Page 62 of Shift Change

I turned back to Nate, who nodded. Neither of us was in any hurry, which suited me just fine.

After we helped Nana clean the kitchen, Nate and I headed upstairs for our bags. As soon as we were in my room, he closed the door and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Please don’t go anywhere. We’re ROD friends, and I want you to stay.”

I nodded. “I’d like that, on one condition. Let me pay you rent.”

“I don’t need rent, especially not from you.”

“Maybe you don’t, but I’m no freeloader. I need to pay rent to feel good about myself. Deal?”

He smiled and nodded. “Deal. We’re so much alike in some ways.”

We sealed it with a kiss and left for Buffalo.

20

holky

December blewpast in a blur of hockey and holiday madness. We dropped games to Winnipeg and Edmonton before clawing our way back with wins against the Northeast teams. When it felt like we were gaining momentum, Nashville handed us another loss, but we bounced back with solid victories in Charlotte and Tampa.

The Tampa game was on December 23, which meant we’d finally earned a breather thanks to the league’s holiday break. No practices, no games, and no travel until our match against Miami on the 27th. After the pace we’d been keeping, we needed a vacation.

In mid-December, Nana had called Chuck to say her sister wanted to come to Ithaca for the holiday. Since the sister’s husband had passed away in August, she needed company, and Nana didn’t want Chuck to feel like he had to spend the holiday there.

He looked torn when he hung up, but as soon as he told me about the situation, I jumped in. “Stay with me. Let’s fly to Miami after the game in Tampa and spend the holiday there. Warm weather, hotel room, and no responsibilities.”

His face lit up. “Seriously? I’ve never spent Christmas anyplace but Ithaca.”

“Then it’s time to fix that. Let’s go online and buy tickets.”

“Wait,” he said. “I haven’t been able to go shopping for you. I know it’s lame, but why don’t we pay for each other and let that be our gifts?”

“Being with you will be my gift.”

What the actual fuck? Did I really say that?

“Mine too, but let’s pay for each other anyway. I’d planned to buy you something, and this way, I’ll feel like I did.”

I chuckled. “It’s fine with me. I wanted to buy something for you too.”

The financial planner had shown Chuck how he could save most of what he was making and still have enough to live well. I’d never forget the look on Chuck’s face when he delivered a new Audi to Nana, or the look on hers when she realized what he’d done. Like they say, money doesn’t make all your problems go away, but it can sure make things better.

It turned out that most of Miami was booked solid for Christmas. We must have checked with twenty hotels, but everything decent was full. Since Logan was basically an honorary citizen of Miami, I asked him for advice. He got on the phone with the Faena, his go-to place, and somehow scored us a room.

“Is the Faena nice?” I asked.

“One of the oldest and most iconic resorts on the beach.” He looked smug as hell. “It’s pure luxury. Gorgeous ocean views and only steps from the sand. Thank me later.” He put on a knowing smirk. “I doubt you’ll be leaving the room much, but if you want to go out, all the fun you can handle is within easy walking distance.”

* * *

It was eighty-four degrees in Miami when we landed, about fifteen degrees warmer than Tampa. After spending most of our season in the cold, the heat was shocking, but Chuck’s eyes were wide with excitement.

While we waited for our Uber, he asked, “The heat feels great, right? We can wear shorts and walk around without a jacket.” He bounced his eyebrows. “Take off our shirts when we want to.”

“Chuck, are you telling me you like it hot?”

The corners of his lips twitched upward. “I can take all the heat you want to dish out.”

“Fuck.” I looked him over while I tried to breathe. “Better be careful what you’re asking for, or you might get burned.”

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