Page 40 of I Could Be Yours

“Sure, man, whatever worksfor you,” I say.

He claps me on the shoulder. “And there might be someone here you want to spend time with.”

I grunt. I spent the entire flight spinning fantasies in which Essie ended up back in my room. Hell, I even thought about joining the mile high club, and I try my best never to use plane bathrooms because they’re disgusting.

By the time we’re done checking in, the girls have disappeared up to their rooms. Ironically, we’re on the same floor, though thankfully at the other end of the hall. According to Tristan, they have a spa afternoon planned, which means they can’t be a distraction.

After everyone has dropped off their stuff, I corral all the guys so we can do some necessary bonding. At the racetrack.

“This is fucking awesome, Nate.” Tristan slings his arm over my shoulder a little while later, grinning from ear to ear.

Pride swells in my chest. Racing cars is way cooler than a spa. “I thought you’d like this. Obviously, you get first dibs on whatever car you want to drive.” I motion to the lineup of sweet rides.

“Tristan’s definitely picking the one with the most balls.” Flip fist-bumps my brother, and they share a chuckle.

Kodiak snaps a bunch of pictures, thumb-types for a few seconds, then tucks his phone back in his pocket.

“Everything good?” Tristan asks.

“Yeah. Everything is awesome. Just checking on Lav. Thanks for the invitation. It’s nice to see you guys somewhere other than the ice when we’re playing against each other.”

“Right? I’m glad you and Lavender could swing it,” Tristan says.

“Me too. Lavender has been super busy with work. I’mthankful this fell between productions. She really needed a break, and this is the perfect getaway for us.”

“She works off Broadway, right?” Tristan told me she’s a costume designer. That tracks since the dress she was wearing on the plane was a real head turner.

“For now, yeah.”

“New York will probably renew your contract when it’s time, right?” Tristan says.

“They might, but our parents are out in Chicago, and with her dad opening a satellite campus for the Hockey Academy in Toronto, we’ve been talking about options. We want to start a family eventually, and we want to be closer to our parents when that happens.”

“You’re still young, though. You’ve got time and a lot of years of hockey left to play,” Hollis assures him.

“I know, but Lavender’s happiness is more important than anything else. She’s my world. Has been since I could say her name.” He smiles fondly. “I’ve loved her my entire life. I want what she wants.”

“Even if that means you end your hockey career prematurely?” I can’t fathom having that kind of faith in someone else’s love.

He nods. “Nothing is as important as she is.”

He means it.

The attendant comes over with the paperwork, and we all pair up and pick our cars. Tristan takes the wheel, and I take my place in the passenger seat since the Ferrari is a top choice for both of us.

“You sure you’re cool with me driving first?” he asks.

“Yeah, absolutely. This is your weekend.”

Tristan and I switch places after a few laps. It’s a real rush driving a car with as much speed as this one. It’s an awesome first pick for the afternoon. Then we break for a few minutes while we wait for the next car to be free. We lean against the rails, watching the cars zip by.

“Thanks for this, Nate. I know the wedding stuff isn’t your favorite, and having the girls at the same hotel isn’t what you expected, but I appreciate you putting this together. I know you’re juggling work to make it happen.”

“I don’t mind. It’s been fun, and I needed to get out of the grind for a bit.” I’ve been putting in long days at the office, and if it wasn’t for my brother and Flip, I’d have no social life. Which is why I was looking forward to this weekend with him and the guys.

“How is the skate prototype coming along, anyway?” he asks.

“Good. Great. The 3D printers make all the difference in getting things right. I think we’ll have something testable in the next few weeks.” I leave it at that. It’s easy to get overly excited about this and start talking above people’s heads. The guys in my office understand, but most other people glaze over when I nerd out.

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