Page 63 of Sporting Goods

Her mood swings were back, and it wasn’t anything a brother should put up with. She needed a boyfriend.

I laughed at the thought.

Tisch hadn’t been in a relationship that lasted more than a few weeks. And even still, it had been a while.

“What’s your deal today?” I asked when she lingered near for more than a second.

“Put a sock in it.”

“Okay. I’ll be in aisle ten.” That was where we kept the socks.

“So what’s going on with blondie?”

“Nothing.” I shrugged. She didn’t want to hear anything good.

“Nothing?”

“Maybe if you didn’t always have a chip on your shoulder around her, I’d tell you.”

“I thought there was nothing to tell.”

“There isn’t.”

“I don’t trust her.”

“And that’s why I don’t tell you anything.”

Tisch and Rayne had only met on a few occasions at the store and once when she and Jax came by my complex tennis courts. Tisch stuck around for a single round but when I realized it was only to throw around some belligerent comments, I told her to leave.

Tisch threw down the box she was unloading. “Dude, it’s fucking clear as day. She’s actually quite the bad liar.”

Yeah, I’d noticed that.

“You don’t like anyone. And Rayne has a right to her privacy. Look, maybe she’s having doubts about bringing a man around Jax. You ever think about that?”

She rolled her eyes. “Is that the excuse she’s giving you?”

“Tisch,” I flexed my jaw. “Look, you can’t continue being rude when she’s around.”

“I wasn’t rude. Besides, she didn’t seem to be fazed by it.”

That was true. Rayne hardly blinked. But she didn’t stick around for it either.

Tisch went back to work on the floor and since it was slow up front, I sent Jake to finish restocking the box my sister abandoned.

“We’ll lock up when you’re done. Not getting much action after five anyway.”

“Got it, boss.” He stepped around the register and headed toward the first aisle.

“Hey, Logan,” a voice called from a few feet in front of me. Josh Davenport walked up to the register with a kid about Jax’s age “This is my son, Brody.” I hadn’t even noticed them come into the store.

“Hey man, good to see you again.” I nodded and returned a friendly grin to a member of what used to be my nemesis team. “Glad you could stop by. What brings you two in today?” I would have much rather walked away and not deal with anything he had to say, but I owned this place. I had to act like I liked being here.

“Rumor has it you got some awesome new gear here for youth hockey. Brody just went into his second year as a mite so thought we’d look around.”

I turned to the kid and held up my hand. “Hey congrats on making the team, dude.”

The kid lit up and high fived me. “Thanks. Dad said you play too. And like you’rereallygood.” The kid was tall for his age and super enthusiastic, like his father.

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