Page 4 of Power Play

“So,” I say, entering the last thing and spinning around, “what is it?”

“The Buck Burger.”

My eyes widen, and I swallow. I clear my throat. I know where this is going. He looks at me, egging me on with his eyes. I force a smile.

“Big ol’ patty with bacon, cheddar, caramelized onions, mustard, and mayo—just like Levi used to order.”

I nod enthusiastically.

“Wow, yeah,” I say. “I remember. Why, uh…why now, though, Gary? Just out of curiosity. Levi got drafted a decade ago.”

I force another smile, trying really hard not to get too far down into the rabbit hole of Levi Buck.

Gary looks at me, puzzled.

“Didn’t your brother tell you?” he asks.

I raise my chin, eyebrows knit together.

“Tell me what?”

“Levi is moving back to town!” Gary says with an exasperated smile. “Well, at least temporarily. You know, while he recovers. That was some hit.” He looks up at the wall where the Spokane Storm jersey hangs. Number three. “BUCK” in big, blue letters across the back.

“Oh, uh,” I sputter, “Tyson must have just forgotten to mention it.”

I shrug it off, then turn back to the end of the counter, willing my anxiety to stop. Begging the knots in my stomach not to form. Fighting off that feeling of the doom you’ve been waiting for to not come to a head.

“I wanted to surprise you,” I hear my brother say from the front of the restaurant as he makes his way in. I jump at his voice.

“Ty,” I say, putting a hand to my chest. “Surprise me? With Levi? Why?” I ask, feigning ignorance as I turn back to the empty table in front of me, clearing it of the dishes. He bends down to kiss the top of my head while he nods at Gary over the counter.

“Tyson, my boy,” Gary calls to him. “The usual?”

“You know it,” Tyson says back to him. Then he turns back to me. “Um, maybe because youlovedLevi. Had the biggest crush on himever?”

Okay, good. He doesn’t appear to know about the laundry room incident.

I swallow and scoff.

“I was sixteen, Tyson,” I say. “Give me a fuckin’ break.”

He laughs.

“Yeah, yeah,” he says. “But seriously, he’s coming back. He’s gonna do his physical therapy and stuff here. He just wants to lay low. Take it easy. We’re gonna have a little get-together for him tomorrow night.”

I raise an eyebrow.

“Who is ‘we'?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

“Me and Dad,” he says. I sigh.

My brother still lives in town. He teaches at the high school and has his own place a few miles away.

Me? I still live with my dad—well, stepdad.

My mom married Jeff Calway when I was eight years old.

Jeff was older than my mom, and his kids were a good deal older than me.

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