ago for my mediocre skills.”

“Relax, boys, both of your sports are hard in different ways.” Tedi smiles, and our eyes catch for a second before I turn back to the ice.

Jade and Henry join us, Jade heading to the girls and Henry over to us.

“There’s open skating after the game if anyone wants to join us.” Jade sits down in the row in front of the women and rests her elbows on her knees, watching Bodhi.

“Jade, come back here. He’s fine,” Henry says, but she shakes her head without turning around.

“We’re here!”

I turn to see Jade’s teenage twin brothers rushing over. Owen and Waylon pound on the glass when they reach us.

“Go, Bodzilla!”

Bodhi must hear them because I see his head move in their direction, but the cage on his helmet blocks most of his face. He lifts his hands in a wave.

“About time. He’s been asking about you guys all day,” Jade scolds them as they shake our hands and hug the girls.

“Why are you here?” Owen asks, pointing at Decker.

“And who are you?” Waylon points at Tedi.

“This is Tedi, she’s Tw—” Henry says, but Tedi interrupts.

“I’m Tedi, and I work for the national league, and this is Decker, third baseman for the Colts.” She sticks out her hand.

Jade’s twin brothers shake her hand.

“Are you together?” Waylon asks.

Tedi leans in and pats Decker’s thigh but thankfully doesn’t leave her hand there. “Yep.”

They nod. “Cool.”

Decker sits up. “You guys are twins, huh?”

“I guess you have twenty-twenty vision, huh?” Owen says with sarcasm.

Jade slaps his arm. “Sit and watch your nephew.” She leans back in her seat and looks at Decker. “Yes, they’re twins. You are too, right? Henry was telling me the other day.”

Decker sits up. “Yeah.”

I don’t know what the deal is, but he certainly doesn’t sound like he loves the fact that he’s a twin.

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